Librarian Jane Farmer sits in the newly opened Sea Bright Public Library. The upstairs meeting room in the Sea Bright United Methodist Church is the temporary space for the library until the new proposed beachfront community center is developed. The library had been out of commission since superstorm Sandy in 2012. KATHY CHANG/STAFF SEA BRIGHT — The Sea Bright Public Library is back in commission.
The upstairs meeting room in the Sea Bright United Methodist Church, located at 1102 Ocean Ave., is the temporary space for the library until the new proposed beachfront community center is developed. The church is across the street from Borough Hall.
“It’s nice to be back and the people are happy that we are back,” said Jane Farmer, head librarian.
The borough’s Library Committee, headed by Liz Von Ziegesar, had been looking for space for the library since superstorm Sandy.
In December, the Borough Council voted unanimously on a resolution to temporarily house the library inside the church. The one-year lease is $1,000 per month, borough officials have said.
Last week, the library held a soft opening for residents to come in and register for library cards.
“We have had a few people a day and we are slowly growing,” Farmer said.
The temporary space is aligned with the latest novels as well as DVDs and magazines. Farmer said if the library does not have a book they can order it through the Monmouth County Library system.
The space also has a computer station and free Wi-Fi access.
Books were donated to the library when the Lincroft Library closed in Middletown. Farmer said they are looking to sell and keep half of the collection that was donated.
She also said that the book return bin that sits on the porch was donated to the library by Oceanport, which had also lost their library due to superstorm Sandy.
Residents have utilized area libraries, including the Rumson Public Library, since the storm.
Dee Sincox, who has lived on and off in the borough for 20 years, came into the library to get a book on July 29. She said it was wonderful to have the library back in the borough.
“We are so happy,” she said. “This is where everyone knows everyone and it’s a nice little library.”
However, there was not always a public library in Sea Bright.
That changed when Monmouth Beach philanthropist Jay Ross was looking to donate his computer, Farmer said, in the early 1990s.
He met with librarian Penny Rappaport and with Sarah Hilton, a local artist at the time who had started a small makeshift library on the first floor of her gallery.
Ross decided to build a library for the borough.
The former J.W. Ross Library that was located in the middle of the Municipal Beach parking lot had withstood the destruction of superstorm Sandy, but was in need of repairs. The building was subsequently demolished in 2014.
“We all loved that building,” Farmer said. “It was very homey.”
Farmer said Von Ziegesar’s husband Franz Al Brecht was instrumental in putting an addition on the former library building.
In the future, the library will find its new home in the proposed beachfront community center, which is set to serve multiple uses including men’s and women’s changing facilities, bathroom stalls, and beach lockers on the first floor for those utilizing the beach; and a library, media center and community meeting rooms — which can hold up to 150 seats — on the second floor.
Farmer works alongside Joan Walsh, who was the previous head librarian for 10 years, Patty Andriola and Liz Homer.
The Sea Bright Public Library is open 1-5 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays, 1-7 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
A formal grand opening celebration will be held at the library in September.