What is the current plan to SAVE Watchung Library?
Watchung applied for but did not secure grant funding to build a new library in the borough. At present, it appears that the most likely route to an improved library in town is at 12 Stirling Road, the building that was for many years the Pratt family residence. The building has limitations and defects for continued use as a public building. It was built as a private home and the attempt to repurpose it for heavy public use has limited the the scope of the library's service.
The building is not ADA compliant--32 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed--and does not have adequate community meeting, group or quiet study space. It consists of a series of rooms designed as living rooms and bedrooms, rather than a large flexible space. A professional engineering study has shown that the floor joists are not adequate for the structure. Wind and rain whip through the building's drafty old windows and spotty roof. The electrical system is inadequate such that the copy machine and the air conditioner cannot be run at the same time. The HVAC system is old and subject to frequent breakdowns. One must duck their head to descend the only stairway in the building, which creaks and shifts and stops short of even going to the lower level community room. It is up to Borough Council to come up with a plan to renovate the structure to address these many deficiencies.
What about shared services? Isn’t that a good way to lower expenses for a town like Watchung?
Library services are ALREADY shared amongst the members of the Somerset County Library System (SCLS), including Watchung. Watchung residents pay into the system, which is shared by ten towns in the county, and the system provides everything inside the building, except the building itself, which is owned by the town. The concept of sharing also does mean bringing something to the table to share. Continuing to participate in SCLS without hosting a library building would be like joining a car pool but never offering to drive. It doesn’t feel very fair and it’s not sustainable.
In addition to all the services and staffing, SCLS rebates the borough about $6,700 per year. Without a building, that money would go to another town.
What exactly does SCLS provide in the Watchung Branch?
SCLS easily provides $1,000,000 worth of staffing and resources to Watchung every year–far greater than the dollar amount Watchung pays in county library taxes.
In the Watchung branch alone, SCLS provides the following and much more:
• staffing–covering more than 280 staff-hours per week, including professional and part-time staff,
• materials (about 48,000 items in that building alone) for borrowing and for reference: books, audio books, dvd’s, cd’s, magazines, newspapers, video games and more,
• technology: public-access computers, printers, scanners, WiFi, in-library digital access to newspapers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and ChromeBooks for use in the library,
• events like story times and book clubs and game nights and summer reading programming and special visits by animal experts and musicians and scientists etc.
• services: museum passes for free access to area museums; notary services; help with job searches and genealogy research; exam proctoring
• phone service for the branch
and much more.
If Watchung Library closed, would I still see a ‘county library tax’ on my annual tax bill?
YES, that tax would not change one cent whether Watchung has a library building or not, and you will still be assessed the same amount. However what Watchung residents would get back in turn for their taxes would change dramatically. Your value for the dollars spent would plummet. There would no longer be LOCAL library services here in Watchung. We would be paying for library services in other towns that participate in SCLS, but all that we would be getting in return for that money is borrowing privileges IN ANOTHER TOWN: towns like Warren and North Plainfield—nowhere anyone in Watchung could walk to, and towns that are primarily geared toward serving their own residents. Some libraries are in fact quite a long drive–Peapack, Rocky Hill, Bridgewater–and not at all practical for Watchung residents. Our taxes would be boosting property values in other towns, meanwhile allowing our own services to falter.
Wasn’t there already a referendum to close the library a long time ago?
No, Watchung has never put a referendum to close the library on any ballot. In 2012 there was a referendum question about spending money on a larger, 17,000-square-foot library building. That plan was turned down by Watchung voters by 115 votes. It was a question about specific spending for a specific plan. Since that time, Borough Council has worked with the architect on a modified, scaled-down reconstruction project, using part of the present building within the existing footprint and foundation. The revised plans are for a 10,000 square-foot building. During these last eight years, borough finances have improved, outstanding debt has decreased, and bond costs have gone down, making capital spending more affordable. Plus the unique opportunity has come up for New Jersey State matching grant money (a grant award, not a loan), a unique opportunity to apply for state money to help pay for the project.
Do we even NEED libraries anymore?
Very much so. Libraries provide lifelong learning opportunities for all ages, from story times and board books for young children to Mah Jong and tech teaching sessions for seniors–and something for everyone in between. They offer community engagement and reference resources that are not replicated online. They are that ‘third place’ that commercial establishments like Starbucks or Indigo only wish they could be–neither home nor work, a place for neighbors to gather and exchange ideas. Modern libraries even often offer a coffee/tea station, and one was included in the floor plans proposed in Watchung! An improved meeting space in Watchung would open the library up to a wealth of appealing programming, such as concerts and community events, and provide a venue for more community activities. The old library building has inadequate space for the community events that take place in modern libraries; the configuration of the new building would include accessible meeting space for more people than can be accommodated in the old building.
Does anyone even USE libraries anymore?
Visitors to Watchung Library totalled 35,722 visits in 2019. And 46,833 items were loaned out. Programs were attended by 4,498 people. Yes, unquestionably, Watchung Library is well-used, despite the limitations of its space. During the beginning of the pandemic, the library served patrons with curbside materials pick-ups, and from July 2020 the building has been reopened and available to residents.
Doesn’t the town really need some kind of shelter or gathering place during storms and power outages?
During Superstorm Sandy, when many Watchung residents lost electrical power and internet, they were forced to go to Warren buildings for emergency information, warming and charging and internet access–so they could communicate with loved ones and notify PSEG of outages. Even cell phones and landlines were not working. There was an effort to provide some shelter during the March 2018 storms, but that was attended to unevenly through volunteer hours, only as those generous people were able to monitor an empty room with few resources, where there were no computers and the internet connection was not functioning. A more logical way to meet the town’s needs during such a time would be to make use of a library. It would be staffed as usual, 73 hours per week by paid staff during storm events. Warren residents made good use of their library during the March power outages; people were sitting on the floor because the library was so crowded. Watchung residents deserve to be taken care of in their own town during such a time, not forced to seek out shelter by having to drive to other towns. Watchung Library was not open much during the March storms because the furnace was not functioning and the site was not plowed for access; building renovations would correct that issue.
Doesn’t Watchung need to save its money to improve the schools?
If we’re worried about Watchung schools continuing to provide a strong education to our students, it’s absolutely the wrong time to close a library. Libraries support education, and Watchung staff has repeatedly been given awards for promoting early reading programs. Watchung Library staff go into the schools to support reading, a foundation of education. This is the wrong time to be removing educational resources from the town, when everyone is aware of how much schools matter.
Can’t the library just be replaced by Amazon already?
Watchung has nearly 49,000 items available for free borrowing in the local branch, and is much more than just books, music and video. Programs are available for all ages. Those offerings and the community engagement involved cannot be reasonably replaced by Amazon. And the fact that the circulation and usage numbers are so compelling tells us that patrons don’t want to replace their local library with any online service. People are still using libraries!
I don’t really use the library much. I never have.
That may be. But are you sure you will NEVER want to use the services the library offers? Once a library is closed, it rarely reopens; what’s gone is gone. Perhaps if you haven’t been to a library lately, you may not be aware of the many broad services a modern library offers; it’s much more than when any of us were kids. Libraries have changed and evolved like most other things that endure and continue to serve the public. And as life stages change, our own needs change and library services may serve us better in one stage of life more than another–but we all go through those stages. As one of our neighbors said, ‘I don’t really use the library, but it’s nice to know it’s there.’
Many of us don’t use the schools, the tennis courts, the parks by the lakes, the baseball fields–and even if our families DO use them, the time for each of those stages goes by in the blink of an eye. One moment it feels like your life revolves around the baseball fields, the next you never ever cross that clunky bridge going over the little creek.
These resources are enhancements that make our town livable and enjoyable. The library is a resource for all ages and all stages of life. It is worth having, and it makes the town a better place.
Watchung applied for but did not secure grant funding to build a new library in the borough. At present, it appears that the most likely route to an improved library in town is at 12 Stirling Road, the building that was for many years the Pratt family residence. The building has limitations and defects for continued use as a public building. It was built as a private home and the attempt to repurpose it for heavy public use has limited the the scope of the library's service.
The building is not ADA compliant--32 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed--and does not have adequate community meeting, group or quiet study space. It consists of a series of rooms designed as living rooms and bedrooms, rather than a large flexible space. A professional engineering study has shown that the floor joists are not adequate for the structure. Wind and rain whip through the building's drafty old windows and spotty roof. The electrical system is inadequate such that the copy machine and the air conditioner cannot be run at the same time. The HVAC system is old and subject to frequent breakdowns. One must duck their head to descend the only stairway in the building, which creaks and shifts and stops short of even going to the lower level community room. It is up to Borough Council to come up with a plan to renovate the structure to address these many deficiencies.
What about shared services? Isn’t that a good way to lower expenses for a town like Watchung?
Library services are ALREADY shared amongst the members of the Somerset County Library System (SCLS), including Watchung. Watchung residents pay into the system, which is shared by ten towns in the county, and the system provides everything inside the building, except the building itself, which is owned by the town. The concept of sharing also does mean bringing something to the table to share. Continuing to participate in SCLS without hosting a library building would be like joining a car pool but never offering to drive. It doesn’t feel very fair and it’s not sustainable.
In addition to all the services and staffing, SCLS rebates the borough about $6,700 per year. Without a building, that money would go to another town.
What exactly does SCLS provide in the Watchung Branch?
SCLS easily provides $1,000,000 worth of staffing and resources to Watchung every year–far greater than the dollar amount Watchung pays in county library taxes.
In the Watchung branch alone, SCLS provides the following and much more:
• staffing–covering more than 280 staff-hours per week, including professional and part-time staff,
• materials (about 48,000 items in that building alone) for borrowing and for reference: books, audio books, dvd’s, cd’s, magazines, newspapers, video games and more,
• technology: public-access computers, printers, scanners, WiFi, in-library digital access to newspapers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and ChromeBooks for use in the library,
• events like story times and book clubs and game nights and summer reading programming and special visits by animal experts and musicians and scientists etc.
• services: museum passes for free access to area museums; notary services; help with job searches and genealogy research; exam proctoring
• phone service for the branch
and much more.
If Watchung Library closed, would I still see a ‘county library tax’ on my annual tax bill?
YES, that tax would not change one cent whether Watchung has a library building or not, and you will still be assessed the same amount. However what Watchung residents would get back in turn for their taxes would change dramatically. Your value for the dollars spent would plummet. There would no longer be LOCAL library services here in Watchung. We would be paying for library services in other towns that participate in SCLS, but all that we would be getting in return for that money is borrowing privileges IN ANOTHER TOWN: towns like Warren and North Plainfield—nowhere anyone in Watchung could walk to, and towns that are primarily geared toward serving their own residents. Some libraries are in fact quite a long drive–Peapack, Rocky Hill, Bridgewater–and not at all practical for Watchung residents. Our taxes would be boosting property values in other towns, meanwhile allowing our own services to falter.
Wasn’t there already a referendum to close the library a long time ago?
No, Watchung has never put a referendum to close the library on any ballot. In 2012 there was a referendum question about spending money on a larger, 17,000-square-foot library building. That plan was turned down by Watchung voters by 115 votes. It was a question about specific spending for a specific plan. Since that time, Borough Council has worked with the architect on a modified, scaled-down reconstruction project, using part of the present building within the existing footprint and foundation. The revised plans are for a 10,000 square-foot building. During these last eight years, borough finances have improved, outstanding debt has decreased, and bond costs have gone down, making capital spending more affordable. Plus the unique opportunity has come up for New Jersey State matching grant money (a grant award, not a loan), a unique opportunity to apply for state money to help pay for the project.
Do we even NEED libraries anymore?
Very much so. Libraries provide lifelong learning opportunities for all ages, from story times and board books for young children to Mah Jong and tech teaching sessions for seniors–and something for everyone in between. They offer community engagement and reference resources that are not replicated online. They are that ‘third place’ that commercial establishments like Starbucks or Indigo only wish they could be–neither home nor work, a place for neighbors to gather and exchange ideas. Modern libraries even often offer a coffee/tea station, and one was included in the floor plans proposed in Watchung! An improved meeting space in Watchung would open the library up to a wealth of appealing programming, such as concerts and community events, and provide a venue for more community activities. The old library building has inadequate space for the community events that take place in modern libraries; the configuration of the new building would include accessible meeting space for more people than can be accommodated in the old building.
Does anyone even USE libraries anymore?
Visitors to Watchung Library totalled 35,722 visits in 2019. And 46,833 items were loaned out. Programs were attended by 4,498 people. Yes, unquestionably, Watchung Library is well-used, despite the limitations of its space. During the beginning of the pandemic, the library served patrons with curbside materials pick-ups, and from July 2020 the building has been reopened and available to residents.
Doesn’t the town really need some kind of shelter or gathering place during storms and power outages?
During Superstorm Sandy, when many Watchung residents lost electrical power and internet, they were forced to go to Warren buildings for emergency information, warming and charging and internet access–so they could communicate with loved ones and notify PSEG of outages. Even cell phones and landlines were not working. There was an effort to provide some shelter during the March 2018 storms, but that was attended to unevenly through volunteer hours, only as those generous people were able to monitor an empty room with few resources, where there were no computers and the internet connection was not functioning. A more logical way to meet the town’s needs during such a time would be to make use of a library. It would be staffed as usual, 73 hours per week by paid staff during storm events. Warren residents made good use of their library during the March power outages; people were sitting on the floor because the library was so crowded. Watchung residents deserve to be taken care of in their own town during such a time, not forced to seek out shelter by having to drive to other towns. Watchung Library was not open much during the March storms because the furnace was not functioning and the site was not plowed for access; building renovations would correct that issue.
Doesn’t Watchung need to save its money to improve the schools?
If we’re worried about Watchung schools continuing to provide a strong education to our students, it’s absolutely the wrong time to close a library. Libraries support education, and Watchung staff has repeatedly been given awards for promoting early reading programs. Watchung Library staff go into the schools to support reading, a foundation of education. This is the wrong time to be removing educational resources from the town, when everyone is aware of how much schools matter.
Can’t the library just be replaced by Amazon already?
Watchung has nearly 49,000 items available for free borrowing in the local branch, and is much more than just books, music and video. Programs are available for all ages. Those offerings and the community engagement involved cannot be reasonably replaced by Amazon. And the fact that the circulation and usage numbers are so compelling tells us that patrons don’t want to replace their local library with any online service. People are still using libraries!
I don’t really use the library much. I never have.
That may be. But are you sure you will NEVER want to use the services the library offers? Once a library is closed, it rarely reopens; what’s gone is gone. Perhaps if you haven’t been to a library lately, you may not be aware of the many broad services a modern library offers; it’s much more than when any of us were kids. Libraries have changed and evolved like most other things that endure and continue to serve the public. And as life stages change, our own needs change and library services may serve us better in one stage of life more than another–but we all go through those stages. As one of our neighbors said, ‘I don’t really use the library, but it’s nice to know it’s there.’
Many of us don’t use the schools, the tennis courts, the parks by the lakes, the baseball fields–and even if our families DO use them, the time for each of those stages goes by in the blink of an eye. One moment it feels like your life revolves around the baseball fields, the next you never ever cross that clunky bridge going over the little creek.
These resources are enhancements that make our town livable and enjoyable. The library is a resource for all ages and all stages of life. It is worth having, and it makes the town a better place.