TRENTON, N.J. – Lawmakers-to-be Kim Eulner and Marilyn Piperno are looking forward to seeing how libraries in Long Branch and Tinton Falls will evolve with new state funding from the N.J. Library Construction Fund, which bonded $125 million after being approved by public referendum in 2017.
“This is a long-time coming for both towns,” said Eulner (R-Monmouth). “The libraries in Long Branch offer the community amazing opportunities to learn outside of a classroom and Tinton Falls has been working its tail off to revive its local library. They couldn’t be more deserving of the grants.”
Long Branch will receive $3.1 million for its two libraries, which have been serving residents for nearly 100 years and are unmistakable in town. Residents used the library nearly 150,000 times last year for its exceptional collection of reading material, entertainment, and online resources.
“I can’t wait to visit the libraries when their projects are finished,” said Piperno (R-Monmouth). “It has been far too long for Tinton Falls to be without a local library, and Long Branch continues to shine as an example of how much libraries can serve as a community centerpiece. Public libraries give everyone a chance to build literacy skills and develop a love of reading. It’s all up from here.”
Tinton Falls Library has been closed since 2017, when the nearly 80-year-old building was found to have toxic mold. A robust local fundraising effort and $150,000 appropriation from the town along with the $217,500 grant from the state will get the clean-up going and the library reopened.
Legislation enacting the grant funding unanimously passed the Assembly State and Local Government Committee today.