The Hoboken Public Library hosted a town hall at the Multi Service Center on Thursday, Sept 23 to discuss how it can better fulfill the needs of the community. Approximately 25 people turned out.
The discussion was monitored by a panel of library officials including Library Director of the Hoboken Public Library Lina Podles, Board President Allen Kratz of the Board of Trustees, and Alan and Leslie Burger, library consultants.
The library decided to host the town hall to have a better understanding of the community’s needs and to strategically plan for the future of the library, which is more than 100 years old.
The library is located at 500 Park Ave., on Church Square Park.
Leslie Burger, one of the library’s consultants and former director of the Princeton Library, said libraries face the unique challenge of serving five generations of people at once, and need to be able to provide services for children from the digital age and those who may never understand new technology.
Leslie Burger also said that libraries across the country have begun to think of themselves “as centers for lifelong learning” as well community centers.
“Strategic planning is really important part of our providing optimal services to members of the community.” – Allen Kratz
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She explained that libraries are no longer primarily in the transaction business, for which someone can rent a book, but rather are the “community living room.”
Members of the community offered suggestions and opinions as to what they want the library to become in the future.
Several members of the community stated they loved all the programs the library has been offering but that there is occasionally a mix up of dates and times of certain programs, when they see contradictions in dates between The Hoboken Reporter the flyers, and the library newsletter.
Paul Somerville, a lifelong resident of Hoboken, suggested that the library keep a calendar of certain community events as well as their own. “Because the political environment in Hoboken is potentially so charged with an ever changing administration, the logical, in my opinion, neutral party for the keeper of the community calendar is the library, “ said Somerville.
Somerville also wanted to see the library become a repository for historical items so that local residents can go there to do research instead of going to Newark, Jersey City, or New York.
A few residents spoke about the difficulty of modernizing the library within limited space of a historical building, and the difficult of making it more comfortable and friendly.
Kratz said that the library is renovating space in its lower level and expanded by about 33percent by taking over some space in the neighboring building previously used by the Hudson School. That school has since moved a few blocks away to 601 Park Ave.
According to Podles this space will be geared towards the library’s programming.
Quentin Wiest, business administrator of the city of Hoboken, said that he remembered going to the library for the first time when he was in the second or third grade and that he believes its important to remember that the building needs to be designed “for all ages and all sizes as its important to consider and understand the perspectives of youngsters.”
Attendees suggested that the library host discussions of films, music programs, and a range of digital subscriptions for sites like Spotify.
Jane Porges said that she believes the library should tap into the community’s range of talented residents.
“I have run in to so many talented people there’s a really vibrant community and I think the success of the library or any facility in a community such as this, it can not be limited to a competent board and competent consultants,” said Porges.
The strategic planning process should be completed by the end of the year or beginning of next year, according to Leslie Burger and Alan Burger.
Alan Burger said that over the next few weeks they will meet with focus groups to gather more information on what the community wishes the library to be.
Members of the community can participate through the library’s online survey found on there website.
According to Alan Burger, if survey takers leave an email address, they will be automatically entered to win one of three iPads.
Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.