Many of you have expressed concern over the stray black and white cat that started hanging around the library several weeks ago.  Staff had been taking care of her with the help of one of ARF’s wonderful volunteers.  Happily, she was adopted yesterday and christened “Sadie”.  We will miss her but are glad she found a loving home.

The 2nd in a series of Community Forums will be held tonight Nov. 29 at North Haven Village Hall at 6:00 pm. The Library Development Committee, among others, will be discussing the site plan adjacent to the Park. Exterior design and floor plans will not be the focus of this particular program. Rather, tonight’s discussion will deal with the division between two buildings of the services provided by the library as well as the site.

As you will see, the scaffolding company erected the scaffolding today in a matter of hours.  We are in the process of getting lights installed under the roofs of the walkways but this may take a day or so,   please be careful. 

The Library Board of Trustees is awaiting the full report of the engineer who inspected the roof last week.  Last night we saw some photographs of the roof (from the roof) taken by our contractor, Doug Renna.  The pictures show the source not only of the library leaks but the reason why bits of the building have fallen off.  We can expect more this winter as water gets in the cracks and freezes, causing the stone to separate.  This is why you will soon see a safety fence erected around the building so no one can be near the areas where there may be falling masonry.

    The Board is assessing its options in terms of the repair of the roof with the help of the engineer, Doug Renna, and Fred Stelle.

Learn about road conditions BEFORE you start your trip.  Go to http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo .  Road closures, construction delays, and weather-related driving problems are listed by state with links to information for major U.S. Cities and highways.  Check it out !

This is the time of year we are driven to push ourselves beyond our limits to provide that perfect holiday celebration.  This year why not take the time-go to the library-find a book you have been wanting to read.  Every day allot time just for you to relax and read-give yourself this gift.  It doesn’t cost a  thing but the benefits are “priceless.”

Tuesday November 28th at 7:00pm  John Jermain Library will be presenting a wonderful photographic journey of the landscapes of the East End over the last decade or two.  Living and working in the surroundings you become accustomed to the changes gradually.  Kathyrn Szoka’s stunning photographs show a more amazing view to the unbelievable differences the years have brought.

Well, now that Thanksgiving is officially over, the silly season begins.  We have had some very generous patrons donate new books that we cannot add to the collection (we already own them or do not have the space for them).  Instead, we are making them available to you for $1-$3 a hardcover and .50 cents for a paperback.  These books are mostly in excellent condition and would make great gifts!

Hope everyone had a great holiday.                   Allison

The company that will scaffold and put safety walks to each entrance will begin installation on Tuesday Nov. 28 rather than Monday, as previously posted.

Due to the condition of the masonry just under the roof eaves and the frighteningly large piece of masonry that fell several weeks ago, scaffolding will be put up at the Library. On Monday, Nov. 27, they will put a protective walkway at the side, handicapped accessible entrance. When they have completed that, they will put protective scaffolding leading up to the front door of the building.

Engineers checked the building thoroughly on Friday November 17th. They found that there are areas of the roof where water is leaking between the exterior wall and the eaves. When this water freezes, it can cause the stone to split and separate. The engineering firm estimates we can get through one more winter before the problem becomes acute.

Please use caution when entering the building. When the scaffolding is up, please walk underneath it so we can be assured of your safety. We have professionals checking the roof for the leaks. They will produce a report delineating the items that must be fixed next year.

If you have any questions or concerns, please phone me at 725-0049 x23.

The Board of Trustees of the John Jermain Memorial Library and the Library Development Committee (LDC), formed by the Board, will host an open forum on Wednesday, Nov. 29th at 6 p.m. in the North Haven Village Hall. They are seeking input from the community on the design of a new building adjacent to Mashashimuet Park which will be part of the two-building expansion recommended to the Board by the Community Library Committee.

Topics discussed will Include:

• Preliminary site plan for a new building adjacent to the park
• Conditions affecting the project
• Design process to be followed
• Input from the community regarding an appropriate design

LDC Co-Chairs Greg Ferraris and Gail Slevin point out that the building will be important to Sag Harbor’s landscape at the southern entrance to the village. “The primary purpose of the forum is to listen to the community,” say the Co-Chairs. “We hope it will help us understand the community’s opinions on an appropriate design. The architect, assisted by the Board and the LDC design committee, will then develop a solution which will be presented to the community at a later date.”

Before opening the forum to comments from the public, the New Building Sub-Committee and Chris Coy, a partner in BarnesCoy Architects, will show a preliminary site plan, discuss the parameters of the project and review the process they will follow in developing the design. The LDC will also address current trends in library design and discuss its exploration of traffic and parking considerations at the site.

The recommendation made to the board by the Community Library Committee resulted from year-long research, study and discussion by over twenty people from all parts of the Sag Harbor School District. The report can be viewed on the library’s website (sagharbor.suffolk.lib.ny.us). Printed copies of the 90-page document are available at the library circulation desk. Once the CLC completed its work and the Library Board accepted its report, the Board asked CLC members to join the newly created Library Development Committee to assist the Board in implementing the recommendations.