About the Library
Sachem
Public Library is one of the largest school district libraries in New
York State outside of New York City. The Library has a long and rich history.
A Brief History
The Library traces its roots to an 18-book women's suffrage collection in 1914. The Lake Ronkonkoma Free Library, an Association Library, was formed in 1916. A new library building opened in the fall of 1917 on Hawkins Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma. This building still stands today and is now the home of the Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society. With the growth in population there were increased demands for library service and for support from public funds. The voters approved a new school district public library in 1961, adopting the name of the new centralized school district: Sachem. Land was acquired on Holbrook Road in Holbrook and a new library building opened in 1966. The library has since undergone two major expansion and renovation projects, one in 1983 and the latest in 2000.
Organization
Sachem Public Library is governed by a Board consisting of 5 elected trustees. Each trustee serves a five-year term with one trustee position coming up for election each year. The Library organization consists of Administration, Children's Services, Circulation, Community Services, Custodial, Electronic Services, Reference, Technical Services and Teen Services. There are over 160 staff members.
Statistics of Note
The Library serves over 82,000 district residents in an area that extends over three townships; Brookhaven, Islip, and Smithtown. There are over 260,000 books, 11,000 serials, 7,000 electronic materials and 40,000 media materials housed in the Library's 60,000 square foot building. Sachem library cardholders are among the most active in the state with more than three quarters of a million items circulating from the collections each year.
Annual Budget
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Click here to view the annual budget.Our Mission
- To provide a welcoming community center where residents of all ages may interact, learn and flourish.
- To inform, enrich and empower community members through access to a comprehensive, technologically sound collection of resources and services.
- To support the needs and interests of our public in an innovative and highly responsive manner.