Health, Safety Upgrades Added To Stafford Library Branch

STAFFORD, NJ — The Stafford branch of the Ocean County Library on North Main Street in Manahawkin was recently upgraded through the library’s 2021 maintenance program.

“We have covered just about every area of the branch under this program,” said Ocean County Library Director Susan Quinn. “From the installation of French drains, to replacing all the carpet on the lower level with vinyl tile to painting the public and staff areas, this work has created a more welcoming environment for staff and patrons.”

The public meeting room, which reopened for library programs Monday, was repainted and refloored.

Following mold remediation in parts of the building in early November, the library decided to take the opportunity while some of the building was closed to the public to complete the work outlined in the 2021 maintenance program.

“Following the mold remediation, we kept the building’s lower level closed to complete the scheduled maintenance,” Quinn said. “This was the most prudent way to complete upgrades with the least amount of inconvenience.”

TTI Environmental, Inc. in Moorestown, a firm certified for mold testing and inspection, retested the library and reported in their post-mold clearance inspection that the cleaning protocols were successful and no further action is required at this time.

“We then took the opportunity to clean all HVAC vents and ducts throughout the building, remove and replace all ceiling tiles in the lower level of the building, and address the water infiltration issue by installing French drains inside two storage rooms in the basement so that water is funneled outside,” Quinn said. “The library is also replacing all carpeting on the lower level with vinyl tile and several areas of the library have been painted, cleaned and refreshed that are both public and staff areas.”

The first floor computer lab was also repainted and new flooring was added. The room was upgraded to include a mobile laptop cart and moveable desks and chairs, allowing the room to have other uses as a Maker Space or additional library programming space as needed.

Quinn noted that an annual inspection by a certified contractor will be done on the building to make certain all public and staff areas are free of mold. These inspections will continue until a new proposed branch library for Stafford Township is built.

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