News
Grant-Funded Elevator Coming Soon to Glen Rock Library
Courtesy of RSC Architects
September 9, 2025
The Glen Rock Public Library, along with the Glen Rock Borough Council, is excited to announce the start of construction on its long-awaited elevator. With an expected completion date of summer 2026, the project will make the library’s lower-level community space fully accessible for the first time.
More than a decade in the making, the elevator project reflects the Library’s commitment to creating barrier-free community space. Thanks to the efforts of the Borough Council, and especially former Library liaison Jill Orlich, the project will proceed with minimal cost to local taxpayers. The majority of the funding comes from two major grants: $500,000 from a New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Recreation Grant and $199,000 from a Bergen County Community Development Grant designated for ADA-compliant upgrades. The Library will draw on capital reserve funds to meet rising construction costs, and the Borough Council has pledged up to $100,000 to cover exigencies.
The elevator has been a long-standing goal of the Library Board of Trustees, and its construction marks a major milestone for the community.
“Our hope with this renovation is to create a safe, accessible place for Glen Rock residents to gather and enjoy library programs,” said Library Director Kristen Comeaux. “We hear every day that our limited space is valuable and necessary: Glen Rock doesn’t have many free, welcoming places for people to meet—and our recent strategic plan survey only reinforced how important that is.”
The elevator will allow more patrons to fully access library services and programs, regardless of age, mobility, or even whether they arrive pushing a stroller.
“Safe and easy access to the Library’s lower level is essential for all residents, and especially for our senior citizens,” said Anne Ciliberti, Chair of the Glen Rock Senior Advisory Committee. “Thank you to everyone who helped make this long-awaited project a reality.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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Our current project will add a much-needed elevator to provide access for all to our downstairs community space. This important improvement will ensure the entire community can access library programs and meetings for many years to come. The project will also include a reimagined back entrance and side stairs to accommodate the elevator upgrade.
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Construction is expected to start by mid-Fall in order to make the elevator available to the public starting in Summer 2026.
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The project contract was awarded at the August 27th Glen Rock Council Meeting in the amount of $947,000, which will primarily come from grant funding.
The Library was fortunate to obtain over $500,000 from a New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Recreation Grant and $199,000 from a Bergen County Community Development Grant. To meet rising construction costs, the Library earmarked $200,000 from its capital reserve fund - money set aside specifically for improvements like this - and the Council pledged $100,000 for any additional costs that may be incurred.
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We anticipate that the library as a whole will remain open for the entirety of the construction period, with any changes announced on our website and social media.
However, the downstairs Community Room will be unavailable for reservation during construction, and the Friends of Glen Rock Library Gallery will be on hiatus to protect the art. Quiet Room 1 may be intermittently unavailable.
The library entrance on the parking lot side will be closed for the duration of construction; we ask that all patrons plan to use the front door on Rock Road instead. Patrons requiring an accessible entrance will be able to enter through the Children’s Room off the parking lot. Signage will be added to help ease this transition.
Due to the construction, parking will be limited. In collaboration with the Glen Rock Police, additional street parking will be available on Hamilton Avenue, Rock Road, Wilde Park and Harding Plaza weekdays after 4 PM & weekends, but please plan ahead.
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This renovation project was designed to create a safe, accessible place for Glen Rock residents to meet and enjoy library programs. The volume of community requests for our limited space and the responses to our strategic plan survey highlight the fact that Glen Rock does not currently have many freely available third spaces. While the library is offering more programs than ever, the stairs remain a barrier to many patrons because of age, mobility, and even stroller use.
Creating barrier-free access to our community space is just the first step in a larger plan to revitalize the library’s physical space. In the coming months and years we hope to build on this momentum to continue addressing our facility needs: updating the 8-boiler HVAC system to be more reliable, efficient, and compact; taking advantage of the increased space on the lower level to include more meeting rooms and an accessible bathroom; and reevaluating the layout of the main level spaces to better meet the current needs of our community.
OTHER NEWS
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On March 14, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency responsible for distributing congressionally appropriated funds to state libraries and providing essential funding to ensure access to information, lifelong learning, and community engagement. The Glen Rock Public Library Board of Trustees strongly opposes this decision and stands in unwavering support of libraries across New Jersey and the nation.
Over 350 public libraries in New Jersey, including Glen Rock, benefit from the New Jersey State Library’s IMLS-funded programs and resources. This funding assists New Jersey libraries in providing residents with access to:
Research databases
E-books
Career development tools
K-12 educational resources
The Talking Book and Braille Center
State of New Jersey elibrary Catalog (JerseyCat)
Technology training
Improved broadband access
and more
The loss of IMLS funds will impact the Glen Rock Public Library, but even more so, it will hurt the rural and underserved communities across the country that rely on these funds to provide much-needed services. The Glen Rock Public Library Board of Trustees reaffirms that libraries and access to free information are a cornerstone of our democracy, and we urge lawmakers and the public to advocate for continued IMLS funding to ensure libraries remain strong, accessible, and innovative for all Americans.
On April 8, 2025 the NJ Attorney General’s Office Joins Multistate Lawsuit to Stop the Dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
On April 10, 2025, the Glen Rock Library Board of Trustees approved Resolution #2025-07 IN SUPPORT OF RETAINING FUNDING FOR THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES (IMLS).
Please urge your members of Congress to protect federal funding for libraries. Phone calls only take a few minutes and send a strong message to elected officials that their constituents care enough to take time out of their day to make their voices heard. To find your elected officials and their contact information, please see ALA’s Show Up for Our Libraries initiative.
Other resources:
FAQ: Executive Order Targeting IMLS (ALA)2025 IMLS Appropriations Request
-The Glen Rock Library Board of Trustees
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The Glen Rock Public Library is excited to join over 30 libraries in Bergen County and hundreds more across the country in ending overdue fines on locally-owned books and media. This new policy, which goes into effect on April 1, 2025, aligns with the Board of Trustees’ strategic priority to remove barriers to library services.
“Even small fines can discourage people from using the library, whether because of an inability to pay, frustration, or embarrassment,” said Board President Rachel Feinmark. “Eliminating fines ensures that the Glen Rock Public Library is truly free, and makes it possible for all community members to confidently enjoy everything the Library has to offer.”
Fine-free policies, recommended as a best practice by the American Library Association, have been shown to increase library card registrations and the number of materials borrowed, as well as contribute to positive relationships between patrons and staff.
“Research shows that fines don’t do what we want them to - they don’t ensure that materials are returned on time,” said Library Director Kristen Comeaux. “In fact, fines make some patrons hesitant to check out books, especially seniors and children, who are most likely to face overdue charges. Ultimately, fines don’t serve the mission of our library: free and equal access for all.”
Here are some things to keep in mind as this new policy goes into effect:
Due dates will still be issued and reminders sent.
Patrons are encouraged to be good library citizens and return their materials in a timely manner.
Overdue charges will continue to accrue for items in the Library of Things, Museum Passes, and for lost or damaged items.
Patrons may lose borrowing privileges for long overdue items
Overdue charges for books checked out from other libraries in the BCCLS consortium will follow the lending library’s fine policies.
Please also note that the fine-free policy does not apply retroactively to fines already accrued.
For more information on the fine-free policy click here.
