Of the many fine public libraries in Nassau County, the Bryant Library in Roslyn can claim to be one of the busiest and certainly, one of the most popular. But that in itself has become its own problem. Once again, Bryant Library officials have informed the public that their building on Paper Mill Road can simply no longer accommodate all the library's functions.

Library Director Elizabeth McCloat restated those claims at the annual meeting of the Bryant Association, which took place Tuesday, Jan. 21. The meeting also featured a talk by the association's president, Mark Yohalem, which updated plans to renovate the current building.

The big news so far is that the library has hired an architectural firm, Beatty, Harvey & Associates to begin design work on the renovated new library. The library has also decided to hire a construction management firm to work with the architect on such issues as final cost estimates and the supervision of on-site construction. According to Mark Yohalem, the library is currently interviewing a number of management firms. A final selection is set to take place in March. In addition, a report by Edward Beckerman, the space planner for the renovation project, is available at the library's Reference Desk.

Yohalem said that "careful design work and preliminary engineering services" would take the better part of a year before the library can go to the public with a request for financial support. In that time, he said the library will make renderings, a rough design and maybe even a model of the new library available to the public.

"I ask you for patience, understanding, and resistance to rumors which are at best inaccurate and at worst malicious," Yohalem said at the Jan. 21 meeting. "If the final proposal is approved by the public, construction will probably take between 18 months and two years. Some have suggested that in these difficult times, the library defer expansion plans. [We] shall not ask for financing for almost a year at which time economic conditions may improve. At the same time, interest rates are at historic lows and costs can only increase even with low inflation. If we are to serve [the public] not just adequately, but to meet the needs of a modern library, this project with its long timeline needs to begin now."

Looking back on the year 2002, Yohalem noted that the association had considered up to seven sites for a new library. "For various reasons such as geology, location, or unavailability, none of these alternatives were viable possibilities," he said. Staying at the current site, he added, presents its own daunting challenges, namely the "small size" of the building and the "deference due to our historic neighborhood." The opinion of two professional site analyses, plus that of the library's new architect convinced the association that viable renovation, including an increase in parking was possible.

During her presentation, Library Director Elizabeth McCloat recalled that when the library was built more than 125 years ago, its founder, the poet William Cullen Bryant, had a vision of a reading room, a lecture hall, a repository for books; in short, "a place for people to meet other than in the barrooms."

The library, throughout the decades, has not only stayed in business; it has proven to be a most popular meeting place for local residents. Ms. McCloat said that circulation has increased 5.5 percent in two years time, with audiovisual circulation climbing 11.2 percent for each of the past two years.

The library's Technical Services department added 11,297 volumes, while the Reference department "carefully evaluated the shelves" to select 11,750 volumes to withdraw. That represents a 36 percent increase in volumes withdrawn compared to the previous year. "We used to say that for every volume added, we have to withdraw one," Ms. McCloat said. "Now the ratio is greater."

In addition, the library now has the highest adult program attendance in Nassau County. The children's reading clubs, Ms. McCloat added, have also reached new heights of popularity. Ms. McCloat cited the numerous donations the library has received from local residents and businesses as further proof of the library's popularity. Such donations made the recent Peggy Gerry Art Show possible. "We seek to balance traditional commitments against a need for change driven by a technological imperative," Ms. McCloat concluded.