New chapter starts soon at Bayville Free Library, with $1.5M upgrade nearly complete
A $1.5 million renovation is nearing completion at Bayville Free Library, which has been closed since August. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Books may be borrowed again soon from the shelves at Bayville Free Library after a $1.5 million renovation that has shuttered the facility since August.
The project, conceived before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, was centered on modernizing the space and creating a new meeting room to host programs.
Funding came from a $279,282 State Aid for Library Construction Program grant and a bequest from Bayville resident Sarah “Serena” Sperandei, who died in 2017.
Her husband, Lawrence, who died in 2006, was a longtime board member of the library. The new meeting room will be named Sperandei Hall in their honor, according to library director Ashley Birbal.
Birbal said the renovation is in “the very final stages” and the only hurdle left before reopening is for the facility — which was built in 1939 — to pass an inspection before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.
Construction began in spring 2022 before in-person operations at the library stopped this August, according to Birbal, who said virtual programs continued and some in-person events were held at nearby Bayville Community Center.
During the closure, patrons were able to use other libraries within the Nassau County Library System, where book borrowing privileges carry over from one facility to the next.
Birbal said community members often ask her when the library will reopen.
“Our patrons have been going to Locust Valley Library and Oyster Bay, and they’ve been very kind to them, but it’s not the same as your home library,” said Birbal. “It’s our hub, so a lot of people meet and gather. I understand why they’re a little bit frustrated.”
Stacie Hammond, head reference librarian at Oyster Bay-East Norwich Library, said the branch has seen an influx of patrons from Bayville but she doesn't expect it to last with that village's renovated facility on the brink of opening.
“The idea that they're going to reopen and have these new bigger spaces — it's going to mean the world for them to not travel out of their community,” Hammond added.
The multiphase project began by combining rooms where Boy Scout packs and Girl Scout troops regularly meet in the first step toward creating one large meeting space.
Phase two carried that part of the project farther along by relocating the village’s water department, which shares the facility, into a different area of the building to make more room for the new meeting space, according to Birbal.
Phase three started in June, according to the library director, who said interior work began then before the library had to close to visitors in August so that part of the project could continue.
Library officials said that early in the renovation process, a structural engineer discovered problems with the building, including the need for asbestos removal, that triggered delays.
Updating the building to current code, including an upgrade of the building's fire alarm system, also played a role in pushing back the anticipated reopening from the start of the 2023 school year, according to Ellen Garrison, co-president of the library’s board.
Garrison said it isn't clear when a county fire marshal will inspect the building, paving the way for a certificate of occupancy.
Last week the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office received a request for a final inspection and is working to schedule it as soon as possible, Assistant Chief Fire Marshal James Hickman said in an email Monday.
When the library does reopen, programs like yoga classes and story times can be held in the new meeting room instead of a common area, preserving the quiet of the library's reading areas, according to Birbal.
She said a larger space for children and more areas for studying are among the other facility upgrades.
“We are very happy for the Bayville Free Library that their vision will soon be reality and even more excited for Bayville residents, who will soon have a beautifully updated library facility," said Caroline Ashby, Nassau Library System's director.
Books may be borrowed again soon from the shelves at Bayville Free Library after a $1.5 million renovation that has shuttered the facility since August.
The project, conceived before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, was centered on modernizing the space and creating a new meeting room to host programs.
Funding came from a $279,282 State Aid for Library Construction Program grant and a bequest from Bayville resident Sarah “Serena” Sperandei, who died in 2017.
Her husband, Lawrence, who died in 2006, was a longtime board member of the library. The new meeting room will be named Sperandei Hall in their honor, according to library director Ashley Birbal.
Birbal said the renovation is in “the very final stages” and the only hurdle left before reopening is for the facility — which was built in 1939 — to pass an inspection before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.
Construction began in spring 2022 before in-person operations at the library stopped this August, according to Birbal, who said virtual programs continued and some in-person events were held at nearby Bayville Community Center.
During the closure, patrons were able to use other libraries within the Nassau County Library System, where book borrowing privileges carry over from one facility to the next.
Birbal said community members often ask her when the library will reopen.
“Our patrons have been going to Locust Valley Library and Oyster Bay, and they’ve been very kind to them, but it’s not the same as your home library,” said Birbal. “It’s our hub, so a lot of people meet and gather. I understand why they’re a little bit frustrated.”
Stacie Hammond, head reference librarian at Oyster Bay-East Norwich Library, said the branch has seen an influx of patrons from Bayville but she doesn't expect it to last with that village's renovated facility on the brink of opening.
“The idea that they're going to reopen and have these new bigger spaces — it's going to mean the world for them to not travel out of their community,” Hammond added.
The multiphase project began by combining rooms where Boy Scout packs and Girl Scout troops regularly meet in the first step toward creating one large meeting space.
Phase two carried that part of the project farther along by relocating the village’s water department, which shares the facility, into a different area of the building to make more room for the new meeting space, according to Birbal.
Phase three started in June, according to the library director, who said interior work began then before the library had to close to visitors in August so that part of the project could continue.
The library, built in 1939, is expected to open soon after a renovation that began in 2022. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Library officials said that early in the renovation process, a structural engineer discovered problems with the building, including the need for asbestos removal, that triggered delays.
Updating the building to current code, including an upgrade of the building's fire alarm system, also played a role in pushing back the anticipated reopening from the start of the 2023 school year, according to Ellen Garrison, co-president of the library’s board.
Garrison said it isn't clear when a county fire marshal will inspect the building, paving the way for a certificate of occupancy.
Last week the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office received a request for a final inspection and is working to schedule it as soon as possible, Assistant Chief Fire Marshal James Hickman said in an email Monday.
When the library does reopen, programs like yoga classes and story times can be held in the new meeting room instead of a common area, preserving the quiet of the library's reading areas, according to Birbal.
She said a larger space for children and more areas for studying are among the other facility upgrades.
“We are very happy for the Bayville Free Library that their vision will soon be reality and even more excited for Bayville residents, who will soon have a beautifully updated library facility," said Caroline Ashby, Nassau Library System's director.
Turning the page on progress
- A $1.5 million renovation that started in 2022 is nearly finished at Bayville Free Library.
- Funds came from a $279,282 state grant and a bequest.
- Getting a certificate of occupancy is the last hurdle before the facility can reopen.
Source: Bayville Free Library officials
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