Earlier this week, Library Directors from Assembly District 1 met with Assemblyman Fred Thiele to discuss the importance and future of libraries at home and across New York State. 

We discussed NYS Construction Grant funding, upcoming Library renovations, book bans, the value of equitable and easy access to information, the necessity of third places and our hopes for how Libraries can be fully supported in the next NYS Budget cycle.

You might approach the JJML as a space to read, commune with friends, or simply bask in the silence of our restored Rotunda, but libraries provide value far beyond that. Apart from being a physical space to interact with, we also provide digital resources for patrons of all ages.

Give our website a browse. (pun intended) You’ll find resources ranging from tutoring services to e-books to small business help. In person you’ll notice we have book clubs, lectures, musical showcases and workshops that cover a variety of topics – this is a fraction of all the services we provide.

Our focus is on service to the community, we understand community needs are always changing. We welcome the shift and consistently brainstorm ways to execute and meet new needs. This requires shifting how we organize our physical spaces too. Our building is both an ode to neo-classical and modern architecture. It celebrates the traditional Library use and its evolution to today. 

East End Libraries have always enjoyed the support of Assemblyman Thiele and have benefited greatly from the New York State Construction Grant program. This program was instrumental to funding the restoration and expansion of our own John Jermain Memorial Library completed in 2016. 

As the role of Libraries in our communities evolve, meetings like the one are paramount in ensuring our needs as libraries are heard at the State level.