The Lakeview Public Library, located at 1120 Woodfield Rd., will expand the programming and services that it offers to the community after Rep. Laura Gillen secured $850,000 in federal funding to renovate the building’s third floor.
The financial support is part of $13 million in Community Project Funding Gillen has earmarked for Nassau County to invest in community infrastructure, enhance public safety, support local law enforcement and first responders, and improve the quality of life for residents.
“Our public libraries do so much more than lend books — they provide educational resources, workforce development support, technology access and safe gathering spaces for residents of all ages,” Gillen, who represents the fourth congressional district, said in a Feb. 26 release.
“This $850,000 investment will help ensure that the Lakeview Public Library continues to meet the evolving needs of our community,” Gillen added. “I was proud to secure this federal funding and look forward to seeing the transformation come to life.”
Lisa Ortiz, president of the library’s board of trustees, said the building’s third floor would be the final floor to be renovated. “This is a project I have been working on, along with the rest of the board members, for some time,” she said.
The third-floor renovations will include a flexible, multi-purpose auditorium, podcasting and multimedia center, a makerspace/STEAM lab, quiet study and group meeting areas and a dedicated flight simulator station to inspire learning in aviation and STEAM.
“Federal funding is a vital lifeline for communities like Lakeview and for the mission of public libraries nationwide,” Library Director Camina Raphaël-Lubin said. “While we take pride in providing robust services with limited resources, large-scale capital projects, such as essential renovations, are often out of reach without raising taxes or floating bonds. This support brings us one step closer to our dream of transforming our third floor into a crown jewel for the Lakeview community.”
Ortiz explained that the library tries to play a central role in the community, and the planned improvements will continue to ensure that goal.
“Lakeview doesn’t have a lot of infrastructure,” she said. “We have made sure that everything we do is centered around the community’s needs and desires, from programming to services. We have become, and continue to be, a hub for the residents.”
Plans are in the works to increase the amount of programming the library offers with the new space, from performances to STEAM classes. The renovations will nearly double the capacity in the library’s largest multipurpose space, from 80 to 150 people, allowing the library to welcome larger crowds when hosting more concerts.
“We can provide entry-level exposure to different potential career paths or hobbies that people may be interested in,” Ortiz said.
The renovated third floor also will include a display space where historical items will be available for public viewing. “It will house some of the historical artifacts we have been collecting throughout the years,” Ortiz said, “so residents can understand the rich heritage and history of Lakeview.”
The artifacts will include archived documents tracing the history of Malverne’s fight to desegregate its schools, which were on display in May at Malverne High School’s discussion panel, entitled “MLK: A Legacy of Hope, a 60-Year Journey of the Malverne Community.” Formerly Woodfield Road Elementary School, Martin Luther King Jr. visited this site in May, 1965, to show his support for the Lakeview community.
Raphaël-Lubin anticipated that renovations would begin in the fall after the library completes its roof replacement and upgrades its third-floor windows, which is expected to begin in the upcoming weeks.
While construction will affect the library, staff is committed to mitigate its impact on daily activities and services. “Our contractors understand the need for us to stay open as long as it’s safe,” Raphaël-Lubin said.
