Glen Ridge Library Board Approves Acoustic Curtains, Digital Signage Upgrades at June Meeting

The Glen Ridge Public Library Board of Trustees approved spending up to $17,500 to install noise-reducing acoustic curtains with motorized rollers and a glass door, with the spending amount deliberately kept under the threshold that would have required a public bidding process. In a separate vote, the Board also approved up to $17,500 for a new interior digital signage system, including updated software. Both projects are expected to be finished over the summer.

In other financial business, the Library is moving an estimated $14,085 in excess Borough funding — including roughly $10,000 in interest income — into its Building Fund, held at the New Jersey Cash Management Fund. How that money will be spent won't be decided until the Board's September meeting. The Board also approved revisions to the Library's Personnel Manual, updating its dress code, its policy on controlled substances and being under the influence at work, and its federal holiday schedule, including a minor last-minute change to the drug-policy language. Separately, the Board reviewed May's bills, which totaled $92,670.05, including a $76,244.64 appropriation payment to the Borough of Glen Ridge, $1,656 for a fire-inspection and security system, and $4,938.04 for library materials. The Board also unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Library Director to pay bills during the Board's July and August summer meeting break, with those payments to be reviewed when the Board reconvenes in September.

Director Doody updated trustees on a New Jersey State Legislature bill introduced May 29 that addresses libraries paying up to ten times what retail consumers pay for digital content; she noted Connecticut has already passed similar legislation and said she would continue tracking the bill's progress. She also reported that newly installed security cameras are up and running properly, that paperwork has been filed to split the Library's cash management account into five separate accounts for different funds, and that the Canopy digital subscription service logged 236 plays in May. On the programming side, Doody said a virtual author event with Natalie Hodges drew weak turnout, which she attributed to the book's subject matter and a tight two-week reading window that included Memorial Day weekend. Staff are discussing bringing back an in-person book club. The popular adult Reader Rewards Program is ending June 16 as staff redirect marketing efforts toward the Library's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. The Director also announced a new partnership with Glen Ridge High School linking its summer reading list directly to the Library's catalog.

The Friends of the Library reported that locker software is being replaced because it won't run on Windows 11, and that Glen Ridge High School senior Riley O'Sullivan won the group's annual scholarship. Friends President Gordon Leavitt said he has secured a new sponsor for the town-wide yard sale, which offers sponsorship tiers up to a $1,000 "diamond" level. The yard sale is set for September 27, with a fall shredding day and author event still in the planning stages.

What to watch

• How the Library decides to use the $14,085 moved into the Building Fund, expected to be discussed at the September meeting.
• The Board's September review of summer bill payments made under the Director's authorization.
• Whether an in-person book club returns in the fall.
• Progress of the state legislation addressing digital content pricing for libraries.