Security concerns shut library branch in Franklin Township

Security concerns at the building housing Warren Tech and the Warren County Library Franklin Township Branch led to the library's indefinite closure last week.

For the 20 years the facilities shared a building -- an anniversary celebration has been canceled because of the situation -- library patrons used two doors leading to the school to access restrooms. The doors also served as the library's emergency exits.

Warren County Technical School administrators rethought that arrangement after an incident this month that chief school administrator Robert Glowacky declined to describe.

"When this partnership started back in 1988, no one foresaw the changes in security protocol that we're now faced with," he said Friday, adding the school has since installed security cameras and limited access through intercoms and a buzzer system.

"I can have this school locked down," he continued. "You can actually walk in the main library door, walk through the library, walk through another set of doors and you're in the school. So we had to address that issue of securing at least my interior doors."

Glowacky suggested a buzzer system at the library entrance could begin to solve the dispute by requiring patrons to show a library card. Warren County Library director Maureen Baker Wilkinson has said no to that, pointing to guidelines on school-library joint-use facility access from the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, New Jersey Library Association and New Jersey State Library. They warn of civil rights liability in denying access to everyone.

"The basic problem is while we both want to protect children, we have very different mandates," she said. "We have to have open doors to our facilities."

Then there is the matter of restroom access. "That's going to be a difficult thing to solve," Wilkinson said. "When you have a bunch of 2-year-olds in for story time, not having access to bathrooms will be an issue for some parents."

The library branch closed Wednesday after Warren County fire marshal Joe Lake ruled it cannot operate without the doors to Warren Tech remaining open.

"With the present situation they do not have the correct number of emergency exits for the occupancy level," Lake said Friday. "You've either got to have more exits or you've got to be closed."

Wilkinson has moved the branch's eight union workers to the headquarters, on Hardwick Street in Belvidere. On Thursday, staff moved newer materials and items patrons had reserved to the headquarters as well. Patrons can use drop boxes outside the Franklin Township branch, and library administrators are considering parking one of two county bookmobiles at the branch to return some level of service there.

Students at Warren Tech continue to use the branch as their library, but only for studying, Glowacky said. They are not allowed to take items out in the absence of staff to manage the collection.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at (610) 258-7171 or kbresswein@express-times.com.