Virtual public meeting Monday at 7 p.m. for library branch plans

It’s the moment we have all been waiting for: increased access to our beloved Patchogue-Medford Library from the northern portion of the district, Medford.
The library is hosting a virtual public meeting on Monday, January 25 at 7 p.m. At that time, H2M Architects will walk through the plans for the new library facility and answer questions.
All community members and interested parties are welcome to attend.
The branch will be a 5,000 square foot facility in the Medford Athletic Complex on Horseblock Road in Medford. It will contain meeting room space, computer access, WiFi, an outdoor area, parking and, of course, books and other library materials.
When will the Medford Branch be open?
The estimated timeline of the project is 18-24 months. Design plans will be submitted to the NY State Department of Education by early summer and once approved, the construction bid process can start.
What is the cost?
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 is projected at $2.5-3 million. The Library Board has committed $1 million from capital reserves to complete the project and was recently recommended to receive NYS construction aid in the amount of approximately $88,000.
“Medford residents have been looking to increase access to their library services since 1966,” said library director Danielle Paisley. “But the money and resources were never available at the right time. We are truly grateful for the community collaboration that has taken place, and are excited to see this project finally come to fruition.”
For more information reach out to Paisley, at dpaisley@pmlib.org or call the Library at 631-654-4700, ext. 300.

DETAILS ABOUT THE BRANCH

•The branch, according to 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 in 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, she said, will be shuffled between libraries and programming will take place in the community rooms. Main library staff will be repositioned in addition to new hires being added. She also hopes to see the town help create a learning garden and some landscaping as well as a parking lot.
•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 library in traffic.