Pictured (l-r): Greg Wirszyla, Library Director; Sarah Underhill; Mayor Mary Marvin; Lauren Toal, president, FOBPL; and Margaret Mager, president, Library Trustee Board.

By Irena Choi Stern, Board member, FOBPL

Nov. 10, 2021: A newly refurbished Young Adult Room opened to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, Nov. 1, 20 years after the grand reopening of the Bronxville Public Library that was financed primarily by the sale of a Childe Hassam painting. The new space was designed by village resident Sarah Underhill and funded by the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library (FOBPL).

Pictured: (l-r): Margaret Mager, president, Library Trustee Board; Jim Palmer, Village Administrator; Sarah Underhill; Greg Wirszyla, Library Director; Mayor Mary Marvin; and Lauren Toal, president, FOBPL.

“The vision of the Friends was to make this space a welcoming and inviting destination for Middle and High School students to study, read and spend time together,” said Lauren Toal, president of the FOBPL. “We cannot thank the supporters of the FOBPL enough, because it is they who made this possible. And without Sarah Underhill’s vision, we wouldn’t have this beautiful space.”

Study Carrel

The Young Adult Room originally opened on September 9, 2001 with a generous gift from Ruth Doyle. As the study habits of students changed over the years, the room was underutilized, partly because the space became dark and dated. In late 2019, the then-Children’s Librarian identified an update of the Young Adult Room as a priority, especially since students in wheelchairs found it challenging to move about the room due to the existing furniture and layout.

Work Station

“Today, students study in different ways, sometimes independently and at other times in a collaboration, so spaces need to be flexible to accommodate a variety of needs and uses,” Underhill said.

Underhill recently designed the interiors of the President’s House and the new Williams Inn at Williams College, her alma mater.

Young Adult Room

“This is such an incredible spot to come sit,” said Mayor Mary Marvin. “Like Sarah [Underhill], I lived right near my hometown library and my mom was a teacher, so I often went to the library until she finished work and I needed a room like this. I'm just happy for the young people of the village, because they deserve it.”