The Garden State branch of a national architects advocacy group has singled out Jersey City’s Jennie Pu for her leadership role in extending the Hoboken Public Library’s community outreach role while preserving its long history. The recognition comes at an opportune moment for Pu, who recently announced that she will run for one of two assembly seats in New Jersey’s 32nd Legislative District.

In accepting an award bestowed by the American Institute of Architects, Library Director Pu, said: “For over 130 years, the library has proudly served generations of Hoboken families, and with this phase of restoration, we look forward to continuing that legacy for many more years.”

Library Journal has pointed out that Pu’s run for the assembly seat represents several firsts. She is the first librarian to run for statewide office in New Jersey. If elected, she would become the first Chinese American lawmaker in the state’s history and the first Asian American woman to represent Hudson County.

Pu said this newest renovation – funded, in part,  by the NJ Historic Trust – matched by the library’s capital reserves – represents the library’s biggest single restoration project since opening its doors as a library and manual training school in 1897.  

After several years of planning, the library applied for – and got — “one of the first capital grants for large-scale, multi-phased projects by the New Jersey Historic Trust,” Pu said.

This project was designed by the Trenton architectural firm of Clarke Caton Hintz, which drew up plans for Jersey City’s new Franklin L. Williams Middle School 7 on Laidlaw Avenue and the new auditorium at Cornelia L. Bradford Elementary School 16 on Sussex Street.

The first phase – costing $7 million – encompassed installation of a building-wide, state-of-the-art HVAC system and rehabilitation of the third floor allowing for a dedicated children’s reading room, flexibile storytime program space, teen room and a MakerSpace for all ages.

Pu said the project, among other things, allowed the library to restore the children’s reading room fronting Church Square Park.

There is now “sufficient space to move all the furniture and shelves on casters,” she added, “so now we can have space for programs like guest authors.”

Newly restored tin ceilings help with acoustics and a new teen room can now be enclosed by the movement of reconditioned historic “pocket” doors, which, Pu said, workers found buried in plaster and were discarded during the 1950s.

Younger readers now have access to a wing devoted to storytime and part of the space accommodates toys suitable for babies to pre-teens, she said.

The new MakerSpace section – a nod to the library’s 19^thcentury mission of providing not only books but also trade apprenticeships – was actually a last-minute addition to the restoration plans, according to Pu.

Based on research conducted by architectural historians, library staff surmised that the back space of the building – where an old carving room was unearthed — was earmarked for the teaching of such industrial trades as sewing and woodworking, she said.

Thanks to the redesign – and the acquisition of some modern tools like a state-of-the-art 3-D printer, digital embroidery machine glow forge and laser cutter – everyone from nonprofits teaching basic computer classes to retail designers looking to fashion prototypes can apply for time to use the space, which is open all year, Pu said.

The representative of a Downtown Jersey City book retailer, for example, recently used the laser cutter to help fashion a new sign for outdoor display advertising the business, Pu recalled.

“It’s a small but mightily-used space – it’s been super popular,” the director said. “There’s been a lot of word and mouth about the opportunity we’ve created and people are taking advantage of that.”

She said the library has hired “a couple more” staffers to assist patrons of the makerspace.

This initial phase of work was completed in 2023, Pu said.

A second phase of restoration now in the planning stages, Pu said, envisions the “historic restoration and rehabilitation of our first floor and our mezzanine levels where our nonfiction stacks are located.”

“We want to bring back the lighting, tin floors and casing work on the walls,” she said, while, at the same time, add new furniture as a modern feature.

Meanwhile, Pu said, the library remains committed to maintaining its three existing covered book “lockers” – which provide “24-hour, self-service” book/and/or tape withdrawals and returns without having to visit the library to do so.

One is just outside the main library; a second is outside a small branch at the Multi-Service Center on Grand Street; and the newest – and first “remote” service locker – outside the Hoboken Historical Museum at 13^th and Hudson streets.

“They’re always full,” Pu said. “We’ve learned that people in Hoboken loved them for the convenience.”  In the past year, locker use has tripled, up from the past year by 144%, she added. Many residents commute to and from New York and don’t have the time to stop by the library, she said.

To take out or return a book or tape, borrowers need only swipe their library card at the locker to register their “transaction.”

Hoboken was one of the first libraries in the state to install “24/7” lockers, she noted.

“We are open to all collaboration possibilities to possibly expanding their use,” Pu said, so long as a potential partner can ensure that any and all lockers are protected against the elements and have access to electricity and a computer near the locker site.

Meanwhile, the Hoboken library continues to show signs of growth, Pu said. For the past year, circulation was up by 32%, programs by 40% and door count by 50%.