More services to come with expanded library
Officials detail plans for bigger, better facility in Monroe
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

JESSICA SMITH Monroe Township Library Director Irene Goldberg points out some of the features included in the design of the expanded facility.

MONROE - Residents can expect a bigger, better and more beautiful library by fall 2008.

Plans for the expansion and upgrades were unveiled recently before a group of residents, many of them seniors from communities such as the adjacent Greenbriar at Whittingham.

"This is a very exciting project for everyone involved," said Anthony Iovino, architect for the expansion. "This project is going to be one at the forefront of libraries."

Scheduled to begin in June, the project involves adding on to the existing children's and adult sections of the library, which is located in the municipal complex off Perrineville Road. A drive-through window, café and fine art gallery will also be added to the existing facility.

For adult patrons, more quiet study areas will be added, as well as additional shelving for books and media. A newspaper and magazine reading area is slated, complete with a gas fireplace and windows overlooking landscaping to enhance the reading experience.

Other additions will include more computers, a medical and surgical reference section, a copy center and new restrooms.

The children's area will be enhanced by a section dedicated to kids up to 5 years old that will be built for crawling. There will be various interactive activities for these youngsters, including tactile stimuli for them to enjoy. A room for children's programs will also be added, freeing up the often over-booked adult meeting room.

A drive-through window will be located at the north end of the building for patrons' convenience. Library Director Irene Goldberg said the window will not only be good for seniors who have problems getting around, but also for parents who do not wish to unload their children from their vehicle just to make a quick transaction. The window will always be staffed during library hours, and residents who call ahead for materials will be able to pick them up there.

"We're very excited about that," Goldberg said.

The fine art gallery will be housed in a circular room, with rotating exhibits from local artists. Upon walking through the gallery, patrons will have the option of stopping into the café for a beverage from the coffee bar or a light snack. While Goldberg said the details on the café have yet to be fully worked out, it will not offer things like soups or sandwiches. Muffins and desserts, along with vending machines, will be the extent of the food available there.

The existing library building will become the center portion of the new facility, with the children's and adults' sections to be added on either side. Designs for the additions have been created to maintain the look of the original structure, according to Iovino.

"For the most part, it will look like it has always been here," Iovino said.

A change in the traffic patterns of entering and exiting vehicles will provide greater safety because the entrance driveway will no longer cross the path of the police station parking area. The existing exit road will be filled in. The change in traffic direction from counter-clockwise to clockwise will also benefit Greenbriar residents by keeping headlights of vehicles away from their homes, Iovino said.

The entrance gate of Greenbriar, located on Newcastle Road, which turns into Municipal Plaza, will be moved about 220 feet further back from the library. Some residents voiced concerns about the move, and how it might affect them. Goldberg pointed out that the gate was in need of replacement because of problems with emergency vehicles accessing it, and said it works out for both parties.

Another issue raised by Greenbriar residents was that of light pollution from any additional lighting installed. Library officials ensured that there were no plans to add outdoor lighting, aside from the possibility of illuminating additional parking. The extra parking spots will only be added if the addition falls within the budget of the project, they said.

Landscaping will be enhanced on the site, with additions being made to the buffer in the rear of the building, as well as in the parking area to curb noise pollution for nearby residents. A round garden will be put in, along with birches, dogwoods and a Douglas fir tree in front of the facility.

"Our concern is to make it a park-like, pleasing setting for everyone," Goldberg said.

The township will help achieve that goal, using shade tree funds to put in some of the trees between the new building and Greenbriar, as well as maintaining the new trees, according to Township Council President Gerald Tamburro.

The memorial gardens on the south side of the building will be relocated to another part of the site, and memorial pavers will be temporarily removed and stored, then replaced later to avoid damage from heavy equipment.

Buffers will be put into place within the library while construction goes on, so that patrons can still enjoy quiet in the areas that are not being worked on at the time. Those involved with the project will work with code and fire officials, as well as police, to ensure that there remain safe evacuation routes by which to leave the building during construction.

"Our goal would be not to have to close at all," Bill Costello of Epic Management said.

Costello said most likely, the structure of the additions will be up by September, and he would like to see both sides enclosed by the time cold weather strikes.

The project will be the last time additions are made to the library, Goldberg said. If the population of the town continues to grow and demands more space, other options like bookmobiles or branch locations would be used.