Friday, June 3, 2011

Branch Library to Open at Rutgers' Downtown Camden Campus

Paul Robeson Library

Rutgers steps in to help give Camden a new library. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/2/2011)

Excerpt: Sometime this fall, Camden's youngest residents will be able to walk among Rutgers-Camden students and faculty on their way to Camden County's newest branch library.

Construction has begun on the basement of the university's Paul Robeson Library to make room for a 5,000-square-foot downtown Camden branch. County and city officials gathered Wednesday to announce details of the partnership with Rutgers University.

Though a price has not been placed on the renovations, the county will pay for them. Camden residents will join the rest of county library users in paying a library tax of 4 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation starting later this year.

The much larger downtown Camden branch on Federal Street was shut in February when Mayor Dana Redd decided the city could no longer afford its 100-year-old system while facing a $26.5 million budget deficit.

The county Library Commission voted to absorb Camden's system, making it the 27th municipal participant. However, the county kept open only the Ferry Avenue branch. A small Fairview branch, shut in September, also remained closed.


Related articles:
College library will also serve as public library branch.  (5/31/2011)
Branch now part of county system.  (4/28/2011)
Downtown library closes for good.  (2/10/2011)
Library decides to puts a positive spin on the situation.  (1/16/2011)
Camden County Library System takes over Camden Free Public Library.  (12/30/2011)
Reformatting the library.  (10/16/2010)
2011 budget outlook remains bleak for Camden New Jersey.  (10/9/2010)
Fairview branch library is closed for good.  (9/8/2010)
Library board postpones decision on closing branch.  (9/2/2010)
"An oasis in the desert".  (8/15/2010)
Camden New Jersey squeeze play?  (8/11/2010)
Camden mayor plays an odd game of library advocacy.  (8/9/2010)
The library dumpster solution.  (8/6/2010)
Mayor proposes 70% cut in library funding.  (7/19/2010)

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