The Island branch of the New York Public Library had to cancel Story Book Hour on Wednesday, for lack of heat. The temperature was 61 degrees (F) at its 9:00 a.m. opening – too cold for the 30-plus small children who sit on the floor to hear stories read by Librarian Petra Kolokotronis.

"Even by this time, at noon when the library opens to the public, it has only warmed up to a chilly 67 degrees," Kolokotronis said.

The cold is only indicative of a larger set of problems faced by the Island’s branch. "We’re busier than ever before," Kolokotronis told The WIRE. "We have generally served about 6,000 patrons every month, but in December and January our traffic device counted 17,000 and 20,000 patrons."

The library’s space is getting shopworn, as well, with filthy and torn carpeting, an insufficient number of computers and lack of space for more, and lack of a public restroom. This branch is open only five days a week, closed Tuesdays and Sundays, while other NYPL branches are open six days.

There may be long-term hope of a solution. The City Councilmember representing the Island, Jessica Lappin, told the RIRA Common Council Wednesday night that plans for a larger location and improved facilities are on hold during the change of administrations in Albany.

But, she said, "The Library is in woefully inadequate space. The challenge has been to find a new home for the library. I have been talking to Hudson-Related about building a new home in a future Southtown building for the library, and that is something that they have agreed to in concept. It would involve renegotiating a part of their agreement with RIOC because they’re paying a certain amount for square footage and this would be a public amenity that they wouldn’t be able to rent out at market value, so we will see how that progresses with the new RIOC administration. They are open to it. I think they see it as an amenity for their tenants, and certainly it would be great for the whole Island to have a new library that doesn’t leak."

Lappin said she is willing to secure City funding for the construction of the library space.