At the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary Kickoff held on March 31 in the Main Greenhouse of Planting Fields Arboretum Historic State Park, we met Helen Crosson, director of the Cold Spring Harbor Library. She said she enjoyed the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot, for which we thanked her.

Cold Spring Harbor has a new library that residents of Laurel Hollow are linked to. We have printed letters to the editor as residents of Laurel Hollow talked about the taxes involved in building the new Cold Spring Harbor Library. It is carved into the hill and is a great addition to the area. We are prejudiced when it comes to libraries - we feel they are tax money well spent.

We asked Ms. Crosson what she was reading, something we always find fascinating as we are always adding to our list of must-reads. She said she is listening to a tape of The World is Flat by Tom Friedman and recommended it. We have it on our list. It is about how communications, computers and economics have made the world closer together - into a flat world.

Ms. Crosson of the library said, "Half our circulation is non-print. The circulation numbers are fabulous and the non-print numbers are always going up." She recommended books by David McCullough as being great for listening to on tape. He wrote Mornings on Horseback, about Theodore Roosevelt's early years.

Ms. Crosson called her library, "A new public space," and said, "It is a cultural center."

We are always amazed at the great programs our libraries offer. Take a look at our Calendar of Events and you will see some of the offerings of our local libraries - a great resource for our communities - and tax money well spent.

- DFK