The Jersey City Main Public Library will getting new computers and making much needed repairs to its book stacks this year as part of its revised technology plan and capital improvement program.
According to Gerald Sheehan, the library’s supervisor of Network operations, all 12 Jersey City libraries will receive six new computers provided by a $206,765 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Foundation, founded in 2000 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, provides funding for low-income area libraries to acquire needed computers and Internet access.
"Presently we have 74 computers in all the branches, including those used by administrators and patrons looking for reference information," said Sheehan. "We will be getting 72 new computers which will be distributed to all 12 branches."
Included in the grant, said Sheehan, is student-oriented software such as Encarta, which allows patrons to quickly call up needed information.
"There is also additional money for network wiring and hook-ups," added Sheehan.
Most of the branches will have no problems accommodating the new computers, Sheehan stated. However, difficulties may arise with smaller locations such as the Marion and Pavonia Branch Libraries.
"There are only four foot book shelves in some of the branches and the space is pretty tight," Sheehan said, adding the requirements of the grant is that all the library branches have same number of computers.
"We’ll have to see what we can do with rearranging things," said Sheehan.
Discounts on telecom
Sheehan also said the library will receive discounts from the Universal Service Fund on telecom and Internet services. The Universal Service Fund is headed by the Federal Communications Commission, Sheehan explained, and provides discounts to schools and libraries for the cost of telecommunications and the Internet.
"The fund will reimburse us the discount of monthly phone bills between the main library and the branches," said Sheehan. "The discount is based on the number of school children participating in the federal school lunch program in a particular city. In our case, the discount is 84 percent."
For Internet costs, the Fund will automatically deduct the 84 percent discount from the library’s bill from Verizon before the bill is sent out, Sheehan added.
"In terms of technology, we want to keep current," stated Sheehan.
To that end, Sheehan the security cameras at all library branches will be run over the computer network to one central location.
"This will allow us to monitor any location we have a camera without running it through a phone line," Sheehan explained. "This is an ongoing process. The whole role of the library has changed due to the computer and the Internet."
Construction in the future
Jersey City Public Library Director Priscilla Gardner is enthusiastic about the structural changes for the library’s main branch. A facet of the 10-year capital improvement program for the library that is scheduled for this year is the reconstruction of the book stack building.
According to Gardner, the seven-story addition to the main building has fallen into disrepair.
"It is falling down and very dangerous," said Gardner.
The building will be undergo reconstruction, which will include work on the exterior masonry walls and window replacement.
"In addition, there will be a fire suppression system installed," said Gardner. "A sprinkler system will be put in the basement."
Right now, the majority of the books which were housed in the stacks of the main branch have been moved either to the basement or to the Greenville Branch on Kennedy Boulevard, Gardner stated.
The current budget for the Jersey City Public Library system is $27.4 million. Gardner said $7 million went toward the operating budget, which includes salaries, the cost of medical benefits and the operation of facilities. The remaining $20.4 million is the capital improvements budget and covers construction and improvement costs for the library’s physical plant.
According to the capital budget, the cost of the main library stack replacement will be $3,387,000.
Also projected for rehabilitation are the main branch’s Reference and New Jersey Room, a repository of historic documents.
"There is going to be an air conditioning unit installed in the storage area," said Gardner. "The shelves in the New Jersey Room are beginning to warp and need to be replaced."
Repairs in the New Jersey Room are budgeted at $75,000, while $60,000 will go toward improvements to storage facilities in the reference department.
"Those areas have not been repaired in 10 years," Gardner said. "There is rusting on the metal shelves and they need replacing."
Gardner said the upcoming improvements to the library will greatly enhance services to the people of Jersey City.