At the Montauk Library, preparations are underway to move books, staff, equipment, and programs into four large trailers that will serve as temporary quarters as the library undertakes its first expansion since construction of its current building in 1991.
Even in the temporary space, the library will work to provide many of the programs and services it does now, the library’s director, Denise DiPaolo, said on Friday. She said she hopes the library will be able to keep the same weekly hours and remain open throughout construction.
In June, Montauk voters approved a $7.5 million renovation and expansion of the building that will give the library another 5,000 square feet of space, most of that achieved by filling in the double-height interior areas. A 1,150-square-foot one-story addition with a basement will accommodate a new entry area and local history and fishermen’s center.
Reconfiguring the interior space and adding floor area on the mezzanine level will allow the library to triple the space allocated for children and create a new teen area on the main level. The renovated mezzanine level will have a cafe counter, a quiet study area, and an outside terrace looking toward the ocean.
Plans are awaiting approval from the New York State Department of Education. “In a perfect world, they would be approved by the end of February,” Ms. DiPaolo said. After that, the library can prepare documents and go out to bid. “If all is done efficiently,” she said, construction could start as early as April.
From start to finish, the project is expected to take 8 to 10 months, meaning an early 2021 completion date.
