Library

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library

By Serena Carpino

Recently, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket has made many changes. From their new café to their outdoor patio, the library has undergone several renovations in the past few years. Combined with the creation of new programs, these additions reflect efforts to incorporate modern technology into Emma Clark. 

The library originally decided to add the outdoor patio space after the pandemic. The patio, which is fully wheelchair accessible, has added 800 square feet for patrons to sit and enjoy reading books in nice weather. The architect in charge was John Cunniffe, a Stony Brook resident who has done many projects for the Three Village Historical Society, Frank Melville Memorial Park, The Long Island Museums, and various other local organizations.

In addition to the outdoor patio, the library also installed a new café, which is run by Level Up Kitchen. The kitchen is owned and operated by Chelsea Gomez, a local chef. In her cooking, Gomez prioritizes sustainability, using high quality ingredients, and working with Long Island farmers. 

According to Lisa DeVerna, a spokesperson from Emma Clark, the café has been successful so far. “We’ve been very pleased with how the café is going so far. We’ve seen people of all ages, from senior citizens to teens, utilizing the café, an extended service of the library.”

Other changes include adding a Main Reading Room, where the café is located. This section is now separated by glass doors to allow more social activities in the front, while the back is reserved for reading and quiet activities. 

The library is also planning on adding an environmentally friendly HVAC unit in the near future. It will be energy efficient and not use fossil fuels.

Aside from construction, Emma Clark has also continued to add new programs and projects for visitors. This March, the library is offering Seed Library and Seed Swap Box to celebrate the first day of spring. This addition goes along with the gardening classes, which have been very popular both in-person and online. 

The library is also working to expand programming opportunities for teens. “Since the establishment of Teen Services as a new and separate department just last year, programming has more than doubled,” DeVerna said. “We hope to continue to grow this department.” 

To do this, the library plans on providing more programming opportunities both in and outside of the library. For example, they have been offering more technology classes, including a course on advanced Excel, the first non-beginner course at Emma Clark. Also, they have placed a greater emphasis on the Cricut machine. While it may seem that most of the improvements have been for teens and adults, the children’s library is continuing to see changes as well. “In our Children’s Library, we have added new imaginative play toys, and looking ahead, we’re hoping to continue rearranging the flow and usage of that area to make it a more welcoming space,” DeVerna explained.

The recent years have seen many technological updates for Emma Clark. While some may worry that such additions can distort the original intent of a library, DeVerna clarified the benefits of these changes. “As the world has evolved, libraries have evolved with it.” She explained that the library offers printed, eBooks, and audiobooks in order to cater to all of their patrons’ needs. In addition, they supply both movies and music and have databases for people to “learn anything from history to finance to genealogy to how to fix your car.”

“We recognize that technology now plays a large part in obtaining information, so we help people learn how to use their computers and mobile devices through computer classes, tech clinics [where adults learn from teen volunteers], and even one-on-one appointments with a tech-savvy librarian,” DeVerna said. “We have classes and events for all ages. The library connects people and is a community and information center, both in our building and beyond its walls.”

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Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station invites the community to a presentation titled Heart Healthy Diet on Thursday, Feb. 15 from 7 to 8 p.m. Join cardiologist Jyoti Ganguly, MD to learn the most recent recommendations for a healthy diet to lower your risk of heart disease. Open to all. Call 631-928-1212 or visit www.cplib.org to register.

Middle Country Public Library, 575 Middle Country Road, Selden will host a Venues for Volunteering Fair on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. Come find out what volunteer opportunities are available in our area and how you can help!

The following organizations are scheduled to be at the event: All American Assisted Living – Coram, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Bethel Hobbs Community Farm, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, EAC Chance to Advance, Family Service League Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Federation of Organizations/Senior Companion Program, Fire Island Light House Preservation Society, Friends of the Middle Country Public Library, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, Great Strides LI, Kids Need More, Legal Hand, Literacy Suffolk, Inc., Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook, Mercy Haven Inc., Middle Country Public Library, NY Blood Center, Rebuilding Together Long Island, Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue, Selden Fire Department, Suffolk County Police Explorers, Town of Brookhaven Dept. of Environmental Education and the Three Village Historical Society.

No registration required. For more information, call 631-585-9393.

The Public Libraries of Suffolk County recently announced that its patrons reached a new milestone: 3.6 million digital books borrowed on Livebrary.com in 2023. Consisting of over 56 libraries in Suffolk County, Livebrary.com is #15 of all public library consortia and one of 152 total public library systems worldwide that surpassed one million checkouts last calendar year.

Livebrary.com member libraries have been providing readers 24/7 access to e-books, audiobooks, comic books and other digital content for several years through the award-winning Libby app, the library reading app created by OverDrive. Member libraries include Smithtown Library, Sachem Public Library in Holbrook, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket, Middle Country Public Library in Centereach and Selden, Longwood Public Library in Middle Island and Northport–East Northport Public Library. 

“The Public Libraries of Suffolk County continue to meet the needs of their communities by providing patrons with much-needed access to a wide variety of entertainment and learning opportunities through e-books and audiobooks,” said Kevin Verbesey, Director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. 

The highest-circulating title Livebrary.com readers borrowed in 2023 was Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. The New York Times bestseller tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, who becomes a beloved cooking show host in 1960s Southern California after being fired as a chemist four years earlier.

The top-circulating genre, romance, represents the most popular in a vast catalog that also includes thriller, suspense, mystery, children/young adult and more. 

The top five e-book titles borrowed through Livebrary.com’s digital collection in 2023 were:

1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

2. Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult

3. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover

5. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The top five audiobook titles borrowed through Livebrary.com’s digital collection in 2023 were:

1. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex 

2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 

3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 

4. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover 

5. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Suffolk County residents just need a valid library card from a member library to access digital books from Livebrary’s OverDrive-powered digital collection.  Readers can use any major device, including Apple(R), Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle(R) (U.S. only). Download the Libby app or visit livebrary.overdrive.com to borrow e-books, audiobooks and more.

This article originally appeared in TBR News Media’s Prime Times senior supplement on 01/25/24.

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The Smithtown Library. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

By Sabrina Artusa

President Annette Galarza of the Smithtown Library held the first regular meeting of the new year Jan. 16. Former president Brianna Baker-Stines is now a trustee.

Among items discussed was the development of a new committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, which will consist of Baker-Stines, Galarza and vice president Mildred Bernstein.

The Building and Grounds Committee approved plans to renovate the audio and visual elements of the Community Room on the lower level of the Smithtown building.

The library received 10 donations in memorial of Frances Kelley, who was a resident of St. James. 

Robert Lusak, library director, discussed his intention to strengthen the relationship to the Commack community by partnering the Rotary clubs of Smithtown and Commack. One of the objectives of the partnership is to organize a beach cleanup in the summer. 

“So we are going to be partnering with the Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club in the summertime to do an extensive cleanup not only of the Kings Park bluffs but of the Sunken Meadow bluffs as well. It is our way of reaching out to the Commack community,” Lusak said.

The next regular meeting of the library board will be Feb. 20.

Health Outreach Bus

Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket welcomes the Catholic Health Mobile Outreach Bus to its parking lot on Thursday, Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Last screening begins at 1:45 p.m.) Registered nurses will provide blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and glucose screenings, along with patient education and referrals as needed. They will also offer free flu vaccinations. No appointments are necessary, there are no fees, and insurance is not required. Questions? Email [email protected] or call 631-941-4080.

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Overwhelmed by the thought of having to pick the best preschool for your child? Emma Clark Library’s Preschool Fair is back on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to speak informally with many local preschools all in one room, ask questions, and help narrow down your search and choose which schools you’d like to tour.  

Meet representatives from  Alternatives for Children, Harbor Country Day School, Kiddie Academy of East Setauket, Montessori School at Old Field, North Shore Montessori School, Our Savior Preschool, Playgroups School, Saints Philip and James School, Setauket Presbyterian Preschool, Smithtown Nursery School and Tiny Hearts Childcare Center in St. James. 

This event has no registration and is open to the public. Emma Clark Library is located at 120 Main St., Setauket For more information, email [email protected] or call 631-941-4080 ext. 123.

Photo by Abigail Choi/ Councilmember Kornreich's office

The delicious aroma of fresh coffee filled the air as Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket held a ribbon cutting for its new Level Up Kitchen Library Café on Jan. 7. 

Library board members and staff, Level Up Kitchen Library Café owner Chelsea Gomez, Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, architect John Cunniffe, and Thomas Pirraglia of Urban Village Contracting, Inc., were all in attendance.

Library Director Ted Gutmann thanked everyone involved in the entire three-part construction project.”We stayed open the whole time [during construction]. We didn’t have to close…[the cafe] has been open now a few weeks, and it’s been very popular with our patrons.” 

“Seeing the library evolve and meeting the changing needs of the community is very heartening, and this place continues to be very relevant and continues to be the absolute heart of this area,” said Councilmember Kornreich.

Library patrons will be able to grab a quick snack on-the-go, or stay for a bite to eat and enjoy a more leisurely experience at the library in the new, indoor seating area adjacent to the historic 1892 reading room. Café customers will also have access to the outdoor seating terrace, which opened in August 2022 and looks out over the library’s beautifully landscaped grounds and the historic Setauket Village Green.

The extensive menu features soup of the day, wraps, grilled cheese, frittatas, bagels, croissants, and rolls as well as scones, cookies, brownies and cakes. Drinks include hot and iced coffee, hot and iced tea, hot cocoa and more with many nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

Pictured at the ribbon cutting, from left, are Joan Kahnhauser (Head Adult Services Librarian), Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Chelsea Gomez (Level Up Kitchen Library Café owner), Angeline Yeo-Judex (Library Board Member), Ted Gutmann (Library Director), Anthony M. Parlatore (Library Board Member), Suzanne Shane (Library Board Secretary), Linda Josephs (Library Board Member), John Cunniffe (Architect), Linda Pirraglia, Thomas Pirraglia (Urban Village Contracting), and Lisa DeVerna (Library Marketing & Communications Manager).

Operating hours for the café are Mondays  to  Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, please call 631-941-4080 or visit www.emmaclark.org/cafe/.

Chelsea Gomez, a Three Village native and chef, is ready to serve patrons at the newly unveiled Level Up Kitchen Library Café at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library. Photo courtesy Emma S. Clark Memorial Library

Emma S. Clark Memorial Library has unveiled its new café, the much-anticipated final phase in a construction project announced in 2021. It includes the café, a new outdoor terrace and better flow for the library’s main reading room.

This two-year undertaking is helping to make the library even more of a community center than before, inviting those to come and stay while meeting the various needs of the library’s constituents.

The café, now open to the public, is run by Level Up Kitchen, a local business selected from a pool of candidates to be the food and beverage vendor, as was publicized by the library in May.

Owned and operated by Three Village native and chef Chelsea Gomez, Level Up Kitchen Library Café promises fresh coffee and healthy, handcrafted fare that meets various dietary needs. The menu includes nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan items, avoiding cross-contamination with allergens. 

Gomez places importance on sustainability, working with local farms and purveyors where possible to stimulate the local economy and provide the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. Gomez possesses extensive food safety knowledge, and all her employees are Suffolk County Department of Health-certified food managers.

In addition to the outdoor terrace, which opened last summer, a new indoor seating area was added adjacent to the café. Architect John Cunniffe, a Stony Brook resident with experience in preserving historical accuracy, ensured that the café and seating area showed architectural sensitivity to the historic section with the same refined feel.

Urban Village Contracting, a local company, executed the construction. The library completed the entire construction project without closing for its patrons.

A café is a very popular addition among today’s libraries. It allows for more flexibility and options for the public to visit the library more often and extend their stay.

The library is not solely a building full of books but a place where individuals or groups may leisurely enjoy the beautiful space. Those studying or working may now take a break for a quick snack or meal without having to leave the library.

Before or after a library program, attendees may have something to eat or drink. Those who live or work in the neighborhood may stop in to grab a coffee or a bite to eat. Friends may meet at the library for coffee or a meal and browse books together. The café enhances that welcoming feel and accommodates those who want to stay longer.

This “new” Emma Clark Library is not so much a transformation as a rejuvenation of the library, staying true to its historic roots while accommodating its 21st-century constituency. The library’s Board of Trustees and staff are thrilled to offer these improvements to the community here in Three Village.