By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
The Cranbury Public Library is going to lock up three community members on Cranbury Day.
“There will be three people locked up on Main Street in a pretend jail and people will have to donate to get them out,” Marilynn Mullen, library director, said. “There are people who will match the donations made on Cranbury Day. I hope people will bring checks and make a pledge, not just give a few dollars.”
The donations will go toward building a stand-alone public library. Donations are currently on track to reach $2 million by Cranbury Day on Sept. 12. When this goal is reached, it will mean the library project, spearheaded by the Cranbury Public Library Foundation, will have raised almost two-thirds of the $3.2 million needed for the proposed 11,500-square-foot library.
The town will be providing the land and the parking.
By raising all of the funds needed through private donations, Cranbury Public Library is making history,” Kirstie Venanzi, president of the Cranbury Library Board of Trustees, said. “Few library building projects have attempted to raise the entire cost of the building on their own.”
In recent years, Princeton Public Library, Plainsboro Public Library, and South Brunswick Public Library have mounted capital campaigns to help with a portion of the cost of building their new libraries; the remainder was funded through public referenda or tax increases.
“In Cranbury’s case, the new building will not raise taxes,” Ms. Venanzi said. “The public library receives sustainable funding through state-mandated tax support, which is about 1-2 percent of residents’ property tax bills. This provides operating funds for the library, covering the cost of books, programs, staff and the rent paid for the current space. The new facility will not require additional library staff or increased operating costs.”
Founded in 1906 in rented space on North Main Street, the library has had many temporary homes, including the basement of the current Town Hall. Now housed in a combined space with the Cranbury School’s library, the public library is finding it increasingly difficult to grow with the town and provide the services and programs of a 21st Century library. The current space is no longer meeting the needs of the school or the town, according to Ms. Venanzi.
“Today’s libraries are so much more than just books — they are technology hubs and community meeting spaces,” Ms. Venanzi said.
She continued, “If we reach our goal to raise $2 million by Cranbury Day, we believe we are well on our way to breaking ground on the new building in 2016. Success is within our reach, and we’re asking the residents of Cranbury to help us make it to the finish line.”
The foundation will also be hosting a “Cranbury Art Auction” fundraiser on Sept. 18. All proceeds from the auctioning of work by Don JO Swanagan, David Nissen and Janice Altieri will help build the new library. Tickets cost $10 and will be sold at the library or by foundation members beginning Sept. 1. The event is limited to 80 attendees.
