Westhampton library celebrates its gold

Just in time for Earth Day, the Westhampton Free Library will be celebrating its LEED status — a certification indicating the library met the criteria to reach the gold level of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The library has been open for nearly a year, and it got the LEED designation in December, but the plaque that honors the certification will be unveiled April 22 at a special Earth Day program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The includes tours and a slide show of the building’s construction.

“We didn’t want to look like a spaceship,” said library director Matthew Bollerman. “But people notice that the air smells fresher, or that there is a lot of natural light.”

Among the reasons for the designation: the library diverted almost all of the construction waste away from landfills, 31 percent of the construction materials contained recycled content, and 45 percent of the building materials came from within 500 miles, reducing greenhouse gases from transportation.

The library is at 7 Library Ave. in Westhampton Beach.

In 2009, the new Westhampton Beach village hall also received LEED gold status. Only platinum LEED status is higher. The designation is given by the U.S. Green Building Council.