Library System: Records, 1958-2013

This records series contains administrative records of the Monmouth County Library that are useful for research on the history of the library.

The Monmouth County Library was created by the Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1922. In those early years, it was housed in one small building, but maintained several bookmobile routes to several communities. Over time, many of these stops became either branches or member libraries. As of 2018, there are thirteen branches and fourteen member libraries in the system. The Monmouth County Library System is governed by the Monmouth County Library Commission, appointed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. See the chronology of the Library that accompanies this guide for additional historical information.

The Monmouth County Library System: Records series includes administrative records, catalogs, floor plans, departmental memos, historical materials, news releases and more. Also included are Monmouth County Library Commission minutes and reports. The list of subjects and type of files are detailed in the shelf list that accompanies this guide.

The series provides a substantial amount of information pertaining to the development and use of the Monmouth County Library over several decades, including public programs, the many branches and member libraries, increasing technological services, and the Bookmobile which became the basis of the Extension Service.

The records are unrestricted. See the shelf list below for box inventory.

The Library Records are arranged in five boxes. The original accession in 2007 was contained in Boxes 1-3, with photographs and other similar material in Box 3. That box is stored in the Archives’ vault, and has its own folder numbering. With the addition of records from the Government Documents Repository, Monmouth County Library – Eastern Branch, in 2014, files were shifted to make room and two boxes were added. Documents are now found in Boxes 1-2, and 4-5. A folder list can be found at the end of this guide, with the contents of Box 3 at the end.

The files are available upon request in the Archives.

Monmouth County Archives
125 Symmes Drive
Manalapan, NJ 07726
Phone: (732) 308-3771

Records were transferred to the Archives by Margaret Field, Librarian (retired), in January 2007 (Accession #2007-01), with the approval of Library Director Kenneth Sheinbaum. The transfer also included the Asbury Park Press Newspaper Clippings Collection, which is described separately in Special Collections.

In January 2014, librarian Beth Miller, at the Eastern Branch, transferred 19 boxes of documents from the Government Documents Repository, comprised of various county and state departments. Of these, two boxes of Library documents – primarily news releases – were separated and added to the Library records in 2018.

In June 2014, Elsalyn Palmisano loaned the Archives a folder of documents on the library’s history, including several pertaining to the dedication of the new headquarters in Manalapan dedicated on April 5, 1987, and photocopies of selected items were added to the second Historical Materials folder, Box 2, Folder 39.

This finding aid was prepared by Kevin Revoir, June 18, 2007; updated by Gary D. Saretzky, June 6, 2014; and updated by Mary Hussey, January 2018.

The Monmouth County Archives also holds approximately 500 articles about the County Library, 1970-1987, in the Red Bank Register Newspaper Clippings Collection: Monmouth County Government Series, in chronological order. See also Monmouth County Library Newsletters.

1922	Resolution for County Free Libraries passed by Board of Chosen Freeholders
1923	Monmouth County Library operations began in basement of Court House (present Hall of Records)
1924	110 active book stations
1925	11,710 borrowers were registered
1938	Library moves to 69 West Main Street, Freehold
1939	Library began direct bookmobile service
1940	Library moved to 80 Broad Street in Freehold occupying the downstairs of the building
1941	Bookmobile service discontinued due to wartime shortage of gas and manpower
1946	Bookmobile returned to service when driver John Taylor returned from army.
1953	Bookmobile service became available at night once a week
1955	Special children’s section added
1957	Library took over the entire house at 80 Broad Street, Freehold
1959	Large bookmobile was purchased and used for member library visits for direct service
1961	Friends of the Monmouth County Library Association formed; bookmobile services increases to visit each stop twice a month
1962	Beginning of Branch System when township of Ocean Library Committee received $50,000 grant from state to build a library building
1963	Plans began for a large reference facility; a second bookmobile was purchased and service increased to 51 stops twice a month
1964	Monmouth County Library was designated an Area Library
1965	Board of Chosen Freeholders announced plans for two separate main libraries within 2 years at a cost of $1,000,000; Allentown became a branch; bookmobiles, extension collection, art department, processing and technical services moved to 41 Marcy Street, Freehold
1966	New Ocean Township library opened-600 patrons registered on first day
1967	Groundbreaking for Eastern Branch took place; Oceanport became a branch
1968	Marlboro became a branch
1969	Wall Township became a branch
1970	New Jersey State Library micro-automated catalog installed
1971	Headquarters moved to 25 Broad Street, Freehold; Hazlet and Holmdel became branches
1972	Sunday programming began at Eastern Branch with jazz and classical concerts
1974	Film department became a regional film center for Monmouth, Ocean, Mercer and Middlesex Counties; Howell became eighth branch
1976	Renee Swartz appointed member of state library advisory council; 81 twice-a-month bookmobile stops; Manalapan joined as ninth branch
1979	Renee Swartz became a delegate to White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services
1980	Computer terminal for reference searches installed; cassette players and tapes for blind and electronic information transfer for the deaf made available
1981	Manalapan Township presented county with 18 acre site on Symmes Drive for Headquarters
1982	Colts Neck became tenth branch
1983	Manalapan moved to new location
1984	Groundbreaking for Headquarters on Symmes Drive in Manalapan
1985	Bar-coding began, including 900,000 volumes, video and audio cassettes
1987	Headquarters moved to new building
1988	Groundbreaking for 10,000 square foot building at Eastern Branch; New building for Wall Township underway
1991	Chinese language collection began
1993	Requisition department filed 118,437 requests; job and career information center opened at Eastern Branch
1994	Wall and Howell opened new buildings; Marlboro and Allentown expanded
1996	Connection to internet and full text periodicals completed at all branch and member libraries; annual archives and history day event launched on October 12 at Headquarters
1997	Monmouth County Library designated by New Jersey State as a hub library for county; Construction for addition began on Headquarters; Monmouth County Library homepage on the world wide web posted
1998	Eastern Branch chosen as best public library in Ocean and Monmouth counties; Headquarters expansion completed; 4,298 children joined Vacation Reading Club
1999	New library built in Colts Neck
2000	SIRSI automated catalog system installed
2002	Online Renewal System introduced; member store in extension implemented; Eastern Branch again selected as best public library in Monmouth and Ocean counties
2003	More than 3 million items circulated for first time at Headquarters and 10 branches
2004	Groundbreaking for major expansion at Eastern Branch; Library introduced online book clubs that deliver book chapters to patrons via email; Teen Advisory Board established at Headquarters
2006	New Jersey History Room at Headquarters renamed the Ted Narozanick Room, after the retiring Freeholder

Box	Folder #	Title	Dates
1	1	Monmouth County Library Commission: Minutes	1967
	2-12	:Meetings	1967-1977
	13	:General	1966-1989
	14	Monmouth County Library: Annual Report	1999, 2002
	15-27	Department Report	1965, 1967-1971, 1973-1979
	28	Monmouth County Library: Catalog	1967
	29	Department Head Meetings	1985
	30	Financial Reports	1968-1976
	31	Registration Breakdown/Circulation	1968-1972
	32	Bookmobile	1960-1991
	33	Censorship and Controversial Books	1975-1999
	34	Monmouth County Library: Directory	1980
	35	Floor Plans Branches	1965-1988
	36	Freehold Building	1969-1976
	37	Monmouth County Library: General	1968-1993
	38-39	Historical Materials	1958-1987
2	40	Manalapan Building	1974-1983
	41	Monmouth County Library: Memoranda	1967-1968
	42	:Policies and Procedures	1965-1978
	43	:Staff and Business Related Articles	1977-1999
	44	:Survey	1985
	45	Headquarters/Manalapan	1986, June-1988, Oct.
	46		1989, Feb.-2001, Apr.
		Libraries in Towns
	47	Allentown	1980, Dec. 11-2001, Mar. 22
	48	Asbury Park	1966, Nov. 10-1999, Apr. 30
	49	Belmar	1972, May 10-2000, Jan. 19
	50	Brielle	1989, Oct. 25-2002, Aug. 31
	51	Colts Neck	1973, Aug. 31-2001, Apr. 13
	52	Eatontown	1977, May 11-1977, Nov. 6
	53	Fair Haven	1977, Jan. 31
	54	Farmingdale	1990, Aug. 23
	55	Freehold	1968, Jan. 16-2000, Oct. 20
	56	Hazlet	1963, Sept. 5-2002, Dec. 6
	57	Holmdel	1962-2002, Dec. 28
	58	Howell	1983, Nov. 2-1990, Dec. 28
	59	Interlaken	1972, Oct. 15
	60	Keansburg	1989, Nov. 17-2003, Aug. 5
	61	Keyport	1972, Jan. 30-1977, Jan. 9
	62	Little Silver	1968, Feb. 1971, Apr. 14
	63	Long Branch	1970, Dec. 7-1983, May 27
	64	Manalapan (Western Branch)	1968, Aug. 29-2003, Sept. 10
	65	Manasquan	1993, Nov. 11-2002, Jan. 17
	66	Marlboro	1986, Apr. 9-2000, July 19
	67	Matawan	1965, June 10-1979, Oct. 16
	68	Middletown	1971, Feb. 7-1996, Nov. 6
	69	Millstone	1999, Nov.-2002, June 27
	70	Monmouth Beach	1992, Mar. 25-1995, Nov. 6
	71	Neptune	1988, July 17-2000, June 17
	72	Oceanport	1969-2001, Apr.
	73	Ocean Township	1973, Oct. 31-2003, Oct. 7
	74	Red Bank	1970, Jan. 30-1979, Oct. 19
	75	Roosevelt	1968, May 23-2000, Oct. 5
	76	Rumson-Oceanic	1968, Jan. 16-2001, Sept. 19
	77	Sea Bright	1975, Nov. 28-2000, Oct. 11
	78	Sea Girt	1972, Feb. 24-2000
	79-81	Shrewsbury (Eastern Branch)	1967, Nov. 24-2002, June 18
	82	Spring Lake & Spring Lake Heights	1996, Juen 21-1998, May 14
	83	Tinton Falls	1976, Dec. 5-2001, June 16
	84	Union Beach	1971, June 4-2001, July 13
	85	Wall	1969, Mar. 26-2001, Aug. 2
	86	West Long Branch	1970, Oct. 28-2001, Feb. 21
		Other Records
	87	Libraries (non-specific), various subjects	1973, May 9-2003, Jan. 6
	88	Copies of clippings in album	1964, Apr. 16-1965, Oct. 20
	89	Friends of Monmouth County Library Association	1964, May 15-1976, Oct. 20
	90	Ocean County libraries	1985, Mar. 2003, Feb. 22
		Photographs (stored in vault)
	1	Photo Album	1973-1974
	2	Photo Album	1975
	3	Monmouth County Library Week Album	1976, Jan.
	4	Photo Album	1976, Mar.-1976, July
	5	Photo Album	1976, July-1976, Dec.
	6	Manalapan Construction Photo Album	1984-1987
	7	Binder of Negatives
	8	Photographs/Negatives