‘Stunning’ New Maplewood Memorial Library ‘Open for All’ July 5

by Deborah Gaines
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The first thing you see when you enter the new library at 51 Baker Street in Maplewood is the Community Room. With a soaring ceiling, stunning natural light, and room for 200 people to gather, it’s an apt symbol for a building whose mission is to make everyone feel welcome. 

According to Library Director Sarah Lester, the new space represents a change in the fundamental purpose of a community library. “The old building was enclosed in every way you could think of, because the core function of a library back then was to protect the resources inside. And the job of librarians was to keep people away from the books. But now, our goal is to get everything off the shelves. We want to bring everyone in.”

“Open for All” service desk staffed by haloed librarians. Photo by Mary Barr Mann.

This sense of openness, creativity, and collaboration extends to every corner of the new space. Visitors can enjoy huge windows framing scenes from Memorial Park, couches in bright colors that beckon you to relax with a good book, an outdoor patio and second-floor veranda, a Maker Space with 3D printers and work benches, and a Forum with graduated seating steps for conversation and informal events. Banks of computers, quiet study rooms, and unexpected nooks with seats and benches fill out the space.

While all are welcome, two groups get special treatment: kids and teens. The expansive Children’s Room celebrates early learning with a layout that invites discovery, including ample space to spread out and play. And teenagers get “the best room in the house,” Lester says, a glass-walled haven with vaulted ceilings, room to study and socialize, and shelves containing the latest manga and YA fiction. 

All in all, the new building covers 32,000 square feet, including an additional floor but not exceeding the original library’s footprint. Designed by Brooklyn-based Sage and Coombe Architects, it is the first library in New Jersey to be awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification. Solar panels offset 58 percent of the building’s energy use, while materials from the original structure were preserved and reused wherever possible. The library is fully accessible at both the Baker Street and Memorial Park entrances. 

The project began with “two significant, climate-related events that deeply impacted our community,” recalls Maplewood Township Committee Member and Former Mayor Vic De Luca, who is also a library trustee. “During Hurricane Sandy, the library retained power and became a beacon of safety and comfort in the days that followed. But then, just as we were preparing to begin construction, Hurricane Ida flooded the basement with seven feet of water.

The Teen Room. Photo by Joy Yagid.

“That made it clear: we needed a building designed not just for today, but for the future,” De Luca says. 

The new library “sets a new bar for sustainable civic design,” according to architect Jennifer Sage. “By eliminating the dependence on fossil fuels, maximizing natural light, and integrating seamlessly with the surrounding park, it creates a healthier, more inspiring experience for everyone.” 

The $24 million project was made possible through a mix of state, local, and private funding. The State of New Jersey contributed $8.3 million through the Library Construction Bond Act, and the municipality of Maplewood contributed $12 million. The Maplewood Library Foundation raised more than $2 million from donors. 

Lester notes that the project was shaped with community inputthrough surveys, town forums, and interviewsat every step along the way. As a result, “This isn’t just a building. It’s a physical manifestation of who we, as a town, want to be.” 

Library Executive Director Sarah Lester. Photo by Joy Yagid.

De Luca agrees. “This wasn’t an easy project, but the energy that surrounded it from the very beginning was inspiring. We all knew that it was something that could strengthen the community going forward.” 

Perhaps more than anything else, the new library represents a leap of faith. Lester says, “At a time when many public libraries are facing book bans, budget cuts, and ideological scrutiny, Maplewood has invested in a space that reclaims the public purpose of librarieswhere diversity of thought and access to information are not only protected, but celebrated.” 

The new facility will open to the public on July 5, 2025 from 11 am to 5 pm, with music, speeches, a ribbon cutting, and special events for everyone in the community. More information: https://www.maplewoodlibrary.org/opening\

Photos by Joy Yagid:

Photos by Mary Barr Mann: