According to the library and frequent summer patrons, the antiquated air conditioning units such as in the Main Reading Room do little to provide relief from the heat.
According to the library and frequent summer patrons, the antiquated air conditioning units such as in the Main Reading Room do little to provide relief from the heat.
The main building of the Hoboken Public Library at 500 Park Ave. will close for about four weeks starting on July 10 to continue its ongoing renovations.
The library was established under the NJ General Library Act of 1884. It was the third library established under this act, following behind Paterson and Newark.
It officially opened in October of 1890 in the basement of the Second National Bank Building with 3,500 volumes on the shelves.
The main building of the library seen today opened its doors on April 5 1897 after the Stevens family donated the deed to the land it currently sits on.
But a library built in the 19th Century can not easily meet the needs of a 21st Century community, according to board trustees and former director Lina Podles.
As such, the main library has been undergoing staged renovations to make it safer, more comfortable, and more suited to the community while maintaining its historic elements.
Planning for the renovations of the library began as early as 2007 and the residents have already seen some of the results of renovations.
In 2018, the library unveiled the renovation of its basement with the new programming space divided into two rooms, one large and one small. The rooms can hold a combined 180 people.
The renovation also included a garden space, which includes tables for reading, accessed through the small programming room.
Now, the latest stage in the anticipated renovation of the main building has moved to the third -floor.
The work being done during this current stage is a gut-renovation of the Third Floor to create the Children’s and Teen/Tween Departments, which will incorporate energy-efficient lighting and new furnishings.
The library moved the Young Adult area that had temporarily been housed there to moved to the Branch at 124 Grand St. and extended the hours of the branch on most weekdays, pushing closing time from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The library must now temporarily close so that construction crews can replace the building’s antiquated HVAC system and make other necessary repairs.
“One of the major challenges of a century-old building is keeping it warm in the winter, and comfortable in the summer,” said Hoboken Public Library Interim Director Rosary Van Ingen. “The current air conditioning system, installed many decades ago, was not equal to the task. Accordingly, a new, high-efficiency HVAC system, featuring HEPA filtering, is being installed. As to heat, we are still using the original – from 1897 – furnace that was converted from coal to gas. It’s massive and massively inefficient, so we are replacing that, too.”
The building-wide HVAC component involves removing and replacing the furnace and all associated pipes and conduits, installing new duct work, and repositioning various walls.
But even though the building will be physically closed to users, services won’t cease.
According to the library, customers will continue to be able to order materials via the Library’s online catalog, and pick them up at the Library’s Curbside Pickup Station, by using the 24/7 Self-Service Lockers outside the Main Library, as well as the branch at 124 Grand Street.
The Library’s programming for adults, teens, and children will also continue and can be found on the library’s events calendar page at www.HobokenLibrary.org.
In-person events will also be held in Church Square Park just across Fifth Street from the Library or at other locations.
To keep apprised of the ongoing renovations and service changes, go to www.HobokenLibrary.org/renovation.
For updates on this and other stories check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached at Marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.
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