By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
It doesn’t take a genius to understand that building a new library is a smart thing for communities to do.
But if there is any lingering doubt about the wisdom of investing in libraries, consider the words of one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century.
“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library,” Albert Einstein once said.
For 10 years, more than 600,000 visitors have known the location of the Sea Isle City branch of the Cape May County Library at 48th Street and Central Avenue. Employees and patrons marked the building’s 10th anniversary Monday with a celebration that included historical displays of the library and light refreshments.
Prolific reader Barbara Jedlicka, a Sea Isle resident and 78-year-old retired elementary school teacher, stopped by Monday, as she often does, to browse through the collection of books and take some home.
“It’s the best thing that ever happened,” Jedlicka said of both the library’s impact on her personally and on the community when it opened in 2011.
Jedlicka noted that she “discovered” the Sea Isle library after she retired from teaching at the Eisenhower Elementary School in West Berlin Township, N.J. She has been a full-time Sea Isle resident since 2000.
“I’m here frequently because I’m always out of books. I usually order four or five of them,” she said, adding that she is a member of two reading groups.
Cheryl Opuszynski, the library’s branch manager, and Antoinette Crudele, the assistant branch manager, said Jedlicka and other patrons are part of the library’s extended “family.”
“The patrons are not just patrons. It’s more than just checking out a book to a person. It’s the generations of families who come here,” Crudele said of the library staff’s friendly interaction with visitors.
Opuszynski pointed out that the library draws big crowds during Sea Isle’s bustling summer tourism season, but also has a steady flow of loyal patrons year-round.
Currently, the library has a total collection of 23,000 books. There are also audio books, downloadable eBooks, video games, music, magazines and movies.
The two-story building represented a significant upgrade over its predecessor when it opened to the public in 2011. Sea Isle’s previous library had been a small, one-story building located on John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
“I think the whole building was only about half the size of the upstairs here,” Opuszynski said while comparing the two facilities.
In addition to being a repository for books and other materials, the library is believed to be Cape May County’s first public silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building. In order to promote the local economy, materials bought within 500 miles of the site were used during the library’s construction.
Perhaps most striking about the library are the panoramic views of the surrounding bay and marshlands that unfold from the building’s second-floor outdoor deck.
“In the summer, people come here with their laptops or just sit here to enjoy the view. I think it’s a great space to work or for some quiet time,” Opuszynski said.
Sea Isle is part of the Cape May County Library system that also includes branches in Cape May City, Lower Township, Wildwood Crest, Cape May Court House, Stone Harbor, Upper Township and Woodbine.
“It is always a joy to celebrate these anniversaries of our different library branches,” Cape May County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes said in a statement. “The library is a community hub and provides necessary resources for our residents. They continually do a great job of bringing in interesting, unique, and award-winning authors to speak at our Lecture Series, along with the many other amazing programs they offer.”
