Library Access for Smithtown Patrons Explained

Smithtown-Commack patrons are currently displaced until the renovations are finished, but that does not mean they cannot access the Suffolk County Library resources, directors of both the Commack Public Library and the Smithtown Special Library District said. 

"As part of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, we do interlibrary loan and direct access many of our items to other Suffolk County patrons and also borrow many items from other libraries for our own patrons," Commack Public Library Director Laurie Pastore said.   

"Our library patrons (their library taxes directly support this library) can check out any item in the Commack Public Library collection. There are limitations to what other Suffolk County residents can borrow from our collection when they visit our library," she said. 

Assistant Director for the Smithtown Special Library District Sue McManus explained how this impacts Smithtown-Commack branch patrons. 

"If residents do not wish to go to the Kings Park branch, they can visit the Commack Public Library and access their materials. There are certain rules – with every library – for what non-patrons [those who do not live in the library district] can borrow. The items associated with these restrictions often include 7-day items – like test study books, new books, new DVDs and new media equipment," McManus said. 

Pastore said residents "can borrow from the library many items including three-week fiction, three week-nonfiction, large print books, senior scene books, book club selections, young adult fiction, young adult non-fiction, juvenile fiction and juvenile non-fiction among other items. We will interlibrary loan some additional  items including DVD's, books on tape, cd's, books on cd, etc. to other Suffolk County patrons."

The new live-brary.com system – launching on Sept. 21 – will make reserving and borrowing books from all libraries in the Suffolk County easier, McManus said. 

Pastore said the website is a great place to access online resources, in addition to the access granted by Commack Public Library's homepage. 

Both agreed that the best features include the access to e-Books and the live homework help. 

According to McManus, construction at the Smithtown-Commack branch is currently on schedule and should be finished – as originally planned – at the end of 2010.