Long Island libraries constantly prove their value
Patrick Eannotti of Glen Cove holds his 10-month-old daughter Quinn as she is fingerprinted for a photo identification card at the Glen Cove Library on Feb. 4, 2017. Credit: Barry Sloan
The Expressway essay about libraries was excellent [“My love letter to Long Island’s libraries,” Aug. 13].
The writer was right on the mark to note that “Long Island’s extensive system of libraries is one of our greatest assets — one well worth our public investment.” Libraries have become resource centers, offering assistance and services that go well beyond books. There are financial-literacy workshops, blood-pressure screenings, and healthy-eating demonstrations, to name a few.
Many libraries host sites for enrollment in public insurance programs. The Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, a lead navigator agency for the New York State Department of Health’s insurance marketplace, holds dozens of such sessions each month in libraries throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties offering free enrollment assistance. Our generous libraries offer their space.
Similarly, the Long Island Health Collaborative, a voluntary coalition of all of Long Island’s hospitals, two county health departments, colleges and schools, health insurance plans, and dozens of health and social service community-based organizations, utilizes the outreach power of the libraries to reach underserved communities. The local library is a trusted and reliable source for many community members.
Janine Logan, Hauppauge
Editor’s note: The writer is director of the Long Island Health Collaborative and senior director of communications and population health for the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council.
