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ESSEX LIBRARIES AIM TO BE ACCESSIBLE

The Item of Millburn and Short Hills - 5/11/2017

"One of the goals of that plan is to update the library facility. Since capital improvements like facility updates could qualify for support, this bond would present a tremendous opportunity for the Millburn Library."

Michael Banick, director of the Millburn Free Public Library

Libraries in Montclair and Bloomfield could make their facilities more accessible for disabled people.

The director of the Glen Ridge Public Library hopes for fresh flooring.

These are among the library improvements that leaders in Essex County seek to be funded by a proposed bond issue legislators and library supporters in North Jersey are lobbying to get on the November ballot.

Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, of the 34th Legislative District, is one of the principal sponsors of the measure, A-222, which would authorize the issuance of $125 million of general obligation bonds to finance capital projects in public libraries. Giblin noted the last such library bond referendum was around 15 years ago.

"It's been too long since we set aside resources for our libraries," Giblin said. "Libraries are a valuable asset. They have become community centers where there's more activity than just borrowing books."

Giblin, a Montclair resident, stressed that library patrons use the facilities for job searches, lectures, and just getting to know their neighbors better. The legislation has bipartisan support in both the Assembly and the Senate, he maintained.

"We'd like to see it on the governor's desk by July," Giblin said. That would allow enough time for the referendum to be on the ballot in the November general election.

But just getting it on the ballot is half the battle, noted Giblin: "The public has to do a bit of lobbying, too."

Montclair Public Library Director Peter Coyl hopes that passage of the legislation will allow for improvements to Montclair's Bellevue Avenue Branch along with to the Main Library on South Fullerton Avenue.

"As you may know, our beloved historic Carnegie Bellevue Avenue Branch is not accessible for people with disabilities or mobility issues," Coyl wrote in a message to library patrons. "The restrooms and classroom space are in the lower level and the main level can only be reached by climbing a set of stairs.

"This makes it hard, and in many cases impossible, for some users to participate in children's story time, take a class, attend a program or even just check out a book."

Millburn

Michael Banick, director of the Millburn Free Public Library, recently attended the New Jersey Library Association conference in Atlantic City where the legislation was a topic of discussion.

"The last library referendum was around 1999," Banick said. "It was for $45 million and about 63 libraries benefited from it."

If approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Christie, the legislation would put the bond proposal on the ballot in the November general election.

"This could be a golden ticket for so many libraries," observed Banick.

The dollar-to-dollar matching would double the purchasing power of libraries that have capital projects on hold, covering everything from construction to acquiring additional shelves, new carpeting or network infrastructure, he said.

The Millburn Library adopted a 3-year strategic plan last year, Banick noted.

"One of the goals of that plan is to update the library facility. Since capital improvements like facility updates could qualify for support, this bond would present a tremendous opportunity for the Millburn Library," he said. "We just updated our teen area, and there are other ideas that we would like to pursue."

Among the projects Banick would like to pursue are the completion of a LED lighting conversion that has already started and expanding the children's area.

Banick said the library has had preliminary talks with an architect. Plans to add an addition to the children's room are in the early stages, pending the outcome of the referendum or other means of funding.

"The library recently completed its renovation of the young adult area," said Millburn Mayor Cheryl Burstein, who serves as the Township Committee's liaison to the library. "There are a number of additional potential projects that are being discussed, some of which would be capital improvements and would benefit from the legislation being proposed."

Although Burstein said she could not speak for the library board, she supports such a measure: "I think it is terrific that our Legislature is looking to invest in our libraries."

Eastern Essex

The directors of the Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Newark public libraries met with state Sen. Ronald Rice, Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, and Assemblywoman Cleopatra G. Tucker last month in an effort to jumpstart the legislation. The directors say the Democratic legislators offered their full support for the measure.

Holly Belli, director of the Bloomfield Public Library, hopes the legislation will fund the improvements to make the Main Library's 1960-era elevator handicapped accessible. Belli also noted the Bloomfield Library retains plumbing and lighting originally installed in the 1960s.

"There isn't very much light in the building," Belli said. "The architecture isn't designed the way it is today. It's clear, when you go into some libraries, that they weren't built for browse-ability. They were built for style."

The Belleville Public Library and Information Center recently completed construction on a $664,900 renovation funded out the library's budget. Library Director Michelle Malone said the library is looking to make the best use of the new space, including by adding furniture, and that it would not seek matching funds under the proposed referendum.

Jennifer Breuer, director of the Glen Ridge Public Library, noted the Borough Council and the Glen Ridge Library Board have approved resolutions in support of the bond act. If the bond is approved, then the library would seek improvements to its heating and air-conditioning systems, Breuer said.

"We're lucky to have a generally recently renovated building," she said. "It was renovated about a decade ago, but it's a building that is well used. We have over 12,000 visitors a month ... It requires maintenance."

While not actively promoting the act, the Nutley Public Library Board would likely support it, President Tony Iannarone said. A $3 million building extension on the drawing board would benefit from such a measure, said Iannarone.

The $125 million "sounds like a lot of money, but when you have 350 libraries, it doesn't stretch very far," he said.

The state formerly provided each library about $30,000 in annual aid; now it's closer to $12,000, he said.

State officials "support less than 1 percent of our budget, but they set all the rules," said Iannarone, who has served on the Nutley Library Board for 45 years, the last 21 as president.

Many times, libraries are the first places politicians look to cut expenses, not realizing library patrons represent their largest contingency, he maintained.

"I see ourselves as an integral part of the community," serving all walks of life, said the president, who noted that much is packed in Nutley Library's 20,000 square feet, not just books and educational resources, but free entertainment such as music, movies, video games, and activities in the children's room.

"We do the calculations. For every dollar we spend, we add $4 in value," Iannarone said.

Staff Writer Mollie Shauger contributed to this report. Email: trumbore@northjersey.com, proctor@northjersey.com and kadosh@northjersey.com

"One of the goals of that plan is to update the library facility. Since capital improvements like facility updates could qualify for support, this bond would present a tremendous opportunity for the Millburn Library."

Michael Banick, director of the Millburn Free Public Library

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