Library Task Force Entertaining Wide Range Of Options For Bellevue Branch; Fundraiser Scheduled

Although only eight people showed up for a meeting of the task force studying alternate uses for the Montclair Public Library's Bellevue Avenue branch on Wednesday night, a lot of information was gleaned.

Perhaps most importantly, most members of the task force voiced their hopes that the library could remain a library—at least for one day a week—while also hosting another entity, such as a tutoring service, that could generate revenue for the cash-strapped Township.

"I can guarantee that this committee is not going to recommend selling it," said Councilor Rich Murnick, a task force member.

Murnick said he prefers finding a business that could occupy the space without having to make changes to it.

"If you get a law firm or a doctor's office in there, that would be difficult because books would have to be removed and things would have to be changed," he said. "But if you could get a tutoring service to rent out a portion of the library, or have it be used as a study hall by Mount Hebron (Middle School), then things would not have to be changed.

"And, in two years, if we had the money, the building could go back to being just a library again," he said.

Due to budget cuts, operational hours at the Bellevue branch were reduced earlier this year, from six days a week to just one day a week. Before hours were cut, up to 3,600 people visited the branch every month; now about 1,350 people visit every month.

Councilor Nick Lewis, chair of the task force, reiterated Wednesday night that the group's role is not to make a decision on the branch's future, but to inform the library board and the public as to what alternate uses are available.

"What the board is looking for is to get the options available to them, whether that be selling it—which seems unlikely to us—to whatever else we come up with," he said. "We have to consider the legal restraints that might be out there and any deed restrictions."

He said that Township Attorney Ira Karasick is currently preparing a report on this issue.

Lewis said that options could include having another entity take over the operation of the building—and doing away with the library service entirely—or having an entity share the building with the library.

Another option would simply be to keep the library open one day a week and to rent out the space for special occasions the other days of the week.

Lewis said the task force would hold one or two additional hearings on the issue before presenting a report on its findings to the library board the beginning of January.

He encouraged Montclair residents to email their suggestions for alternate uses to him at nlewis@montclairnjusa.org.

In addition to Lewis and Murnick, other members of the task force include real estate developer Paul Rabinovitch, former Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson, Mount Hebron Middle School Principal Guy Whitlock, and real estate broker Adriana O'Toole.

Jackson had some words of warning for the public.

He said that if the Township is forced to cut funding for the library again next year, as it was in 2010, the real question will be how to maintain services at the main library on South Fullerton Avenue.

"Only four days a week of library service in total ... is that the new reality? he said. "I find this reprehensible, but it may be our new reality."

He said that perhaps, at some point, the Bellevue branch may even become the main library because of budget cuts.

Lewis also warned that next year would be a challenging one, saying the Township is "facing a deficit that's mostly the result of $2.3 million in tax appeals that we have to pay back."

The handful of members of the public who spoke Wednesday night urged passionately that the Bellevue branch remain a library, even offering to serve as volunteers so that the library might be open more than one day a week.

But, as Murnick wondered, what happens when a volunteer fails to show up and open the library one day?

"I think it probably has to be staffed by professionals," he said.,

If it were to be manned by volunteers, a volunteer board would have to be set up to coordinate the effort.

Both Lewis and Murnick emphasized that they would love to see the building remain open as a library branch and that they'd prefer to keep the building and its interior intact.

"But we want to give the library board as many options as we can even if some of them are absurd," Lewis said. "Maybe someone has an idea to turn it into an online banking center ... a dance studio ... a drama classroom.

"You want to get as many different ideas on the table as possible so that you are able to find some real and good suggestions," he said.

Meanwhile, the Montclair Public Library Foundation, in partnership with a Montclair teen who is doing a literacy service project, is preparing for a used book sale to benefit the Library. In preparation, we are collecting gently used (nearly new) books, DVDs, CDs, videos and audiobooks. Donations can be dropped off at the Main Library's administrative offices, located on the third floor at 50 South Fullerton Avenue, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. No textbooks or worn materials, please. (Please note the Main Library will be closed for repairs from December 13 through December 28, so no books can be brought in during that time.) The sale will be held in the auditorium of the Main Library on January 14-16, 2011.