The Midland Park Memorial Library Board is looking to restructure the library building on Godwin Avenue to bolster efficiency. Bids for the restructuring project are now being sought. Once a contract has been awarded, the goal is to begin work in February or March and complete the project by the first of June. “This is a small, practical restructuring project. It’s not cosmetic. The project will help the library function better with fewer staff members, so we can use our money wisely,” Midland Park Library Director Melissa Hughes said last week. Hughes indicated that the project will affect between 25 and 30 percent of the library’s current space, and represents a reconfiguration of what the library already has. “As rooms were added to the library, the overall accessibility and efficiency suffered, and that is what we are fixing,” the director explained. The estimated construction cost of $150,000 to $200,000 will come from Bids sought for restructuring of public library money the library has saved over the course of many years, Hughes said. “The library board has been discussing how to improve the functioning of the library building for several years,” the director continued. “The project we are going forward with addresses three specific areas that improve the accessibility, efficiency, and safety of the building while only affecting about 30 percent of the footprint.” Plans call for providing access from the elevator directly to a public area on both the first and lower floors of the library. Currently, people exit the elevator on the first floor into the workroom. They then have to navigate around carts, boxes of books, and desks in order to access the public area of the library. “We will be eliminating the workroom, so people will walk off the elevator into a public area and have a clear pathway to the circulation desk,” Hughes explained. On the lower level, patrons will access the children’s room directly through a reconstituted door rather than maneuver through two meeting rooms. The adult and children’s area will be joined via the existing elevator, improving access to both areas. Plans also call for the circulation desk to be moved to a central position so the staff will have sight control over both the front and back doors. This change will allow fewer people to staff the library safely and efficiently. “Because the workroom is being incorporated into the circulation desk area, we can also utilize staff more efficiently as they can be doing their work while also being available to help patrons,” Hughes noted. “Since the children’s room will now be accessed by the elevator, the door directly into the children’s room will become an emergency exit only, improving security for both patrons and staff.” The project will also include the replace- MIDLAND PARK Holiday GIFT GUIDE December 8, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II, III & IV • Page 21 ment of a unisex bathroom with genderdesignated bathrooms on the main floor. “Providing a bathroom for each sex on the main floor will greatly improve the sanitary facilities,” Hughes said. “The Friends of the Library conducted a survey in 2008 concerning the library. Two major themes dominated the comments: improving the collection and improving the building. We have been working on improving the collection for the last 18 months. We have reduced our personnel costs and used that funding for materials. More new material has been purchased, and older subject areas have been updated. Our number one priority will continue to be providing new books and media and improving the collection in general,” Hughes said. She said that, over the last year, one fulltime position was cut, and some hours have been reduced from each part-time staff member. The library has also trimmed its hours, and is no longer open on Wednesday evenings. ����������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������� �������������� ��������� ���������� ������������ �������������� ����������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� �������������� � ��������� ������������������������������� ������������������������� ����������������� ������������������ Hair Care Family ����� ���������� � ��������� ����������������������������������� �������������� ������������������������������������������ ������ ��������� ������������ �������������������� ���������������������� Don’t miss our museum exhibit of authentic Houdini items, including his actual handcuffs. MAGIC & MORE ’S FREE MAGIC TRICK WITH THIS AD! Expires 12//31/10 “THE PERFECT GIFT” Magic Sets • Books • DVDs Games and of course, Magic Tricks Gift Certificates are also available� ������������������� �������������������������� Live magic demonstrations ISIT! TO V AF UN PLACE Great Holiday & Stocking Stuffers “Hidden Behind the Midland Park Shopping Center” 85 GODWIN AVENUE • MIDLAND PARK, NJ 07432 • 201-444-7576