Library Director
Library Board of Trustees
The Mission & Role of the West Islip Public Library
The West Islip Public Library exists to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of the West Islip community by connecting them to each other and the world, through the provision of quality library materials, services, and facilities, so that they may obtain and use information vital to the enrichment of their lives and its enjoyment.
To this end the library fulfills a number of roles in the community:
- Popular Materials Center
- Pre-school Door to Learning
- Community Activities Center
- Independent Learning Center
- Reference Center
- Community Information Center
- Educational Support Center
(Primary)
Popular Materials Library
Our library provides a wide variety of high-interest materials for reading, listening and viewing that are available to library patrons. Included are best sellers and books of current interest, periodicals, audio and video products in popular formats, including cds, dvds, and digital downloads. Our library makes a conscious effort to support the cultural and leisure interests of the community.
Pre-school Door to Learning
Our library is a place for the child to visit and for parents and other child care providers to obtain materials for use with children. The library’s role is to foster reading readiness for pre-school children. This service promotes early learning and life-long use of the library. The library contributes to developing a love of reading and promoting listening/viewing skills with extensive programs and activities for children and parents including “Read-aloud” story hours, summer and winter reading clubs, art, craft and music workshops, parent-caregiver-child workshops and film programs, among others.
Community Activities Center
Our library is a central focal point for connecting the community through activities, meetings and services. Library-sponsored programs, seminars, workshops, concerts, and activities are planned to support the intellectual, practical, cultural and leisure interests of the community. These include off-premises services including bus trips, Museum Passes, and discount venue tickets. The Library provides both meeting room space and equipment for community-sponsored programs and activities. The Library cooperates and coordinates with other community organizations when practical to support community wide objectives.
Independent Learning Center
Our library supports children, young adults and adults learning on their own at all levels, including citizen education, hobbies, cultural interests, job-related development, and self-improvement. Users can pursue self-determined and self-paced study on a wide range of subjects. Independent learners can use the resources of the library to learn new skills, to attain further educational goals, or to adjust to changes in life, work, and society. The library recognizes the importance of providing the public access to electronic sources and the Internet in pursuit of independent learning, as well as facilities in which to study.
(Secondary)
Reference Library
Our library provides residents with access to information for research, practical living and entertainment through timely, accurate and user-friendly services. The reference collection is continually updated to provide current information on consumer needs, taxes, health, automobile repair, investments, etc. Toward that end, the library subscribes to a variety of sources and services that are available in a variety of formats including print, non-print, and electronic formats. The library renders reference assistance in person and via telephone and the Internet.
Community Information Center
Our library is a clearinghouse for current information on community organizations, issues and services. Users have a one-stop center for many everyday information needs. Access to this information enables individuals to be self-sufficient, control their lives, and understand community issues. For the community, the library helps link those in need of services and resources with an appropriate provider through information and referral. To this end the library maintains community bulletin boards, literature display areas, and maintains links to community related information on its Internet web site.
Educational Support Center
Our library supports Literacy Volunteer Programs by providing a meeting place for training and for student and tutor to work together. The library has a collection of materials suitable for high-interest, low-reading-level patrons. The library offers tours for classes and instructs students on using library tools. In cooperation with the local schools, the library will reserve special materials to meet classroom assignment needs. Users find materials to supplement what is available in the school libraries. Our library is an alternate study site when the school libraries are not available. The facility includes quiet space for study, with carrels for individual study, public computers, copying machines, current periodical collection, and access to electronic resources for students to use in completing middle and high school as well as college assignments.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 2021-2023
Goal 1. Promote usage of Popular Materials:
Objectives:
- Improve marketing of print and non-print materials.
- Expand audio-visual materials access via digital services.
- Train public in use of online library account, online catalog and electronic resources, with an emphasis on using downloadable digital materials.
- Market electronic services and materials under the Suffolk Cooperative Library System Live-brary brand.
- Increase availability of digital materials, including e-books, and downloadable audio and video.
- Weed print collections to improve timeliness of collection, ease of access, and to re-claim space for other library purposes.
- Organize the physical collection to be more effectively used by the public.
Goal 2. Improve Preschool Door to Learning:
Objectives:
- Improve coordination with school district.
- Improve and market electronic services to children.
- Upgrade Children’s Activity Room.
- Continue upgrade of pre-school area of Children’s Room.
Goal 3. Improve and extend usage as Community Activities Center:
Objectives:
- Move library activities and Community Group Meeting scheduling to on-line system.
- Continue to improve online registration capabilities.
- Improve promotion of library activities using social media and web presence.
- Increase availability of individual and group computer instruction.
- Upgrade meeting room facilities for advances in AV.
- Increase space available for library programming and community use.
- Upgrade and modernize facility to improve safety and security for patrons and staff.
- Expand the availability of programming for teens.
- Expand the availability of programming for special needs children and teens.
Goal 4. Improve Independent Learning Center Functions:
Objectives:
- Increase availability of individual and small-group computer instruction.
- Increase space available for quiet study and group study.
Goal 5. Transition Reference and Research Services:
Objectives:
- Expand availability of electronic resources both cooperatively and locally.
- Market electronic resources such as Live-brary and local library database and other electronic services.
- Train public and staff in use of electronic resources like Live-brary and local library databases.
- Transition from print reference collection to electronic as available and prudent.
Goal 6. Improve Community Information Center Function:
Objectives:
- Continue redesign of library webpage.
- Increase coordination with groups and information sources in the community.
- Improve access to local history information in cooperation with local organizations.
Goal 7. Improve Support Center Functions
Objectives:
- Provide access, marketing and training for electronic sources that support instructional services such as Live-brary.com live study help and Lynda.com.
- Improve coordination with school district in Children’s Services and Teen Services.
Revised: March 17, 2021
