Shelter Island Library budget rolled out

The 2025 operating budget for the Shelter Island Library is $988,050 of which $832,295 needs to come from taxpayers.

That represents an increase of $42,489 over last year, with small increases for staff salaries and ever-increasing health insurance costs.

A taxpayer whose property is assessed at $890,000 can expect to pay $15.65 more in taxes for the year to support the operating budget, according to estimates provided by the Town Assessor’s Office, Ms. Lucas said.

Because of the expansion project, voting that typically took place at the library will take place at Shelter Island School on Saturday, Oct. 26, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

There will be a public hearing on the budget request on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the library’s temporary quarters in a large trailer in the library parking lot.

Aside from tax money, the library augments its spending with money that comes in through fundraising efforts; contributions from Friends of the Library; the library’s annual appeal; a bequest from the Patterson family; and other sources.

Despite the move to diminished quarters in a large trailer outside the library building, the staff continues to assist visitors to find materials — books and magazines, audio books, ebooks, and those seeking help for other services, including processing of passport applications and rendering of notary services.

Besides the many programs the library has offered to the community for young children, teens and adults, it has hosted many types of programs prior to having to operate out of the trailer. The staff still hosts some groups in the trailer, but other organizations have opened their space for larger library events — the Center Firehouse, the Community Center, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, and the Shelter Island Historical Society.

At the same time, small groups — French classes, philosophy discussions, some small group meetings and Board of Trustee meetings can be accommodated in the trailer.

Because of the limited space at the library’s temporary quarters, 22,000 books, DVDs and CDs are in storage, but thanks to the ability to share resources with other libraries, items library users may want can be borrowed from other member libraries and brought to Shelter Island within two days, Ms. Lucas said.

Other special materials — a telescope, DVD player, cake pans and cookie cutters, WiFi hot spots, Scrabble and a tote with binoculars for bird watching are still on hand locally.

]STATISTICS

The library has had 2,798 card holders, and had 110,989 visits to date this year.

There were 225,407 eBook downloads through Live-brary.com representing a 10% increase from last year. The Library has offered 1,064 programs in person and virtually, and some in a hybrid format, with 13,461 patrons in attendance. That represents a 10% increase from last year.

Ms. Lucas noted the use of Zoom has enabled some events to be available to a larger group of people willing to access them virtually.

Despite the vibrant meeting place the library has been in the community, Ms. Lucas pointed to some challenges on the horizon.

• Taxes will provide for only 80% of expenses in 2025, “well below the norm for library support in Suffolk County.”

• The cost of materials, e-resources and equipment maintenance and repair continues to rise.

• The cost of health insurance continues to rise “at a rapid rate.”

DEBT SERVICE

What’s not included in the operating budget is debt service for the expansion that voters approved in a referendum in June 2023.

The estimate available at that time said those with properties assessed at $600,000 would pay $108 a year; $153 a year for those with property assessed at $850,000; $180 a year for those who property is assessed at $1 million; and $269 for those whose property is assessed at $1.5 million.

Because the referendum was already approved, it won’t need to be subject to a vote this year.

Work has been delayed because of a change in Town requirements that now requires site plan review.

Ms. Lucas said she had hoped the library expansion project might be grandfathered in, but since a building permit had not yet been issued, there will be a delay she hopes won’t be very long. Still, it is holding up bonds promised for the project that won’t be forthcoming until all permitting is in place.