Wayne library plans major upgrade
$6M project to redesign interior may take 7 years
By: Philip DeVencentis
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
WAYNE - The public library is planning one of the most ambitious projects in its history by totally redesigning its vast interior, which has only had piecemeal improvements until now.
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The estimated $6 million endeavor, which may not start before March 2027, will provide safer and smarter flow throughout the 44,000-square-foot building. The upgrades will give better access to all patrons, offering a bigger elevator, more parking spots and a wider entrance.
..... Library Director Ricardo Pino said the project could take seven years and that it will be done in stages.
..... The Library Board of Trustees prepared for the project by setting aside money from its operating budget of $4.8 million to pay for it. The capital reserve is sufficient, Pino said, to begin initial phases of the renovation, which officials save additional cash for future work.
..... "The general needs of the public, and what it expects from the library, have changed," Pino said.
..... The library at 461 Valley Road opened in February 1965, and back then, its entrance faced Nellis Drive.
..... The building was a quarter of tis current size, at 11,000 square feet, with shelf capacity for 55,000 books. Library annexes remained in the Mountain View and Preakness section of Wayne.
..... In June 1972m officials dedicated a 16,000-square-foot library addition. the number of volumes nearly tripled from what was held in the original collection, according to The Herald News, which published an clarities two days in advance of the special event.
..... Finlay, in June 2000, the township hailed the opening of a 17,000-square-foot library expansion that cost $3.3 million and required more than two years to finish.
..... The fragmented growth of the library has caused unintended problems that the renovation will fix, Pino said.
..... The latest expansion oriented the library entrance toward Valley Road, but many materials are kept on the opposite side of the building because that is where the front door had been. The elevator is tucked in a rear corner, and Pino said it is not big enough to fit an ambulance gurney.
..... The mezzanine is generally not sued by patrons for that reason, Pino said. Safer access will allow the library to sue rooms on that level for public gatherings, rather than for offices.
..... Climate control is also a common issue, Pino said, noting that certain parts of the library cool more efficiently than others. Rooftop air handlers were not installed at the same time, he added.
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The most glaring problem, perhaps, is that much of the library has 7-foot shelving in unbroken lengths - an outdated way to fill space. The new design will incorporate extra meeting rooms and fewer bookcases, Pino said.
..... Our library is in a unique position to address these challenges by undertaking a project that takes a holistic view of the facility," Pino said. "It's not enough to meet the minimum standard - we should go beyond it."