Tuesday, June 24, 2025
The North Bellmore Public Library has been certified as a Sustainable Library through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s award-winning Sustainable Libraries Certification Program. It is the first public library in Nassau County to earn this certification.
The program guides libraries through a rigorous step-by-step process to incorporate sustainable decision-making into their policies and actions. The initiative provided a comprehensive framework to strengthen the library’s dedication to environmental stewardship, economic sustainability and social equity.
The library serves people residing in the North Bellmore School District, which encompasses North Bellmore and parts of North Merrick. For nearly two years, the North Bellmore library team worked diligently to review, develop and implement innovative initiatives aimed at fostering a more sustainable future.
“I am thankful to our dedicated Board of Trustees for their ongoing support of our vision and commitment to achieving certification and reinforcing ourselves as a leader in Nassau County,” Jessica Tymecki, the library’s director, said in a written statement. “I wish to give special recognition to the library’s Sustainability Team, spearheaded by James Luberto, assistant director of the library, for the daily work and commitment that was necessary to meet all of the standards for sustainable practices.”
Luberto chalked up the accomplishment, in large part, to great teamwork.
“While our dedication to sustainable practices began long before pursuing certification in 2023, earning Certified Sustainable Library status serves as a testament to the resilience, dedication and teamwork that have driven our sustainability initiatives,” Luberto said. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the efforts of our hard-working staff, guidance from our mentor, and the support of our community.”
At the heart of its sustainability efforts are community and partnership, the library said. This collaboration led to numerous sustainability efforts, including recycling more than 2,000 pounds of plastics and packaging in partnership with NexTrex, a program that collects and recycles plastic bags; hosting ongoing food drives with Island Harvest; collecting hundreds of pounds of food for the veteran food bank; donating hundreds of coats to the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless; and repurposing crayons for children in hospitals in partnership with the Crayon Initiative. The library also organized a park cleanup at Forest City Park in Wantagh; ran a Halloween costume shop where community members selected pre-loved costumes; and distributed free trees for Earth Week through a partnership with the Neighborhood Forest tree program.
In addition, the library worked to promote biodiversity by adding a range of plants, native species and trees to its property. It also committed to minimizing outdoor light pollution through the installation of energy-efficient LED lights for pathway lighting, ensuring safety with minimal light emissions. The library also improved indoor air quality by regularly cleaning HVAC filters, using dehumidifiers to absorb air pollutants, and installing a filtered bottle filler to reduce plastic waste.
“The North Bellmore Public Library took a progressive approach to sustainability from the onset and continues to build on that solid foundation,” Debbie Engelhardt, sustainability certification program mentor, said. “The team’s energy, talent and creativity are evident. I’m excited to see what comes next.”
As part of ongoing initiatives, the library plans to pilot a seedling library, plant a pollinator garden, and continue developing diverse programming and partnerships representative of its community.
“The certification underscores our ongoing commitment to creating a lasting, positive impact in North Bellmore, and we are excited to continue working together toward a sustainable and compassionate future,” Luberto said.
“I am confident that North Bellmore Public Library’s continued commitment to a sustainable future will make a difference for many years to come,” Tymecki added.
The library’s board of trustees and the library’s senior leadership will formally celebrate the recent designation on April 30 at 2 p.m., at the library.
For more information about the Sustainable Libraries Initiative, visit SustainableLibrariesInitiative.org. For more on the North Bellmore Public Library and its sustainability initiatives, visit NorthBellmoreLibrary.org/Sustainability.
