Renovations in a $2.4 million upgrade and modernization of the Monmouth County
Library Headquarters in Manalapan will begin in September with only minor inconveniences anticipated for library users, Monmouth County Library Commission Chairwoman Renee B. Swartz announced.
“The Library Commission, Library Director Judi Tolchin, and library staff have been working closely in planning these renovations for months,” Swartz said, “to ensure the work is done as quickly as possible and with the very least inconvenience to all library users. We are happy to report work can continue without any expected closures on regular library days.”
There will some minor inconveniences, she continued, “but there will always be staff available to seek out whatever the user needs, or to help in locating some materials that may be moved from familiar locations.”
The first of the three phases of the $2.4 million project is a modernization of the county building, which was built in 1987 and expanded in 2000, according to a press release.
“With an average of 22,000 visitors each month in the fall, I’m especially pleased the commission prioritized library users in planning these renovations,” Monmouth County Board of Freeholders Deputy Director Lillian G. Burry said. “The staff not only listened to what the users want, but also observed their use of the facilities, even how they sat at tables or in chairs, in order to select the new technology which will make the headquarters library even more inviting and functional, whether it is used for research, education, or recreational purposes.”
Library Interiors, established in 1985, is coordinating the renovations, according to the press release.
Phase one of the overall project includes completion of the electrical engineering plan for upgrading the infrastructure to accommodate electronic ability to nearly every point of service, according to the press release.
“The Monmouth County Library system is the premiere facility in the state, offering a world class library in its collection of more than 1.5 million items,” Swartz said. “The resources include career counseling, as well as educational, recreational and entertainment programming.
“The headquarters renovation completion will result in well lit, comfortable surroundings, with dynamic furnishings and space that is pleasing and welcoming. All our library branches strive to be inviting for 21st century patrons,” she said.
New tables and chairs and a variety of seating options at varying sizes and heights will offer greater flexibility for groups who want to study together. Many will include dividers for users at busier times who want to have more privacy, Tolchin said.
A new circulation desk, which will be accessible under guidelines established by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the main reading room are two of the improvements which will be completed during the first phase, Tolchin reported.
Shelving will be relocated to allow for study and collaborative work, and electronics will be upgraded to enable users to bring and use their own devices.
The Teen Room will be upgraded during this phase of renovations, with new tables and chairs inviting individual and group projects. The teen space is being designed to enable more programming exclusively for this age group, according to the press release.
The first phase is anticipated to be completed within three months, Tolchin said, and phase two, improvements and renovations to the children’s library, will follow immediately. The third and final phase will include renovations to the meeting rooms, staff areas and administrative offices, according to the press release.
