About Us
Elwood Public Library Mission Statement
“The Elwood Public Library is dedicated to providing the community with a center for information, education, culture, recreation, and social interaction. Your Library will strive to accurately represent the collective values of a unique and diverse community in a setting that is inviting and accessible to every resident.”
History and General Information
The Elwood Public Library was established under Chapter 2555 of the Education Law of New York State by a public vote of the residents of its service area on November 19, 2002. After researching the feasibility of merging or contracting with neighboring library districts, the decision was made to create a public library to directly serve residents of the library district. The library was granted a provisional charter by the Board of Regents on April 29, 2003. The founding Board of Trustees hired a Director on July 1, 2003 and opened the doors of the library’s first home in three thousand square feet of leased space at 3027 Jericho Turnpike on January 2, 2004. The library’s subsequent application for a permanent charter and registration by the Board of Regents was completed on December 9, 2005. Although small, the Elwood Public Library offered a full range of library services to the residents of the area incorporated by the Elwood School District portion of the Town of Huntington.
As demand for services increased, the decision was soon made to look for a larger space. On March 24, 2009, the library opened the doors of its second home in nine thousand square feet of leased space at 1929 Jericho Turnpike. As well as offering additional space for the collection, the larger facility has room for study rooms, a community room, more tables, a magazine reading area and expanded public computer facilities. The library’s community room is popular among local organizations, offering them a place to meet during a wide range of hours.
A publicly elected five-member Board of Trustees governs the Library. The Board of Trustees meets in an open public meeting ten times a year. The library employs a qualified director who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the library. The library employs professional librarians and support staff to assist with providing services.
The Library is funded primarily through local tax assessments and receives some supplemental income through grants, contributions, fees and interest payments. An annual pubic budget vote and Trustee election is held each April.
The Library has a set of bylaws that govern the library’s structure and a growing set of policies that govern the library’s operations.
Library Services
The Elwood Public Library is committed to providing our community residents with a means to access information, education and recreational materials. We provide a staff of professional librarians equipped with the resources necessary to assist community residents in their research and requests for materials, information and education.
Materials Collections
The Elwood Public Library maintains a collection of popular general interest materials for use by our community. The collection is intended for the informational, educational, enrichment and recreational needs of community residents of all ages and interests. The collection includes books, serials, videos, DVD’s, compact discs, audio books, computer software and kits. The library also delivers materials in downloadable and other electronic formats, and is in the process of adding materials in new formats to its collection.
Computers and Technology
The Elwood Public Library provides an array of computer and technology services. These services include public access computers and Internet workstations where visitors can search the Internet and use various computer software programs. Access to specialized databases not generally available on the Internet is also provided. Computer and Internet training and computer printing services are also available.
Circulation
The Elwood Public Library lends materials to residents who live within our service area and those qualified for direct access and/or interlibrary loan. The library follows the direct access loan rules set forth in the SCLS Resource Sharing Code and it complies with all sections of New York State Department of Education NYCRR 90.3. The library issues a library card to any resident of our service area who fills out a registration form and provides the necessary proof of residency. Library cardholders are able to request, reserve and renew materials, access a list of our holdings (either at the library or online), use the library card to borrow materials from other Suffolk County public libraries and access their library card account (either at the library or online).
Staff
The Library employs a friendly and helpful customer service oriented staff that includes approximately 20 full and part-time professionals and support staff. Staff members are kept informed about the library’s services, programs and polices. Staff development is encouraged and facilitated through opportunities for career growth and training.
Programming
The Elwood Public Library offers a variety of programming for community residents of all ages. Programs for children and parents include story times, crafts, games, performances, and lectures. Programs for young adults include movies, games, lectures, crafts, book groups and opportunities for social interaction. Programming for adults includes computer instruction, defensive driving courses, tax assistance. lectures, crafts, book discussion groups, movies, yoga and opportunities for social interaction.
Special Services
The Elwood Public Library offers a number of special services to the community. These include reader’s advisory, interlibrary loans, community outreach, hospital visits, homebound delivery, photocopy machines, scanning and fax services.
Fiscal Responsibility
The Elwood Public Library recognizes and acknowledges its important responsibility to taxpayers to be prudent and accountable with the community’s investment in the library. We have developed and use an array of financial procedures and internal controls that ensure that all library funds are will managed and well spent. These procedures on constantly reviewed and, when appropriate, modified to reinforce their purpose. The Library undergoes an annual independent audit, the results of which are available on the board information section on our website. The Library’s accounting and audit principles conform to GASB 34.
Responsiveness to Community Needs and Requests
The Elwood Public Library strives to be responsive to community needs and requests. Budgetary, facility, and staffing constraints may prevent the Library from being able to fulfill all community wishes but those constraints do not prevent the library from studying them and attempting to find ways to fulfill them.
Cooperative Partnering
The Elwood Public Library maximizes the community’s investment in it by cooperatively sharing services where appropriate and cost effective. The Library maintains a membership in the Suffolk Cooperative Library System and takes full advantage of the many services it provides to member libraries.