Vision Statement Building Program Facts About The Library Committee Reports

A VISION STATEMENT FOR THE OSSINING PUBLIC LIBRARY

These are the kinds of comments we can expect to hear when the new Ossining Public Library opens to the public.

The new Ossining Public Library will be the center of cultural and recreational life in the community. The Library will complement the work of the School District by serving the afterschool needs of students and helping people of all ages continue their education. It will embrace new technologies enabling its staff of professionals to provide users with a full range of information and research services. The Library will top a parent's list of places to bring children, since it will be known as a safe, inviting, and stimulating environment. It will offer extended hours to accommodate busy schedules, and it will offer some services 24/7. And it will not neglect the public library's traditional role as a friendly place to get a good read, meet friends, and learn about neighborhood events. In short, the Ossining Public Library will be a unique resource serving everyone in the community, and a genuine source of pride to all.

The experience will begin as soon as one enters the building. Visitors will see all the reader-friendly features of a well-appointed bookstore, but with the collections and expert service that only a modern public library can offer. Wide aisles, bright graphics, and well-stocked shelves will encourage browsing, and comfy chairs and great views will tempt patrons to stay longer. The coffee's not bad, either.

Visitors will be surprised and delighted to see that media in every current 'flavor' is presented as prominently as print material. Listening and viewing stations will be available to allow users to sample or completely experience any item in the collection.

Visitors will assume that an Internet terminal will be waiting for them, and they can use it as long as they need to. Laptop users will be able to log onto the library's network with ported or wireless connections. A wide variety of computer-related training workshops will be offered in group settings or one-on-one. Cellular flooring will make it easy to grow or reconfigure our technology program.

A signature space in the new library will be the auditorium. With seating for 200+, and its own entrance to the street, this flexible space will be well-suited to host cultural events, community meetings, and art exhibits. An adjoining television studio will serve the library and the greater community with production facilities, and allow for distance learning through a satellite downlink. A variety of smaller meeting spaces will be available for staff and community use, and the library will also be home for several non-profit organizations in Ossining.

The new Junior Room will be a delight for young and old alike. Bright and cheerful, with appropriately-sized shelving and furniture, it will draw children in with the promise of fun and excitement. Just as important, there will be plenty of quiet places where a parent and child can lose themselves in a good story. There will be unique spaces for every level of readership, plus dedicated program rooms for story hours, crafts programs, and parent workshops. A large number of computer stations will be available for Internet access and educational software.

Young adults, too often forgotten in library planning, will find a warm welcome in Ossining. They will have a space to call their own, with a great collection of books and magazines, their own Internet and word processing PCs, and places to work on group assignments. Background music, coin vending, and videos projected on the walls will make the Teen Room inviting and fun.

The building itself will be distinctive, in harmony with its surroundings, environmentally sensitive, and easily recognized as a place of culture and learning. It will offer easy access for motorists, and have plenty of off-street parking. The overall flexibility of the building will extend to its many opportunities to grow and expand even further as the need arises.

Our opportunity and our challenge is to meet the diverse need of a diverse community. We will accomplish this by adopting the best forward thinking of public libraries today and integrating it with a commitment to the ideals of Andrew Carnegie to bring lifelong learning and culture to all who seek it. With the new building and the services it enables, we have the opportunity to touch the lives of every Ossining resident.