Glen Ridge Library to Retire 3D Printing Service as Board Reviews Budget, Plans for Trustee Departure

The Glen Ridge Public Library Board of Trustees met October 9, 2024, with the library's Director recommending the retirement of the 3D printing and Makerspace service due to declining patron use and diminishing staff expertise in running it. Before shutting it down for good, Trustee Damein Phoenix will check whether Glen Ridge schools want the 3D printer before it's offered to another library in the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS) network.

On finances, the Board learned that the state's required pension/tax levy contribution for 2025 will rise by $70,000 compared to the prior year, and library budget planning for 2025 has begun following receipt of the minimum funding number, with the Director set to meet with the Borough on a shared services agreement. A budget-versus-actuals report showed a roughly $234,000 gap between budgeted and actual appropriation revenue through the third quarter, though the report's blank October-through-December columns indicate the figures are incomplete rather than a final shortfall. September bills totaled about $52,050, including a $26,615 payment to the Borough of Glen Ridge and $5,000 to architect Daniel Kopec for building services. Grant-funded capital work continued, with nearly $181,000 in LCBA Grant funds spent on projects including mezzanine acoustics work and a security camera installation; a separate $2,830 hand dryer purchase and other materials expenses were also approved as part of routine bills. The library's Cash Management Fund has already generated $11,600 in revenue, exceeding its full-year budget of $10,000.

New digital offerings were a focus: the Board unanimously approved a $1,351 subscription to Comics Plus, a digital comics and anime resource for young people and adults, and a new Freegal music streaming subscription launched October 1. However, the library will not pursue a consumer version of EBSCO's "Book Chat" recommendation feature after learning EBSCO plans to discontinue it within eight months; a related BookChat service signed separately will also be discontinued, in June 2025, prompting staff to look for alternatives rather than commit to a short-term fix. Noise complaints about the building's chiller prompted insulation work, even though the unit meets noise standards, and the Borough and library are pursuing a consolidated HVAC contract. Carpet cleaning is scheduled for October 14, with second-floor flooring installation tentatively planned for early November as final grant projects wrap up.

In board business, the September 11 meeting minutes were approved with Geoffrey Darby and Damein Phoenix abstaining. The Board approved the 2025 Holiday Calendar unanimously, with a minor change unifying pre-holiday closing times. Trustee Deanna Pagano announced she will not seek another term when hers ends in December, prompting the Board to begin reviewing past applicants and strategic-plan participants as potential replacements; Tina Payne expressed interest in taking over secretary duties. The Friends of the Library's town-wide yard sale raised $4,850 despite rain for a third consecutive year, with 98 households participating. The library's strategic-plan survey has drawn 766 responses, more than double a prior survey's total and well above the threshold for statistical significance, with outreach planned at the high school to boost youth participation. The Glen Ridge Historical Society asked for a library presence at its meetings, and Tina Marie Doody or Helen Beckert will look into attending if schedules allow.

What to watch

• The Board plans to review past board applicants and strategic-plan participants to fill Deanna Pagano's seat after her December departure.
• Second-floor flooring installation is tentatively planned for the first week of November.
• A Fall Shredding Day will be held Saturday, October 26, in the Central School parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.