What’s happening with the library construction?

The library construction seems stalled.  Is there a schedule or a completion date?  


I’m not sure of the date of this Update on the Library’s website (well, it says Nov), but it’s worth reading:

https://www.maplewoodlibrary.org/expansion-updates-blog/2022/11/15/demolition-update-november-15-2022

Obviously, we’d need to check that all the asbestos has been removed as materials are moved…I’m assuming so but it might be hard to complete with heavy snow around. ???Anyone???


No snow.  70 degrees out and a bit rainy today.


BillF said:

The library construction seems stalled.  Is there a schedule or a completion date?  

Check the library website for updates or contact the library and ask.



How will it be protected from the next flood?


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

How will it be protected from the next flood?

Utilities will be on the uppermost level.  Former building had them in the basement.  For additional specifics on materials used and such, check out the library website.


I was told "don't worry about it, we planned for that" (paraphrased).  In my opinion, if there is another basement, it is going to be flooded.  This is prime flooding territory.  If it were beachfront, it would have been built on stilts with the first floor elevated.  Apparently the direness of the situation has not yet penetrated to the people in charge of planning.  At this point it is assuredly too late.


mrmaplewood said:

I was told "don't worry about it, we planned for that" (paraphrased).  In my opinion, if there is another basement, it is going to be flooded.  This is prime flooding territory.  If it were beachfront, it would have been built on stilts with the first floor elevated.  Apparently the direness of the situation has not yet penetrated to the people in charge of planning.  At this point it is assuredly too late.

Your problem is, you think too much.


Memory.  Remember Ida?


Does anyone know why they are saving some of the walls?

(edited to add:  this is probably due to the aesbestos removal. But that seems to be taking a looonnng time.)


Speaking of walls, here's an off the wall question, is there any reason why Maplewood and South Orange couldn't share a library? Ours is going to be renovated too and I saw a number of $16 million. There is a grant of $6 million. I've been to both libraries and in 27 years I've never had to wait on line to get in.

Lots of spending going on and so far I haven't able to get $4000 placed in reserve for spay/ neuter vouchers for residents, to keep up with TNR (Trap Neuter Return) with respect to our ordinance.


Maplewood currently shares its library with over 70 other libraries through the BCCLS system.  If SO were to join BCCLS, SO would share libraries with Maplewood too. 


I think SO librarians are civil service employees  which somehow would make a difference. I'm not sure how this works and would like to be informed. How does this work and why?


galileo said:

I think SO librarians are civil service employees  which somehow would make a difference. I'm not sure how this works and would like to be informed. How does this work and why?

I think the question is about one big library instead of two smaller ones.... maybe 1 1/2 times the size of the present two. How many copies of books and stuff are duplicates?

Or

Say, we have two libraries, one in each town of 10,000 s.f.  Why not have one 15,000 sf building?


Things like BCCLS and the availability of stuff in digital format probably favor consolidation but it is nice to have a library to wander around in and sit and read.  


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

galileo said:

I think SO librarians are civil service employees  which somehow would make a difference. I'm not sure how this works and would like to be informed. How does this work and why?

I think the question is about one big library instead of two smaller ones.... maybe 1 1/2 times the size of the present two. How many copies of books and stuff are duplicates?

Or

Say, we have two libraries, one in each town of 10,000 s.f.  Why not have one 15,000 sf building?

Well, I am all in favor of merging libraries, but not eliminating them.  People need to be able to walk to libraries, both the TWO in Maplewood and the one in SO.  And both systems are in the middle of major rebuilds and upgrades, so certainly closing buildings is not the way to go.  I think a merger with a larger single system as a result could provide better access for everyone.  There may be some minor savings to glean somewhere, possibly in IT or in getting better staff distributions but really it should be about providing a better system while inching closer to the one town idea.


Even though South Orange library is not part of the BCCLS system which Maplewood is (and as a Maplewood resident I appreciate the BCCLS consortium very much) South Orange is part of the ReBL program which gives one access to about 21 libraries in Essex County. "The Reciprocal Borrowing and Lending Consortium allows ReBL card holders to access 21 member libraries (listed below) in Essex County (NJ)."

I personally have used South Orange library a lot but less so in later years given the BCCLS consortium and the ability to have books brought to me from out of town libraries to pick up at my Maplewood library.

And I am in favor of each town keeping their own libraries because libraries are great and there should be many of them. Having to wait on a permit from your town as opposed to no wait to get into your library is a false equivalence and is silly. 

The mergers of the Fire Departments and the use of the Maplewood Court by both towns by the way has been a big money saver.

Wendy Lauter


Like I said, I would merge them without closing any buildings.


DanDietrich said:

Like I said, I would merge them without closing any buildings.

What would that accomplish then? I assume you are aware of the BCCLS system to which Maplewood belongs as well as the ReBL system to which Maplewood and South Orange belong. South Orange opted not be part of BCCLS for some reason and since I am not a resident of South Orange I don't know the details of that reason and it doesn't pay to speculate.


My understanding is that you have to be a certain size to qualify for joining the BCCLS, but I could be wrong about that.  I think that combining libraries would get both systems into both towns, and that there might be savings now and in the future through combined IT.  Perhaps combining various library based community programs would share one towns expertise with the other, and vice versa.  I don't know what certifications the state requires for staff, but we might save money there if one librarian certified in something can handle that something in both towns.  Finally, the eventual goal in my mind is to join the towns.  This is one more step in that direction.  



DanDietrich said:

My understanding is that you have to be a certain size to qualify for joining the BCCLS, but I could be wrong about that.  I think that combining libraries would get both systems into both towns, and that there might be savings now and in the future through combined IT.  Perhaps combining various library based community programs would share one towns expertise with the other, and vice versa.  I don't know what certifications the state requires for staff, but we might save money there if one librarian certified in something can handle that something in both towns.  Finally, the eventual goal in my mind is to join the towns.  This is one more step in that direction.  

Your understanding about joining the BCCLS with size requirements is wrong. In your earlier point you said there would not be much savings and I agree. As to your other points, the towns' community programs are always open to the public of both towns and each one of them has an excellent roster of librarians and expertise. Not broken; no need to fix or even improve by joining them together. 

My main point earlier was in the post of Morgana who was complaining about the library budget versus the wait she had for licenses about pets or something.


I'm glad you know more than me.  What are the requirements for the BCCLS?  What does it cost?  Why isn't South Orange a member?  I still don't see any reason why they should not be merged, other than resistance to merging the towns eventually.  



DanDietrich said:

I'm glad you know more than me.  What are the requirements for the BCCLS?  What does it cost?  Why isn't South Orange a member?  I still don't see any reason why they should not be merged, other than resistance to merging the towns eventually.  

Maplewood already belongs to BCCLS and ReBL.  We would not need to merge with SO to have access to both systems.  I don't know why SO has chosen not to join BCCLS.  That would be a question for South Orange's Library Director and/or Library Board of Directors.


The Maplewood Library’s BCCLS implementation fee in 2014 was listed in the township budget as $28,825. In 2019, the BCCLS system created an in-house delivery service with a $9,000 charge for member libraries that first year.

The South Orange Public Library’s operations budget for 2022 of about $200,000 was one-third the Maplewood Library’s operations budget.

(As for staffing, SOPL’s costs of $920,500 were about two-thirds of Maplewood’s.)


Thanks for that info Dave. I suppose the budget differences helps to explain why South Orange chose not to become a member library in the BCCLS. This is a good example of each town's autonomy and decision making about where to allocate its monies. No judgement but I'm glad Maplewood is a member (given that I am a resident of Maplewood). Perhaps if I were a South Orange resident I'd try to lobby my representatives for more monies for my library but that is all hypothetical.


wendy said:



My main point earlier was in the post of Morgana who was complaining about the library budget versus the wait she had for licenses about pets or something.

Wait, what?

I asked if we could combine libraries as the cost of renovation is $16,000,000 for South Orange.

I commented  that  I had asked for a reserve of $4,000 in spay neuter vouchers to help with Trap Neuter Return for community cats as we lost St.Hubert's and I was asked if  I could volunteer to help residents.

Volunteering as a 501C3, I based that number on the amount of spays and neuters St. Hubert's did for us. Nothing at all in it for me and so far no vouchers. 


Morganna

Apr 9, 2023 at 9:49am

Speaking of walls, here's an off the wall question, is there any reason why Maplewood and South Orange couldn't share a library? Ours is going to be renovated too and I saw a number of $16 million. There is a grant of $6 million. I've been to both libraries and in 27 years I've never had to wait on line to get in.

Lots of spending going on and so far I haven't able to get $4000 placed in reserve for spay/ neuter vouchers for residents, to keep up with TNR (Trap Neuter Return) with respect to our ordinance.



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