After being closed for two months due to an ongoing renovation, The Bar Harbour building of the Massapequa Library has been re-opened to the public, library administration announced this week.

The re-opening was made possible by the completion of a new wing, which is serving all patrons as construction continues on the old portion of the building. After a one-month construction delay, the new wing began serving patrons just before Memorial Day, according to Bill Serynek, director of the library. The delay was caused by the need to replace the fire alarm system after some wires were accidentally cut during the work.

"We built the new wing, and temporarily moved all services into the new wing," said Serynek. "We have a new children's room that's being finished in the old part, an AV [Audio Visual] room, some offices, a whole new circulation desk...An office is being put in the basement, and we're also going to open a new meeting room."

The library broke ground on the renovation in October 1997, and expects the entire Bar Harbour building renovation project to be completed in August. After that, the Massapequa Library will begin renovating its other location, the Central building. Central will be closed for four to six months. It will not be expanded, as was Bar Harbour, but space will be converted in order to add a computer room, quiet room, new circulation area, and an audio visual area. Both projects are being funded by $3 million bond issue approved by local voters in October of 1996.

The new wing of the Bar Harbour building also contains a computer room, quiet room and a new magazine display. According to Serynek, the renovation is necessary due to growing technology needs, and a demand for meeting room in Massapequa.

Opinions from the community about the Bar Harbour renovation have been mixed.

For example, Jim Altadonna of the Bar Harbour Civic Association is not pleased with the change to the exterior of the building. "They took a quaint library that had a nice feel to it, and that fit into the community very well, and they just transformed it into a modern day monstrosity," he said. "I think the expansion needs and technology are important for the area and for the children. However, I think that it was centered after a colonial-type style. I don't see any reason why they couldn't have continued in that architecture."

In addition, Altadonna said that due to the placement of the front doors to the new wing, patrons will find it more convenient to park on the street, which will add to traffic congestion. Therefore, he has made a request to the Village of Massapequa Park that the municipality place "no parking" signs in front of the building to prevent patrons from parking on the street.

However, many patrons are pleased with the renovation, according to Serynek. "We're getting mixed opinions about the exterior design. Some people like it, some people don't like it," he said. "Most people are giving us favorable comments. Some people don't like colors, some people don't like other things. But when you try a project like this, you can't please everyone."

Serynek added, "I think that they're getting a library that will take them into the 21st century, that will meet the educational needs of the community. The library has been wired for new electronic information sources. With the new computer room, emphasis has been put on that area. We have an expanded reference area. The children are tremendously going to benefit because there's a whole new children's room, with a completely separate story hour room. And, it brings them out of the basement, where they've been for years, and into a bright, airy area."