NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 29, 2026) — The New Rochelle Public Library is asking residents to complete a survey on how the library should design its spaces and expand its services going forward, following voter approval of a $55 million capital bond.
The library said it is “working to better understand and serve the needs of our community” and that responses will “directly influence how we design spaces, expand services, and show up for New Rochelle now and in the future.”
Residents who prefer not to complete the survey online can pick up a paper version at the Welcome Desk at the Main Library, according to the library.
The outreach comes after New Rochelle voters approved a $55 million library capital bond on May 19. The bond will support a comprehensive, multi-year revitalization of the library, including infrastructure upgrades to heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as improvements to public spaces. Once issued, the bond is expected to have an estimated annual impact of $204 on taxpayers.
The library, the most active in the Westchester Library System, has not undergone any renovation since it was built in 1979. Library Executive Director Eugenia Schatoff said after the bond vote, “This vote reflects a strong belief in the Library’s role in the life of our city and a shared commitment to investing in its future for generations to come.”
The library called the survey a chance for residents to “help define what the Library becomes.”
Look Back: The library’s history of envisioning its own future predates the current bond. An archival rendering held by the New Rochelle Public Library Archives, dated to around 1968, depicts a proposed design for the library’s main branch looking north toward Huguenot Street, with the old courthouse and police headquarters visible across Lawton Street. According to the library’s digital archive notes, the design was “reminiscent of Lincoln Center in New York City.” The library that was ultimately built opened in 1979.
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This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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