A Space for Everyone: Why our Library needs to grow

July 8, 2026

To the editor,

The Library of the Chathams is one of the few places in our community where every generation, interest, and curiosity can coexist under one roof. As President of the Board of Trustees, I have the privilege of seeing how deeply our neighbors rely on the library not only for books, but for connection, learning, hundreds of programs, and a sense of belonging.

Staff and volunteers grew the Library’s programs 21% in 2025 alone, with 2,274 events that meet Chatham families where they are. The Summer Reading Club packed the children's room week after week, with well over 500 kids reading more than 10,000 books and engaging more than 70 middle-school volunteers. Teens found their people at the Teen Center and Dungeons and Dragons and gained valuable experiences volunteering. Seniors get patient, one-on-one help with the technology that keeps them connected. And a widening calendar of cultural and educational events gave residents of every age a reason to walk through our doors.

None of this runs on its own. It happens because our librarians, staff, and volunteers show up, and because so many of you keep showing up too, understanding that the library is one of the last places where a whole community still gathers under one roof.

But those same programs are pressing against the walls of the building that holds them and we need to redesign this space. The children's room routinely fills past what it was designed to hold. Quiet corners get claimed early. Meeting rooms are in high demand. And behind the walls, the building itself is showing its age: 14 separate heating and cooling systems struggle to work together and hold a steady temperature, and electrical wiring that predates the demands we now place on it -- parts of the library residents never see, but which keep the doors open and lights on. As we look ahead, the Board's commitment is plain: spend carefully, plan for the long term, and give these programs, and the people who love them, the welcoming, modern, and accessible home they have, frankly, already outgrown.

The Library has secured approximately $5.45 million toward the renovation, including a $2.45 million NJ state grant and roughly $3 million of its own funds and reserves. The remaining balance, approximately $6.5 million, is what the Borough and Township are determining how to fund, shared between the two communities as they see fit.

We invite residents to have their voices heard. You can attend the July Borough Council Meeting (July 13 at 7:30 PM) or Township Committee Meeting (July 14 at 7:30PM), sign our petition, or write your elected officials. Visit A Space for Everyone for more details.

Thank you for taking action and for your continued trust in the Library. Together, we will keep strengthening one of the most cherished spaces in our community.

Andy Hollander President, Board of Trustees, Library of the Chathams