Residents in East Franklin Square and North Valley Stream had an opportunity to decide which library will provide services to their communities for the next five years, giving voters in the two unserved areas a say in where their local library tax dollars will go.
The special election, held from noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 18, was organized by the Town of Hempstead.
The election is part of a process that allows communities without their own library district to select a home library. Under the system, residents agree to have their area taxed for library services, with the winning library’s proposal determining the contract and cost for the next five years. The Town of Hempstead said the special election is required before a contract can be approved.
Aviva Kane, director of the Franklin Square Public Library, said the process can be confusing because library funding on Long Island is structured differently from systems in other parts of New York.
“It’s very complicated when it comes to layers of government,” Kane said.
Kane said choosing a home library does not prevent residents from using other libraries. Residents can still visit other libraries, attend their programs and borrow materials when permitted. However, having a home library can provide additional benefits, including access to certain programs, museum passes, databases and electronic materials offered by that particular library.
“Nothing prevents you from using the library in lots of different ways,” Kane said. “But home library means some preferential access.”
The amount residents pay can also differ from one library district to another. Kane said the Nassau Library System calculates the net local public support per capita, which reflects the amount residents pay each year toward library services. She cited different per-person costs among nearby libraries, including Franklin Square, West Hempstead and Elmont.
For Kane, the election represented an opportunity for residents in the two funding districts to determine which library services best fit their communities.
“Your library, your choice,” she said.
Town of Hempstead Communications Director Brian Devine said the special election gives residents in these districts a direct role in determining their library services.
“Residents living within these library funding districts have a special opportunity to cast their vote and decide which library will provide services to their communities for the next five years,” Devine said. “The Town of Hempstead notifies district residents of the special election and provides them with information about the prospective libraries, as well as voting times and locations.”
According to results provided by the Town of Hempstead on Aug. 19, the Elmont Memorial Library led in both funding districts following Tuesday night’s canvass.
In North Valley Stream, Elmont received 214 votes, compared with nine for Waldinger Memorial Library and one for Franklin Square Public Library. The town said 164 absentee ballots were sent to voters, with 24 received without errors, five received with ballot envelope errors and seven affidavit ballots requiring research. The town said those ballots could not change the result of the Tuesday night canvass and that Elmont was the winner.
In East Franklin Square, Elmont received 81 votes, while Franklin Square received 37. Waldinger Memorial Library and Lakeview Public Library each received no votes. The town said 45 absentee ballots were sent to voters, with five received without errors and one received with a ballot envelope error. No affidavit ballots required research. One spoiled ballot was not counted.
Kane congratulated Elmont Memorial Library following the election results and acknowledged the support shown by voters in both communities.
“We want to congratulate the Elmont Memorial Library on a successful campaign to continue to serve East Franklin Square and North Valley Stream communities,” Kane wrote in an email to the Herald. “While Franklin Square did not win either election, we are honored at the number of voters that came out to choose their home library.”
Kane also emphasized that the election does not prevent residents from continuing to use Franklin Square Public Library.
“Elmont is lucky to have such a wonderful and welcoming library. And rest assured, patrons can continue to utilize the services at Franklin Square,” she wrote.
The special election also highlights the differences in how public libraries are funded across Nassau County. Rather than operating as one countywide system, individual libraries generally serve their own tax districts, while the Nassau Library System provides an overarching network and support structure.
For residents in East Franklin Square and North Valley Stream, the Aug. 18 vote provided an opportunity to determine which library will serve as their home library and receive their local library tax support for the next five years. As of the town’s Aug. 19 canvass, Elmont Memorial Library had won both funding districts, with East Franklin Square’s outstanding absentee ballots scheduled to be counted Aug. 26.
