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Mostly Cloudy Malverne library gets a makeover
The Malverne Public Library has received more than just a fresh coat of paint among its list of recent renovations, unveiling an all-new Teen Zone for young adult readers. Mayor Keith Corbett and State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin visited the library on June 29 to monitor the progress.
As the centerpiece of the renovations, the Teen Zone is equipped with new technology, including a Nintendo Switch gaming system and an Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset. The area is also furnished with new tables, chairs and plush rocking seats.
“Furniture can be expensive in the library world,” library Director Carol Lagos said. “Some of the items I got through Wayfair, since they’re more affordable. But I really looked around for furniture, because I wanted to get things that felt exactly right in the space, budget permitting.”
Overseeing the new young-adult projects is new Teen Librarian Jillian McHugh. “We were yesterday setting up the Nintendo Switch, and we had a teen test (the system) for us,” McHugh said. “That was a lot of fun, so we’ll be getting that going. Our summer reading is going pretty well. We have some teens coming in to sign up. And we’re working on programming to hopefully get more in.”
McHugh added that she was hoping to boost teen involvement. “We also accept teen volunteers,” she said. “They can just come in, fill out an application or find it online. Their help is always welcome.”
In addition to the creation of the Teen Zone, the library had a wall mural repainted, and the children’s area also received new furniture. Perhaps most noticeable, large portions of the building have been recarpeted in a vibrant blue. Outside, a grassy area along the side of the building has been refurbished and fenced in to accommodate future activities.
The library staff also launched a “little art gallery.” Developed by librarians Michele Esselborn and Mari-Leigh Carrol, the small art lending library will allow patrons to trade small works of art out of a cabinet in the library entryway. Inspired by a similar program in libraries in Washington State, Esselborn and Carrol said they hoped the idea would spread across Long island.
Local children submitted the first set of artworks, as Esselborn elaborated on the theme. “We decided to put a quote from Picasso on the back of the cabinet: ‘Every child is an artist,’” she said. “But he went on, ‘The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.’”
Preparing for the renovations wasn’t easy, and necessitated the combined efforts of the entire staff, according to Lagos. “During the Covid shutdown, we all moved about 10,000 books from where the teen space is to the other side of the library, and we moved the books from the other side of the library downstairs,” she explained. “It was like a group project.”
Lagos said that State Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Griffin made the new development possible. “Senator Kaminsky and Assemblywoman Griffin offered us a $10,000 grant,” she said. “And that’s how we got all new furniture for the teen room. We’ve got mostly new furniture in the children’s room, and new carpeting on this whole side, just to make it more workable.”
“Libraries are still so important,” Griffin added. “They really are a focal point of a community.”
She spoke with a mother and her three children who were visiting. “They live nearby, and the mother told me that bringing her kids to the library helped them learn how to get to school, since it’s just across the street,” Griffin said. “When the kids started going to school, they asked, ‘Can we go back to the library?’ They’re a great example of the role the library can play in people’s lives.”
