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February 15, 2010
Pearsall library to stop serving Jersey City residents
nj.com
By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
February 11, 2010, 3:35PM
The Pearsall Branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library will close Feb. 28. In addition the library's main branch is cutting its operating hours.After nearly 28 years of serving the public, the Pearsall Branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library will close Feb. 28.
“The current state of the economy is unfortunate,” Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said in a statement. “In search of ways to reduce spending, the closure of this branch – which is in great disrepair – is a necessary, but unfortunate action. We are encouraging residents in the area to utilize the newly renovated Greenville Branch Library.”
Library Director Priscilla Weaver-Gardner is out of the office and could not be reached for comment.
Jennifer Morrill, a spokeswoman for Healy, said she did not know if the closure would result in layoffs.
The library, located inside the old Grace Episcopal Church at 104 Pearsall Ave., has a low circulation compared to other branches. It is also within a mile of the Greenville Branch located at 1841 Kennedy Blvd., which recently saw $4 million in renovations, and is less than two miles from the Glenn D. Cunningham Branch at 275 Martin Luther King Drive.
The closure will save about $154,999 annually. The library not only pays rent, but also pays for utilities and covers the cost of maintaining the building.
The Bookmobile will stop outside 104 Pearsall Ave. every other Wednesday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. beginning Feb. 17.
In addition to the closure, the Main Branch of the library at 472 Jersey Ave. will reduce its hours starting March 1.
The new hours will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday.
Posted by tumulty at February 15, 2010 10:55 AM
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