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About the Highland Park Public Library

Jane Stanley, Director

Flowers outside the Library

Library staff

Helping patrons at the "circ" desk

Indru at circ desk

helping patron at circulation

MISSION STATEMENT:

The Highland Park Public Library is an essential part of the community. As a tax supported, free public library, its purpose is to serve the diverse informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs and interests of all the residents of Highland Park. The library strives to maintain excellent service by -

Providing a wide variety of resources that reflect the Borough's interests and needs.
Promoting literacy, lifelong learning and intellectual freedom.
Providing the technological infrastructure necessary to support quality library services.
Fostering interaction among diverse groups by serving as a focal point for library and community activities.

The library reflects the pride the community takes in itself.

HISTORY:

In 1922, G. Wallace Conover established the town's first lending library, which boasted a circulation of over 20,000 books within the first year. In 1946, a larger library space was rented, and by 1959 the library was moved to its own building on North Sixth Avenue. Improvements were made in 1966 and 1977, followed by a major expansion and refurbishing in 1994. Now more than 3,400 patrons come to the library each week, and the Highland Park Public Library circulates more than 178,000 items annually, hosts more than 3,800 patrons in library programs, and maintains a website with over 47,000 hits, reflecting the continuing and increasing use of library services.

FACILITIES:

The library is complete with many attractive features -

A large Children's Room with special areas for pictures books, story telling, Internet stations, game PCs, toy/play area and a picture window seat.
A Young Adult area for the Teen collection and after school study space.
A spacious Adult Services area furnished with work tables, comfortable lounge seating, Internet stations and fireplace.
Special rooms for quiet study, computer use and tutoring.
A meeting room with 70-person capacity for library and community programs.
A Gallery area for exhibits of town-wide interest.

LIBRARY GOVERNANCE:

The Highland Park Public Library is governed by an independent Board of Trustees as described in detail in NJSA Title 40, Chapter 54 (Libraries and Reading Rooms). The Board of Trustees consists of seven members appointed for five year terms, and two alternate members.

Current members are -

Marc Mappen, President & Mayor’s Alternate
Lisa Goldberg, Vice-President
Roberta Kressel, Treasurer
Julie Green, Co-Secretary
Susan Roth, Co-Secretary
James Reed, Member
Nora Krieger, Member
Carl Wilson, Member
Mayor Stephen Nolan (ex-officio)
Elsie Foster-Dublin, Council Liaison
Dr Frannie Wood, Superintendent (ex-officio)
Helen Rovner, Superintendent’s Alternate
Jane Stanley, Director of Library Services

All Library Board meetings are held in the Library Meeting Room at 7:30 PM. The Highland Park Public Library Board of Trustees complies with the requirements of the state of New Jersey's Open Public Meetings Act.

Board of Trustees now have an email address: trustees@hpplnj.org

THE FRIENDS:

The Friends of the Highland Park Public Library is an organization of over five hundred members, who play an important role in supporting and promoting excellent library services. The Friends raise funds to sponsor special library programs for the public throughout the year, including Poetry Nights, Technology Nights, Children's Programs, Teen Programs, International Film Nights, concerts and cultural events. The Friends also raise community awareness of the library's resources and stimulate public support for its mission.