An old friend has survived surgery: The Morristown & Township Library is whole again

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The Morristown & Township Library, grievously damaged by an explosion nearly two years ago, is whole again.

Over the last week, patrons have been allowed back inside the library’s historic 1917 wing, lovingly restored after the still-unsolved May 2010 blast that buckled the floor, shattered windows and splintered desks and bookshelves.

The stately space remains reminiscent of a great university library, albeit one with a new-car smell and a fresh coat of paint.

Asked to name that paint color, library Director Maria Norton replied simply:

“I call it beautiful.”

The 1917 wing now…and then, after the 2010 explosion. Please click icon below for captions.

For the record, it’s a warm gold-beige hue.  An estimated $4.5 million in repairs also includes new desks and tables, with more furniture and computers coming. Two broken windows were replaced early on; a cracked skylight was fixed more recently.  Wood panel doors have been added to an office, and a tiled floor at the wing’s South Street end will serve as “the café,” where patrons will be permitted to bring their coffee, Maria said.

The reference desk has been shifted by a few feet, so it’s now visible through the doorway that connects to the library’s central 1933 section, the main South Street entrance that quietly reopened last Halloween.  A 2006 section was first to reopen, eight months after the explosion.

Most volumes in the 1917 wing–large print books, biographies, reference works and foreign language materials–have been returned from storage.  The second-floor gallery will stay closed a bit longer, however, because some items continue to be stored there. On the plus side, a conference room in the 2006 wing that had been commandeered for storage is available for public use again.

Maria termed the 1917 wing relaunch a “soft opening,” a low-key transition.  A proper celebration is scheduled for May 5 — two days past the anniversary of the Monday morning blast that escaped becoming a national tragedy thanks to alert staff, who recognized warning signs and swiftly evacuated the place moments before the incident.

While insurance has covered most of the repairs, some improvements–a new hot water heating system, a gas detection system, some new balcony shelving and millwork–have come from the library’s coffers. The heating upgrade, replacing a less efficient steam system, cost about $116,000, Maria said.

 BY THE NUMBERS:

Circulation numbers dropped sharply in 2010 after the May explosion closed the Morristown & Township Library. The figures rebounded with last year’s partial reopening: 253,254 items were loaned, according to Library Director Maria Norton. The library collection totals 227,703 items. (Some items were taken out multiple times, accounting for the discrepancy.)

Looking especially proud is the Library Eagle, a fixture that has delighted young visitors since 1920. A regal eagle, you could say, thanks to a regilding of its 12-foot wingspan courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

During World War I, the eagle perched above an honor roll outside a South Street armory that no longer exists. Grinnell Willis donated money to erect the library that opened in 1917; three years later he donated the eagle as a symbol of “progress towards peace instead of preparation for war,” according to the library’s research. But its life has been anything but peaceful; the tough bird also survived an unsolved 1994 explosion.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED with new golden wings, thanks to the Friends of the Morristown & Township Library.  The rest of the 1917 wing has a fresh new look, too, from renovations in the wake of a 2010 explosion. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED with new golden wings, thanks to the Friends of the Morristown & Township Library. The rest of the 1917 wing has a fresh new look, too, from renovations in the wake of a 2010 explosion. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

The regilding was funded by the sale of used books, dispensed by the Friends of the Library from a basement “bookworm” room that now boasts brighter lighting and more aisle space .

That room adjoined the area where gas- and electric lines entered the building from Miller Road; it’s the spot where the 2010 explosion is believed to have originated. Electricity now enters from above-ground lines. Gas lines have been moved to the South Street side of the library.

“We have, we believe, made it safe,” said Maria.  The cause of the latest explosion remains under investigation, she said. Jersey Central Power & Light and Public Service Electric & Gas have denied responsibility for the 2010 blast.

Promoted  after the latest explosion, the director only now is settling into the balcony-level office that was closed throughout the repairs.

“I have to find my file cabinet, and a little furniture here and there,” said Maria, who has worked at the library since her freshman year in high school, 1969.

In the months after the 2010 explosion, her staff operated from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the Morris County Library and a South Street storefront owned by Jim Mongey of the Dublin Pub. “Jim Mongey was such a good landlord, and we appreciate him,” Maria said.

She expressed excitement about life returning to normal at the library.

For patrons, that means more programs of all kinds. It also means it’s time to return those overdue tomes. The library cut plenty of slack to anyone who borrowed materials immediately prior to the 2010 explosion. No more excuses!

“If you got ’em, return ’em,” Maria said with a smile.

MORE ABOUT THE MORRISTOWN & TOWNSHIP LIBRARY

GOOD AS NEW: Director Maria Norton likes the view at the 1917 wing of the Morristown & Township Library, newly reopened after a May 2010 explosion. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
GOOD AS NEW: Director Maria Norton likes the view at the 1917 wing of the Morristown & Township Library, newly reopened after a May 2010 explosion. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

 

 

 

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Kudos to Maria and her staff. This could not have been accomplished without her steady, sure leadership. The 1917 wing looks better, brighter and more vibrant than it has in years. Maria took a crate of lemons and made lemonade. Many Thanks!

    Nancy

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