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NEWARK PUBLIC LIBRARY IS THE PLACE TO BE IN NEWARK

Libraries were once a place where silence was golden, but Newark Public Library is hosting weekly parties complete with DJs and dancing (on Friday 8/18, it’s 70s-themed). Libraries were the place where knowledge was kept in orderly rows of catalogued books. They still are, but with “My Newark Story,” Newark Public Library is also collaborating with the community to document the city’s history. These are the types of projects and experiences modern libraries are offering.

Newark Public Library isn’t a single place, it’s a system of branches. In addition to the Main Library downtown (5 Washington Street), it boasts seven branches throughout the city, and this summer the library partnered with Newark YMCA to bring fun and play to kids all over town via their “Y on Wheels” program. Earlier this summer, we also reported on the library’s involvement (along with YMCA and other partners) in bringing a children’s library to Georgia King Village.

The library hosts lots of other programs and resources including college prep and admissions workshops, symposiums, job search assistance, film screenings, exhibits and book signings. And their Philip Roth Lecture, which debuted in 2016, has already become a hot ticket.

Some observers predicted that libraries would become obsolete in the digital age. Inventive institutions like Newark Public Library have found new ways to convene conversations, bring communities together and work with communities to gather and archive knowledge.

Newly minted library director Jeffrey Trzeciak brought with him a distinctive resume filled with experience making libraries technologically relevant and community-minded. Newarkers can be proud to have a cutting-edge library in their backyard.

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