CRANFORD, NJ — Families will soon see an expanded, bright and airy Children’s Room at the Cranford Public Library. The expansion and renovation project is currently out to bid for construction, after it was approved by the Cranford Planning Board last month.
“The Cranford Public Library is a cornerstone in our community. We want our children to have the space to learn, explore and grow. This renovation will help to achieve that goal. I am thankful for all of the work of our library staff, Library Board of Trustees and our professionals to make this a reality,” Mayor Brian Andrews said in a statement.
The Children’s Room will double in size allowing for an open-concept design providing staff clear lines of sight of the entire floor. Lower bookshelves bring books to eye level for even the smallest of children to easily peruse the stacks.
When families first come in, they will experience a touch of nature throughout the entire Children’s Room. Natural light will fill the space from the expansive windows surrounding the interiors and colorful new seating areas convey a sense of joy and bring about an eagerness to read.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our young patrons a bright new space, where they can discover the joy of reading and imagination,” said Cranford Public Library Director Kathy Cannarozzi.
Reading niches, comfortable chairs and ottomans, and cozy reading tables interspersed throughout the Children’s Room will provide families quiet time to relax and read with their children. Built-in activity stations will allow children to create and develop their fine motor skills with puzzles, coloring, activity books and more.
A separate tween area will contain books specifically for this age group. Tables and hangout areas will provide a space for pre-teens to read and explore their interests in a peaceful area of their own. This space will contain the graphic novel collection, popular with the tween group.
Part of this renovation will include new computers for online access and the book catalog.
Situated in the back of the Children’s Room, the Raddin Room, where the library holds children’s programming, such as readings, crafts and specials, will see a facelift, with fresh paint and rugs, a storage area, and new window treatments.
The expansion and renovation project is a collaborative effort of the Library Board of Trustees, Library staff, the Friends of the Cranford Public Library and the township of Cranford. Funding of $2 million from the state of New Jersey, an investment of approximately $1 million from the township of Cranford and approximately $500,000 from the Library Board of Trustees facilitated this project to move forward.
“The Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that the library will soon begin a construction project that will nearly double the space of the current Children’s Room. This expansion has been a priority for the library for a number of years, based on community feedback regarding the size and limitations of the children’s space. Thanks to funding from the state of New Jersey, the township of Cranford and the library itself, we are now able to act on that feedback and build a state-of-the-art children’s room that will provide our staff and patrons with a flexible, modern space to read, learn, and play,” President of the Library Board of Trustees Susan Burke said in a statement.
“We thank Senate President Nicholas Scutari for supporting the Cranford Public Library’s vision to create an accessible and modern Children’s Room. The support from Mayor Brian Andrews, who also is a member of the Library Board of Trustees, our Friends and Board members is a testament to their commitment to advancing learning in our community’s youngest readers,” said Cannarozzi.
During construction, the Children’s Room will move to a temporary location next door at the Cranford Community Center. Here, the collection will be scaled to fit within the space. Books can also be taken out from lending libraries within the network of libraries through the program STELLA, offering 3.5 million items across 43 member libraries. The library anticipates construction to begin as early as by the end of 2024.
Once the work is completed, residents will have a larger, state-of-the-art Children’s Room, renovated entry area and new carpet and paint throughout the Children’s Room. A new energy-efficient HVAC system in the Children’s Room will provide a greener alternative than the current system and a savings to Cranford taxpayers.
The Cranford Public Library is located at 224 Walnut Ave. Updates on the Children’s Room project can be found by visiting: https://www.cranfordlibrary.org/library-expansion.
Photos Courtesy of the Cranford Public Library