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LONG BEACH GUIDE
www.liherald.com
LONG BEACH LIBRARY
Photo courtesy Long Beach Public Library
The library hosts an annual Folk-2-Funk and Jazz Festival.
S
ince its establishment in 1928, the Long Beach Public Library has provided a wide range of programs and services to the community, with the purpose of bringing people together to learn, to grow and to be inspired. With a main building and two branches, the Library serves the Long Beach City School District, which includes the City of Long Beach, Lido Beach, East Atlantic Beach and Point Lookout. A five-person Board of Trustees governs the library and usually meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Board agendas, minutes and the Director's Report are posted online at www.longbeachlibrary.org the Monday before the meeting. Trustees are elected at-large and serve a five-year term, with one Trustee elected each year at the annual school and library board election. The current trustees are Carol Arnone, Kathleen Dwyer, Alan Greenberg, Ira Grushack and Warren Vegh. The main building is located at 111 West Park Ave. Hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., from mid/late September to mid-June. The phone number is 432-7201. The Point Lookout branch is at 26B Lido Blvd. (call 432-3409 for hours and information); and the West End Branch, currently hosting Project Hope, is located at 810 W. Beech St. All buildings are accessible to the physically
challenged. The library is open more than 340 days per year, including five holidays: Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents Day. Library cards can be obtained at any one of the two libraries with proof of residency. In addition, people who own property, a business or work in Long Beach but are not district residents are eligible for a card. Parents or guardians can register children 12 or younger for access to all collections. For patrons’ convenience, there are book returns located on the following street corners, Regent Drive and Lido Boulevard, Roosevelt Boulevard and Park Avenue and Maryland Avenue and Beech Street. For Long Island Rail Road commuters, a book exchange is located in the lobby of the Long Beach train station. Books may be taken, returned or replaced for others to read. The display also has program fliers describing library events. The main building is a WiFi hotspot and has a technology center, quiet study, tutoring room, art gallery, program room and a 175-seat auditorium that can be divided into three separate sections for simultaneous events. As a focal point for the community, the main building hosts many organizations’ meetings and provides exhibit space in the second floor art gallery. Exhibits, coordinated by the Long Beach Art League, change monthly. The library has an up-to-date collection of fiction and non-fiction books, graphic novels, a growing collection of Spanish language books, recorded books, electronic databases, compact discs, films and magazines for users of all ages. There is also a revolving collection of Russian language books supplied by the Foreign Language Library at the Hempstead Public Library. There are 17 public access computers with Internet Continued on page 72