Read what the Jersey Journal
wrote about the renovation, and view the photo gallery
The Main Branch of the Hoboken Public Library is being renovated, so…
“Please pardon our appearance”
The First Floor’s Children’s Collection, Media Collection, and Adult Lending Collection are all open, as are the Public Computer Area and Main Reading Room on the Second.
The Local History Collection is accessible by request. And the Lower Level– home to the Large Program and Garden/Small Program Room – is open.
Take advantage of the Library’s 24/7 Self-Service Lockers outside the Main Branch and outside the Branch at 124 Grand Street.
Ordering materials is just a click away at our online catalog.
By the way: How are we getting all the renovation materials to the Third Floor? Watch this video to find out.
Installation of a new HVAC System.
One of the major challenges of a century-old building is keeping it warm in the winter, and comfortable in the summer. The old HVAC system, installed many decades ago, was not equal to the task. Accordingly, a new, high efficiency HVAC system has been installed.
As part of that installation, new conduits were being installed in the existing chimney chase, necessitating placement of the scaffold, shown at right. This scaffold was installed in October 2021, and removed in January 2022.
The four pictures below, taken in late July 2021, show the level of work — and care — involved in the process.
The Main Reading Room is Under Construction.
The pictures illustrate how the work is progressing. On the left, below, is the Computer Room, showing the Reference Desk. To the right is the Local History Room. Our entire Local History Collection has been packed away, safely, to one day again grace the shelves of this special area.
The panoramic view below shows how the Main Reading Room is protected from the contractors’ work spaces.
Renovation of the Third Floor began in June 2021.
The long-awaited renovation of the Library’s Third Floor began in June 2021 and is nearing completion, as photos below show. When it’s complete, the Third Floor will once again be home to our Children’s and Teen/Tween Departments, with new furnishings, energy-efficient lighting, and other improvements that will use the latest, safest materials while retaining the historic nature of the Library building.
The TeenZone — formerly on the Third Floor — is located in the ground floor of Annex 2, 256 5th Street, right next to the Main Branch.
The Furnace.
Looking akin to something out of the children’s book Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, this mid-20th-century furnace has provided heat for over a century. It is unequal to the tasks now required of it, and is being replaced as part of an energy-efficient HVAC system.
A History of Service.
Since April 5, 1897, the Library building at 500 Park Avenue has been serving Hoboken’s diverse and ever-changing community. But a Library built in the 19th Century is not equal to the needs of a 21st Century community. And that is why the Trustees of the Hoboken Public Library have approved a staged renovation of the building.
Updated Monday, October 31, 2022 -MC