By Justin Creech
Staff Writer
Thursday, January 10, 2013

Van Noy Library reopened Dec. 18 to a more modernized and safer facility.

Refurbished bathrooms, a new elevator, handicap ramp, an improved H-VAC system with new air-handlers and a new fire suppression system are among the improvements that make the library compliant with the American Disability Act.

“We tried to modernize the library visually,” said Dan Sadowitz, Van Noy director. “When somebody sees something for the first time, you want to make a good first impression.”

The handicap ramp will make the library more user-friendly for wounded Soldiers and other people with disabilities, and spouses who come to the library with strollers. The ramp replaces an old lift that helped people get down the stairs in front of the circulation desk.

An elevator was installed to make it easier for people to go upstairs to view the library’s military collection and use the computers.

“We also get a fair amount of women with young children that come in, so the ramp will make it easier for them to roll their strollers down,” said Sadowitz. “We have a lot of retirees, some in their 90s that come into the building, so going upstairs was a problem for them. A lot of our senior citizens like to use our computers because they don’t have computers at home.”

Two rooms upstairs were created for the public to use for meetings and tutoring sessions. Sadowitz wants organizations on post to use the meeting rooms for business meetings and students to use it to work on school projects.

The library has Wi-Fi for those who want to come with a laptop.

“I think public space is a big demand.” said Sadowitz. “Now public libraries everywhere are creating empty rooms people can use for meetings and things like that.”

Another new service Sadowitz is excited about is the library’s story hour on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Barbara Kone, who comes to Van Noy from Caroline Community Library in Ithaca, New York, will conduct the story hours. Her primary goal is to get the children interested in reading books.

“We’ll do finger plays and tell poems,” said Kone. “Things to keep them interested for a while and broaden their base on what books are available.”

Kone plans to do finger plays with the children like the “Itsy, Bitsy Spider,” “Five Little Ducks Went Out to Play,” “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” and many others.

She will also introduce the children to flannel board stories.

“You have a board with cutouts that stick to the board,” said Kone. “I’ll do stuff like that with them to keep them active and make them think.”

The delay in the re-opening of the library was due to the fire suppression system requiring a higher amount of water pressure that the old valves in the library couldn’t support.

Sadowitz has been the library’s director since 2007 and said he has been writing proposals since 2008. He is pleased with the renovations and excited to have the library open, again.

“We’ve reopened,” said Sadowitz. “We are bringing things back to the level they were before we closed down.”