Library serves food, drink and more hours
A teen section is also in the works, based on input of teen focus group
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK - - Despite a very tight budget, the township library is being improved with a new café, teen space and increased weekend hours.

East Brunswick Public Library Director Carol Nersinger said the library is "very excited" about the projects. The increased hours, she said, began last weekend. The library now remains open until 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, instead of closing at 5 p.m.

While the expanded hours will be welcomed by nighttime patrons, the teen space and café figure to have an even larger impact.

Nersinger said she is hoping the café will open next month. It will be located in the front of the library where the media section currently is. There will be seating for café patrons, and the kitchen/cashier will be located where the counter is, which is currently used for media checkout.

The café will offer a variety of items, including salads, soups, sandwiches, drinks and coffee, Nersinger said. The library will even allow patrons to bring their drinks to other areas of the library.

The library has long offered vending machines, which are well-used by patrons, but the library has received many requests to have a café.

"We're very, very excited about the fact you can get salad, soups, sandwiches and coffee," Nersinger said. "We're hoping people make a date to meet at the library."

Nersinger said sometimes people spend the entire day at the library and wind up thirsty and hungry. She also finds that people coming from various meetings in the municipal building wander in looking for food and drink.

The library will lease the café space to a vendor who will run the actual operation.

"We're leasing the space, and they will assume the costs," Nersinger said. "They will create the kitchen and seating and run it. We'll make some money from leasing."

She said the fact that many bookstores now also have cafés partially inspired the move.

"I like going to Barnes & Noble and having a cup of coffee, so I figured other people must want to do that as well," the director said.

As for the teen space, Nersinger said the library received a $90,000 state grant to pay for the area.

"Right now we have a teen collection but no specific space to hang out, read and study," she said.

The teen space - which will include computers, a teen collection of books, games, software, listening stations, comfortable seating and even perhaps a plasma television set - will be located where the quiet study area is now, and the library will put the space into another area, she said.

"We'll just put up walls for the new study area in another area," Nersinger said, adding that some space for the teen area will be created by tearing down a wall and moving some office space.

She said the library has turned to focus groups of teenagers to help with ideas for the teen space, adding that libraries across the country are adding similar areas.

"A new library would definitely have an area for teens," Nersinger said.

Teenagers in the focus group are very excited about the plans, she said.

"That group [teenagers] is very hard to reach, so we try to reach out to them," she said. "We are hoping it helps give teens a safe environment."

Officials hope to have the teen space open in time for the library's 40th anniversary in May.

The extended hours are meant to accommodate people who can't get to the library during traditional times.

"People's lives are so hectic now," Nersinger said.

They are also meant to help students who wait until nighttime to do their studying.

"At night they all have a project due tomorrow," she said.

All of the library services, except for passports, will remain open until 9 p.m. on those nights. In addition, the library will have programming, films, events and talks for people to go to during the extended hours. However, during those extra hours, other meeting spaces can only be used by the library, she said.

The changes are occurring despite there not being a building expansion or additional funding.

"It's all without a real expense," Nersinger said.