By Nicole Falco
Since the June 16 meeting, enabling state legislation, essential for a community to form a special library funding district, has been passed in both the Senate and Assembly. The legislation, carried by Senator Dean Skelos and Assemblyman Tom Alfano, passed last year but returned to the Legislature floor for required revisions. Gov. George Pataki is expected to sign the new legislation, according to Tom Dunham, a Skelos aid.
Once the governor signs on the dotted line, the Hempstead Town Board would then be authorized to call for a referendum -- probably in late September or early October -- asking North Valley Stream residents, who currently rely on state-mandated access cards for library service, to vote on two issues: "Should a special library funding district be established?" and "Do you approve of the proposed budget?"
The budget will depend on which local library residents choose to contract with. There are a few Elmont residents living in Valley Stream School District 13 who may also be unserved by a local library.
The enabling legislation also includes North Lynbrook, North Malverne and Franklin Square East, which are all populations unserved by a library. However, the enabling legislation authorizes the town to call a separate referendum for each unserved community.
The next step for residents of North Valley Stream is to organize a petition drive. Petitions will then be turned over to the Town Board. The James A. Dever School and the Howell Road School PTAs not only organized the recent informational meeting, but will also be circulating petitions and sending information home with students about the process, according to Meryl Trager, co-president of the Dever PTA.
Trager was surprised to learn that she did not belong to a library when she first moved to the community in 1986. "I grew up with a library," Trager said. "I assumed everybody had access to them."
Prior to a Board of Regents ruling in 2000, residents living in areas untaxed by a library district were able to purchase library cards. However, the ruling made the sale of library cards illegal. The ruling was intended to force unserved areas to contract with a local library for service. The Town of Hempstead has been successful in helping residents of East Rockaway and Mill Brook contract with local libraries.
"The benefits of having a library, besides providing books and audio visual materials, [are that] library access adds value to the quality of life in our community and increases the value of our homes," Trager said.
Which library will it be? Those at last week's meeting were greeted by councilmen James Darcy and Edward Ambrosino, who will act as conduits of information between the unserved residents and the town; representatives of Nassau Library Systems; and representatives of three libraries willing to contract with them for service.
The Elmont, Henry Waldinger Memorial and West Hempstead libraries have all stepped up to offer service to the unserved. The Malverne Library has said it is capable of contracting with one of the smaller unserved areas covered in the enabling legislation, but not North Valley Stream.
Janice Schoen, Elmont's director, Marshall Botwinick, Waldinger's director, and Regina Mascia, West Hempstead's director, each said their library is capable of handling the extra patrons. Each director also had the opportunity to explain his or her library's services to the community.
Schoen told residents that Elmont would move one of its satellite branches, in either Alden Terrace or Stewart Manor, to a location closer to the unserved. Botwinick said that improvements are planned at Valley Stream's Waldinger and that a parking lot for library patrons was recently completed. Mascia told residents that West Hempstead's $9.98 million bond was approved, which will allow the library to move from its current 8,000-square-foot facility to a 25,000-square-foot facility by 2006.
The directors also detailed their services, but in order to determine which library to contract with, residents are encouraged to visit each one.
"We are not making the decision for you," Ambrosino said. "This is your choice. ... This authorizing legislation allows you, not us, to come in and say, 'We want a library district.' Together we will decide which library district you want to go to."
Ambrosino and Darcy will mail information to their constituents explaining the process, including the cost for service at each library. Constituents should not hesitate to write letters or call their office so the Town Board will know which library to contract with. Only one of the three libraries can be included in the referendum.
"Do the legwork," Darcy said. "Whatever library you contract with, you will have the same rights as what their members have right now."
The term of the contract may range from one to five years. At the end of the contract, residents can choose to contract with a different library if they are unhappy with the service they were provided.
"This is not an issue that should be looked at as a senior citizen issue or a schoolchildren issue -- this is a community issue," Darcy said.
Councilmen James Darcy and Edward Ambrosino, local PTAs and civic associations, and the directors of the Elmont, West Hempstead and Henry Waldinger Memorial Libraries ask that residents of North Valley Stream, currently not served by a local library, research which library they would most like to contract with for service by visiting each one. Residents can call Darcy or Ambrosino with their preference at 489-5000.
Elmont Public Library (Elmont has two satellite branches in Stewart Manor and Alden Terrace)
1735 Hempstead Turnpike
Elmont
354-5280
Janice Schoen, library director
Henry Waldinger Memorial Library
60 Verona Place
Valley Stream
825-6422
Marshall Botwinick, library director
West Hempstead Public Library (WH anticipates the opening of a larger library facility in January 2006)
252 Chestnut Street
West Hempstead
481-6591
Regina Mascia, library director
