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Jersey City Free Public Library

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The Jersey City Free Public Library (JCFPL) is the municipal library system of Jersey City, New Jersey, serving the residents of Hudson County. The library was established in 1889, opened in 1891, and had its first dedicated building, the main library, by 1901. Numerous branches have since opened and as of 2023 there are nine throughout the city as well as a bookmobile.[1][2] It has over a million physical and digital items its collection,[2] making it the largest library system in the state.[3]

Jersey City Free Public Library
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40°43′08″N 74°02′51″W / 40.718948°N 74.047406°W / 40.718948; -74.047406
LocationJersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Established1889
Branches10
Other information
Websitejclibrary.org

Founding

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JCFPL was housed in the Provident Bank and Hudson National Bank on Washington Street before construction of the new library

The New Jersey Legislature passed a law in 1884 for the establishment free public libraries when approved by local referendum. On April 9, 1889, after two earlier attempts, citizens of Jersey City voted for the provision (15,304 to 345) after which Mayor Orestes Cleveland appointed a board of trustees.[4]

Dr. Leonard J. Gordon (1844–1905), for whom Dr. Leonard J. Gordon Park is named,[5][6] was director of the library trustee board and a driving force in its creation. Despite the state mandate to fund public libraries the city resisted appropriating the resources; he took the matter to court, where the case was easily won.[4]

The city's first public library opened on June 1, 1891, on Washington Street at the Provident Bank with a reading room in the adjacent Hudson National Bank .[4] Over 4,000 volumes from the city's high school were incorporated into the original collection of about 15,000 books.[7]

Priscilla Gardner Main Library

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The Main Library, a four-story Renaissance Revival granite building, is located on Jersey Avenue at Montomgery and Mercer in Historic Downtown.[8][9] It is a contributing property to the state and federal Van Vorst Park historic district.[10]

Following a design competition, the architectural firm of James Brite and Henry Bacon was selected and on August 16, 1899, the cornerstone was laid.[11] It was first opened to the public on January 14, 1901.[12][4] It began with 15,515 books in its collection.[2] An addition was added to the rear of the building in 1926.[13]

In addition to the main library, the building houses the New Jersey Room, a section dedicated to historical documents about New Jersey, with a focus on Hudson County and Jersey City. The room was created in 1964 to merge the collections of William H. Richardson and the Hudson County Historical Society with the material the library already possessed.[14] The New Jersey Room holds over 20,000 volumes, in addition to historical maps and periodicals.[15][16] Biblioteca Criolla, the system's Spanish language library, originally opened on Newark Avenue in 1972 but was incorporated into the main library in 2010.[13][2] The building was also home to the Jersey City Museum until it was relocated in 2001.[17]

An ongoing phased renovation and modernization of the building began in 2014,[18] during which parts of the building were closed.[19]

In 2019 the Main Library was dedicated to Priscilla Gardner, who had worked for 50 years for JCFPL. She started as a junior library assistant at the since-closed Claremont Branch in 1969, worked for 30 years at the Miller Branch, and became director in 2002.[20]

  •  
    Postcard from soon after opening in 1901
  •  
    The Main Library housed the Jersey City Museum from 1901 to 2010
  •  
    Bust of Dr. Leonard J. Gordon in foyer
  •  
    Contributing property to Van Vorst Park historic district

Branches

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In addition to the main library, there are nine branches throughout the city.

Name Image Year
(established, built) 		Neighborhood Notes
Heights Branch   1911, 1917 The Heights Originally called the Hudson City Branch (for the former municipality) it was housed on the second floor of building on Central Avenue until current facility was constructed.[13][11][21]
Miller Branch   1915, 1921 Bergen Section[20] Originally located on Jackson Avenue the current building was designed by Arthur Frederik Adams following a competition.[22] Formerly known as the Bergen Branch,[13] renamed for Edmund W. Miller who started working at JCFPL in 1895 and was head librarian from 1915 until his retirement in 1954.[23]
Earl A. Morgan Branch   1916, 1926 Greenville Designed by architect Alfred S. Gottlieb.[24] Formerly the Greenville Branch renamed for Jersey Journal journalist in 2019.[25] Houses the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum[26]
Pavonia Branch   1924–1970, 1989 Hamilton Park Named after the 1630 European settlement of Jersey City, Pavonia. The library's original building was demolished in 1971, after which it was located in a module building which was sporadically open[27][28] until established at renovated historic building.
Marion Branch   1930 Marion Section
Glenn D. Cunningham Branch   1954, 2004 Jackson Hill[20] The Claremont Branch was a storefront library opened February 11, 1954, at the corner of Claremont and Ocean. It succumbed to fire in 1982(~), after which a new facility was created at 291 MLK Drive. It was replaced with new building named for Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham[29]
Five Corners Branch   1962 Five Corners[11]
West Bergen Branch   1971, 1988 West Side Originally located at 503 West Side Avenue, it relocated in 1988 to 476 West Side Avenue and underwent renovations in 2015.[13]
Communipaw Branch 2024 Communipaw-Lafayette On Johnston Avenue, replaced Lafayette Branch. Focus is on STEAM education[30][31][32]

Former branches

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Name Image Year
(established, built) 		Neighborhood Notes
Lafayette Branch   1924–2023 Communipaw-Lafayette Closed; replaced by Communipaw Branch[33][34]
Biblioteca Criolla 1972–2010 Newark Avenue
Downtown 		Consolidated into Main Library[13]
Pearsall Branch 1982–2010 Greenville Located in what had once been the Grace Episcopal Church Sunday School at Ocean and Pearsall;[35] closed due budget cuts, low usership, and state of disrepair.[36][37][38]

Hudson County libraries

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References

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  1. ^ "LibGuides: Public Libraries of CT, NJ & NY: Jersey City Free Public Library System". libguides.nyit.edu. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "About - Jersey City Free Public Library". Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. ^ Corter, Jamie (February 17, 2021). "Jersey City Free Public Library Redefines the Role of a Community Library". Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Jersey City Free Public Library". njcu.libguides.com. New Jersey City University. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "The 23 Hudson County people you need to know about from 1867-2017". The Jersey Journal. May 2, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Leonard J. Gordon" (PDF). The New York Times. January 18, 1905. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  7. ^ "Opening To-day of the Jersey City Public Library". The New York Times. 1891-06-01. p. 8. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  8. ^ "Free Library". The Jersey City News. July 22, 1898. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "Jersey City Library to Reopen Monday". The New York Times. January 11, 1901. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  10. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Hudson County". New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Jersey City Online - Jersey City Free Public Library". www.jerseycityonline.com. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  12. ^ "State' Libraries". The Jersey Journal. 1900-12-01. p. 6. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Benedict, Peter (12 May 1989). "Library is celebrating its centennial". The Jersey Journal. p. 17. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  14. ^ "New Jersey Room". jclibrary.org. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  15. ^ "New Jersey Room - Resources for Local History". JCFPL Guides. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  16. ^ Griesbach, Sarah. "The NJ Room at the JC Public Library is a Hidden History-Filled Gem". The Hoboken Girl. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Library Guides: Jersey City Museum: Jersey City Museum". njcu.libguides.com. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  18. ^ "JC Library Renovation Project Expand Community Resources". www.jerseycitynj.gov. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Zeitlinger, Ron (January 14, 2015). "Jersey City Main Library departments to remain closed during renovations". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  20. ^ a b c Rosario, Joshua (September 10, 2019). "Jersey City library director's 50-year career to be capped with special tribute". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  21. ^ "Our Neighborhood". Central Avenue S.I.D. Management Corporation, Jersey City, NJ. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  22. ^ Phelps, Albert C. (January 1921). "New Bergen Branch Library Building Jersey City" (PDF). Architecture. XLIII (1): 6. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  23. ^ "Edmund W. Miller - Mr. Jersey City Public Library". The Jersey Journal. July 5, 1963. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  24. ^ "Albert S. Gottlieb; Retired Architect, in Practice Here for 40 Years, Dies at 71". The New York Times. January 15, 1942. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  25. ^ McDonald, Terrence T. (October 4, 2018). "Library renamed for late Jersey Journal reporter Earl Morgan". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Afro-American Historical Society Museum". cityofjerseycity.org. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Pavonia Library's new site may be a few blocks". The Jersey Journal. June 7, 1974. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  28. ^ "Library closing". The Jersey Journal. October 14, 1987. p. 15. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  29. ^ "Glenn D. Cunningham Branch". Jersey City Free Public Library. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  30. ^ D'Auria, Peter (September 28, 2020). "New library, fire station proposed for Jersey City's Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Sullivan, Al (March 24, 2024). "New Branch of Jersey City Public Library System to Focus on STEAM Learning". TAPinto. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  32. ^ Hartnett, Bill (October 3, 2024). "Jersey City Celebrates Grand Opening of Cutting Edge Public Library". jerseydigs.com. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  33. ^ "JCLibrary - Lafayette Branch". jclibrary.org. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  34. ^ "Jersey City Free Public Library twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  35. ^ Phase 2 Study of Ward 5 Jersey City (Report). Mary B. Dierickx Architectural Preservation Consultants. May 1986.
  36. ^ Hayes, Melissa (February 12, 2010). "Pearsall library to stop serving Jersey City residents". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Pearsall Branch Library -- Jersey City Public Library". librarytechnology.org. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  38. ^ "Jersey City Library Closing Pearsall Branch, Cutting Hours at Main Branch". Jersey City Independent via HuffPost. April 13, 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
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