Smithtown library voters approve $16.5M bond after flood damage

Voters in the Smithtown Library District on Tuesday approved a $16.5 million bond referendum to renovate the namesake branch after it sustained significant damage from August's historic flooding.

Voters approved the bond referendum 997-413, giving the go-ahead for the library to renovate the branch on North Country Road, library officials said.

The building closed for nine months after the storm on Aug. 18-19 dropped up to 10 inches of rain across the North Shore of Suffolk County.

The storm caused more than $21 million in damage to the building, including to books, CDs, DVDs and historic documents.

The branch reopened on May 5, but only on the main level. Library officials are looking to renovate the building with repairs to the basement. The plan also calls for new programs and services.

The library expects the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse most of the project's costs, Newsday previously reported. The district also plans to tap into reserve funds. 

The bond is expected to increase annual library district taxes by an average of $36 to $392, officials previously told Newsday.

Rob Lusak, Smithtown's library director, said in an interview Wednesday that library staff were “ecstatic” about the results.

“The residents of Smithtown really do value their library,” Lusak said. “They understood what happened, they felt our loss as well from what happened last August, and they want to see the library rebuilt."

He added, "it just made us feel really, really good that there are people who do recognize that libraries still are crucial in the community.”

Next, the library will have an architect work with its staff on the building’s renovation, which is expected to take several months to complete, Lusak said.

The library will be able to rebuild the community rooms, its LearnLab where patrons use 3D printers, and an area where Friends of The Smithtown Library sells used books. The library will also introduce a podcast studio, a dedicated space for Literacy Suffolk and study rooms.

Officials will relocate the Richard H. Handley Collection of Long Island Americana from the basement to the main floor. The collection, also known as the “Long Island Room," houses historic books, documents, maps and other artifacts.

The library will be able to better highlight items central to the history of Smithtown and Long Island, including the original town deed that was signed by Thomas Jefferson and town founder Richard Smith. 

Since the flooding, residents have also donated their books about Long Island's history, which will be featured in the Long Island Room’s expanded collection. 

Anita Dowd-Neufeld, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Smithtown Library, said the approval was a sign of how much the building means to Smithtown. Dowd-Neufeld noted the building's lower level had played a pivotal role, offering space for community meetings and workshops for people of all ages.

“It’s more than just a collection of books, it’s a community center,” Dowd-Neufeld said. "To not have the building fully operating was a loss to the community… This is a great day for Smithtown."