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March 19, 2010

East Hanover library might use its savings to renovate or expand

DailyRecord.com
By JAKE REMALY • STAFF WRITER • March 18, 2010

EAST HANOVER -- The library Board of Trustees voted at its most recent meeting to hire an architect to show how the East Hanover Library could use its savings to renovate and possibly expand, library director Gayle Carlson said.
Once library officials have detailed plans, the board will review what options are
available and see how much renovations would cost, Carlson said.

The possible improvements range from installing fire suppression sprinklers and bringing old wiring up to code in older parts of the library, to building an addition for a computer lab and the library's media collection. The lab would enable the library to offer computer classes, Carlson said.

The board unanimously voted at its March 9 meeting to hire architect Robert Russell, of Princeton-based Holt Morgan and Russell, who has done previous consulting work for the library, Carlson said.

Trustees have said they would commit $650,000 to $750,000 from the library's savings for renovations, Carlson said. The library has accumulated roughly $900,000 in savings over the years.

"We know we cannot go to the town for additional money. This is just from our savings. We have to see how far our savings will go,'' Carlson said in an interview Wednesday.

The library added a wing for the children's section about 10 years ago.

The library receives funding from the town each year based on a formula set by the state. The formula dictates the library will receive $1,346,258 this year, an increase of about $100,000 because East Hanover's tax base increased.

The library this year budgeted about $850,000 for salaries and benefits, and $150,000 for materials, Carlson said. It also budgets for maintenance, computers, utilities, insurance and programming, among other expenses, she said.

One township resident, Mario Accumanno, has said the library shouldn't be spending money freely when school boards, municipalities and residents have had to "tighten their belts.'' He believes the library's extra money should somehow be given back to the town.

"No one wants to take away from the library the money that is needed to successfully operate the wonderful service it provides,'' he wrote in a letter to the Daily Record. "But the public should not be taken advantage of either ... This free and easy spending has to stop.''

The library board's next meeting is on Tuesday, April 13, at 5:45 p.m. in the library, 415 Ridgedale Ave. Members of the public are welcome to speak.
Jake Remaly: 973-428-6621; jremaly1@gannett.com

Posted by tumulty at March 19, 2010 12:23 PM

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