In the age of Amazon, eBooks and Tik Tok, Great Neck’s brick-and-mortar library remains a thriving center of community life. With inviting facilities and a vast array of programming, the library offers Great Neck residents so much more than just the greatest new releases in non-fiction.

I am proud to be running for the single open position on the Great Neck Library Board of Trustees. I’ve been a bankruptcy lawyer for more than 16 years, half of that in private practice and half as an attorney writer and editor on bankruptcy and finance topics. I also teach personal finance and budgeting as a volunteer. You could say financial responsibility is my jam. Whether for a family of four or an institution, there’s always a way to create margins, better utilize available dollars, and invest surplus cash. I am eager to use my financial oversight skills to help the library leverage its massive budget to better serve the community.

The library board has had a rough go these last few years, including involvement in frivolous lawsuits draining upwards of $500,000 in taxpayer funding, board infighting, and most recently, a board member’s mid-term resignation. My goal as trustee is to build consensus and shift the focus to what matters the most to Great Neck’s vast and diverse library users: enhancing the library collection, diversifying programs and engaging in better community outreach.

Finally, and most importantly, libraries are on the forefront of the fight against censorship. 2023 has seen a steep increase in attempts to ban books both at the library level and at the legislative level as new state laws are being introduced to restrict the availability of certain books. Most bans are of books focused on topics regarding minority communities (check out @aliza4GNlibrarytrustee for some of my thoughts on banned books). No community should ever be silenced through book banning. I am prepared to be a fierce and unwavering ally against censorship at any level in the library.

A vote for me is a vote for financial responsibility. It is a vote for collaboration and cooperation. It is vote for the commitment to guard against and censorship. Vote for Aliza Reicher for Great Neck library trustee on Oct. 30.

Aliza Reicher

Great Neck