Big changes are plugged in for library remodeling
Manalapan site to get USB update
MANALAPAN – When the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan reopens in May, visitors will no longer need to worry about finding an outlet.
The renovations that have temporarily closed the building will include an abundance of places to charge phones, laptops and other electronic devices.
“You can use the USBs when you’re sitting in a chair and you can actually have your computer plugged in,” Judith Tolchin, director of the Monmouth County Library System, said. “It’s going to be amazing. … The whole infrastructure (will be) improved and updated and more ADA accessible,” referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The library building was built in 1987 and expanded in 2000. Since then, the library has not undergone any significant renovations. According to Tolchin, a 2014 report found that the library needed an upgrade.
“Really, the needs for patrons have changed so much over time that not too many people walk into the library without a laptop or a handheld device,” Tolchin said.
While the library is closed for renovations, card holders can still check out books and other items. After placing a hold online, card holders would receive a call when the items are available. They could then pick the items up at the Archives entrance at the back of the building from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The items could then be returned at the Archives entrance from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at any other branch of the Monmouth County library system.
According to a news release, “The library will not be responsible for items left outside the building” and it asks card holders not to place items in the book drop at Headquarters after Feb. 1.
Tolchin said the entire library except the separate Archives area is closed to “keep construction costs at a reasonable level” and to “give full access to a contractor during a period of time.”
In addition to more outlets and improved accessibility, the library will receive new furniture, improve its lighting, upgrade its bathrooms and meeting rooms and add a new public address system.
The improvements will be paid with a $1.95 million grant from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, according to the press release. The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners then matched the grant.
While books are the bedrock of libraries, changing times have added classes and other services to libraries. Tolchin said. When she moved to Monmouth County three decades ago, she met her community attending story time with her daughter.
“It’s a place for people to study. It’s a place for people to get access to the internet. It’s a place for people to communicate and meet with other people.” Tolchin said. “So, our needs really vary differently from the traditional library where you would come in for a book and leave.”
As the library completes its renovations, its book club and English as a Second
Language classes have moved online. According to the library’s Frequently Asked Questions, additional children’s programs have been added to the Marlboro Branch. Meanwhile, volunteers from the AARP Tax-Aide Program will be hosted at the Eastern (Shrewsbury), Marlboro, Hazlet and Wall branches. Online resources provided by the library will continue to be available.
Tolchin said, “I’m just excited that it’s going to be complete transformation of the space and it’s going to bring us into that 21st century needs of our patrons.”
Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.