CLINTON, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — The North County Branch of the Hunterdon County Library is set to undergo a major interior renovation that will add new spaces for community meetings, group study and remote work while expanding and improving the Children’s Area.
The improvements are aimed at better serving the more than 150,000 visitors who use the branch each year, according to Hunterdon County officials.
“The North County Branch has become an important gathering place for residents throughout northern Hunterdon County, and these renovations will give the community more opportunities to meet, study, work and participate in library programs,” said Commissioner Zach Rich, liaison to the Hunterdon County Library. “This investment will help ensure the branch continues to meet the needs of residents for many years to come.”
The project will add two small group study rooms and a new community room, providing additional space for library programming as well as meetings and gatherings for local organizations.
County officials said demand for meeting space at the branch is already significant. During the past 12 months, the existing meeting room was booked 703 times for nearly 2,000 hours.
The two new study rooms will provide dedicated space for students, remote workers and small groups. Similar rooms at the library’s headquarters were booked more than 1,500 times during the past year, according to the county.
“The Library is constantly evolving to try and meet the needs of our community, and this interior renovation is just another example,” said North County Branch Manager, Emily Witkowski. “We have had an increased demand for large and small meeting spaces and making these changes will better suit how our patrons want and need to use the Library: a place to attend community-led programs, a quiet space to log in to a virtual meeting, or a spot to meet with a small group in a quiet space.”
The renovation will also include improvements related to the HVAC installation that will provide additional usable space in the Children’s Area. An existing bench along the wall will be removed, allowing the library to reposition the public service desk away from a column and create more room for books, children and families.
The upcoming work follows other recent improvements at the North County Branch, including the redesign of the second floor and installation of a library generator.
County officials said the project represents the first major interior renovation of the North County Branch since the building was constructed in 1999.
“Public libraries continue to evolve as places where people come to learn, work, gather and connect with their community,” Rich said. “These improvements recognize how our residents use the Library today and will provide the North County Branch with more flexible, functional spaces to serve the community well into the future.”
The Hunterdon County Library system said it continues to invest in its facilities and services to provide residents throughout the county with modern, welcoming and functional library spaces.
