One of the concerns expressed by some members of the Great Neck community regarding the proposed renovation of the library is that of continuing service during construction. The board of trustees is fully cognizant of the library's importance to our community; and the importance of having continuous service has always been foremost in their deliberations. The board's concern for the community and improved library service is the very reason that they have approved the plans for the renovation and expansion of the main building.

The construction will impact every part of the library. On the main floor, the main entrance will be relocated, and the Children's Room will occupy almost twice as much space as it currently has. The Audio-Visual Room will move from the lower level to the Main Floor. The mezzanine will continue to be primarily bookshelves; however, the Administrative Offices will be consolidated on this level. The lower level will be completely reconfigured. A sloped floor room with fixed seats will replace the current Community Room, but the seating capacity will be unchanged. Two flat-floor multipurpose rooms will also be located on the Lower Level as well as a Young Adult Resource Room. Finally the teenagers of Great Neck will have a space to study and work that is configured to meet their needs. The parking lot will also be redesigned, adding ten spaces and providing for better traffic flow.

Our primary concern is one of safety --- for the patrons and our staff. The degree of construction makes it necessary to relocate library services to another facility during the active construction phase (approximately 16 to 18 months). Even if it were possible to remain in the building during construction, most of the collection would need to be put into storage to protect it from dust, dirt, and other materials. The computers would be adversely affected as well. Trucks delivering construction materials would take up much of the parking lot as well as the construction workers' cars.

Another major concern is the cost. It is much more cost-effective to have the building accessible to the general contractor so that multiple construction tasks could be accomplished simultaneously.

Our projected timetable, with a September referendum, would have us vacate our current building in April 2005. While we continue to look for temporary space to use during the construction phase, it is premature to make any commitments at this time. Locating space in Great Neck large enough for the library and one that has available parking will be challenging. The board of trustees is confident that we will find appropriate space. We will bring all the materials that we know are most frequently used to the temporary location. This will include new books, travel books, biographies, mysteries, children's books, videos, DVDs, and books on tape and CD. We also intend to provide computers for public use. The branches would each be open for extended hours to provide additional points of service.

While we sincerely regret the short-term inconvenience this will create, we realize that it is an essential step that will enable us to meet the evolving needs of the Great Neck community and to continue our tradition of providing the highest standards of library service as we move toward the future.