County Breaks Ground On New Stafford Library Branch

STAFFORD, NJ — Work has officially begun on the latest addition to the Ocean County Library system - a brand new, state of the art library in Stafford.

With ceremonial shovels in hand, Ocean County Commissioners and Stafford officials joined to officially break ground on the 19,700-square foot facility that will replace the current aging library here.

“Today is the result of strong partnerships, working together for a common cause – to bring a new library branch to the southern part of Ocean County that can be enjoyed by all of our residents,” said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari, liaison to the Ocean County Library system. “We look forward to the day that we can walk through the doors of this new branch and see the vision of so many talented and creative professionals that brought this to fruition.”

The newest branch hopes to serve as an asset for Stafford and for all communities of Southern Ocean County, offering not only typical library services, but serving as a location for several important government services as well.

It will be located at 179 Main St., next to the Ocean County Southern Service Center, which houses a number of Ocean County services including a main nutrition site for seniors, the Ocean County Clerk's Office, Office of Senior Services, Department of Human Services and Veterans Service Bureau.

“A library is not a school or a university, but it is still a special place of learning. Having the library built here will tie everything together nicely and make a one-stop resource center for the Southern part of Ocean County,” Mayor Greg Myhre said.

The new building will provide educational resources and community spaces, state of the art technologies, public computers and shelving for 40 to 50 percent more books and materials. It also includes larger areas for children's programs, an intergenerational space for senior citizens to socialize and enjoy library services, a new teen area, study rooms, maker space for STEAM educational activities, and a sensory space to provide a welcoming environment for people with autism, Alzheimer's or other sensory processing needs.

Costs for the new branch are offset by a $4.8 million grant in the second round of funding for the Library Construction Bond Act which allocates $37 million to 36 library projects from 13 counties across New Jersey.

The Ocean County Board of Commissioners on April 5 awarded a contract to Newport Construction Management Corp, Pennsauken, to construct the new branch. The total contract cost is $9,488,700, offset by the above grant.

The branch should be completed in Sept. 2024, according to county officials.

“We deeply appreciate the work of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, the Stafford Township Mayor and Council, the Library Commission, the state Library Construction Bond, the library staff and the County staff as we all work together to bring the best services and programs to the residents,” said Ocean County Library Director Susan Quinn. “The new library will be a field of dreams and possibilities. It holds an exciting future for all of us at the Ocean County Library.”

Photo: Participating in the Groundbreaking of the new Ocean County Library branch in Stafford Township are from left to right Director of the Ocean County Library Susan Quinn, Jennifer R. Nelson, New Jersey State Librarian, Stafford Township Mayor Gregory A. Myhre, Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari, Chairman of the Ocean County Library Commission Timothy McDonald and Library Commission Member Henry Mancini.