Two Great Neck residents on Tuesday told the Great Neck Public Library Board of Trustees that they were displeased with the lack of resources for the Lakeville Branch, saying it was being failed by the trustees.
“If there is a short end of the library stick, we have got it,” said Ronald Brinn, a resident of Great Neck since 1980.
Brinn said he came to the trustees meeting to ask why the Lakeville branch, located at 475 Great Neck Road, had “empty shelves” in it.
“In a library system that’s world renowned, that’s a shame,” he said.
Library president Marietta DiCamillo tried to respond, but was interrupted by Brinn who said “I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”
DiCamillo said in an e-mail to the Great Neck News that the shelves were cleared to make way for books being transferred from the Main Branch prior to renovation work there.
“We must make room for our patrons, new materials, reassigned staff and reallocated services,” DiCamillo said.
Brinn said at the meeting he wanted library trustees to ensure that the Lakeville branch would be “better off” after the renovation of Main is completed in November 2015.
“I want you to make sure that when the smoke clears on Main that Lakeville branch is in better shape than it is now,” he said.
Resident Rachel Bellefore, a member of the Lakeville Civic Association, also said at the meeting that the Lakeville branch was lacking in resources, such as children’s programs.
Bellefore also said she was surprised Lakeville was not considered as temporary replacement for the Main branch’s children programs during its closure.
Interim Library Director Laura Weir said Lakeville was not considered because it was “too small.”
DiCamillo and Weir told Bellefore and Brinn to set up a meeting with the library administration to discuss their concerns.
Bellefore and Brinn declined to meet with the administration.
“It is my hope they will reconsider their position,” DiCamillo said.
In other developments:
• Trustees approved a contract with OverDrive, a digital company that would offer e-books and e-audio books to library cardholders.
• Director search committee chair Francine Krupski said no internal applications were filed for a permanent library director.
