By Barbara A. Preston | Posted September 26, 2024
November will mark the 50th anniversary of the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, and it may be the library’s last anniversary.
Somerset County Library Director Brian Auger announced on September 23 that the county library system will stop funding the Mary Jacobs Library. A letter to the Borough of Rocky Hill specified the library would close effective Feb. 15, 2025.
November will mark the 50th Anniversary of the Mary Jacobs Library, according to this plaque on the wall in the library.
“It is not fiscally responsible to continue operations for the handful of residents who use it exclusively,” Auger said. The costs of maintaining the building have exceeded the funds set aside for the library, “since it cannot use taxpayer funds to manage or maintain properties it does not own,” according to Auger.
In fact, the library in Rocky Hill is owned by a private foundation, which has removed the word “library” from its name and now calls itself the Mary Jacobs Foundation (MJF).
MJF is embroiled in a complicated lawsuit with the Borough of Rocky and a non-profit organization of private Rocky Hill citizens. The foundation should have, according to the 990 tax form, "approximately $3.7 million as well as interest accruing on at amount of $100,000 and they have the library building, which has an appraisal of $3.5 million.”
Connie Hallman, who is one of the Rocky Hill residents involved in the lawsuit, says: “The Foundation is well able to support a library. The county does not have to support it. But, if the MJF would give the building to the borough to operate the library, then Somerset County could support it.”
Auger said in his announcement that the Somerset County Library “has upheld its commitment to provide service under the agreement. But because the costs to maintain the building have exceeded the funds set aside for that purpose, the library must cease operations."
“Closing a library is not a thing we take lightly — even when you have all the metrics and data telling you the usage is unsustainable," Auger said. “I would like to personally welcome Rocky Hill residents to visit one of our other library branches. Since we are a system, we have branches in a variety of municipalities.”
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The borough of Rocky Hill, the Mary Jacobs Foundation, and the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey (SCLSNJ) have been cooperatively operating the Mary Jacobs neighborhood library since May 13, 2023.
“In Somerset County, library buildings are provided and maintained by the hosting town. We have been operating a neighborhood library in Rocky Hill in cooperation with the Mary Jacobs Foundation, the borough, and previously, the township of Montgomery,” said Auger.
“We took on the project under a two year agreement set up by the Borough and Township to fund the operation of the building. In reaching that agreement, we all concurred that usage data would drive any plans beyond those initial two years. As the contract reaches its completion, our experience does not support keeping this facility open. It is not fiscally responsible to continue operations for the handful of residents who use it exclusively.”
The Mary Jacobs Foundation provided this statement, “The Mary Jacobs Foundation is so proud to have worked to provide a beautifully renovated space for library services in Rocky Hill and thanks SCLSNJ for partnering with us to provide those services.”
Mayor Bob Uhrik of Rocky Hill provided this statement, “Rocky Hill Borough remains committed to facilitating any and all efforts to preserve a library within Rocky Hill Borough that is walkable, sustainable, and community oriented.”
An update will be shared in early January announcing a final date of service. All questions about the status of the building located at 64 Washington Street in Rocky Hill should be directed to the Mary Jacobs Foundation or Borough of Rocky Hill officials, who are stewards of the facility.
The Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation was created as a non-profit corporation in November 1972 and the library opened its doors in 1974. It has operated in accordance with Harold Jacobs’ trust and the certificate of incorporation and its bylaws until recently. The library had become part of the Somerset County Library System (SCLS), and operated fairly well until approximately 2018, when Montgomery Township announced that it intended to construct its own library.
