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Editorial: The South County branch in Hunterdon is more than just a library

There’s no “one size fits all” with jeans, and the same principal applies elsewhere. The local little hardware store may be well-stocked and filled with helpful staff, but it simply can’t carry all the variety found at a big-box home improvement center. The nifty new smartphones take great photos and videos, but are no substitute for broadcast-quality cameras. The cars that compete in the Indianapolis 500 aren’t suitable for commuting.

South County Library in Ringoes

It’s the same with libraries. The spacious stacks and performing and visual art spaces beckon at the Hunterdon County Library’s headquarters branch in Raritan Township and North County branch in Clinton.

Their shelves are teeming with books that seem to loudly whisper, “Read me!” Each hosts a wide variety of events worth attending. They are very different from the county system’s small, neighborhood libraries, such as the South County branch in Ringoes.

What the South Country branch lacks in space it makes up for in atmosphere. When someone sneezes in the periodicals department, it’s not unusual for someone at the opposite end of the library who is browsing the children’s books to say, “God bless you!”

Unlike the headquarters branch, it’s within walking distance for many. And it’s especially handy for those trying to combine car trips: It shares a wall with the post office and is across the street from the bank, next to a service station and near the local deli. Even though it’s in a village and has a small-town feel, the South County branch is convenient to state routes 31, 202 and 179, as well as county Route 579.

The Ringoes location comes to mind because library officials say it may face closure if the freeholders cannot negotiate a new lease for the space.

As they evaluate the library’s rent, freeholders would be wise to consider that the branch is more than just a library. It serves as a welcome and welcoming gathering space and a return depot for readers who borrowed the book, magazine, CD or DVD elsewhere.

For those who live in a little town, even a little library can be a source of community pride.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, according to the old adage. It’s true with libraries, too.

More editorials from the Hunterdon County Democrat:


More Hunterdon County news:
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