Metuchen Borough Public Library, Metuchen, New Jersey

The last stop of our road trip to Philadelphia was at Metuchen Borough Public Library. Pulling up, we saw a beautiful brick building with arched windows and white trim. Walking in, we saw that the main floor is an open concept one and the exposed brick continued to be a design choice. The building may be old-fashioned, but the furniture and the layout show the librarians’ efforts to modernize the building and cater to the needs of its patrons.

There were tables and chairs in each section of the library to encourage extended use. The Large Print and Young Adult sections offered cozy spots to sit and read. There was a community puzzle, program spaces, computer, and printer services, and plenty of materials to browse through. After our initial exploration, we moved to visit the children’s department.

This children’s room was not as indulgent as the previous two, but it still had a lot of heart. The multi-colored furniture and the paper animals on display were adorable! We were able to talk with Joanne, the library worker attending the desk. She provided insight into what the community was like and showed off a couple of things that we missed with our initial walk around. She told us that Metuchen was a small town but growing. More families were moving in, due to the borough’s reputation as the Brainy Borough. The school system there is fantastic. Metuchen is also a through town. It resides in a “donut hole” location within Edison.

The children’s department is the original, historical building. The adult materials were kept in what is now the children’s department, and the kids’ materials were in the basement. Now, it is kept remarkably busy with children’s programming. Up to thirty kids attend story time! Joanne did give us a quick tour of the space and pointed out the American Girl doll that they have on display. This American Girl doll’s name is Kavi whose storyline has her from Metuchen, New Jersey. Joanne also pointed out their Bruiser’s Books collection. Bruiser was a therapy dog that once frequented the library. He unfortunately passed away and he is certainly missed. What a way to honor a beloved member of the community!

It was eventually time for us to finally move on to the last leg of our trip to Philadelphia. We thanked Joanne for her time and as we were leaving, fireflies were glittering in the walkway. An incredible magical moment to end our library tours as we drive on to Philadelphia for the American Library Association Annual Conference!