Credit: Ben Lee via Flickr

Dozens of county and local libraries are closer to getting nearly $40 million in state funding for proposed upgrades.

The funding for the library projects comes from a $125 million bond issue that won widespread approval from New Jersey voters in 2017. Proceeds from the same bond issue have already been used to fund dozens of other library projects across the state through a competitive grant process established in law.

This latest round of library grants will help pay for 36 projects in 13 of New Jersey’s 21 counties. But the proposed appropriations require a final signoff from lawmakers and Gov. Phil Murphy. A vote held Thursday in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee was the first step in that process.

Under the terms of the 2017 bond act — which won the approval of roughly 60% of those who cast ballots that year — the state funding will cover half the cost of each project, with local libraries covering the rest through county or municipal funding or money raised by “friends of” organizations, private donations or other means.

The bond act delegated approval of projects that would be eligible for funding to the president of Thomas Edison University and the state librarian.

After some delay, the Murphy administration sold the bonds in early 2020. A first round of library grants totaling $86.5 million won the approval of lawmakers and the governor by the end of the year.

This latest round of funding appropriates an additional $37.2 million for library projects, according to legislation passed by the Assembly committee in a unanimous vote.

Prior to the 2017 bond issue, the last time the state made a significant pot of money available for library upgrades was 1999. Since then, the use of technology and the internet has exploded, and library officials argued many were not able to keep up with all the changes.

These are the projects and funding amounts that have been recommended for the latest round of grants, according to the legislation:

1. $1,500,000 to the Edison Township Free Public Library in Edison Township, Middlesex County
2.  $472,464 to the Highland Park Public Library in Highland Park, Middlesex County
3.  $3,996,437.50 to the Hillside Public Library in Hillside, Union County
4.  $3,100,000 to the Long Branch Public Library in Long Branch, Monmouth County
5.  $700,088 to the Maywood Public Library in Maywood, Bergen County
6.  $4,824,000 to the Ocean County Library in Manahawkin, Ocean County
7.  $6,529,148 to the South Orange Public Library in South Orange, Essex County
8.  $302,250 to the Trenton Free Public Library in Trenton, Mercer County
9.  $3,236,586.50 to the Union City Public Library in Union City, Hudson County
10.  $2,883,577 to the Free Public Library of the Borough of Woodland Park, Woodland Park, Passaic County
11.  $284,000 to the Atlantic City Free Library in Atlantic City, Atlantic County
12.  $549,013.50 to the Atlantic County Egg Harbor Township Branch Library in Egg Harbor, Atlantic City
13.  $920,661 to the Atlantic County Galloway Township Branch Library in Galloway Township, Atlantic County
14.  $694,212 to the Atlantic County Library System in Mays Landing, Atlantic County
15.  $150,000 to the Belleville Public Library in Belleville, Essex County
16.  $95,042.50 to the Bernards Township Library in Bernards Township, Somerset County
17.  $256,040.16 to the Bound Brook Memorial Library Branch of the Somerset County Library System in Bound Brook, Somerset County
18.  $61,681 to the Chester Library in Chester Borough and Chester Township, Morris County
19.  $228,750 to the Clark Public Library in Clark, Union County
20.  $189,150 to the Clifton Memorial Library in Clifton, Passaic County
21.  $98,725 to the Dixon Homestead Library in Dumont, Bergen County
22.  $234,813 to the Elizabeth Public Library in Elizabeth, Union County
23.  $96,250 to the Elizabeth Public Library in Elizabeth, Union County
24.  $165,750 to the Elizabeth Public Library in Elizabeth, Union County
25.  $155,400 to the Emerson Public Library in Emerson, Bergen County;
26.  $70,000 to the Frenchtown Public Library in Frenchtown, Hunterdon County
27.  $913,974 to the Free Public Library of the Borough of Madison in the Borough of Madison, Morris County
28.  $500,000 to the Maurice M. Pine Public Library in Fair Lawn, Bergen County
29.  $1,764,447 to the Newark Public Library in Newark, Essex County
30.  $64,320 to the North Arlington Public Library in North Arlington, Bergen County
31.  $284,115.05 to the Nutley Free Public Library in Nutley, Essex County
32.  $566,153.50 to the Plainfield Public Library in Plainfield, Union County
33.  $172,500 to the South River Public Library in South River, Middlesex County
34.  $183,573 to the Summit Free Public Library in Summit, Union County
35.  $217,500 to the Tinton Falls Public Library in Tinton Falls, Monmouth County
36.  $714,015 to the Weehawken Free Public Library in Weehawken, Hudson County

These five library projects would also receive grants if funding becomes available:

1.  $2,450,000 to the Library of the Chathams in Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, Morris County
2.  $247,361 to the Glen Ridge Library in Glen Ridge, Essex County
3.  $1,622,900 to the Metuchen Public Library in Metuchen, Middlesex County
4.  $1,426,673 to the Newark Public Library in Newark, Essex County
5.  $1,046,000 to the Rahway Public Library in Rahway, Union County