Back

Meet our stewards.

The Hoboken Public Library Board of Trustees meets on the Fourth Tuesday of the month, at 6:30 pm at the Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Avenue, Hoboken, NJ.  Meetings are held in the Large Program Room in the Main Library’s Lower Level.  These meetings are open to the public.

Hoboken Public Library Board of Trustees

Jerome Abernathy
5-Year Term: July 20, 2020 – June 30, 2025
President

Kurt Thoens
5-Year Term: July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2024
Treasurer

Susan Murcko
5-Year Term: June 3, 2021 – June 30, 2026
Secretary

Amanda R. Blaney
5-Year Term: July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2024

Raakhee Mirchandani
5-Year Term: June 3, 2021 – June 30, 2026

Jack Silbert
5-Year Term: July 20, 2020 – June 30, 2025

Damian DeBenedetto
5-Year Term: July 26, 2023 – June 30, 2028

Jason Freeman
Term of the Mayor
Mayor’s Representative

Malani Cademartori
Term of the Mayor
Board Superintendent Alternate

Mayor Ravi Bhalla
Ex-Officio

Dr. Christine Johnson
Superintendent of Schools

Jennie Pu
Library Director

Karla Aybar Reyes
Recording Secretary

Above information updated July 27, 2023 – PM

Library Board of Trustees: Meeting Dates for August 2023 – July 2024:

  • Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • 6:30pm • Agenda • Minutes*
  • Tuesday, November 26, 2024 • 6:30pm • Agenda • Minutes
  • Tuesday, October 22, 2024 • 6:30pm • Agenda • Minutes
  • Tuesday, September 24, 2024 • 6:30 pm • Agenda • Minutes
  • Tuesday, August 27, 2024 • 6:30 pm • Agenda • Minutes

Future meetings will be held: 

  • Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, January 28, 2025 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, February 25, 2025 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, March 25, 2025 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, April 22, 2025 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, May 27, 2025 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, June 24, 2025 • 6:30pm
  • Tuesday, July 22, 2025 • 6:30pm (Reorganization Meeting)

An executive session may or may not be held in conjunction with these meetings.

*Note: This information is not yet posted.  Meeting Agendas are generally posted the day of the meeting, and Meeting Minutes are not posted until they are approved at the following month’s meeting.

Read the Library’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, and Executive Summary

Read the Update to the Library’s Capital Master Plan, adopted on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.

Bylaws of the Board of Trustees of the Free Public Library of the City of Hoboken

Above section updated Dec. 4, 2024 – Phil Mendez

2023-2024 Meetings were held on the following dates:

Above information updated July 24, 2024 –  MS

2022-2023 Meetings were held on the following dates:

Above information updated July 27, 2023 –  PM

2021-2022 Meetings were held on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, July 26, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, June 28, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes 
  • Tuesday, May 24, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, April 26, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes This event will be held via Zoom
  • Tuesday, March 22, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes • This event will be held via Zoom
  • Saturday, February 26, 2022 • 9:30 am • Agenda • Board Retreat: No Minutes were taken
  • Tuesday, February 22, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, January 25, 2022 • 6:30 pm • Agenda •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, December 21, 2021 • 6:30 pm • Agenda  •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, November 16, 2021  • 6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, October 26, 2021 • 6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, September 28, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, August 24, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •  Minutes

Above information updated June 29, 2022 –  MC

2020-2021 Meetings were held on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, July 27, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, June 22, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •  Minutes
  • Tuesday, May 25, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, May 6, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, April 27, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, March 23, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, February 23, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, January 26, 2021  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, December 15, 2020  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, November 24, 2020  •  6:30 pm  •  Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, October 27, 2020   •   6:30 pm   •   Agenda  •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, September 22, 2020   •   6:30 pm   •   Agenda   •   Minutes
  • Tuesday, August 25, 2020   •   6:30 pm   •   Agenda   •    Minutes

– By order of the Library Board of Trustees resolution adopted at the annual reorganization meeting held on July 27th, 2020
Lina Podles, Library Director, Hoboken Public Library

Above section updated July 29, 2020 -MC

2019-2020 Meetings were held on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, August 27, 2019               6:30 pm        Agenda     Minutes
  • Tuesday, September 24, 2019     6:30 pm        Agenda     Minutes
  • Tuesday, October 22, 2019          6:30 pm        Agenda    Minutes
  • Tuesday, November 26, 2019      6:30 pm        Agenda     Minutes
  • Tuesday, December 17, 2019      6:30 pm        Agenda      Minutes
  • Tuesday, January 28, 2020      6:30 pm      Agenda      Minutes
  • Tuesday, February 25, 2020     6:30 pm      Agenda      Minutes
  • Tuesday, March 24, 2020          6:30 pm     Agenda       Minutes
  • Tuesday, April  28, 2020            6:30 pm    Agenda        Minutes
  • Thursday, May 14, 2020          6:30 pm       Agenda       Minutes*  SPECIAL MEETING
  • Tuesday, May 26, 2020            6:30 pm      Agenda        Minutes
  • Tuesday, June 23, 2020          6:30 pm       Agenda       Minutes   Note: Agenda contains ZOOM meeting information
  • Tuesday, July 28, 2020           6:30 pm        Agenda       Minutes*

By order of the Library Board off Trustees resolution adopted at the annual reorganization meeting held on July 23rd, 2019.
– Lina Podles, Library Director, Hoboken Public Library

Above section updated August 26, 2020 -MC

2018-2019 Meetings were held on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, January 22, 2019             6:30 pm         Agenda        Minutes
  • Monday, February 25, 2019             6:30 pm       Agenda        Minutes
    This was a change from the regular schedule of Tuesdays
  • Tuesday, March 26, 2019                 6:30 pm      Agenda          Minutes
  • Tuesday, April 23, 2019                  6:30 pm       Agenda          Minutes
  • Tuesday, May 28, 2019                  6:30 pm       Agenda          Minutes
  • Thursday, June 20, 2019                  6:30 pm       Agenda          Minutes
  • Tuesday, July 23, 2019                    6:30 pm       Agenda          Minutes

By order of the Library Board of Trustees resolution adopted at the annual reorganization meeting held on July 24th, 2018.
Lina Podles. Library Director, Hoboken Public Library.

Above section updated August 26, 2019-MC