Library calls for nominations

Dave Roggie, president of the Shelter Island Library Board of Trustees, has announced that six seats on the board will be up for election by the membership at the January 20, 2018 annual meeting. The deadline for candidates to file applications is December 1, 2017.

Four of the current trustees will stand for re-election to three-year terms; a fifth position for a one-year replacement term is open, and a sixth position for a three-year term is open.

The board is charged with the library’s governance, including setting policy, exercising fiduciary responsibility, overseeing and evaluating programs and services and maintaining the facility.

Because of the library’s small staff and tight operating budget, it is a working board and each member contributes specific skills to the library’s operation.

“To meet the strategic goals and operational needs of the library in the most cost-efficient way possible demands a board that is willing to take an active role in many aspects of the operation,” Mr. Roggie said.

In 2011 the library’s bylaws were amended to open the board to election by cardholder residents, 18 years of age or older, and the number of trustees was  increased to 13. A fact sheet, “How You Can Serve on the Library’s Board of Trustees,” is available at the library or via email to Nominating Committee Chair Mary-Faith Westervelt or President Dave Roggie c/o the library or via email to [email protected].

The Shelter Island Library is one of the oldest libraries in the state. Predating the New York Public Library, it was founded in 1885. The library serves as the place to seek education and enlightenment for all members of the community.