Increased Need For Revamp Funding In Chatham Library Project

CHATHAM, NJ — Officials at the Library of the Chathams have been working for several years to complete an improvement plan, but a recent cost analysis has revealed that their current level of funding is insufficient.

This month, Karen Brodsky, director of the Library of the Chathams, and Andy Hollander, president of the board of trustees, spoke to the Chatham Township Committee about the growing demand for the public library system.

After experiencing a slight decline in use over the previous two years, community demand for the library has reportedly returned to pre-pandemic levels and even surpassed those of 2019.

"Numbers are up. They are up from before the pandemic. They're up regarding circulation, visits are up significantly. The library is a bridge, it brings together all age groups from children, teens, adults and senior citizens. It bridges the township and the borough," Hollander said.

The need to accelerate the long-planned revamp project has grown in tandem with the increase in demand.

Hollander stated that the library can no longer realistically wait much longer and will need to continue with the planned library improvements with the $2 million raised over the last seven years.

Among the planned improvements are:

• A renovated children's room with a new activity center
• A teen room
• More conference rooms
• A local history room
• improved back ramp
• A business center
• Upgraded infrastructure e.g., HVAC

"HVAC may not sound glamorous, but it's essential," Hollander said.

The current HVAC system at the library, according to officials, is a patchwork of previous work done over the years. That work has resulted in various areas of the library having varying levels of improved infrastructure based on the year they were all built.

"You can only imagine the HVAC challenges in integrating seven different HVAC systems. That is one explanation as to why the library has a problem with excessive humidity and why electrical systems lack cohesiveness," Hollander said.

Over the years the library has been able to fundraise and apply for grants as a way to attempt to fund this project, however, the cost of the renovations has ballooned from the initial projected $4.5 million to $7.5 million.

"Even as community demand for the library continues to go up, unfortunately, so do projected costs, about 13 percent per year," Hollander said.

Delays, according to library officials and the project architect, could increase construction costs further, and acting as quickly as possible was the best way to ensure financial stability.

According to Hollander, the project has been divided into phases, with phase one already approved and construction set to begin in the coming months. The first phase includes the construction of a teen room and an entry plaza with a ramp in the rear of the building.

"The library has $2 million in funds and in November it said to Chatham Township and Chatham Borough that an added $5.5 million is necessary," Hollander said.

Phase two and other subsequent phases are not confirmed and are going to depend on the commitment of funds that the library can receive. Officials said the scope of the project couldn’t be whittled down because each component was linked.

"If we don't know the number that we are going to be shooting for, it will be difficult for the architect to create different phasing plans," Hollander said.