In celebration of the almost completed Medford Library branch, the library will be hosting a brick paver fundraiser, made possible through The Friends of the Library.

Though the details of the fundraiser are still being finalized, patrons of the library, residents of the district, and just about anybody who wants to support it, will be able to purchase a brick. A standard 4-by-8 brick paver is available for $100 and provides up to three lines for personalization; each line may include up to 14 characters, including spacing. If you are looking for a bigger space, 12-by-12 pavers are also available for $500 and provide up to eight lines for personalization; each line includes up to 20 characters, including spacing. For questions about donating options, call 631-654-4700 ext. 225.

ABOUT THE BRANCH

The branch, according to Patchogue-Medford Library director Danielle Paisley, will offer about twice the size of the library’s Carnegie Library branch, located on Main Street in Patchogue Village, and will have everything as the main library on a smaller scale, including children’s, teen, adult and bestsellers sections, as well as computers and public meeting spaces.

All materials will be made available by the Suffolk Cooperative Library delivery system, and general library programming will take place in the community rooms. Main library staff will be repositioned at the new branch, although some new hires will be added to fill out the scheduled opening hours still under consideration. Meeting rooms will also be available to community groups, filling a need identified early on in the planning process.

The branch will not only offer a community space for the residents of Medford, but also a closer library resource than the main library, currently located on Main Street in Patchogue Village. According to Paisley, depending on the time of day, it could take some Medford residents up to 30 minutes to travel to the main library in traffic.

Back in 2014, the state planned to partner up with Brookhaven Town on the construction of a $4.5 million community center at the Medford Athletic Complex. However, those plans fell through due to lack of additional funding sources. Joan Travan, president of the Medford Hamlet Foundation, said that of the $1.6 million donation, the foundation raised $1 million and the town dedicated the other half-million to the project. There were other attempts to build the library, including the possible purchase of the “wedge” property located on Route 112 across from Tremont Elementary School; however, the property was too expensive.

In 2016, the Town of Brookhaven offered to revisit the Medford Athletic Complex as site for the community library. Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano, along with then state Sen. Monica Martinez, shepherded the bill through the Assembly to allow the library to be built at the Athletic Complex. In 2018, the 1.48 acres of parkland located at the Medford Athletic Complex was approved for alienation to be leased to the Patchogue-Medford Library for the construction of a Medford branch.

As for the funding, the Town of Brookhaven has leased the property to the library at no cost, and the Medford Hamlet Foundation donated $1.6 million towards the construction. The total project was projected at $2.5 to $3 million, but has increased since COVID-19 and inflation. The library board has committed money from capital reserves to complete the project and has applied for and received NYS construction aid in the amount of approximately $450,000. In addition, a parking lot will be built between the lot for the park and the library construction to accommodate increased parking needed. NYS construction aid has been applied for to help with costs for the parking lot.

The interior will have a large meeting room accommodating about 70 people with the ability to separate into two rooms. There will also be a small meeting room for group instruction, a small children’s area, and a reading area open to all. To the right of the entrance will be restrooms and a coffee bar/refreshment station. A beautiful piano, once owned by Charlie Pilger and donated to the library by his estate, will also have a space in the meeting room. The front of the library will have an outdoor courtyard for use by the community for another passive reading or recreational space and will be used by the library for outdoor programs. The library will have flexible furniture and glass partitions to make the space feel connected. The public service desk will be in the main library room, which will feature a flexible stack layout, a youth services area, computer workstations and a reading area with a gas fireplace. The exterior will have a residential feel, including pine siding and architectural shingles and landscaping. There will be a staircase and ramps in the front and back for accessibility. The building will also utilize solar panels. The lower level will remain unfinished until a later date. Director Danielle Paisley commented, “This has been a long process and has required the extraordinary collaborative efforts of many community entities, organizations, the board of trustees of the library, the library staff and the community. The beautiful result of our community working together will be this little library branch with a lot going on! It will increase access to library services to so many families in our community, and we can’t wait to see the result.”

The branch’s projected opening is expected for midyear 2023.

For questions about other donation options, please call Laura Accardi at 631-654-4700 ext. 225.

To learn more about the Medford Branch and to purchase a paver, scan code above.