Asbestos Found At Edison Library Location During Construction

EDISON, NJ – The Edison Public Library’s Plainfield Avenue will be closed temporarily after asbestos was found during construction.

The location will be closed to patrons and staff, effective Monday, Aug. 19, for asbestos cleanup, officials said.

Officials anticipate the building to be closed for approximately two weeks.

“We are working to ensure as little disruption as possible during the cleanup period while also ensuring the health and safety of our staff and patrons,” said Allan Kleiman, director of the Edison Public Library.

In spring, the Edison Public Library embarked on a major two-phase renovation at the Plainfield Avenue building.

Work on the upper level began back in May, but construction was halted in June when asbestos tiles were uncovered beneath the existing carpet in an older section of the nearly 60-year-old building, officials said.

At a special meeting held July 31, the Edison Public Library Board of Trustees approved the allocation of around $189,000 through resolutions and contracts with Hazmat Diagnostics, LLC and McCabe Environmental Services, LLC specifically for the asbestos cleanup and air quality sample analysis required for the abatement.

During the abatement, the Main Library will be off-limits to patrons and staff.

The book drops will also be closed; materials can be returned to the North Edison and Clara Barton Branches, the Bookmobiles, or neighboring libraries such as Metuchen, Highland Park, and Piscataway, and any materials currently on hold at the Main Library will be available for pick up at the Clara Barton Branch beginning Aug. 19.

The North Edison and Clara Barton Branches remain open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Patrons can also access services at any of the August Bookmobile stops. Although the aforementioned branches are closed on Sundays, the Edison Public Library's digital resources remain available at all times.

For more information, visit www.edisonpubliclibrary.org or contact your local Library Branch:

• Main Library, 340 Plainfield Avenue: (732) 287-2298
• Clara Barton Branch, 141 Hoover Avenue: (732) 738-0096
• North Edison Branch, 777 Grove Avenue: (732) 548-3045

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