Politics & Government

A Haven in Both Good and Bad Times

Berkeley Branch of the Ocean County Library still going strong after 30 years

The Berkeley branch of the Ocean County Library had humble beginnings.

It was born in a small ranch house off Station Road in the Bayville section of the township back in 1981.

And Barbara Dudek, one of the original members of the Friends of the Berkeley Library, remembers what it was like. Space was hard to come by.

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"I used to do story time in a little corner," she recalled. "We started with a group of about a dozen people. We did a fundraiser and that's when the county became involved."

The Friends were on a mission - to bring a state-of-the-art building into town to replace the tiny ranch house. Years of lobbying township and county officials and countless fundraisers paid off.

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Ocean County and the township inked a deal in June 1987 to share in the construction costs of a new branch.

The Berkeley branch today is a 16,240-square foot building with a meeting room, seats for 110, computers and a printing and graphics department. To say it's a community hub for Bayville residents would not be an understatement.

"It's been a wonderful growth period," Dudek said. "What a difference from a little building to this beautiful place."

Dudek was one of many who came to the current branch - which opened its doors in October 1991 - today to celebrate the library's 30th anniversary.

"It's easy to see how some things have changed," said branch Director Michael Bobish, as he watched a 21-year-old loop of video of the groundbreaking ceremony. Bobish was a toddler when the original branch opened.

"One thing that hasn't changed is our commitment to the community," he said.

Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari, Mayor Jason J. Varano, Township Councilman Carmen J. Amato and Councilwoman Judy Noonan were on hand to help celebrate.

The library can be a haven for residents in dark economic times, Vicari said.

"During a recession, the library is a sanctuary for many people," he said. "They can read a book. They can use the Internet. They can look for a job and it's all free."

The Ocean County Library system operates 21 branches throughout the county. And despite difficult financial times, they will all stay open, Vicari said

"We are not going to close any branches of the library down, he said. "The hallmark of any advanced society is the library system."

The volunteer Friends of the Berkeley Library are invaluable, Bobish said.

"You simply cannot overstate the support of the group's hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours," he said. "We could not function in the way we do without our friends."

The group holds fundraisers to sponsor many of the events that take place during the on weekdays and weekends.

Marie Goione, Bayville, is the current president of the group. She's been a member for 14 years.

"I love the library," she said. "I think when you retire, it's time to start giving back."


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