Message from the Library Board
Join us as we embark on an exciting journey to enhance your Community Library! Following the initial Community Meeting on October 1st, where we discussed our renovation vision and gathered valuable feedback, we invite you to our Community Meeting Part II on Wednesday, November 20th, at 6:30 p.m. This gathering will provide an opportunity for a second Q&A session and a chance to review any updates made to our plans based on your input.
If you’d like to submit questions or comments in writing before the next meeting, please use the drop box located inside the library near the Director’s office. You can also share your thoughts online by clicking here. Together, we can ensure that the Mattituck-Laurel Library remains a vibrant resource for our community for generations to come. Your voice matters, and we look forward to hearing from you!
Past Messages from the Library Board
Your Community Library’s Board of Trustees have been evaluating the effectiveness of our building use and the aging facility. To better align with the community’s needs and ensure we continue to serve effectively, the Board is proposing a renovation plan. A Community Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 1st, at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions, gather feedback, and share the vision of the project. The Mattituck-Laurel Library is truly your community library, providing services for the enrichment and well-being of the community for over 120 years. This renovation aims to ensure that, 120 years from now, the residents of Mattituck and Laurel will have a library that continues to enhance community life for all.
To view the Director's slides from the community meeting click here.
To view the Architect's slides from the community meeting click here.
Community Q&A
In October of 2022, the Board of Trustees received facility assessment by Sandpebble, a construction management firm. The assessment updated and expanded upon a previous facility assessment conducted in 2016. It focused on major areas including site elements, building shell and interior components, and mechanical and electrical systems.
In the summer of 2023, the Trustees initiated a community survey to gather feedback from community members and library users. This feedback aimed to enhance the current long-range plan and guide the Board in addressing the critical updates identified in the facility assessment. During this process, the idea of exploring a renovation emerged. The valuable feedback received from community members is summarized here.
Absolutely! We welcome feedback from our students. Our YA Librarian, Marissa Timm has put together a survey to elicit feedback from teens that will assist us in creating a space that is reflective of our teens wants and needs. Please find the survey here.
The current plans include 4 new quiet study rooms & 10 seats in the adjacent area dedicated to quiet study. This is part of the reason the book stacks are laid out how they are, used to create a quieter space near the higher stacks on the north side of the Main Hall.
Yes power hook ups will be included for personal device use.
We are thrilled to offer our teens a larger, more exclusive space that better suits their needs. A great deal of thought went into selecting the ideal location for this area, and we’ve chosen a spot that balances both supervision and privacy. The new teen space is situated near the adult services area, allowing staff to keep an eye on them while still respecting their need for independence and personal space. The teens will have full access to the whole library including the new makerspace on the lower level and the public seating on that level.
Additionally the new teen space will nearly double in size, increasing from 262 square feet to 465 square feet, providing more room for activities and relaxation in a comfortable and secure environment.
The Director’s office has been relocated to the second floor to free up more community space on the first floor. While the office is now on a higher level, the space remains open to the public and will continue to be highly visible with large windows. The Director will still be easily accessible and maintains an open-door policy, ensuring that staff and visitors can reach out as needed.
The Children’s space is currently functional and offers a good amount of room; however, it is in need of an upgrade. To better serve the needs of the children and families, the space requires a reconfiguration to enhance its layout and overall usability.
Additional parking is available on the street or next door.
The room is a 1,180 square foot room and as an example could comfortably fit over 75 people for a community meeting. We hope to host larger groups here as well as larger library programs like concerts.
We are actively working to expand our messaging outreach and will continue to do so throughout the process.
Early estimation of cost is between $5 and $5.5 million, but this is a very preliminary estimate - more information will be forthcoming once the plans get closer to actualization. The Board is exploring financing options.
No, we will maintain the same staffing levels. The space is not expanding in a way that would require additional staff to cover public service desks.
Public room reservations provide a clean, accessible and cost free space for our community to gather and organize events that align with the Library’s mission.
Yes, we are aware that the church plans to build a parish hall to be used for church events and faith formation.
We explored the option of adding a second floor to the entire building but determined that it would not be cost-effective. While we currently have adequate square footage, it is not being used as efficiently as it could be.
Existing lower level - 5,607 sf (proposed addition - 235 sf)
Existing first floor - 8,907 sf (proposed addition - 751 sf)
Proposed second floor addition - 2,142 sf
Yes, the Board and the Director will be exploring construction grant funding, as well as fundraising through the sale of personalized bricks for a community walkway.
It’s not so much about increasing the space, but rather renovating it to create a more effective library that better meets the current needs of our community while positioning us for future growth.
Yes, the digital world is evolving, and the way patrons use our building has changed. We aim to create spaces that are both useful and meaningful to them. It’s essential that we reimagine the library to meet the needs of today, ensuring we remain effective and continue to play a vital role in our community's future.
We hope to continue library services in a scaled down capacity at an off site location.
The renovation will provide additional room for printed resources.