The Merrick Public Library is giving patrons another reason to stay awhile.
The library recently opened a coffee bar, adding another amenity to a building that has increasingly become a destination for remote workers, students and community members who spend hours working, studying and reading.
The coffee bar opened Aug. 11 and is staffed by library employee Gina Noto, a barista with eight years of experience. Christina Bonfiglio-Scali, the library's head of community engagement, said the addition was a natural extension of how patrons have begun using the library.
“We realized that the way people use the library has really changed, especially since after COVID, and there’s a lot of people working remote,” Bonfiglio-Scali said. “We’re seeing students, we’re seeing remote workers and community members spending several hours here rather than simply stopping in to borrow a book.”
The library has added quiet pods, comfortable seating and work-friendly spaces in recent years, creating an environment where patrons can work or study throughout the day.
Bonfiglio-Scali said the library noticed the shift before the coffee bar was considered.
“It’s not like we got the coffee bar now; they’re staying here longer,” she said. “It was vice versa. We noticed they’re staying here longer, and we got the coffee bar to accommodate them.”
The coffee bar occupies a space that previously housed a water fountain and two vending machines.
The library is one of a small number on Long Island to offer a coffee bar, according to Bonfiglio-Scali. She said the Merrick library was inspired by other libraries that had incorporated coffee service while also recognizing that the amenity fit the community’s changing needs.
“Coffee builds community just like libraries,” she said. For Noto, the new role combines two things she enjoys: coffee and books.
“I also love to read, so being surrounded by coffee and books is a plus, huge plus,” Noto said.
Before joining the library, Noto worked at Massapequa Perk, where she said the pace could be intense, with lines sometimes extending out the door. Working at the library’s coffee bar has allowed her to spend more time with customers.
“I feel like I can hone in on that more here,” Noto said of building community. “I am able to give each customer even more time. I can, you know, it’s a little bit more of an intimate experience rather than that crazy busyness of a regular coffee shop.”
The response has been positive since the coffee bar opened, Noto said. She has already seen some customers become regulars.
The customers have ranged from adults working remotely to younger patrons studying during the summer. Noto said she expects the coffee bar could become particularly useful for students once the school year begins.
The menu includes a variety of drinks, with the cold brew proving especially popular. Noto said the library’s cold brew uses a slow-drip process, making it highly caffeinated. Customers can also choose from numerous flavor combinations.
Bonfiglio-Scali emphasized that the coffee bar is intended primarily as a service for people already using the library, rather than a way to draw customers who otherwise would not visit.
“Our target audience are people who are already here in the library,” she said. “They were here before the coffee bar. They’ll be here after the coffee bar. And now they’re just enjoying this extra library service, this library amenity that’s available.”
The library hopes the coffee bar will be self-sustaining and remain a long-term service for Merrick patrons.
“It’s just going to be another program or another service that the Merrick patrons love and enjoy,” Bonfiglio-Scali said. “We expect it to be here for the long term.”
