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April 18, 2011

Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library in Washington nears completion of move, upgrade

Monday, April 11, 2011
By Jessica Beym
jbeym@sjnewsco.com
WASHINGTON TWP. The Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library is just a week or two away from moving into its new home.

The former Education and Information Resource Center on Delsea Drive no longer looks like its old self on the inside.

The walls have been painted bright, pastel blues and greens. The carpets have been installed. And the new dark, wooden doors are going in.

Aside from a few finishing touches, like security cameras and electrical work, the building is nearly ready to be filled with thousands of books, shelves, computers and eventually people.

"People are getting really excited," said Library Director Kim Rinaldi. "They want to know when we're closing, and more importantly when we're opening."

Rinaldi said the current library, located just around the corner on East Holly Avenue in a cramped, 10,000-square-foot building, will close the first week of May. The library staff will use that month to move all of its materials and furniture into the new building, in time for the grand opening scheduled for June 18.

In the meantime, library go-ers are invited to use their cards at any other library in Gloucester County, such as the libraries in nearby Pitman or Monroe Township, Rinaldi suggested.

While the month they are closed will seem like a while, Rinaldi said it's necessary to get set up and train the staff in the new, much-larger 20,000-square-foot building.

The library board is paying for the $2.1 million building through a lease-purchase agreement approved by the township council. Using about $1.7 million in surplus funds and the library's annual tax allotment, the board will be paying for the library and the cost of renovations and new supplies without borrowing money or asking for more money from the taxpayers.

"It's going to be great," Rinaldi said as she showed off the renovations. "We feel very stifled. There's a lot of things we want to do, but then we say we don't have anywhere to do it."

Children's programming at the Heggan Library has long been a popular feature, but with only one multi-purpose room used for meetings, activities and study time scheduling programs can be difficult, Rinaldi said.

Usually, children events are held before the library even opens, so those who are reading or using the computers aren't distracted by the noise. Soon, the children's coordinator won't have to fight for a time slot. The kids will have their own, bright and spacious room in the center of the library.

The kids area is surrounded on three sides by large glass windows, giving the library an open feeling, and letting the parents view their kids from other parts of the library. The kids will also have their own meeting space and bathroom.

Outside the children's area to the left of the entrance will be the teen section and a computer-lounge area with hi-top tables and magazines. The entire building will have Wi-Fi as well, Rinaldi said.

To the right of the main entrances, patrons will find a small alcove for a store dedicated to the Friends of the Margaret E. Heggan Library. There, they can sell books that are currently scattered on tables throughout the library.

The right side of the building will also have a large reference desk, dedicated computer room, doors to the two meeting rooms and access to three study rooms.

"Right now we only have one (study room) and people fight over it," Rinaldi said.

The meeting space has a room divider to allow for two events at once, or one larger meeting. Each side of the room has its own sink, Rinaldi noted.

The front entrance to the library also veers off to a short corridor, for those who are heading right to a meeting and don't need to walk through the main library. The hallway will also serve as a gallery with local art, and benches for patrons to come sit and use their cell phones, Rinaldi said.

"It's going to allow us to do so much more," Rinaldi said, pointing to the meeting rooms and spacious floor plan throughout the new library. "There's so much space. We're really excited."

Posted by tumulty at April 18, 2011 11:20 AM

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