Category: Director Notes

Dear Residents,
You have many choices today about how and where to get information, and your librarians are constantly seeking out reliable and verifiable sources. Now more than ever, the notion of trust plays a key role in our decision-making process. Whether you are faced with challenges or opportunities for yourself or your family, the public library is your gateway to sources that educate, enlighten, and entertain.

On Tuesday, October 2, the first Community Conversation was held at the South Huntington Public Library. Over 90 people attended the event, which was sponsored by all the public libraries in the Town of Huntington and the Leadership Huntington Foundation. A distinguished list of panelists and facilitator Joye Brown of Newsday listened and responded to audience questions about living, working, and thriving in the Town of Huntington. There are two more programs planned for early next year: Growing Community in March 2013 and Suburbs for the Next Generation in May 2013. Learn more by visiting Community Conversations on Facebook.

If you are looking for good conversation and great literature, then plan to attend an extra-special event honoring our veterans on Wednesday, November 7 at 1:00 p.m. Rev. David Ware of St. John’s Church and Andy Roberts, from the Rosen Center at North Shore-LIJ, will join me to discuss Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

We read to educate and entertain ourselves. In NYS, schoolchildren will now be required to read nonfiction in Kindergarten. Your librarians are collaborating with school librarians to develop appropriate reading selections. Many nonfiction titles are available today, and new items will be added throughout the school year.

Each month, hundreds of items are requested and renewed online. As of today, you may also renew DVDs. If you want to be reminded to pick up or renew an item, you can now modify your online record and give us your cell phone number. No more arriving home to find a message on your answering machine.

This holiday season, we are pleased to be a Marine Corps Toys for Tots drop-off location. When you visit the library, please bring a new unwrapped toy for needy children on Long Island. This act of generosity will bring joy to both the giver and receiver.

Once again, the Library Foundation has inserted a donation envelope into this issue. Funds from the foundation enable your public library to offer music programs, museum passes, and special events for families and children. All donations are tax deductible and really make a difference. Thank you.

Best Wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

Dear Residents,
The warm, relaxing days of August are a distraction from the stark realities of a new school year and all the necessary planning and preparing.

Once the school year begins, the weight of homework on students and parents is undeniable. We have many resources available at the library and through our website to lessen the burden. The best place to start is Homework Help at www.cshlibrary.org, where you can find the free online tutoring service, Brainfuse. For students of foreign languages, Mango Languages is a self-paced audio-visual program with more than 40 languages to choose from.

Your professional library staff has put together an impressive series of programs for all ages. There will be librarian-led book discussions for grades 1-6, as well as for adults, in the morning and evening. In November, I will lead a discussion of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. This powerful story about a WWII airman provides lots of material for a lively discussion about many life-changing moments.

This summer marked our second year of free eBook downloads from our website. To date, hundreds of readers have captured thousands of titles. Some use a smartphone, some a PC, and others a Kindle, tablet, or iPad. Whatever your device of choice, the librarians are eager to assist you with the download process.

Due to demand, we added a second download service for audiobooks, OneClickdigital from Recorded Books. So, if listening is your pleasure, you now have access to over 3,000 titles that are always available, with no waitlists.

Here in Cold Spring Harbor and throughout the Town of Huntington, there are many civic, cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. Some families have lived here for generations, while others came here for all the reasons why we stay. In this period of economic uncertainty, the library is a community gathering place where neighbors become friends, and real issues about your life, family, and future can be discussed and debated. On October 2, we will introduce the first in a series of Community Conversations. The goal of this multi-agency project is to raise awareness with facts and figures to influence local/regional decision makers, and thus enable informed community engagement. I am proud to be a key player on the planning committee, along with leaders from other libraries and the Leadership Huntington Foundation.

Over the last four years, we have offered a free Museum Pass program to our members. We need $2,500 each fiscal year to fully fund this service. I am thrilled to announce we have collected $1,500 to date from two families. Our gratitude goes to Suzanne and Richard Kleinknecht and Madeline and Richard Schuster. If you enjoy museums and want to help fund this program, please contact me at (631) 692-6820 or via email at hcrosson@cshlibrary.org.

Dear Residents,
With the warm weather and abundant sunlight typical of June, we are preparing for the summer vacation season. For many, summer means lazy days by the water with a paperback. Today, perhaps a Kindle or an iPad is stuffed in an oversized bag, along with sunscreen, a towel, a hat, and a water bottle. Whatever your summer plans may be, your library has fun events for all ages every day, or just stop by to pick up a good book, movie, or music. If you plan to take an extended holiday, let us know and we will extend the due dates for your items at the Circulation Desk.

Hundreds of residents have downloaded thousands of eBook titles from the library. We show people daily how easy it is to download a title. If you are having trouble, please ask for assistance.

This summer, we are offering multiple ways for parents and adults to participate in a Summer Reading Club. Why should the kids have all the fun this summer? Rediscover your library during our “Between the Covers” adult summer reading program! Check out the list of recommendations on the Information Services page at our website, www.cshlibrary.org, for suggestions that will keep you up all night, including film noir, music to fall asleep by, and other “nighttime themes.”

For students entering grades 6-12, our Teen Librarian has prepared a unique summer experience. See page 3 for details about weekly programs and volunteer opportunities. For the first time, we will have a Teen book discussion group in July and August. Be part of the fun and join “Own the Night.”

Oh, to be a child again! Once again, the Library Foundation sponsored the annual Children’s Summer Reading Club Kick-Off party on Friday, June 22, 2012. This year’s theme is DREAM BIG @ THE LIBRARY. Sign-up began at Summerfest; registration is ongoing throughout the summer, and open to pre-readers through grade 6. Going away this summer? Come in to register and pick up time sheets before you go. Return them by Friday, August 17 to receive tokens and prizes.

THE CSH LAB @ THE LIBRARY

Dr. David Spector, Director of Research, CSH Laboratory, led a discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on April 19, 2012 with an audience of over 85 participants.

Dear Residents,
Once again, you have confirmed our value to you and your family by supporting next year’s budget. A two-to-one margin is impressive and goes to all the small and large things we do every day to serve your needs. Everything matters, and Cold Spring Harbor is very lucky to have a beautiful library building with technology and books, excellent services, and a staff that understands what the community wants, and is ready to serve the people who walk in the door. The new fiscal year begins July 1, but planning to implement the new programs and services funded by your tax dollars begins immediately. Look for free and faster WiFi, more copies of popular titles and eBooks, and iPads too.

Do you have an unlimited text plan? If so, sign up to get a text message when items are ready for pick-up. To learn how, see page 5 of the May/June newsletter, or ask a librarian for assistance. Each month, we receive hundreds of online hold requests for titles. Why get a voicemail message on your home phone when you can get a text message instead?

Have you downloaded a free eBook yet? Since we joined the eBook program, over 4,000 titles have been downloaded. You may download to a Kindle, iPad, Nook, iPhone, or other devices. Titles may be borrowed for 14 days and may be borrowed again if you need more time. I noticed that my eReader remembered exactly where I left off when I downloaded the title a second time; a little spooky, but very convenient!

With the warm weather here to stay, we begin to fill our calendars with warm weather programs. We are delighted to announce that the Library Foundation will once again sponsor SUMMERFEST on the last day of school. This tradition began during our years in the Community Center on Goose Hill Road, and has become a wonderful last day of school party for our community’s families. Like last year, the event will be held at the library. For the first time, a new group of parents and children called “The Who’s” have volunteered to grow vegetables in the Children’s Garden adjacent to the Children’s Library. The crops will be planted and maintained by “The Who’s” and donated to area service organizations.

Last year, resident college professor from SUNY Farmingdale, Chris Nehlen, asked if I had a project for graphic design students. Previous classes in this design program had created a completely new library newsletter format and produced finding aids for our environmental mural in the Storytime Room, so I said, “Yes.” This time, the assignment was a new logo for the library, a symbol to represent our current and future educational role.

I hope to catch you reading very soon!

Dear Residents,
Everyday hundreds of people visit our Library. We are a source of inspiration and information for all ages. We continually search for resources, services, and knowledge which will enrich your lives and direct our future.

On April 3, you will have an opportunity to vote on your Library’s budget. The proposed budget for FY12-13 includes a very modest increase, which complies with the tax cap. A typical home in Laurel Hollow, Lloyd Harbor, and Cold Spring Harbor will pay $20 more for the year, based upon the current tax rates set by the Town of Huntington and Nassau County, subject to minor adjustment in August 2012.

This budget will enable us to expand our print, eBook, audio, and DVD collections, thus decreasing the time residents wait for new or popular items. Attendance at library-sponsored programs for all ages has also been growing, and, if approved, the new budget will enable us to offer more cultural, environmental, and educational programs. We will also purchase eReaders and iPads for hands-on instruction. Next year’s budget also contains a generous donation from the Library Friends Foundation of $25,000, supporting programs for all!

The future of our world, our state, our county, and our community is in our hands. Let’s see challenges as opportunities and create a future to be proud of.

Dear Residents,
February 1, 2012, will mark my 13th anniversary as your Library Director. There have been many changes in our world, country, community, and library. Through this passage of time, there has been one constant: a trust between us. You trust your librarians to provide you access to the very best resources in traditional print or virtual formats. The challenge to serve all age groups during this period of swift technological innovations strains our budget, but your librarians are listening to your needs and working each day to anticipate the next “big” thing.

We have increased the eBooks budget based upon the growing popularity of eReaders. We maintain a free WiFi connection to make the use of iPads, laptops, and other portable devices easy and convenient. We have expanded our programs for preschoolers to teens based upon demand, and continue our cooperative relationship with Cold Spring Harbor School District faculty in order to offer the very best to our students. We offer free homework help through our website, along with access to trustworthy indexes and full-text sources 24/7 so your students can reach for an A+ with convenience and confidence.

Recently, a parent called to ask about our borrowing rules. Specifically, this parent questioned how his child was able to borrow a particular movie from the library. My reply was direct. The library places no restrictions on what a person borrows. The staff of the library cannot act as a parent or guardian. This process complies with the Library Bill of Rights and is a long-standing borrowing procedure at the library.

The July 16, 2011, celebration of the library’s 125th anniversary seems long ago, but the campaign to raise $125,000 for the Building Maintenance Fund continues. To date, contributions exceed $62,000. In the January/February 2012 issue of the newsletter, there is a contribution envelope from the Library Friends Foundation. Please consider a donation to this fund, which will enable the foundation to fulfill its mission to your library.

We continue our relationship with the John W. Engeman Theater at Northport, and have arranged a special performance on Wednesday, March 7, of The Sunshine Boys. We have reserved a limited number of seats for the evening, with a complimentary light dinner, cocktail, and ticket to the show for $75 per person. Pick up a ticket order form at the library.

Finally, some very good news. Many have been concerned about all the construction, which never seemed to end. Just as we took occupancy in August 2006, a serious flaw with the porches was discovered. Working with the library’s architect, and an excellent crew of masons and waterproofers, the issues have been successfully resolved. Be assured, no tax dollars were spent on these necessary repairs.

On Tuesday, April 3, we will conduct our annual Budget Vote and Trustee Election. For details about serving as an elected trustee, please call my office at (631) 692-6820 to schedule an appointment. Petitions for interested candidates will be available at the library beginning Monday, February 6.

Hope to see you soon!

Dear Residents,
As the year’s end approaches, we look back upon 2011 with pride and joy. Pride in our community for recognizing our personal and educational value, and joy in seeing members of all ages using our programs and services in ever-increasing numbers. In August, we celebrated the first anniversary of the free eBook program. Today, that program boasts hundreds of users borrowing titles to read on devices including iPads, eReaders, and now, Kindles! If you are curious about this program, request a personal lesson from any librarian or visit www.cshlibrary.org and click on Download Books & Media.

In November and December, your public library welcomes a museum exhibition, Over the Top: American Posters from World War I. “Designed to rally Americans to the cause, they [posters] employed bold graphics, strong imagery, and concise commands to inspire a sense of nationalism and pride.” This exhibit is a gift to us from Thomas Pulling, whose grandfather was the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury during WWI and commissioned the artist. Meet Mr. Pulling at the exhibit opening on Sunday, November 6. A series of programs based upon this exhibit is listed on page 5 of the November/December newsletter. This exhibit and program schedule were developed by librarian, Linda Swanson. Linda approached our local schoolteachers in art, music, history, and literature to augment their curriculum. The result is a stimulating schedule of events for all ages.

Plan to attend a very special concert on Sunday, November 20, with pianist and resident Betty Caserta. Mrs. Caserta is well-known in the region for her style at the piano. She is donating her time and talent for this Cold Spring Harbor Library Friends Foundation benefit concert.

This summer I received an interesting email from a member asking if a sculpture could be installed at the library. Following our Public Art Policy, and thanks to the generosity of the Talve Family who commissioned the piece over forty years ago, arrangements were made for the delivery and installation of Three Condors by George Gach (1909-1996). Look for a dedication ceremony in April 2012.

We have much to celebrate in our community and at your library.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

Dear Residents,
The summer season passes so quickly, and the school year seems to arrive like a thunderbolt. Our preparations for a successful school year will begin with an outreach program for parents, students, and teachers. On September 26, stop by after school for a demonstration of Brainfuse, our online homework help service. Educators know that the key to a child’s academic success is access to accurate, reliable information. Therefore, all teachers are encouraged to use public library resources when preparing assignments, and to expect students to do so also, under the guidance of highly competent librarians. A formal training program has been prepared by your public librarians for K-12 teachers, and they may attend classes at the public library throughout the academic year.

Our Sunday hours will resume on September 11, which will always be a memorable date for our generation. This year, we will hail the heroes and remember those we lost on September 11, 2001, with a special program on September 21. In November and December, we will commemorate another, also momentous era, when we open the exhibit Over the Top: American Posters from World War I. Look for a series of programs based upon this exhibit in the next issue.

On July 16, over 150 guests celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Cold Spring Harbor Library. As with any special event, a committee of dedicated volunteers who really love their library and community rallied together, first as strangers, and later as friends, to raise funds for the CSH Library Friends Foundation. Funds raised exceeded $55,000, and will be applied to a year-long campaign to raise $125,000 for a Building Maintenance Fund. You may add your support via an online contribution, or with a personal check made payable to the CSHLFF.

Every September we evaluate our Summer Reading Club programs. In June, over 300 children and parents attended Summerfest, a carnival sponsored by the CSH Library Friends Foundation. At Summerfest, we distributed hundreds of new books purchased with funds donated by the CSH Lions Club. During the eight-week program, 395 children participated, reading hundreds of books. The Teen Summer Reading Club included over 90 students, who read thousands of pages, and volunteered over 550 hours at their public library. We love to see children of all ages fill the library every day. Their love of reading and inquisitive nature will enable a lifetime of success. Your librarians are honored to be a part of it.

Happy Reading!

Dear Residents,
The July/August newsletter is extra-special, celebrating the 125th anniversary of your library. I am very grateful to Information Services Manager, Ellen Drucker-Albert, and Cold Spring Harbor Library trustee & Town of Huntington Historian, Robert Hughes, for their research. A community-wide party is planned for Saturday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. We hope you add this event to your calendar and join the celebration. Invitations were mailed in early June, but you may pick one up at the library, or purchase tickets online.

The librarians have planned an exciting 8-week program for all ages based on the internationally-themed statewide summer reading clubs. There will be art workshops, a concert, films, book discussions, even belly dancing and pretzel making. On Thursday, July 14, Juliet Eilperin will talk about her new book, Demon Fish. On Saturday, July 16 at 1:00 p.m., the cast from Go, Dog. Go! will be here to entertain the children. Also, this summer we are proud to show the work of a premier American Impressionist painter, Stokely Webster (1912 – 2001).

All of these programs clearly demonstrate our commitment to “Expanding Your Horizons.”

Hope to see you soon!

Dear Residents,

We hear you and we are very grateful for your support of our programs, services, and dedicated professional staff. Your vote of confidence will enable us to purchase more materials, sponsor informative lectures and entertaining events, and maintain the building and grounds.

This summer will be extra special, as we plan to celebrate our 125th anniversary. Special Collections Librarian Marie Horney carefully combed through our archives and prepared the timeline featured on page 2 of the May/June newsletter. Look for more details about our 125 year history in the next newsletter. Since this is a milestone for the entire community, a party committee, chaired by Robert Hughes, is planning a celebration on Saturday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Please read about all the different types of programs we offer for all ages. On page 6 of the newsletter, we also list events that are important to our community partners. These programs and many more are added to our Community Events Calendar, available at www.cshlibrary.org.

The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary has chosen me to receive their Legacy of Conservation Award on May 7, in recognition of my efforts to educate this community on local environmental issues. You can learn more about TR Sanctuary programs at ny.audubon.org.

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