The Levittown Library will be undergoing renovations this winter and spring to create an additional community room. During that time, some residents will be inconvenienced, as organizations that normally meet in the library will have to meet elsewhere. However, library officials strongly feel that these organizations will benefit in the long run as the library will be better able to accommodate these groups.

"For years, we had to turn away organizations because we have just one community room," said Levittown Library Director Celeste Watman. "We're creating another room by converting existing staff areas into one large meeting room with a partition so that smaller groups can meet simultaneously."

Currently, the offices of the media department and the technical services department are located where the new meeting room will be. These offices will be relocated to existing storage areas. Some of the materials in these storage areas will have to be discarded, but Watman said that only materials that have not been used for many years would be thrown away.

A substantial cost is involved with this construction project. According to the director, three bids have already been awarded for plumbing, electrical and general construction. These three bids have a total cost of approximately $700,000. One more bid is to be awarded for the mechanical (heating, air conditioning, etc.) portion of the construction. Despite the cost, the director assures taxpayers that they will not be burdened with the bill.

"We're working with what we have," said Watman. "By planning for a renovation and by budgeting frugally, the library was able to save some money and will not have to burden taxpayers with an additional request."

Levittown resident Ryan Duryea said he is dismayed that $700,000 is being spent on walls and not educational materials.

"I just hope that us taxpayers are not going to have to foot the bill if something goes terribly wrong," he added.

While residents may not be burdened financially, there will be the issue of relocating the groups that currently meet in the library. The Yours Ours Mine Community Center on Center Lane in Levittown has offered to allow organizations to meet there during the renovations to the library.

"Waiting until the last minute to tell community organizations that they would have to find another place to meet for the next year to six months is not good public relations," Duryea said.

According to the director, the library has to close to these groups to keep the costs as low as possible.

"In order to make the renovations done at the most efficient cost, the work will be done during business hours," explained Watman.

It is anticipated that construction will begin in January of 2008 and will continue through June.