Donald A. Taylor's, "Open Letter to the Manhasset Public Library Board", printed in the December 14, 2000 issue of the Manhasset Press states that he and much of the public don't trust the Manhasset Library Board of Trustees, because they feel the trustees have become advocates of a bigger, more prestigious library.

The board of trustees is an elected body comprised of five Manhasset residents, who are elected to serve for a five-year term. Each year, the registered voters of Manhasset elect a candidate for the trustee position and they also vote to approve or reject the library budget. Although the board of trustees is a constant, the individual members change. Each member is honored to be entrusted by their neighbors with the care and well being of a very important community institution. The library board members are not paid for assuming the responsibility of library governance. The number of hours each board member dedicates to this service is comparable to a part-time job if not more. At least three of the present board members hold full-time jobs that require commuting to New York. All the members live in Manhasset and are taxpayers, just like everyone else who lives here. They are also each concerned about their pocketbooks, just like everyone else. The board of trustees holds monthly meetings at the library with time set aside for public comment.

Wrapping himself in the mantle of the public and adopting the regal "we", Mr. Taylor poses some disingenuous questions. He wants to know if the library has a clean, accepted mission statement. Had he inquired at the library, he would have been able to read the library's mission statement.

He also wants to know why the library opens at 1 p.m. on Sundays. Again, had he inquired he would have learned that the Nassau Library Computer System comes on line at l p.m. on Sundays. The library closes at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday which is when the computers go down. The library is not open Friday or Saturday evenings because the trustees did not think it cost-effective to keep the library open when attendance is low. Had he asked, Mr. Taylor would also have discovered that current use of space is always under scrutiny. Things are moved around or reorganized in order to gain much needed space and he would have been shown some examples.

Mr. Taylor suggests that programs could be moved to off-site locations. While this may sound good, the reality is that it is not cheap. Many churches and the schools charge for the use of rooms in their facilities. These institutions need to pay to have caretakers present, pay janitorial services, electricity etc. Library staff members would most likely have to leave their duties to be present at some of the off-site presentations, an expensive proposition. The board of trustees would also need to obtain additional insurance to cover people attending off-site programs. My opinion is that people in Manhasset are busy and would not appreciate having to figure out where something is taking place today/tonight. They like one destination where they can take care of everything.

What does Mr. Taylor mean when he states that the "information about the property where Adam Art does business had to be squeezed out of both the library presenters and the tenant - it wasn't offered openly and fully in the first instance by either side"? At the meetings, it was stated that should a selected option require the use of the property where Adam Art has its business, to provide either additional parking or a new facility, the property would be purchased or acquired by condemnation.

The library board is asked by Mr. Taylor to examine its motives. It is a cynical, cheap shot to allege that the library board is motivated by self-aggrandizement to seek a larger prestigious library, instead of being the public's representatives. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The present board of trustees is seeking the best solution for the current library problems by getting input from members of the community. There is no conspiracy or secret agenda on the part of the library board.

In the next paragraph of his letter, Mr. Taylor slyly and insidiously changes voice to suggest that the board may be looking with envy at the Port Washington Library and creating fictions about creating a Manhasset Public Research Library and maintaining property values by building a bigger library. Mr. Taylor's corrosive and disparaging allegations about the library board are beneath contempt. Manhasset property values have soared in spite of the condition of the present library. A quality library would increase property values, but the main reason the community should build one is because the people of Manhasset deserve one.

Anyone who has used the Manhasset Public Library over a long period of time is aware that although the library has lots of good non-fiction and fiction books, books on audio tapes, video tapes, CD's, magazines, newspapers, well attended library programs and more, the entire physical condition of the library as well as the library collection is deteriorating. The materials the library houses are jammed together along with the library users trying to access them, in a space that is no longer adequate.

The breadth of a library collection is as important as is its depth. To meet the needs and requests of library patrons, it is impossible to store all of the materials the present library should have. To maximize the use of the book shelf space, books are shelved with their titles in a horizontal position. The titles of books shelved this way are almost impossible to read and to remove from the packed shelves for browsing purposes. The stacks are so high that only the tallest people can access the contents without a step stool. The relentless weeding and culling process that is necessary to make room for more acquisitions in all categories is gradually compromising and eroding the depth of our library's collection. A comparison of this year's library budget with last year's reveals that the same amount of money was allocated for the purchase of books, because there is no place to put more books. When inflation is considered, it is clear that this year we will buy fewer books for our community's enjoyment and edification, than we did last year.

The library is no longer a place where one can visit or sit to browse through the collection, explore new topics, or ideas. At certain times of the day, every space for reading or study is in use. The library is a very busy, crowded, noisy place, that is bursting at the seams. Anyone who has tried to borrow a videotape on a Friday or Saturday afternoon can attest to this.

The costs, obvious as well as less obvious, for remaining in the present building as it stands, are high. Rough estimates, just to repair and upgrade the current mechanical, electrical, heating and air conditioning systems in the present building would probably cost about $1 million. The excellent day-to-day services the library offers its patrons are extremely difficult to deliver. The library staff is highly professional, dedicated and hard working. Both the professional and non-professional staff members give yeoman service behind the scenes as well as in the public areas to fulfill the high expectations this community demands.

Faced with these realities, the library board prepared four options to improve the condition of the library, and presented these options to the public for their comments. It makes sense to determine what the community wants of its library and where it wants that library to be placed. When that is determined then the details of the selected option can be fully developed and analyzed.

If Mr. Taylor lives in Manhasset and has a long-term stake in this community, he should take some time out to educate himself about the workings of the library. He should roll up his sleeves and do some work by volunteering at the library for the sole benefit of the community, as so many Manhasset residents do through the Friends of the Library. Participate in a positive manner. Perhaps Mr. Taylor has his own hidden agenda?

We should never exclusively surround ourselves with people who agree with us. Critiquing work can have positive outcomes. We thrive when there is diversity of opinions and ideas that are solution oriented rather than destructive. Finally, the test of the pudding is in the tasting. If the Manhasset voters believe that the option of their choice has been fully developed to their liking and its time has come, they will vote for it when the referendum is presented.

Angela Trombetta