Glen Ridge Library to Close Children's Area in April for Furniture Installation, Weighs Sound-Barrier Fix for Teen Space
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The Glen Ridge Public Library Board of Trustees, meeting February 12, 2025, confirmed that the Children's Office will close for renovation as new shelves and desks are installed. The Children's area will shut down from April 14 through April 21, overlapping with the town schools' spring break to limit disruption to families; the library will also be closed April 18 for Good Friday. New furniture installation is specifically scheduled for April 16-17, and the library is coordinating with the Borough of Glen Ridge on short-term storage during the closure.
The Board also continued work on an acoustic project to stop sound from carrying out of the Young Adult area, considering single-pane glass panels for two windows and a door, with wood frames stained to match the library's décor. That work could be funded through the Library Construction Bond Act (LCBA) grant, and staff will bring back additional cost estimates for a double-pane option at a future meeting. Separately, a cracked whiteboard in Study Room 3 is being reviewed by the architect and contractor, with a possible fix expected by the March meeting.
On policy and safety matters, the Board voted unanimously to update its Safe Child Policy to add guidance on unattended adults in the Children's area, and unanimously approved replacing two internal and one external security camera for about $1,400 total. A separate quote was also received to upgrade additional aging security cameras, including the front-entrance and two interior cameras, after a locker-area camera was found disconnected. The Board unanimously approved the January 2025 bills, totaling $133,669.19, including a $76,745 payment to the Borough and a $40,673.95 payment to the BCCLS library consortium. The library also canceled its print subscription to the Star-Ledger after the paper ended print distribution, receiving a partial refund, and replaced it with a new digital NewsBank subscription running through April 2026.
Other items included unanimous approval of the library's 2024 Annual Report with edits made at the meeting; ongoing outreach efforts by Director Doody and staff member Sydney Young that have signed up seven teachers for library cards at Central Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue Schools; and word that the library's annual financial audit is underway, with results expected over the following months. The January 8 meeting minutes were approved, with trustee Geoffrey Darby abstaining. The Board also went into a closed executive session at 9:04 p.m., returning at 9:13 p.m., with no topic disclosed in the minutes; trustees Damein Phoenix and Jeanna Velechko were not recorded as present for that portion. The Friends of the Library reported first-quarter revenue of $4,736.83, exceeding its budget target, and purchased new equipment including a "Meeting Owl" video device and Library of Things tools.
What to watch
- The Strategic Planning Committee will hold a follow-up meeting on February 26 to continue setting the library's five-year goals.
- Further cost estimates for double-pane acoustic glass in the Young Adult area are expected at a future Board meeting.
- A proposed fix for the cracked Study Room 3 whiteboard is expected to be presented by the March meeting.