Category: News Items

10th Annual Beloved Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest

Setauket, NY – October 17, 2023 –

This coming year marks the 10^th annual Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Contest for junior high and high school students, hosted by Emma Clark Library. This contest, which asks participants to create an original picture book for children, is now open to those in grades 7 – 12 who reside in Three Village. The winning teens receive a significant monetary award, are honored at a distinguished ceremony, and have their original books added to the Library’s Local Focus Collection.

Ten years ago, the family of the late Helen Stein Shack came to the Library with an endowment from their mother, who had always loved Emma Clark and often brought her children and grandchildren there, as it was one of her favorite places. The four siblings – Sherry Cleary, Barbara Kelly, Karen Shack Reid, and Edward Taylor – met with Library staff and shared fond memories of their mother’s enthusiasm for the Library. This was the impetus for launching the contest in Mrs. Shack’s memory and using the endowment for prize money each year.

Students in grades 7 – 12 who live in Three Village may enter the contest by creating a children’s picture book. This is a fantastic opportunity for teens to showcase their creativity through words and art and make something for the children in the community. Participants may submit their entry as an individual or collaborate with a friend. Winners are announced in March, and there is a ceremony in April (the birth month of Mrs. Shack) honoring the winners and their talents. In addition to Library Trustees and staff, in the past, teachers and top school district administrators, as well as representatives and elected officials from New York State, Suffolk County, and Brookhaven Town, have all been in attendance at the event.

Last year’s Grand Prize winners were Julia Hou (Grades 7 – 9 category) and Celia Gordon (Grades 10 – 12 category).  The public may view previous year’s winning entries at emmaclark.org/picturebookaward.

Contest Details: The contest is divided into two grade categories, grades 7 through 9 and grades 10 through 12, with one First Prize Winner and one Second Prize Winner selected from each group.  Each entry can be the work of a single author/illustrator or can be a joint effort between an author and an illustrator.  The picture book entries must be their own original work (both artwork and text).

How to Enter: Those in grades 7 – 12 who reside in Three Village may obtain an Official Entry Form in-person in the Library’s lobby or at emmaclark.org/picturebookaward starting October 17, 2023. Included with the form are the contest procedures & guidelines.  They should bring their completed picture book, along with a completed Official Entry Form, to the Children’s Department by the contest deadline, January 31, 2024.

Prizes and Winner Information: Each of the First Prize award recipients will receive $400, and each of the Second Prize award recipients will receive $100 (in the event that a winning entry is a collaboration, the prize will be shared). Winning entries are bound, made into a hardcover book, and added to the Library’s shelves. Additional copies of the winning books will also be available for purchase by family and friends. Winners and their families will be invited to an awards ceremony on Monday, April 8, 2024. All entrants will receive a Certificate of Participation.

The Helen Stein Shack Picture Book Award is given in memory of Helen Stein Shack by her family.  As a teacher, Mrs. Shack was committed to the education of children, and she especially loved literature written for them.  She was a frequent visitor to Emma Clark Library where, even in retirement, she kept current with the latest children’s books.  The Library is grateful to the children of the late Mrs. Shack who have established a substantial endowment with the Library to cover the ongoing cost of the prizes.

Please note:  A maximum of one entry will be accepted per individual. Entries may be a collaboration of no more than one author and one artist/illustrator. Entrants must live within the Three Village Central School District. Emma Clark employees, trustees, and members of their household are not eligible to enter. For a complete listing of the rules, visit emmaclark.org/picturebookaward.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District.

“The Heart of the Three Village Community”

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Emma Clark Library Partners with Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare

Setauket, NY – September 14, 2023 –

Emma Clark Library and Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare have partnered to offer free social work services to the Three Village community. Emma Clark patrons may visit the Library each week during designated hours to have their questions answered, get help with filling out forms, or seek referrals from a graduate student who is furthering their studies in the field.

Inquiries that the social work graduate student may assist with include, but are not limited to, employment/job search, housing, paying utility bills, applying for benefits, education, medical assistance, mental health issues, bullying, domestic abuse, substance use, LGBTQIA+ topics, care coordination, and voting pre-registration.

Starting this month, graduate student Erin Vespoli will be on-site at the Library on Tuesdays from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Ms. Vespoli is a mother of three who is training to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and will be at Emma Clark through the end of the school year (May 2024). There is no pre-registration, and this service is open to all ages. In fact, afternoon/evening hours were chosen to accommodate afterschool hours for teenagers or adults who work during the day. The Wednesday hours coincide with the Library’s “Senior Bus” (transportation for those who can no longer drive so that they may take out library materials and attend events, offered on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of every month). While Ms. Vespoli will be located in the Library’s lobby to ensure that all patrons are aware of this new service, a private room can be made available as well. Conversations will be kept confidential; this is a safe and welcoming environment.

Libraries are information centers where the community goes to get answers to their questions, and at times help to solve their problems.  Some of the challenges patrons are dealing with are at times beyond the scope of what most librarians are trained to handle.  Here on Long Island, many libraries including Emma Clark, have recognized the value of adding social work assistance as a resource offering to their patrons.

Ms. Vespoli is at Emma Clark Library to answer questions but is not a therapist; referrals will be given to people looking for clinical therapy. Ms. Vespoli is a mandated reporter for cases of neglect, abuse, or harm. 

The Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare provides a learning environment for individuals who wish to deepen and extend their knowledge and experience in bringing about social change. The School provides a place for the development of committed, analytical, and knowledgeable students who wish to undertake the difficult task of improving service delivery systems by attention to institutional structures. The graduate program prepares students for advanced social work practice and is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District. “The Heart of the Three Village Community.”

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Emma Clark’s Little Free Library Back at the Beach

Setauket, NY – June 23, 2023 –

If you forgot a book for your beach day, it’s not a problem. The Little Free Library, hosted by Emma Clark Library, is back at West Meadow Beach for the summer!

This “Take a Book or Leave a Book” concept is one that exemplifies recycling and community and in addition, encourages lifelong reading. Beachgoers are encouraged to grab a book and/or donate one to this structure located under the pavilion at the beach. The books are all donated by the public. This little library is possible thanks in part to many generous booklovers (books are not curated or owned by Emma Clark – don’t return your library books here!). Library teen volunteers “adopt” the library each week to ensure that it is neat, undamaged, and well-stocked.

Emma Clark Library has hosted the Little Free Library at West Meadow Beach in July and August since 2016, to inspire beachgoers to read, share, and reuse. There is no need to live in Three Village to participate, as long as you are a visitor of the beach. The Town of Brookhaven and Environmental Educator Nicole Pocchiare have once again graciously given their consent for Emma Clark to host the Little Free Library at the beach.

Councilman Jonathan Kornreich attended the re-installation and remarked, “I was thrilled to have attended the 8th annual installation of a Little Free Library at West Meadow Beach! As a firm believer of the power of reading and learning, I’m excited to see this resource available to the community again. Thank you Director Ted Gutmann, Jen Mullen, Lisa DeVerna, and Emily Ostrander from the Emma Clark Library for making this all happen.”

Little Free Libraries have become an international phenomenon since their inception in 2010, and Little Free Library was established as a nonprofit organization in 2012 in Wisconsin. According to the official Little Free Library website, there are over 150,000 registered book-sharing boxes across the United States and 120 countries worldwide. Emma Clark’s Little Free Library at West Meadow Beach is registered on www.littlefreelibrary.org and can be found on the site’s official map of all Little Free Libraries.

Emma Clark Library is happy to promote literacy outside the walls of the building and help our neighbors discover new books. Whether it be a hot summer day or a beautiful, breezy sunset, the Little Free Library simply enhances the already beloved West Meadow Beach here in Three Village.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District. “The Heart of the Three Village Community”

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Vendor Selected for Emma Clark Library’s Upcoming Café

Setauket, NY – May 25, 2023 –

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that they have selected a food and beverage vendor to operate the Library’s new café which is slated to open later this summer.  The vendor selected is Level Up Kitchen, a local business currently operating out of the Flowerfield complex in St. James.  Level Up Kitchen was selected from a pool of candidates that responded to the Library’s recent request for proposal for a vendor to operate the café.

Level Up Kitchen is owned and operated by Three Village native and chef Chelsea Gomez.  Ms. Gomez graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology with a degree in Culinary Arts in 2006, and prior to founding Level Up Kitchen Ms. Gomez was Executive Chef at the much-loved Pentimento Restaurant in Stony Brook, which closed in 2021.  Ms. Gomez is fully invested in the Three Village community, having grown up in Setauket, and she is currently raising her young family here.

Drawing on her formal culinary education, current business operations, and her many years of experience as a chef, Ms. Gomez possesses extensive knowledge of food safety and how to prepare fresh, healthy, handcrafted fare that meets a variety of dietary restrictions. She plans to include items at the Library café that include nut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan, avoiding cross contamination with allergens. In addition, all of her employees will be Suffolk County Department of Health-certified food managers.

Moreover, Ms. Gomez places importance on sustainability, working with local farms and purveyors where possible to stimulate the local economy and provide the freshest, high-quality ingredients. She runs her businesses in an environmentally friendly manner, using biodegradable, post-consumer, and recyclable packaging and utilizing equipment that has low waste and high value, such as an energy-saving coffee machine and energy-efficient refrigerator.

Library patrons will be able to grab a quick snack on-the-go, or stay for a bite to eat and enjoy a more leisurely experience at the Library.  Construction began on the new café at the Library earlier this year and will include a new, indoor seating area adjacent to the historic 1892 reading room. Café customers will also have access to the outdoor seating terrace, which opened in August 2022 and looks out over the Library’s beautifully landscaped grounds and the historic Setauket Green. The Library and Ms. Gomez hope to have the café operational later this summer, once staff are trained and all required permits have been issued.

The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, located at 120 Main Street in Setauket and on the web at www.emmaclark.org, provides public library service to all residents of the Three Village Central School District.

“The Heart of the Three Village Community”

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