FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 31, 2009

Freeholders invite West Long Branch to branch out 
Move would save town money and expand county system 

WEST LONG BRANCH – The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders are in support of a West Long Branch ordinance that would elevate the local West Long Branch library to county branch library status and provide residents with an increased level of services and resources. 
 
The ordinance, if approved, would allow the borough to place a referendum question before voters in the November elections, asking if the borough library should become a branch of the Monmouth County Library System.
 
“Branch libraries in the county system have incredible resources and services available to them,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the library system.  “Becoming a branch library will centralize administrative services, ordering and processing of materials, and provide West Long Branch residents with unlimited access to the largest circulating public library collection in the state.” 
 
In addition, a change in the library’s status would make way for the town to yield an annual savings of more than $200,000. 
 
“The county’s library system has the lowest tax rate of any large public library system in the state,” Burry said. “West Long Branch would be a welcome addition to the branch library program.”
 
A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for the West Long Branch Borough Council at 8 p.m. on Aug. 5 at Borough Hall.

The county library headquarters is located in Manalapan. Libraries with branch status in the county system currently include the Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury, Allentown, Colts Neck, Hazlet, Holmdel, Howell, Marlboro, Ocean Township, Oceanport and Wall.

Towns with member status of the county library system include Atlantic Highlands, Brielle, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Interlaken, Keansburg, Little Silver, Manasquan, Monmouth Beach, Neptune City, Oceanic (Rumson), Sea Bright, Sea Girt, Tinton Falls, Union Beach and West Long Branch.

Residents of towns that are not members or branches of the county library system who would like to have borrowing privileges at county libraries may purchase a county library card annually at a cost of $100.

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