I'd like to thank James P. Martone for his letter of inquiry about the Gold Coast Public Library.

As Mr. Martone notes in his letter, the construction of the renovated building on 50 Railroad Avenue is moving along nicely. Simultaneously, with the oversight of the library board, librarians Genellen McGrath and I are selecting staff, collections, technology and policies that will make the new library complete. We look forward to opening our doors this summer.

In his letter, Mr. Martone also brings up a good point about parking, commuters and library users. The parking lot between the library and the train station is owned by the Town of Oyster Bay and the library board will be meeting with town officials to address the parking situation.

In addition, the board and staff of the library are planning opening hours that will complement the schedule of commuters. For example the library will be open every Saturday when the parking lot is lightly used and some evenings when commuters' spaces become available at the end of the workday.

It has been an honor and a privilege to work on creating a brand new library for the community. We look forward to meeting you all this summer when the library opens its doors. In the meantime, please visit our "virtual library" on the website at www.goldcoastlibrary.org or call us at 359-8300 with any questions or concerns.

Cathleen A. Towey

Library Development Specialist

The Gold Coast Public Library