By MADDY VITALE
The patrons of the Ocean City Free Public Library have an array of books, in-person and virtual events and entertainment to choose from on any given day.
Yet, while there is a long list of reading materials and activities at the library tucked inside the city’s Community Center at 1735 Simpson Ave., there are long-awaited plans to improve the building that dates to 1990.
The OCFPL Board of Trustees gave an update Monday on the library’s second floor renovation project, which includes an expanded Young Adult section, slated to begin in the fall.
There will be a slight delay so that the architect can review spacing issues to see about creating more room for office space and other improvements, library officials explained.
“We are still struggling with space. We are trying to fit so much in,” OCFPL Director Karen Mahar said during the board’s monthly meeting on Monday.
She noted that after speaking with OCFPL President Jennifer Shirk and Mayor Jay Gillian, all were in agreement to investigate doing a little more tweaking to the renovation plan.
Mahar added that they spoke about it with architect William McLees of William McLees Architecture in Somers Point.
“Hopefully, we will bring back more information at the next meeting,” she said.
The next OCFPL meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 4 p.m. via Zoom as well as in the Community Center.
In the meantime, library board members were going up to the second floor to do a walk-through and discuss some of the changes.
The project was stalled while the library unsuccessfully sought state funding to offset the estimated $1.3 million cost over the past few years. The city had already bonded for the project, so it can move forward, despite not receiving additional state funding.
The overall plan is to make the building more user-friendly and modernize it. The main improvement is to the Young Adults section, new furnishings, brighter lighting and more quiet space for study time as well as “maker space” for do-it-yourself types of projects, library officials said.
“Because of spacing issues, we’re still not satisfied, so Karen asked Bill McLees to look at other options to the rendering,” Shirk said.
The library was built in 1990 and was expanded in 2008, but has not been renovated since then, officials said.
As soon as the plans meet the approval of the board, the project can go out to bid. The hope is that despite a delay while the improvements are made to reconfigure some offices and other areas, the work can begin in the late fall.
In another matter involving a section in the Community Center, there was discussion about the city’s interest in overseeing the Stainton Senior Center at the Community Center. Cape May County is in charge of the senior center and its programming.
“Karen and I have a meeting with the mayor tomorrow to talk about to some collaboration with the library, since the city is looking to take over the senior center,” Shirk said. “That is exciting to learn.”
Shirk added that they could work together to best utilize the space.
“The city knows the needs more than the county,” she pointed out.
Specifically, the city would go into an operations agreement with the county for the senior center, if approved by the county.
“I’m sure the city has ideas on what they would like to see happening at the Senior Center,” Shirk said. “But it’s nice to have a collaborative effort and see what services the library could bring there as well.”
In other business, newly appointed Library Board of Trustees member Dave Winslow, who filled the seat vacated by longtime board member Brian Broadley, will no longer serve in the capacity.
Winslow was appointed by City Council to serve on the governing body until the November election. He has already said that he intends to run in the November election to fill former City Councilman Bob Barr’s unexpired term through June 30, 2024.
Because of certain bylaws, Winslow is prohibited from serving on both boards.
“I told him that if for some reason, he does not win election, or he decides not to run, and the mayor decides to reappoint him (to the library board) then we would love to have him back,” Shirk said.
In other discussion, the Friends and Volunteers of the OCFPL discussed the upcoming two-day book sale at the library this Friday and Saturday. And in the fall, the new kindergarten classes we get some fun surprises courtesy of the Friends and Volunteers.
The volunteers put together 60 kindergarten bags, filled with crayons, pencils, tissues and stickers for the new primary school students.
To learn more about the Ocean City Free Public Library, located at 1735 Simpson Ave. in the Community Center, visit www.oceancitylibrary.org.
