CHATHAM — The Chatham Library Foundation is encouraging residents of Chatham Borough and Chatham Township to learn about a proposed renovation of the Library of the Chathams and to share their views with elected officials before key funding votes this month.
The Borough Council is scheduled to meet Monday, July 13, and the Township Committee on Tuesday, July 14, both at 7:30 p.m., to consider how to fund the project, known to the community as “A Space for Everyone.”
The plan would preserve the library’s historic 1924 building while replacing heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and fire-suppression systems that were added piecemeal over the decades and no longer function together. It would also modernize public spaces within the building’s existing footprint, including a larger children’s center, flexible meeting and business spaces, STEM learning areas and a climate-controlled room to protect the library’s local history collection.
A $2.45 million New Jersey state grant and about $3 million in library funds and reserves are already committed, bringing roughly $5.45 million to the project. The Borough and Township are weighing how to cover the remaining balance, estimated at $6.5 million.
According to the Foundation, the library has spent nearly $200,000 on HVAC repairs since 2020, including more than $56,000 in 2025 alone. The building has experienced humidity levels as high as 91 percent, temperature swings from 63 to more than 81 degrees, and multi-day climate-control outages that the Foundation says put the local history collection at risk. The electrical system is more than 70 years old, and a recalled breaker box has already had to be replaced.
The Foundation says renovating is the more fiscally responsible option, citing a 2026 estimate that a comparable new building would cost $25 million to $28 million, compared with roughly $10.4 million in construction costs for the proposed renovation.
The Foundation also points to rising demand for the library’s services. About 86 percent of residents hold a library card, and the library draws more than 620 visits a day, according to the Foundation. Program attendance has more than quadrupled since 2021, the number of community meetings hosted has grown nearly sevenfold, and more than 50 organizations use its meeting spaces. The Foundation estimates the library delivered $3.9 million in value to residents in 2025 through books, technology, research help and gathering space.
The project was presented to both governing bodies on May 26. Township Committee members said afterward that they wanted to hear more from residents before deciding, prompting the Foundation’s outreach effort.
“For half a century, the library has belonged to both Chathams,” said Andy Hollander, president of the Chatham Library Foundation. “It’s where kids find their first books, where neighbors gather, and where our local history is kept safe. Renovating it now will let it keep doing all of that for the next hundred years. As our elected officials weigh the project’s future, we simply want every resident to understand what’s at stake and to have a real chance to be heard.”
The Foundation is encouraging residents to review the project packet and frequently asked questions, email members of the Borough Council and Township Committee, sign a community petition supporting the project, or speak during public comment at the July meetings. Additional information is available at chathamlibraryfoundation.org.
