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The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library. File photo by Elyse Sutton

Emma Clark Library and Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare have partnered to offer free social work services to the Three Village community. Emma Clark patrons may visit the Library each week during designated hours to have their questions answered, get help with filling out forms, or seek referrals from a graduate student who is furthering their studies in the field.

Inquiries that the social work graduate student may assist with include, but are not limited to, employment/job search, housing, paying utility bills, applying for benefits, education, medical assistance, mental health issues, bullying, domestic abuse, substance use, LGBTQIA+ topics, care coordination, and voting pre-registration.

Starting this month, graduate student Erin Vespoli will be on-site at the Library on Tuesdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Ms. Vespoli is a mother of three who is training to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and will be at Emma Clark through the end of the school year (May 2024).

There is no pre-registration, and this service is open to all ages. In fact, afternoon/evening hours were chosen to accommodate afterschool hours for teenagers or adults who work during the day. The Wednesday hours coincide with the Library’s “Senior Bus” (transportation for those who can no longer drive so that they may take out library materials and attend events, offered on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month). While Ms. Vespoli will be located in the Library’s lobby to ensure that all patrons are aware of this new service, a private room can be made available as well. Conversations will be kept confidential; this is a safe and welcoming environment.

Libraries are information centers where the community goes to get answers to their questions, and at times help to solve their problems.  Some of the challenges patrons are dealing with are at times beyond the scope of what most librarians are trained to handle.  Here on Long Island, many libraries including Emma Clark, have recognized the value of adding social work assistance as a resource offering to their patrons.

Ms. Vespoli is at Emma Clark Library to answer questions but is not a therapist; referrals will be given to people looking for clinical therapy. Ms. Vespoli is a mandated reporter for cases of neglect, abuse, or harm.

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The Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare provides a learning environment for individuals who wish to deepen and extend their knowledge and experience in bringing about social change. The School provides a place for the development of committed, analytical, and knowledgeable students who wish to undertake the difficult task of improving service delivery systems by attention to institutional structures. The graduate program prepares students for advanced social work practice and is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

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The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District. “The Heart of the Three Village Community.”

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Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket will host a meeting of the Travel Presentation Club tonight, Tuesday, September 19 in the community room at 7 p.m. Janice and Jim Rohlf will make a presentation entitled “Adventures at Ningaloo Riff and the Kimberley, Western Australia.”

Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef offers spectacular opportunities for viewing whale sharks. Whale sharks are as large as whales, but they are sharks. Like all sharks, their skeletons are made up of cartilages which help them swim fast and use less energy. Whale sharks are enormous but gentle fish found in tropical oceans. They can pose a risk to humans by accidentally swatting us with their tail if we swim too close. Long-time Travel club member Jim Rohlf succeeded in swimming with whale sharks, as you will see during the presentation. This particular adventure had been on his bucket list for some time.

Jim Rohlf and his wife Janice Rohlf are both Stony Brook University retirees. Jim was a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution from 1969 until his retirement. The Rohlf Medal in Geometric Morphometrics honors his work in the field. Janice headed the Governmental Relations office from 1988 until 2009. They are world travelers, having visited all 7 continents!

Please invite your friends, family and all to experience this thrilling expedition. Free and open to all.

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Sarina Latorre-Sicurella is Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School’s new library media specialist. Photo courtesy RPUFSD

Great libraries build communities. This is just one of the approaches that Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School’s new library media specialist Sarina Latorre-Sicurella looks forward to promoting as she works with the K-2 students in Rocky Point.

“I seek to create a dynamic environment that stimulates wonder and curiosity, and allows learners the freedom to explore and grow,” Latorre-Sicurella said. She will aid students in developing skills that incorporate literacy appreciation, research, technology, library use and finding some new favorite stories and authors.

Latorre-Sicurella received her undergraduate degree in comparative literature, cinema and cultural studies from Stony Brook University and a master’s of library science from Queens College. She is certified as a public librarian professional and a school media specialist, holding school librarianship certification from SUNY Buffalo.

The new library media specialist is a member of the Children’s Librarian Association of Suffolk County and the New York Library Association, Youth Services Section. She joins Rocky Point with student teaching experience from Longwood Public Library and Miller Place High School, and 14 years of professional experience as a youth services librarian at the Port Jefferson Free Library.

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Middle Country Public Library director Sophia Serlis-McPhillips cuts the ribbon during the grand opening of the library’s new café. Photo by Raymond Janis

Middle Country Public Library, Centereach unveiled its new café Friday, Sept. 8, continuing an ongoing campaign expanding arts, education and cultural opportunities throughout the greater Middle Country area.

The new café offers freshly brewed coffee and craft espresso drinks from TEND Coffee and baked goods from JeJoJo Bagels of Centereach. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Library staff hosted community members and public officials for the grand opening ceremony. Library director Sophia Serlis-McPhillips cut the ribbon to the cheers and adulation of the crowd.

“This café is part of a renovation we did for the entire library, which started in 2018,” she said. “We had a soft opening over the summer, but today was the official.”

Serlis-McPhillips highlighted the considerable public demand for a café space through the years, suggesting that the recent library renovations offer a suitable opportunity to embark upon the undertaking.

“We wanted to do that because it seemed like what the patrons and the community wanted,” the MCPL director said. “It is nice for people just to sit down and relax.”

She continued, “Unlike some other places, we are manning the staff. So we hire the staff and train them,” adding that the partnership with JeJoJo’s represents an ongoing effort by the library “to keep everything local.”

Along with the new café, MCPL offers a new maker space and a recording studio. Serlis-McPhillips noted how these innovations have “become part of our everyday operation.”

Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa and Middle Country Public Library director Sophia Serlis-McPhillips celebrate the grand opening of the library’s café. Photo by Raymond Janis

Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), the majority leader of the county Legislature whose 4th District includes Centereach, congratulated library staff and patrons alike.

“This is just an exciting day for the residents of Middle County to have a facility like this,” he said. “We’ve always had beautiful libraries, but this just takes it up a notch.”

The majority leader highlighted how the new café plays into ongoing community revitalization efforts, with proposals for greater public investments and sewers. He maintained arts and cultural institutions such as MCPL as “vital” to the health and future prosperity of the community. 

“We should never overlook arts — whether they be from paintings to theatrics to … 3D printing,” he added. “The capabilities are unlimited for what we can do, and we have to keep that alive and well in our community.”

Town of Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden), who represents Centereach on the Town Board, was once a part-time employee at MCPL. He underscored the several transformations the facility has undergone since his departure.

“It’s just so heartwarming to see how much it’s growing and adapting to the times,” he said. “To see how much it’s growing and everything they do, it’s just amazing.”

Manzella expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities of sewers and for further community revitalization and commercial redevelopment. But as local government works toward those objectives, he said institutions like MCPL remain a “cornerstone” for residents.

“Anything that helps provide the arts, that helps provide outlets for any kind of entertainment or fun, the library is something that provides that,” the councilman said.

Adding to these sentiments, Serlis-McPhillips regarded the library as “central.”

“I definitely feel that we are in the heart of the community,” she said. “Our community supports the library a lot,” adding, “When we work together collectively, I think that makes a difference.”

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'Violet Visage' by Nicholas Nappi
'Unknowns' by Nicholas Nappi
'Sogno Rosa' by Nicholas Nappi

By Tara Mae 

What dreams may come from revelatory reflection? A spark of imagination need not always ignite a blazing inferno; a steady, bright flame may sustain the psyche and soul. 

The serenity of memory and tranquility of nature are inherent in Terra Bella, artist Nicholas Nappi’s newest exhibit at North Shore Public Library in Shoreham.

On display from September 9 to October 30, Nappi’s third show at the library includes approximately 18 paintings, many of them mixed media of ink, watercolor, and acrylics. 

Moments of deceptive depth and exacting nuance are imbued with a welcoming warmth that draws the onlooker into the ambient action. The dynamic combination of textures and color is reminiscent of the often overlooked, bountiful allure of Long Island.

“I am trying to communicate with people about the beauty of Long Island…I do not think a lot of people realize how pretty it is, which why I am calling [the exhibit] Bella Terra, which means ‘beautiful earth’ in Italian,” Nappi, of Rocky Point, said in an interview. 

This appreciation speaks through bright colors filtered in soft focus, idyllic settings, and people included as part of nature as well as the landscape, not in opposition of them. 

Immersed in this internal world, they entice the audience to become participants in these nostalgic scenes of environmental equanimity. As though experienced via the romantic haze of memory, pictorial conversations with the past invite dialogue in the present.

“Mr. Nappi’s work is colorful and atmospheric and draws the viewer into daily life,” said North Shore Public Library’s Adult Reference Librarian/Adult Program Coordinator Lorena Doherty, who organized the exhibit. “There is such a beautiful sense of light and softness, love and memory in these pieces. When a story, a performance, an image…walks with you, it has power.”

Utilizing art as a means of communication with the public has been an integral element of Nappi’s professional and personal perspective. While a vice president and award-winning art director for Serino, Coyne, & Nappi, a theatrical ad agency, he designed and art directed logos and posters for Broadway mega hits like A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera. 

As a print advertisement is meant to appeal to the eye and ensnare interest, Nappi’s independent works also contain the essence of a narrative. Each piece reveals its own enrapturing tale, conveying charisma and character. With his paintings, he seeks to educate, beguile, and entreat viewers into both recognizing and revering the resplendent nature that surrounds them as island dwellers.

“The growth, the bushes, the trees, the flowers, it is just a gorgeous place, but [Long Islanders] are so used it they do not pay attention to it too much. They really should,” Nappi said.  

Terra Bella encompasses paintings Nappi created specifically for the exhibit, using it as an opportunity to express his scenic thesis. Invoking emotional resonance, he invites people to learn this visual language, simultaneously communing with those already attuned to his paintings and their presence. 

After the conclusion of his second show at the library, Color is Song in 2017, patrons and staff missed the ruminating reprieve his art provides, according to Doherty. So when he sent her examples of his recent paintings, she was enamored with the selection and eager to put it up in a space that hosts community and international artists alike. 

“Many months ago, Mr. Nappi sent an email with the images of his new body of work. I viewed them several times and was delighted to have this new show at North Shore Public Library,” Doherty said. 

“Several days passed and I found myself thinking of these paintings. The paintings were walking with me and telling a story, their story.” 

At its heart, the tale Nappi tells is that of individual insights predicated on the notion of universal understanding. The show allows him to convey his feelings and entrust others with their messages.

“I try to put a piece of myself in each painting. I hope people feel what I feel. If that happens, I am very, very happy. Painting is a very, very personal thing; I forget everything but what I am working on. When you paint, you start with a blank piece of paper, and it is up to you to make it special to anyone who looks at it. I hope I do,” Nappi said. 

The community is invited to an artist reception for Nicholas Nappi hosted by the Friends of the Library on Saturday, September 9, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. North Shore Public Library is located at 250 Route 25A, Shoreham. The exhibit may be viewed during library hours — Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-929-4488 or visit www.northshorepubliclibrary.org.

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Pictured from left, Friends Scholarship Chair Agatha Monteleone, Friends President Anthony Monteleone, Taylor Saar and Emerson Cozine

The Friends of The Smithtown Library, a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the Library, has awarded its 15th annual scholarship. This scholarship is awarded annually to graduating  Smithtown Library cardholders. The first place scholarship was presented to Smithtown High  School East graduate Taylor Saar; second place was presented to Smithtown High School East graduate Emerson Cozine.  

Taylor Saar was accepted to Penn State College and the University of Delaware for the fall.  She is no stranger to The Smithtown Library, participating in over 400 hours of volunteer work at  the Nesconset Building including Kindness Cards, Bookmark Volunteers, Washkits, Paracord  Bracelets and more. She also volunteered her time for the Red Cross and Long Island Cares. 

Emerson Cozine will be attending Loyola University Maryland in the fall. She was awarded  the Girl Scout Silver Award, has years of experience volunteering at summer camps and is involved  in leadership activities in her school. 

The Friends, along with The Smithtown Library congratulate these two young women on  this award and wish them much success in their future endeavors. 

 



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Members of the Children's Department at Emma Clark Library with a Stormtrooper and Darth Vadar at 2023 Star Wars Day. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Congratulations to Alida for being this year's raffle winner at Emma Clark Library's 2023 Star Wars Day. Photo from Emma Clark Library
The Circulation staff at Emma Clark Library pose with a stormtrooper at the 2023 Star Wars Day. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Teen volunteers helped out during Emma Clark Library's 2023 Star Wars Dat. Photo from Emma Clark Library
Children made a Yoda craft at Emma Clark Library's 2023 Star Wars Day. Photo from Emma Clark Library
A family poses with a Stormtrooper and Darth Vadar during Emma Clark Library's 2023 Star Wars Dat. Photo from Emma Clark Library

Emma Clark Memorial Library in Setauket hosted its annual Star Wars Day for families on Aug. 12. Over 240 people attended the event and many wore their best intergalactic attire. Darth Vadar and a Stormtrooper were on hand to greet guests and take pictures. Assisted by teen volunteers, children played Star Wars-themed carnival games and made out of this world crafts to take home. 

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Grand Folk Railroad performs at Emma Clark library Friday, Aug. 4. Photo by G.T. Scarlatos
Grand Folk Railroad performs at Emma Clark library Friday, Aug. 4. Photo by G.T. Scarlatos

By Samantha Rutt

Blankets, lawn chairs and picnics dressed the front lawn of Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket on Friday evening, Aug. 4, as the Three Village community staple held a free concert, featuring Grand Folk Railroad, a 1960s-’70s inspired band. 

Despite gloomy skies, the event brought families, couples, pets and passersby together. Children danced as fans clapped and sang along. 

GFR’s lead guitarist, Frank Doris, enjoyed performing for the audience saying, “When you see someone singing along, it’s a great feeling for all of us.”

The library has been hosting summer concert events for over three decades, showcasing a variety of genres such as folk, blues, rock and jazz.

“Having community events like these are important for library patrons to see that we can create a fun and relaxing environment where the community can join together on a beautiful lawn in the summer,” said Carolyn Emerson, event organizer and reference librarian at Emma Clark Library.

Having been together for nearly 14 years, GFR has played at venues across Long Island’s North Shore, including the Port Jefferson Village Center and Stony Brook’s Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. In 2010 the band released its first CD, “True North,” a collection of forgotten favorites.

“The event was great — great turnouts, and such an incredible building,” lead singer Susan Schwartz-Christian said. She was joined by her husband, Mike Christian, who performs as the band’s drummer. The fourth band member, Gary Shoenberger, played the keyboards.

On the cool summer evening, GFR played songs such as “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts. The group also played songs by another local band, Alive ‘N Kickin’. 

People gathered from all over the Long Island for the free event. “I love the bands the library hosts, they always deliver,” said Gale Putt, an East Setauket resident. 

Throughout the show, Schwartz-Christian exchanged her guitar for a banjo and demonstrated her musicianship with a perfectly pitched flute solo.

Between songs and switching instruments, bandmates cracked jokes and offered cheerful conversation to the audience. As the concert came to a close, all band members showcased their vocals together, and drummer Christian traded his sticks for an electric guitar.

Emma Clark, standing as Suffolk County’s oldest public library, has been serving the Three Village community since 1892. Comprising over 200,000 books, periodicals, audio, video and software materials, the library’s collection continues to expand, finding new ways to serve the community. 

The library has recently undergone its latest construction project, including an outdoor terrace and a cafe, adding nearly 800 square feet to the historic building. 

“The summer evening concerts have brought together more than 200 community members [per concert] each year,” Emerson said, adding that she hopes to continue holding summer concerts in the future. 

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From left, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (3rd from left) and Legislator Manuel Esteban (center) at the forum. Photo courtesy of Leg. Bontempi's office
John Venza, one of the presenters, speaking to the audience. Photo from Leg. Bontempi’s office

The Northport Public Library recently collaborated with Suffolk. County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-18th L.D.), Suffolk County Legislator Manuel Esteban (R-16th L.D.) and Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta (R-13th L.D.) to facilitate a timely discussion on addiction, mental health and today’s youth.  One of the objectives of the event, entitled “Breaking the Stigma,” was to encourage more frequent and honest dialogues on the topics in both public and private circles.

“The issues of addiction and mental health are too important to ignore or tiptoe around,” said Bontempi.  “These serious issues warrant our full attention, and part of the process leading to that is recognizing that they are simply part of the human condition.  We need to address our issues, not be ashamed of them.

“The night’s presenters included John Venza and Gordon Gooding who spoke respectively about concerns surrounding addiction and the stressors associated with everyday life.  The presentations made it clear that there are no shortage of challenges out there, but there are also many treatment options and preventative tools.

“If you are a parent or caregiver of children, staying up-to-date on the growing body of knowledge and resources in this arena is so important,” added Bontempi.

For those interested in exploring resources regarding addiction and mental health, visit: https://www.scnylegislature.us/171/Stephanie-Bontempi and click on “Behavioral Health Directory.” 

 

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