Officers elected for Smithtown library board

Anthony J. Monteleone and Joseph Vallone were voted president and vice president, respectively, of the Smithtown Special Library District’s board of trustees at the board’s annual organizational meeting last week at the Nesconset branch.

Monteleone was formerly the board’s vice president and Vallone was the former president. The pair were voted into their new positions unanimously in a 6-0 vote by fellow board members. The volunteer board is comprised of seven community members.

“I feel good about it,” Monteleone said of his new role. The president is tasked with running the board meetings and acts as a chief spokesman of the board, he said. The vice president takes over at meetings if the president is not present.

When asked what he hopes to accomplish in 2013, Monteleone said, “We’re trying to improve the services and add new programs — because now we have increased space in all the buildings.” Monteleone was referencing the renovation and expansion of three district libraries that reopened in 2011 and 2012 — a fourth location was converted into a library from a state armory — after voters approved $21 million for the projects in 2008.

“We really want to spread the word to the community and increase library patrons’ usage,” he said. “The library in any community is a tremendous value for the expense. It’s open to all age levels, all people, and it’s free. We’re there to serve the community.”

The next library district board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the Smithtown main library.

Above: The main reading room of the Smithtown Public Library. Photo credit: Thomas A. Ferrara (Aug. 8, 2012)