The Island Trees Public Library budget vote and trustee election will take place on Tuesday, April 8 from 1 to 9 p.m. in the library's Community Room.

The total tax levy amount for 2008/09 is $1,082,530 which represents a $29,330, or 2.9 percent, increase over the previous year.

According to Library Director Frank McKenna, the budget's total expenditure increase is $79,330, which includes a $49,930 increase in personnel, a $17,600 increase in library materials and an $11,800 increase in operations.

"The Island Trees Public Library staff, administration and board of trustees continues to be dedicated to providing the highest quality programming, collections and services possible to its patrons in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible," said McKenna. "The board, in collaboration with administration, developed a proposed budget for 2008/09 that is inline with the library's operational costs."

The library currently offers 65 hours of service per week with four additional hours on Sundays from October to May, 46,327 books, 1,125 audio recordings, 121 periodicals, 5,038 DVDs and videos, 29 online databases, and Internet access.

During the 2006/07 fiscal year there were: 50,005 library visits, 120,900 items borrowed, 5,481 public Internet users, 5,351 items borrowed for Levittown residents on interlibrary loan, 15,439 reference questions answered, 243 adult programs, 47 teen programs, 334 children's programs (with total attendance of 8,593) and 7,494 registered borrowers.

The Island Trees Library was among three Nassau County libraries which were successful in applying for a Bill and Melinda Gates Opportunity Online Hardware Grant. This funding will provide over $11,000 in public computer upgrades. In addition, the Island Trees Library was recently informed that it successfully applied for children's services funding in order to become a Family Place Library. Family Place Library's mission is to increase the capacity of libraries throughout the nation to recognize and realize their full potential as community hubs for healthy child and family development, parent and community involvement and lifelong learning beginning at birth.

Additionally, the library has expanded hours on Fridays to 9 p.m.

"We started 9 p.m. closing in March, hence some of the added expenses," McKenna said.

Three candidates are seeking election to one trustee position. The incumbent, Ann Harris and challengers Dr. Daniel Marrone and Barbara Auerbach, are this year's candidates. One library trustee will be elected for a five-year term that begins in July 2008 and ends in June 2013.

Harris currently sits as president of the board and has served one 5-year term. A married mother of four, Harris said she has always been a very active volunteer in the Island Trees community.

"I am currently standing president of the Island Trees Library and have been a trustee for the past five-and-a-half years," she added. "I am a past president of J.F. Sparke PTA and of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Levittown Fire Department, of which I am still on the board. I am currently a Girl Scout leader of two troops and have been a leader for 19 years. I was registrar for 14 years, and have chaired many events for the Plains Association of Girl Scouts. I am also a Committee Person for Boy Scout Troop 323."

Harris said she first began utilizing the Island Trees Library herself over 20 years ago when her children came along.

"Whether looking up info for a report, getting craft idea, attending programs, getting books to read for school or pleasure, or utilizing the online services such as Tutor.com, the library has become a primary source of information," she added.

As a current trustee, Harris said she takes her fiduciary responsibility seriously.

"This has been a rewarding experience," she explained. "I have been part of the 'team' that has made many positive changes in our library. We have improved programming across all age groups. We have expanded all of our collections. We've increased our hours to accommodate the working families. We have developed and are continually improving our young adult programs, working hand in hand with our school district. We are continually trying to assess and respond to the needs of our community."

Marrone is a professor of business/management technology at Farmingdale State College. A longtime Bethpage resident, Marrone is a married father of one.

He is the founding president of the Farmingdale State College Chapter of Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society in Business and Management and past president of the APICS Association for Operations Management Long Island Chapter.

As a professor and former librarian, Marrone said he has "extensively used the Island Trees Library for academic research, to develop college curriculum, and to assist my daughter's educational needs."

Marrone said he is running for library trustee for the "opportunity to contribute to the Island Trees School/Library District community and to be directly involved with the operational and financial management of the Island Trees Library."

He said he thinks his seven college degrees from five colleges would provide the experience necessary for the position.

His future goals for the library include studying ways to improve the use of Island Trees Library book, magazine and online resources, overseeing and improving the efficiency of the Island Trees Library staff management, providing greater oversight in determining how $1.1 million of Island Trees residents' tax dollars are spent and providing leadership as President of the Friends of the Library representing Island Trees Library with the Nassau Library System.

Auerbach, a retired accountant, ran the library's book discussion group for many years and now works at Long Island Hearing, Inc. Her responses were not received in time for publication.

For more information on the library budget visit www.nassaulibrary.org/islandtr or call 731-2211.

(Island Trees Library Director Frank McKenna also supplied information for this article.)