Monroe Free Library prepares its return to Millpond Parkway
By Bob Quinn
MONROE — Monroe Free Library is preparing to move back to its improved, expanded home at 44 Millpond Parkway, and will suspend operations at its temporary location on Orange Turnpike.
The last day of business as usual at the temporary headquarters at Congregation Eitz Chaim will be Sunday, Feb. 8, wrote Library Trustee Pat Shanley, who chairs the Board of Trustees' public relation committee, in an email exchange with The Photo News.
"All estimates are just best guesses, but the library expects to be closed for a few weeks," Shanley added. "As soon as we have a reopening date, it will be released to the media and posted on the library's web site. "
Since April 2014, the library has been operating out of the Orange Turnpike building while its main building undergoes an extensive $1.9 million renovation.
The doors will open with an enlarged children’s area, a Young Adult room, added capacity for books and programs, improved office spaces, and the ability to offer more services to the community.
Meanwhile, just down the parkway, the Town of Monroe will soon be opening the Town of Monroe Art Civic Center at the site of the former movie theater. First-run movies are expected to be shown in three theaters; there are will be room for community activities and programs as well as consolidated web and production facilities for public broadcasts.
The move
The collection is being handled by National Library Relocations Ltd., but library staff will be involved in all other aspects of putting the building together. Computers and telephones will be reprogrammed, and books will be scanned to their new locations.
All of the library's more than 78,000 items will be packed – one at a time – and moved, as well as the 25 computers used by staff and patrons.
Once the library's 2014 headquarters at Congregation Eitz Chaim closes, the library will install a secure book drop at the Millpond Parkway location (next to the millpond), so patrons can return the materials they have out at any time.
In the meantime
Patrons can do a lot at the library’s Web site, MonroeFreeLibrary.org, including:
Renewing materials they already have;
Downloading e-books and recorded books, to read on a computer or other device;
Changing their default pickup location for any of the other 46 libraries in the Ramapo Catskill Library System.
Ordering books and discs they want to pick up (once they’ve changed the location).
Suspending the holds they already have on (if they prefer to wait until the library reopens to pick them up).
“Even though our books and movies are going to be on the back of a truck," said the library's head of circulation, Carol Bezkorowajny, "you can still use your library card to request any of the millions of items and pick them up at any library.”
There are 46 other libraries in the Ramapo-Catskill Library System where Monroe library cards can be used.
If patrons already have items on hold that might be arriving soon in Monroe, Bezkorowajny recommended that they visit the library’s web site for instructions on changing the pickup location.
“If you’ve been waiting two months for a book, there’s no reason to miss out on it, since it’s so easy to log on and have it delivered to Chester – or Central Valley – or wherever is convenient for you,” added Bezkorowajny.