Great Neck Library Board voters will have the chance to weigh in on three races in the upcoming Monday, Oct. 27, election. They will be voting in one contested election for a trustee seat and two uncontested elections, one for a vacant trustee spot and another for a seat on the nominating committee.
In one race, incumbent Neil Hakimi, the director of Northwell’s intensive care unit at South Shore University Hospital, is facing a challenge by candidate Stephanie Ramirez, a high school teacher and North New Hyde Park resident, for the seat he has held for the past year.
An Oct. 16 debate between the two was notably civil. Hakimi repeatedly said that even if he didn’t win, he believed the library would be “in good hands.”
Ramirez is the candidate in the race who has received the endorsement of the library’s nominating committee, which vets candidates interested in running for office. A member of the nominating committee at Thursday’s debate said the group appreciated the genuine enthusiasm and energy she brought to the table.
A former Queens resident, Ramirez said she was “floored” by the opportunities and resources available at the Great Neck library when she first walked in. She said she would want to increase digital literacy education and programming, particularly for non-English speakers, and look for ways to continuously improve the connection between the library and school district.
“I’d be trying to bring more diverse programming to make sure that we’re really bringing in different members of our community,” Ramirez said, adding that she thought the library was already doing a great job with programming, but she wanted to expand it. “Maybe we could offer some programming in different languages, led by other members of our library.”
“Another idea I have is tying New York state curriculum with what’s offered here in the library,” she continued. “For example, the fourth-grade curriculum covers early American history…and we have all these great library passes. For me, it would be a great opportunity to educate parents and families on how to use these passes to align with our curriculum design, so that kids are really getting the most out of what the library offers.”
A North New Hyde Park resident, she said she believed it was important for a voice from that part of the library community to be heard. If elected, she’d be the only non-Great Neck resident on the board.
Hakimi, who currently serves as the board’s treasurer, said something he would strive to do with a full term on the board would be to bring more people into the library who aren’t typical users, particularly middle-aged men.
“I’d like to draw in other demographics that don’t typically come to this institution,” Hakimi said. “I’m 42. I’m a working physician and father. If you look at other people like me in this community, the majority don’t come to the library. They don’t use the library.”
“When I ask them why,” he continued, “They say, ‘Why would I go in the library? I have the internet. Any resource I would want is at my fingertips either instantly or within 24 hours. I could order on Amazon.’ I want to figure out how to reach that demographic.”
Hakimi said he’d also look to “bolster up and expand programming” as much as possible, as it’s a “favorite of the community.” He said he believed the library was an impressive place for education, and would work to continue making it one.
“I think that Great Neck has probably one of the most impressive library systems on the island, if not the country. It’s such a wonderful space,” Hakimi said. “There’s this great potential of kids and adults together learning and furthering their education.”
He also expressed an urgency to finish the library’s ongoing construction projects, which include renovations to the Parkville Branch and reconstruction of the retaining wall and stairs at the main library’s entrance.
When asked what, if anything, he would have done differently during his first partial term on the board, Hakimi said he wished the library had been more transparent about the spring firings of two library employees, but stood by the institution’s final decision.
Both Hakimi and Ramirez said they believed it was their job as trustees to support the library director’s vision, valued compromise and resolving conflict civilly and to promote the library as one of today’s most critical beacons of community.
“I think this is maybe one of the last institutions where you can interact with people from any walk of life,” Hakimi said. “It’s one of the real final town halls where everyone under the sun can come together and meet, no matter who you are, where we come from, what you know, what your job or income is. I can’t think of anywhere else where you have that opportunity.”
“I’ve seen firsthand how access to books and ideas and spaces and welcoming spaces can change the way young people see themselves and their future,” Ramirez said. “This library does that, not just for students, but for all of us, and that’s important. It’s one of the few places left where we can gather in community to learn, to connect and to become closer together.”
In another race, Jackie Hakimian is running unopposed for a vacant, four-year seat on the board. He was not present at Thursday’s “meet the candidates” debate.
expiring vacant seat on the library board of trustees. Photo provided by Great Neck Library
Hakiman, who has lived in Great Neck for 40 years, said he has a “genuine passion” for the local library, strongly believes in its “power to enrich lives and strengthen the community,” and is “dedicated to ensuring that the library remains a welcoming, innovative, and accessible resource for all residents,” in a statement.
In the third race, Michael Hakimian is also running unopposed, but for a seat on the nominating committee. He did attend Thursday’s debate. A real estate, engineering and architecture professional, he said he’d offer his services to the library in any way he could.
“I feel it is my civic duty to volunteer for the library board,” Hakimian said. A self-described lover of volunteering, Hakimian said he has volunteered for 20 years across soup kitchens, synagogues and fire departments.
“I am a product of the Great Neck Public School system and bring my kids to the library often,” Hakimian said. “My goal is to find qualified people who can help serve on the board and make it a better place for everybody.”
He said he’d be seeking out people who value education and community when selecting candidates.
“I’d look for people who value education and have strong community values. Here we have a strong, tight-knit community,” Hakimain said. “I’d also look for people who are open-minded.”
The election will be held on Monday, Oct. 27, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. To vote, you must be a resident of the Great Neck School District 18 or older and a valid library card holder or registered voter.
Those living in zip codes 11023, 11024, and 11363 will vote at the Main Library Community Room, those living in zip code 11021 vote at the Great Neck Village Hall and those living in zip codes 11020, 11030, 11040, and 11362 vote at the Parkville Branch Library.
