Monmouth Library HQ Closing For Some Overdue Interior Upgrades

MANALAPAN, NJ — The Monmouth County Library Headquarters, at 125 Symmes Drive in Manalapan, will close for about four months as the county begins a $3.9M interior renovation project.

The project is funded by a $1,950,000 New Jersey Public Library Construction Bond Act grant.

Matching funds were obtained through a capital improvement bond ordinance requested by the Monmouth County Library Commission and approved by the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, the county said.

Included will be upgrades and modernization of the building's reading and meeting rooms, electrical infrastructure, ADA alterations, furniture replacements and restroom updates "to meet the 21st-century needs of library patrons," the county said.

“The renovation project at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters is slated to include flooring and lighting upgrades, technology updates, and a new public address system,” added Commissioner Erik Anderson, liaison to the Monmouth County Library System.

Anderson was elected to the Board of County Commissioners this November. And he is the former mayor of Shrewsbury, home to the Eastern Branch of the county library system.

He said the library's online content, which includes ebooks, eMagazines, streaming video and research resources, is available 24/7 via the system's website at www.monmouthcountylib.org. Virtual programming is also available.

And Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said renovations include enhancements to the building's reading and meeting rooms, including a Teen Room that "can be used for studying, collaborating and programs geared towards teens."

The library will close on Jan. 21 for in-person visits with an anticipated reopening in May.

Door-side pickup of materials placed on hold will be available at Headquarters Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Archives entrance off Alexandria Drive and continue throughout the closure. Patrons will be called when items are available.

And patrons should note that the book drop will officially close on Feb. 1 and remain inaccessible throughout the duration of the project, the county said.

Library materials may be returned to any of the other 12 branches during the closure. County Library branches are located in Marlboro, Colts Neck, Howell, Shrewsbury, Allentown, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Holmdel, Ocean Township, Oceanport, Wall Township, and West Long Branch.

The Library Headquarters was first built in 1987 and expanded in 2000, the county said.

Additional updates and advisories will be issued as the project progresses, and posted on the library website. All projections about the duration of the construction and temporary services are subject to change due to unforeseeable circumstances, the county added.