Irving Chernofsky Reflects on Time on Bryant Library Board

Adedamola Agboola

Irving Chernofsky said the only reason he is leaving the Bryant Library Board of Trustees in December is term limits.

“That’s how much I’ve enjoyed my time working with other trustees on the board,” Chernofsky said.

In December, he will complete his ninth year on the board — the maximum numbed permitted. 

During his time, Chernofsky served as the library’s treasurer chairing the finance committee and putting together the annual budget.

“I’ve done this now for almost nine years. I may chair the finance committee but I’m not the sole contributor to the budget — not by a long shot,” Chernofsky said. “But its been a very rewarding opportunity that we’ve taken advantage of.”

Chernofsky joined the board in 2007 when he retired as senior director of applications marketing from Oracle and his wife urged him apply for the trustee position.

“When I retired, my wife saw the advertisement in the newspaper and told me to apply for it,” Chernofsky said. “I’ve met a lot of different people and have worked with the trustees who have different backgrounds from social work to education.”

He said his background working as a computer applications salesman and supply-chain marketer translated to the trustee position.

He said what he’s most proud of as a trustee is getting the library to “move into the 21st century system of things” by providing residents with a nook reader and purchasing a generator. 

“For our residents who love to read, they can travel and not have to pack four or five books with them,” Chernofsky said.

Chernofsky said when he joined the board he pushed the library to convert its checkout system to a Radio Frequency Identification Device.

“With the RFID device, you can scan all the materials you have by just moving the bar code over the laser,” Chernofsky said. “It helps people check out their materials faster and it saved a lot of time.”

He said the Bryant Library has had the support of the community and the Friends of Bryant Library over the years, but like most libraries it faces funding issues.

“Most of our revenues are derived from taxations and we count on state aid. The challenge there is, when we look at the budget, we struggle with doing more with less,” Chernofsky said.“Our vendors increase the price of the books, salaries increase and it gets harder to afford anything and maintenance of the facility becomes a struggle.”

Chernofsky, who moved to Roslyn from Queens in 1980, said he also served on the Village of East Hills’ Senior Activities Committee and the board of Temple Beth Sholom.

Chernofsky also serves as trustee on the Nassau County Library System representing Port Washington, Searingtown, Great Neck, Roslyn and Manhasset libraries, a term he started in 2013. 

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