West Orange Library Reopens At New Location: See Hours

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The day has finally arrived, West Orange: the grand reopening of the town’s public library.

On Monday, the library reopened for regular business hours at its new space at 10 Rooney Circle. Here’s when it will be open:

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - 10 am to 9 pm
• Tuesday and Friday - 10 am to 5:30 pm
• Saturday - 10 am to 5 pm
• Sunday - 1 to 5 pm

Library Director Dave Cubie said that the old library was 25,000 square feet, with 10,000 square feet inaccessible to the public. The new library makes better use of the available space, and has 32,000 square feet with more than 7,000 square feet dedicated for “community use.”

According to a township news release, other features of the new library include:

• A large circulation desk overlooking the first floor presents itself as a stunning backdrop to a large open area with an abundance of natural light. The front apron of the wrap around circulation desk features several vintage historical photos of West Orange.
• The main floor has half-height bookcases to prevent obstructed views for patrons.
• There are three smaller meeting rooms for public use, with an area dedicated for teens and a larger area for children’s programing (with smaller bookcases designed for children’s use).
• Throughout the main floor there are several seating areas and power outlets for laptops and phones with ample space for quiet study and reading.There is a door to an outside patio area
• that can be used when the weather permits.
• There is a large and spacious community room near the front entrance that is multi-functional and can be used for large meetings that can be separated into two smaller rooms as needed. It is sound insulated so that it can have a music program without disrupting other activities in the library.

The road to reopening has been marked with delays; the original target opening date was last spring. Town officials previously blamed the delays on supply chain issues that created a domino effect.

The Township Council has approved nearly $980,000 in construction change orders that were necessary to complete the project.

• See Related: West Orange Library Now Due To Open In October (Take An Early Peek)
• See Related: West Orange Library Reopening Sees More Snags, Funding Issues

Mayor Susan McCartney acknowledged the delays in opening were longer than anticipated earlier this fall.

“We understand the sentiments of residents regarding the delayed opening of our new library,” McCartney said. “Everyone has been working diligently from the beginning of the project to reach our final goal. The inconvenience is only temporary, but thankfully the improvements of a new state-of-the-art facility will be permanent in serving the needs of the community.”

McCartney said the West Orange Public Library Board of Trustees have been "invaluable" in providing input and guidance throughout the process. She also thanked Assistant Business Administrator Peter Smeraldo for helping to facilitate a rental agreement to maintain computer lab services for a period of time at 80 Main Street, thanks to an agreement with property owner David Drill.

• See Related: Temporary Location Opened For West Orange Public Library

The mayor also thanked the Roseland, Caldwell, Bloomfield, South Orange and Maplewood libraries for partnering with the township for continuing to provide all library services for residents during the library renovation. West Orange Public Library staff were also able to work at the Millburn and Montclair libraries while the new library in West Orange was under construction.

Want to get a peek at the new library? Check out this video online.

“Please note that signage in that area is currently lacking – that will come,” the Friends of the West Orange Public Library reported on social media.

“In the meanwhile, we hope this graphic helps,” the group said, sharing a map that notes the entrance is “a little further up the hill, on the side.”

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