Glen Ridge Library Gets $5,000 Gift as Board Plans Staff Hire, Signage, and New Policies

The Glen Ridge Public Library Board of Trustees learned at its September 9, 2026 meeting that the library received a $5,000 unconditional bequest from James Kent Young, given in memory of his wife Patricia Ann Britten, a Glen Ridge native. Because the gift comes with no restrictions, the Board will decide later how to spend it.

Director Doody told the Board that a staff member plans to retire effective December 1, 2026. The library intends to first offer the open position to current substitute staff and will post the job externally if needed to fill it before the retirement date. Doody also proposed changes to the library's educational assistance reimbursement policy, including limiting the benefit to full- and part-time staff working at least 20 hours a week, shortening the required employment commitment after reimbursement from two years to one, requiring proof that an employee completed a course, and adding per-semester dollar limits; the Board expects to vote on these changes in October. A new tutor policy, setting rules for what tutors working with minors under 18 may and may not do and how they must be supervised, had its first reading, with Board approval also expected in October.

The library's new exterior signage has already been approved by the borough's Historic Preservation Commission. Funding approval from the Friends of the Library is expected September 16, and installation is targeted before winter. Separately, the library discontinued its French and Spanish Clubs because of staffing changes, replacing them with alternatives such as "Dragonheart," a Dungeons & Dragons-style game program.

Gordon Leavitt announced he will step down as President of the Friends of the Library effective December 31, 2026, after four years in the role, and asked Trustees to suggest possible successors. The Board also heard that new patron-counting technology was installed in July, but a technical failure in the shared library computer system left no usable data for May, June, and July; August was the first full month of reliable counts, and officials noted that older historical data had been inaccurate due to double-counting.

On finances, the Board approved the August 2026 bills list totaling $54,590, which included a $33,912 payment to the Borough and $9,200 for the library's share of a borough maintenance agreement. Combined June and July bills, previously approved in advance at the June meeting, totaled more than $188,000, including a $63,142.55 and $78,322.70 Borough appropriation payments in those respective months and an $11,841.50 disbursement from the Chapman/Griffith Trust in July. Treasurer Mr. Lefkovits reported that daily income is running about 28% ahead of budget and dividend income about 18% ahead, while expenses are running roughly 3.5% (about $36,000) below budget; the Board voted to accept the Treasurer's Report. Director Doody also reported that the library's elevator renovation needs were included in its response to the state's June 2026 Public Library Infrastructure Needs Report, and that she is pursuing state training on building maintenance oversight.

Other updates included progress on reupholstering the library's armchairs, which Doody said will be completed before year-end to meet a grant deadline tied to the Library Construction Bond Act program; a review of staff room redesign options with a designer, with a proposal expected to go to committee at a future date; and a first reading of a new Trustee Handbook meant to guide onboarding, with feedback sought before October on advocacy talking points, committee structure, and residency requirements for trustees. The Board also heard that a Friends-sponsored "Odyssey" movie and book event drew 75 attendees to a movie screening and 11 to a book discussion, with two similar events planned for the future, and that the Friends' Town-wide Yard Sale is scheduled for September 26, with 49 households registered so far. Trustees were reminded they must complete two hours of training each calendar year and report completion to Doody. The final roll call on the meeting's adjournment motion showed Trustees Damein Phoenix and Rohit Tote marked as absent or not recorded, with no reason given in the minutes.

What to watch

• Board votes expected in October on the revised educational assistance policy and the new tutor policy.
• Friends of the Library funding approval for new exterior signage expected September 16, with installation targeted before winter.
• The Town-wide Yard Sale is scheduled for September 26.
• A successor to Gordon Leavitt as Friends of the Library President has not yet been identified.