$1 Million Makeover Completed At Library In Burlington County

BROWNS MILLS, NJ — The inside of the Pemberton Library got an interior makeover ahead of its 25th anniversary celebration on Friday.

Over the last two years, renovations and upgrades costing $1 million were done with funding from two state grants, according to Burlington County spokesperson David Levinsky.

The first grant was $250,000 from a $1 million New Jersey Special Purpose Grant that was put towards improvements to the Children's Room.

Upgrades include new paint, carpeting, shelving, furniture, a LEGO discovery table, and more play equipment.

A new Children's Learning Center was also built to host programs on topics like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) studies and digital skill enhancements for kids and their families.

The second grant was a $750,000 Community Center Digital Connect grant from the New Jersey State Library to the Burlington County Library System.

One-on-one and small group meeting rooms that can be used for telehealth appointments, virtual job interviews, and other on-site virtual sessions were constructed.

A new technology lab and teen tech lounge are also new to the space.

The library's reference desk also underwent a redesign and repurposing to make a centrally-located reference/circulation services point with public-access computers, lounge seats, and other worktables.

"Burlington County was the first county in New Jersey to start a County Library System, and more than a century after its founding, it continues to get better and better," said Burlington County Commissioner Tom Pullion.

The 18,000 square-foot library first opened in 2001 after the merger of earlier libraries in both Browns Mills and Pemberton.

The Pemberton Library is one of the largest and most popular branches in the County system and hosted more than 525 programs, 90,000 visits, and 50,000 check-outs in 2025.

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