MEET YOUR NEW FANWOOD MEMORIAL LIBRARY
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UPDATE MAY 2022
The project to construct a new Fanwood Memorial Library is actively underway. The design details were approved by the Planning Board at their April meeting, and bid documents are being developed. The library will remain in our current building through the summer, and, after summer reading initiatives are finished, in early fall the project documents will be made available to contractors for public bidding. The library will then relocate into a temporary location for the duration of the construction (More details on the location and services available coming soon.) The project, which will result in a fantastic new 2-story building on the same site, will more than double the size of the current facility. The new facility will open the library to people of all ages and abilities, will provide more flexibility and better spaces, will support current and emerging technology, and create a building that will be a sustainable community asset.
When completed, the building with its newly configured spaces and upgraded services will be in an excellent position to welcome: children in strollers and the disabled in wheelchairs; teens and tweens and their electronic explorations; home workers and entrepreneurs and their need to recharge and connect; and seniors to read and relax. Community groups will have a place to meet, perform, and present.
“The fact that Fanwood was one of only 38 projects approved out of over 129 applicants from around the state, speaks loudly to our need, the length of time and thought that we have given this issue over the years, and the impressive quality of our application,” said Dan Weiss, library director. “This new facility will allow us to build on the services we currently provide, and to expand them for all of our users now and well into the future. We can be responsive to unknown future needs and trends, and state grant matching funds will enable Fanwood to build a beautiful new facility, that we would not have otherwise been able to afford on our own; a 21st-century library we can all take pride in that delivers a substantial return on investment because it reflects the values, needs, and expectations of our town.”
We currently anticipate cutting the ribbon on the new facility by summer of 2024.
The original library on this site was built in 1951 for a community of about 3,200 residents. An addition was added in 1980.
For more information on the project or with questions, contact Dan Weiss, library director.