East Meadow's library laugh-in

For an hour-and-a-half each month, the East Meadow Public Library doesn’t mind being a joke.

The “Laughs at the Library” program has given patrons an opportunity to enjoy local comics free of charge for the past seven years.

"It got started because I decided people needed some time to laugh," said Jude Schanzer, the library’s director of public relations and programming, who brought the program to the library. “We’re not curing cancer, we’re not promoting world peace … it’s just time to laugh.”

Thursday’s show featured seven comics, among them Monica Taller, a historian for the Nassau County Museum System; Rich Walker, an insurance-adjuster-turned-professional-comic; and Mark Brier, a semiretired accountant and the show’s coordinator.

The comics entertained a crowd of about 20 people with jokes about life, sex, immigration, marriage and travel.

Brier said he really enjoys making people laugh, and shows at the library serve as an opportunity for him and his colleagues to try out new material. He is also a firm believer in using comedy to help people in need, as he often organizes events for charity organizations like the United Cerebral Palsy Association.

Laughs at the Library, an adult program, is held once a month in the lower level community room.  Find out about the next show and other events at the East Meadow Public Library here.