Lindenhurst Memorial Library

In October of 2019, a $9.4 million bond project to update and expand Lindenhurst Memorial Library was given the green light by local voters. The approval by the community was a successful culmination of an extensive planning effort by the Library and BBS, as it represented a second major capital project proposal put forth since 2017.

The previous proposal for a $14.5 million update was overwhelmingly rejected in 2017, with residents criticizing both the cost and scale of the work planned. On the contrary, the new approved plan conceived by BBS, cut back on the physical expansion of the library – adding only 3,000 square feet instead versus the 10,000 square feet proposal in 2017. The new plan updated and repurposed some of the existing spaces, and rearrange existing functions to provide more room for programs in the building.

Some of the new features for the Lindenhurst Memorial Library include a 525-SF quiet study room on the Main Floor, re-configured parking lot with additional stalls and a safer site entrance/exit pattern, a new 1,700-SF multi-purpose meeting area on the Main Floor with a new sound system for movie, a dedicated business area with (16) public workstations for adults, and a 1,200-square-foot area for senior citizen drop-in programs in the morning that transitions in the afternoon to a space for teens, with homework computers and a separate gaming computer room. It also provides a 500-square-foot study room, Technology Learning Lab with moveable classroom kitchen for lessons, and (2) new program/community room spaces, new office space for Library Administration, fully renovated library interior spaces offering additional comfortable seating arrangements, and a better work flows within the existing Library.

In 2019, Lindenhurst Memorial Library was the third library in the state to Green Business Partnership status, as part of a larger sustainability initiative by the New York Library Association. However, the 2019 proposal took the Library even further – the new building now features a multitude of “green” sustainable elements, such as smart-lighting systems, Energy-Star rated equipment, energy efficient new windows in the lower courtyard area, and other sustainable design features; new solar panels on the roof, (2) electric vehicle charging stations and solar lights in the “green” parking lot.

With the new plan, BBS also focused on universal accessibility, making the existing Library spaces, bathrooms, and elevator ADA-compliant, as well as on life safety throughout the building with the installation of a fire sprinkler system and improved security lighting. The project broke ground in July 2021 and was completed in October 2022; it represents a first major renovation and spatial upgrade of the building ever since the Lindenhurst Memorial Library was constructed in 1969.