With years of librarian experience behind them, Levittown Public Library Director Celeste Watman and Island Trees Public Library Director Frank McKenna are eagerly looking forward to planning the future of their respective libraries.

Celeste Watman was named the library's director in 2005 and has served in that position for just over one year. She was previously the director and the assistant director of the Hicksville Public Library. Including her one year of service in Levittown, Watman has a very impressive 33 years of library experience.

"I was attracted to Levittown because of its reputation in the field," said Watman of her decision to come to the Levittown Public Library. "I've always wanted to provide a leadership role and I feel that Levittown will allow me to do that. Levittown is the central library for all of Nassau County. It receives special funds from the New York State Education Department to buy materials such as books, online services and online databases for Levittown patrons and the rest of the county."

Watman grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY and obtained an undergraduate degree in history. While working in the graduate library at C.W. Post she decided to pursue a career as a librarian. She then earned a graduate degree from the Palmer Graduate School of Library Services.

After graduate school, Watman spent over 14 years working in the children's section of the Plainedge Public Library. Following that, she moved on to the Hicksville Public Library. She started in Hicksville as the assistant library director and after five years was named the library's director. During that time, Watman achieved several noteworthy accomplishments.

"We were able to renovate the entire interior of the building," said Watman about her achievements in Hicksville. "We purchased property to build a parking lot and we also purchased property to build a computer resource center."

Watman served as the director of the Hicksville Library for over 12 years. However, when given the opportunity, she brought her years of experience and knowledge of libraries to Levittown. Throughout her first year as director, significant improvements have already been made at the library.

"We're replacing 35-year-old shades and drapes in the Community Room," said Watman. "We've already replaced some of the library's computers with brand new computers and we plan to replace more of them. Uncomfortable plastic chairs have been replaced with upholstered chairs and some library offices have been renovated."

Of course, the improvements will not stop there. Watman has several ideas on how the library can offer more to the community.

"We're working on revising the website to make it more user friendly and make it more visually impressive," she said. "In the future, the library may be lending portable DVD players. It may also subscribe to a book loaning service. This service allows the library to rent as many copies of a popular title as needed. By doing this, we could determine how popular a book is with our patrons and then purchase or return as many copies based on how popular it is in our library. By having more copies of popular titles, our patrons will not have to wait as long for popular titles."

When not directing the library, Watman enjoys spending time with her husband Bill. She is also a collector of paintings and enjoys writing poetry, some of which was published.

Many people will remember 1969 as the year of the Miracle Mets, Woodstock, the Jets victory in the Super Bowl, and Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon. For Frank McKenna, 1969 will be the year he came to a wonderful area known as Island Trees. McKenna would graduate from Stokes School, Island Trees Middle School and would become president of Island Trees High School's Class of 1976. Although he would later leave Island Trees, McKenna is living proof that you can indeed go home again as he was recently named director of the Island Trees Public Library.

"It is an exciting privilege and honor to be working as director of the library in the community I grew up in," he said. "I enjoy serving the friends and neighbors I have known for a long time and for those I have recently met and those many more I have not met - yet."

McKenna brings years of experience with him to the Island Trees Library. His library career began in the Island Trees Library working as a librarian trainee when the library was located in the middle school. At that time, McKenna attended Queens College and earned a master's degree in library and information studies. Following his three years of service in Island Trees, McKenna went to the Queens Library System, where he worked for eight years. During that time, he served as assistant manager of the special services/job information center at the central library in Jamaica and branch manager of the Douglaston/Little Neck library. In 2001, he returned to Nassau County as director of the Wantagh Public Library. He would remain there until this year, when McKenna returned home to Island Trees as director of the Island Trees Public Library. Additionally, McKenna is also president of the Nassau County Library Association and has served on many Nassau County member library committees.

McKenna takes over the Island Trees Library at an exciting time. In January of 2007, the library will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the charter that established the Island Trees Public Library. The day will be marked by celebrations at the library to commemorate the event. McKenna also said he wants to see other improvements to the library in services, technology and facilities.

"The library has come a long way (both figuratively and physically) in its nearly 40-year existence and I hope and intend to work with the library board, staff and patrons to keep the library responsive, relevant, and central to the Island Trees Library community for many years to come," said McKenna. "Special challenges we face are lack of space for the many programs patrons would like to attend, keeping tweens and teens involved with reading and programming, meeting the needs of our increasing senior population and to address the needs of underserved populations, such as children with special needs and the homebound, while always, along with the library board, remaining fiscally prudent."

As part of his plan, McKenna said he wants to see the library offer downloadable audio books to its patrons (books in MP3 format) and offer wireless Internet access throughout the library. For disabled patrons, McKenna would like the library to install automatic doors at both ends of the library and install additional online catalogs that are more handicap accessible.

As far as increasing services, McKenna is looking to accommodate residents of all ages. There is a book discussion scheduled for fourth and fifth grade students and he is looking into creating a teen advisory board so that teenagers may discuss what programs they want the library to offer.

"I want kids to not only read but to really enjoy reading and develop a love of it," said McKenna.

For seniors, McKenna is hoping to start a senior connection that will provide them with information and referral services. He is also hoping to create a Friends of the Island Trees Public Library group as well as a junior friends of the library group. Furthermore, he wants to have discussion groups on contemporary literature.

Updating the library's website, www.nassaulibrary.org/islandtr, is another goal of McKenna's. He encourages residents to visit the website so residents can learn of the many resources that are currently available in the Island Trees Library.

"We have lots of information that is not available on Google, Yahoo or the regular Internet," said McKenna. "We have many databases with a wealth of information not accessible at home."

While working in Wantagh, McKenna was very active in the community as president of the Kiwanis Club, trustee and program coordinator of the Wantagh Preservation Society and member of the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce. Island Trees residents can expect to see the same commitment in their community. McKenna is currently the corresponding secretary of the Levittown 60th Anniversary committee and can occasionally be found playing fiddle at Jackie Reilly's. Currently he and his wife Donna, who is also a librarian, are looking to purchase a house in Island Trees.