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Page 5 Vol. 32 No. 2
JANUARY 9 - 15, 2025
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Social work program grows outside Baldwin ration, prompting the library to expand them. “The community’s use of In 2009, the San Francisco our social work services has Public Library became the first increased to the point that we in the nation to offer social now have a social consultant (a work services, sparking a trend licensed social worker) in addithat has since spread to librar- tion to two interns from Adelies across the country. One phi,” she wrote. “They have notable example is helped connect peothe Baldwin Public ple in the Baldwin Library, which was community with a the first to partner wide range of with Adelphi Uniassistance in the versity’s social areas of housing, work prog ram in mental health, 2019. s e n i o r s e r v i c e s, Today, this collegal aid, basic laboration is servnecessities, domesing as a model, helptic violence, and ing to place social more.” wo rk i n t e r n s i n The Uniondale libraries throughlibrary was primarout Nassau County, NATASHA HolDER ily interested in the i n c l u d i n g t h e Social work intern, partnership, DirecUniondale Public Uniondale Public tor Mara Marin Library. explained, because Library Through the its staff wanted to partnership, offer more services interns are providing vital sup- to patrons, but, she said, “We’re port to community members, limited in staff and time,” and o f f e r i n g s e r v i c e s t h at g o can really only offer resources. beyond the library’s usual “I think there are services resources. that people in our community In Baldwin, Library Director need that we just can’t offer,” Elizabeth Olesh wrote to the Deborah Kinirons, the UnionHerald that she has seen an dale Library’s community outincrease in social work services reach librarian, said. “They’re since the launch of the collaboContinued on page 2
By KElSIE RADZISKI
kradziski@liherald.com
I
Maureen Lennon/Herald
Donating blood, having pancakes Baldwin High School’s Key Club hosted a pancake fundraising while hosting a blood drive on Jan. 4. Story, additional photos, Page 10.
Public library begins renovations
Work is expected to take two years for first and second floor By HERNESTo GAlDAMEZ hgaldamez@liherald.com
The Baldwin Public Library has kicked off the first phase of its long-awaited $11.6 million renovation, library officials announced on Dec. 26. The library’s first major building project in two decades, approved by voters in a referendum in May of 2023, is expected to take roughly two years. The facility’s first and second floors will be overhauled, the roof and climate-control systems will be replaced, and new spaces and services will be added. A library survey conducted in February 2023
invited community members’ input on suggested renovations. Based on the results, the library and H2M Architects + Engineers, based in Melville, created a preliminary design plan for the first and second floors. “These renovations are a dream come true not just for the library, but for the community,” Elizabeth Olesh, the library’s director, wrote in an email. According to the design plan, which can be viewed at BaldwinPl.org, the first phase of the work will focus on the second floor, where a podcast and video recording room will fill a large, unused space, the teen section will be relocated Continued on page 4
like helping people to see their potential and then for them to know that there is empowerment.