The Briarcliff Manor Public Library and the village Community Center will be closed for an estimated three to four months beginning in mid-September for the installation of a new $1 million air-conditioning system.
The library will be moving temporarily to 555 Pleasantville Road, also known as the Briarcliff Corporate Campus, said Library Director Kim Naples.
The library’s move is scheduled to begin Sept. 15, with a goal of being up and running at the new location on Oct. 1, Naples said. There will be several days when the library will be completely closed, she said.
The temporary site will have public computers, printing and copying, Wi-Fi and coworking and study space, Naples said. The library’s website will not be affected, and patrons can continue to place holds on materials. There’ll be an outdoor book drop at 555 Pleasantville Road to return items outside of library hours.
There won’t be a library bookable conference room, but there are two private rooms in the building that can be rented by the hour directly through the landlord.
The library is bringing a curated collection —about a quarter of its full collection — featuring bestsellers, staff picks and new releases to the temporary location and will continue purchasing new materials.
The ebook and audiobook collections are being expanded, and the library will offer drop-in help and training sessions with the reference librarian on using Libby (ebooks and audiobooks); Hoopla (movies, music, comics and more} Kanopy (award-winning films and documentaries); and MediciTV (performances of classical, jazz, opera, and dance).
Contact Matt Mendelsohn to book a one-on-one session: mmendelsohn@briarcliffmanorlibrary.org or 914-941-7072 ext. 3.
“We’re excited to take this short-term move in stride as we work toward long-term comfort for our community,” Naples said. “Our temporary location may be new, but our mission —and our commitment to serving the public — remains the same.”
Naples encouraged patrons to contact her at director@briarcliffmanorlibrary.org or 914-941-7072 ext. 6 with questions, and to check the library’s website, newsletter and Instagram and Facebook feeds for updates.
Some library programs will be held at 555 Pleasantville Road, while others will be at the village’s Youth Center on Van Lu Van Road, which will also host most of the programs normally held at the community center.
The recreation and Briarcliff Historical Society offices in the basement are unaffected and will remain open during construction.
The new HVAC system is slated to cost $1,088,088 and take 13 weeks to build, according to Village Manager Josh Ringel. About $400,000 (including $4,200-a-month rent) would be funded by the village with the remainder covered by grants, Ringel said.
The move itself will be handled by the village Department of Public Works with assistance from the Westchester Library System, Naples said.
The library and community center building, which also serves as the village’s emergency cooling center when activated, is housed in a former train station in Law Park.
