Great Neck Library board candidate Francine Ferrante Krupski sat alongside library nominating committee candidates Ian Lustbader and Diane Sandler Oct. 12 for a “Meet the Candidates” event in anticipation of the uncontested election. Polls will be open Monday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Main Branch and the Parkville Branch Library.
Krupski is the nominating committee pick who would replace Trustee Anna Kaplan, who is serving her first term. Kaplan is not seeking re-election due to her bid for Town of North Hempstead District 4 seat.
“I am looking forward to working with the other members of the board,” Krupski said. “Hopefully I will be able to add something to the Great Neck Community.”
Krupski is a 38-year resident of Great Neck and retired principal of P.S. 163 in Flushing Heights.
Since retiring five years ago, she has gotten involved in the community through volunteer work for her church in their food pantry, and by teaching children.
Krupski was chosen by a seven-member panel of elected and appointed members of the nominating committee. The chairman is trustee-appointed Tim Lewis, a tax attorney who specializes in trusts, estates, and tax-exempt organizations.
The committee is responsible for identifying and selecting candidates for open positions. Candidates are selected at meetings in April, May, and June. The first step is a letter of interest, with a resume and any other applicable information, followed by an interview with the nominating committee.
Nominated for a three-year term on the nominating committee is Ian Lustbader, in place of nominating committee member Stacee Bernstein.
Lustbader is an internist with five children.
“I think everyone has a good vested interest in the library thriving,” he said.
His goal is to join the board with no preconceived notions, and identify qualified candidates by examining their credentials and motivation for seeing office.
Also nominated for a three-year term on the nominating committee is Diane Sandler, in place of nominating committee member Julius Mendel.
Sandler is a fifth grade English Language Arts and social studies teacher in Plainview-Old Bethpage. Her charitable activities include fundraising for the American Heart Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Relay for Life. She is a member of Second Stage Theatre in Manhattan.
“I am a firm believer in a strong library system for a community,” Sandler said. “Through the library nominating committee I feel I can make a contribution by picking candidates who will make a difference in the community.”
Only two members of the public turned out to meet the candidates. The sole question from the audience was regarding library circulation in light of the upcoming referendum.
If approved by residents Oct. 25, the Great Neck Library’s Main Branch would be closed for up to two years in a renovation and expansion that would add 8,600-square feet and make the building accessible to patrons with disabilities.
Library Director Jane Marino said circulation fluctuates year to year. She said book reservations and digital downloads are up, and a decline in print circulation “is make up for by” an increased number of people “coming in the door.”
