With 21 branches and more than 400,000 registered borrowers, the Ocean County Library system is an example of a shared service that has developed as a result of ongoing partnerships between Ocean County and its municipalities that began more than two decades ago, according to a press release.
“In this day and age with the growing need to consolidate services and increase shared services, our public library system in Ocean County is a prime example of how efficient these measures can be,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as liaison to the library system. “The Ocean County Library system is a model in the state on how effective partnerships can be.”
In the mid-1980s, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders recognized the need to provide conveniently located library facilities and services to its citizens, according to the press release. The freeholders developed a plan to build libraries in a manner that would realize economies of scale for municipal and county government while providing access to a library within no more than 10 miles and/or 25 minutes of driving time from a resident’s home.
The late Freeholder James J. Mancini, considered the architect of the library system expansion that started more than two decades ago, developed a plan wherein Ocean County and a municipality would enter into an agreement to split the cost in half of either building a new branch or renovating an existing facility. The Ocean County Library Commission would then run the library and provide books, materials and staff.
“As a result of this plan, we have been able to work in conjunction with our municipalities and provide important library services used by more than 70 percent of our population,” Vicari said. “The towns were very receptive to this partnership, and it has been a true benefit to hundreds of thousands of citizens and visitors.” “This is a great example of how sharing services and resources can work,” said Henry J. Mancini, chairman of the Ocean County Library Commission and son of the late freeholder. “Not only does the cooperation between the county and its municipalities create cost savings and greater efficiencies, it has also created an awardwinning library system for the residents of Ocean County.
According to the press release, the Ocean County Library was named a fourstar library by Library Journal in its October 2010 issue.
The Ocean County Library has been recognized with two prestigious library awards. The National Medal awarded in 2007 by the Institute of Museums and Library Sciences was presented by First Lady Laura Bush in Washington, D.C., and recognized the Ocean County Library as one of the best libraries in the country. The library also received the John Cotton Dana award for Library Public Relations.
The Ocean County Library also has a shared services agreement with Monmouth and Burlington counties allowing borrowers to enjoy library services across county lines.
“The Ocean County Library system has a combined collection of more than 1.2 million books and materials,” Vicari said. “Last year, circulation was almost five million and librarians answered 2,359,084 reference questions.
“Undoubtedly our library system is one of the most far-reaching services offered in this county and we have been able to do this by closely working with our municipalities,” Vicari said. “This library system started as a vision 25 years ago that has been well thought out and well implemented. It is not just the facilities, but also the staff that delivers the services every day. With the theme of ‘Connecting People, Building Community,’ it makes an invaluable difference in the lives of our citizens.”