This week candidates for the library board were asked to address the issue of the renovation/expansion of the Main Library building. Each week the order of their answers will rotate so that each will have an opportunity to be near the beginning of the article. These are the questions we asked:

Imagine that you have been elected to the board and also are chosen to be the chairperson of the building committee.

What would your first steps be?

What do you consider a reasonable timetable for having a plan ready for a referendum?

What are your thoughts about extra expenditures for maintaining the building in the interim?

What do you see as one essential component of a renovated building?

Which components do you see as negotiable?

What would your recommendation be for the issue of closing the building during a renovation?

Andrew Greene and Jonathan Kahn are vying for one seat. Janet Eshaghoff and Robert Spitalnick are vying for the second seat.

The future of the main library building is a critical issue facing the community. If I were elected to the board of trustees and chosen to be chairman of the building committee, my first step would be to view all of the work that has already been done, including the ad hoc committee report, results of focus groups and visioning conferences with supervisor Jon Kaiman. I would hold town meetings to obtain the current input of the community. I would work with the building committee to develop goals that the community wants.

The timetable for developing a plan for referendum would be relatively short. Much work has already been accomplished in the past and I would build on this foundation rather than starting anew, thereby avoiding duplication of professional expenses and delay.

The cost of maintaining the existing building during modernization would be minimized by planning. Whatever expenditures essential for keeping the building functioning and running smoothly must be made. However, expenditures to repair or renovate systems, which are slated to be replaced through modernization should be avoided.

The renovation process should result in the following: redesigned meeting room to accommodate presentations, programs and movies; additional stacks and shelves for the collection and for audiovisual materials; sufficient computers to accommodate community needs; facilities for access for patrons' laptops; and a children's room large enough to accommodate programs and materials. The specific design, configuration and size of improvements must be developed so that the cost of the overall project is acceptable. I would aggressively pursue any available governmental or private grants to offset the cost of improvements.

If deemed essential by the architect and engineer, the library would have to be closed and relocated during the renovation. Closure of the main library could be ameliorated by extending hours and utilization of the branch libraries.

My overriding goal as a library trustee would be to obtain the maximum possible benefit to the community with the most efficient use of taxpayer monies.

It bears mentioning that my wife has been a practicing architect for 20 years and is currently a local building inspector. I am familiar with the process of construction from plans to completion of buildings through exposure to her practice and work.

As a lifelong Great Neck resident, I remember when the main library building was first opened. I marveled at its design, setting and resources. The building has not been renovated or modernized since its opening, which was contemporaneous with the first manned landing on the moon. To maintain the integrity of our main library and restore it as the "jewel" of libraries on Long Island, we must commit ourselves to planning and implementing its renovation. My role as a prospective trustee will be to ensure the wise, cost-conscious and visionary use of our resources to achieve this goal.

The traditional role of the library has been to provide an extensive collection of reading, reference and audiovisual materials, led by an experienced, knowledgeable staff.

The evolving role of the library, in light of the Internet and web-based search engines, is to determine where the traditional library walls end and the user environment begins.

This evolution will be most successful if the board makes a sincere effort to re-engage a community in the process.

Accordingly, the first step I would take as chairperson of the building committee would be to reconstitute the body by expanding it to include an equal number of residents to trustees.

While the residents would serve in a non-voting capacity, they would ideally represent a cross section of the community --- perhaps a parent who uses the children's section or an architect with the time and professional expertise to share or a high school student in tune with how young adults are utilizing library resources.

I would schedule town-hall style meetings, inviting the entire community and our experienced library staff, to address two important issues prior to initiating any capital improvements. First, what content, programs and equipment would be considered beneficial to enhance or introduce within the library system. Second, what arrangements would be considered sufficient or appropriate in the event the main branch is required to be fully or partially closed for an extended period of time.

The conclusions drawn from the town hall meetings would then be collated and organized into a working document for presentation to the entire board.

Any timetable for further action at that point would be at the discretion of the board of trustees and, in turn, the professionals it retains to guide its chosen course of action. In the interim, operating funds, budgeted by the board and voted upon and approved by the community, would continue to be used to address any extra expenditures for maintaining the Main branch.

A negotiable component would likely be how to incorporate green technology into any capital improvements at the main branch. Implementation will take leadership from the board and willingness on the part of the community to initiate capital improvements that are both cost effective and environmentally friendly.

One essential component is to expand access to Internet technology and content at the main branch.

Media conglomerates, including newspaper, magazine and book publishers are trying to find the best practices in terms of developing relationships between their content and their consumers. They are all making efforts to find out exactly how consumers want to access content, most of which is increasingly fee-based via Internet download.

The library must, therefore, dedicate whatever resources are necessary to remain competitive and relevant. To reiterate, the evolving role of the library, in light of the Internet and web-based search engines, is to determine where the traditional library walls end and the user environment begins. In this context, as we consider and prioritize capital improvements, they must be made in an environmentally and technologically sustainable manner.

As the only candidate for library trustee who participated in both the town hall meeting and visioning process, I am thoroughly familiar with the renovation plans for the main building. I support the town's conclusions that by "creating a more open and transparent process to connect the visioning meeting information to a revised plan, the board can begin to increase the level of confidence in future plans to be presented to the community."

My first recommendation as a member of the board would be that the building committee hold weekly meetings and post the minutes on the library's website, so that the public can be kept informed of the building plans. The current board has not even agreed upon the square footage of the proposed expansion. Clearly, this must be done immediately so that detailed plans can be developed.

The one priority I consider non-negotiable is that the building stay within the existing footprint. An efficient design would include pushing out the existing windows, making the reading balcony an "all year" space and extending the mezzanine floor. The need for additional parking is another crucial issue which the previous board majority failed to consider. I believe a reasonable timetable for having a plan ready for a referendum is one year. Public hearings must take place prior to a referendum vote. (To keep the project moving forward, the current architects should be retained.)

Public safety must be the primary consideration during renovations, while maintaining library services to the fullest possible extent. No reasonable expense must be spared for preserving the existing infrastructure, including the roof, HVAC, sprinkler system, ingress and egress to the building and paving of the parking lot.

The Great Neck Library should show leadership through use of an environmentally friendly design. A "Green" design would include geothermal heating and cooling, protecting the adjacent natural area and reusing exterior materials from the existing building. Through use of such efficient systems, a "Green" library would be less costly to operate than the current facility and ultimately save the taxpayers money.

Many in the community have expressed a desire for a fixed-seat auditorium space with a sloped floor. While this is a desirable amenity, I believe the same goals can be achieved with a modular facility.

Given the safety concerns and expense involved in keeping the building open during construction, I believe the most efficient course of action would be to close all or part of the main library, at least temporarily. In addition to the branch libraries, access to library materials could be maintained through a requisition system, similar to that used by the New York Public Library. The board should study warehousing materials off-site for the interim period, at possibly lower cost than keeping the main building open. While this might result in a possible delay in receiving requested materials, every effort should be made so that library materials are available for patrons in a timely manner.

While getting elected to the board is a distinct possibility for me, it is improbable that a new trustee such as I would be chosen for the challenging task of chairing the building committee. In that unlikely event, however, I would first want to go over all the files: previous goals and objectives, recommendations, documents, plans, expenditures, environmental issues and legal issues regarding building matters. I would arrange meetings with my fellow committee members, set up timelines, and consider their experienced and informed perspectives regarding repairs and the needed modernization of the main branch. The general board would be apprised of our conclusions and ideally, a reasonable and respectful consensus would be achieved.

Regarding a referendum timeline: If we hire a new architect, as certain trustees propose, that could substantially impede the process. The work product of the last firm is their intellectual property, although we paid dearly for it. New proposals would need to be developed. Evaluations, examinations, and interviews would be required. It is my understanding that new contracts for an owner's rep, borrowers counsel; land use and zoning counsel, environmental consultants, and others might be needed, after initial conceptual layouts were developed into working plans by the new architects. The Town of North Hempstead would also need to approve the site plan. Alternatively, we could develop basic schematic designs, go to the public for referendum, and take that to town. Even though at times problematic, I believe that community outreach is an important element of the renovation process.

In regard to a renovation at Main, I hope that there would be support for a larger children's room and an expanded (relocated?) audiovisual facility. I believe that every effort must be made to keep the main building open during such a renovation, to the extent possible, and without compromising the safety of our patrons and employees. If that is not achievable, we are fortunate to have the three branches, whose hours can be extended to meet the projected demand. In addition, we can surely rent an empty office space or storefront, (there are too many to choose from) for the parts of the collections that are most essential and have heaviest usage.

It is hard to predict future maintenance needs for the main branch. Unlike the other branches, which all have undergone major, recent renovations, the main is in bad repair. And like other aging buildings of the 1970s, those repairs are getting increasingly expensive. The many structural and physical issues and inefficiencies of the Main will certainly diminish our financial resources. Still, like responsible homeowners, we should realize how important it is to take care of our property, and in a financially prudent manner. We should have pride in ownership. A neglected building is not welcoming. Neglect brings down a property's value. Neglect adversely affects future generations and the quality of their surroundings. When faced with a "there goes the neighborhood" reality, at 180 degrees, anti-status quo, anti-business-as-usual change is the only viable solution.