Lisa Dettling was recently promoted to Young Adult Librarian at the Syosset Public Library. Dettling will not only fulfill the duties of the young adult librarian, but also will act as a liaison between the library and the school and the library and local teens and also be a youth advocate.

"I am thrilled she is our young adult librarian," said Judy Lockman, director of the Syosset Library. "She will create a welcoming destination for students."

Dettling, who has been with the Syosset library since April of 1995, will also be available for after-school support for assignments and to help the teens with whatever they may need. This duty will be increased as Dettling's relationship with the school grows. For Dettling, her new position is not effective until Nov. 30 and after that time, she plans to meet with local teachers and administrators.

According to Lockman, the library's circulation has gone up over the past few months and renovating the young adult section is coming at the perfect time because the library provides a comfortable place for teens to spend time. To enhance the young adult section, magazine subscriptions have been increased, new paperbacks have been ordered and books on tape have been increased. Also Dettling hung new posters to aesthetically please library users.

Dettling is very excited about her new position and sees this as an opportunity to move right along with her son who will soon be ten-years-old. " My son is moving into the Young Adult Literature at the same time that I am," said Dettling who feels that being a resident of Syosset also provides her an advantage since she is already very familiar with the town and local residents.

Dettling plans to bring more kids into the library and provide more programs for the young adults in Syosset. She plans to coordinate programs with school breaks and holidays and hopes to give the kids a sense of community. Also a baseball game trip is something that Dettling hopes to arrange.

"I love where the library is," said Dettling, referring to the library located at 225 South Oyster Bay Road. "It is right when you enter Syosset and it is the first thing that you hit when you are getting off the Long Island Expressway."

Both Lockman and Dettling want residents to view the library as the center of the community and it is not just a "Be Quiet" place. "We want to encourage the teens not just to come here and use our materials, but have the library be a place where they can come and have a good time. They can't be rowdy upstairs where people are working, but they can have fun here."

Also in the works, and available with a library card, is the library's database that students can access to help them with their homework. Dettling refers to the Syosset Library as a" 24-7 library" thanks to the Internet.

"Change is good," said Dettling. "Not everything should be thrown out. Life changes and we need to update. The public is going to see the improvement. We are out of room and busting at the seams. We have to weed, but weed to bring in new sets of books and encyclopedias."

Lockman is excited about the changes at the Library, which she refers to as a "free alternative to video games," and is excited that Dettling is starting her position with energy and enthusiasm.