Monday, September 14, 2015

Warren Township Library to Celebrate 70th Anniversary

Warren Library in the old "carriage house"
The Friends of the Warren Township Library will be celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the library’s inception on September 26 from 1 to 4 PM at the library.

The event, sponsored by the Friends, will offer family-friendly activities including a scavenger hunt, button making and other crafts. There also will be raffles for children, teens and adults. And of course, a birthday party wouldn’t be complete without a cake. Attendees also will get the chance to see artifacts and learn more about the library’s history.

The Warren Township Library has been housed in several locations throughout the township since it modestly began with a small bookcase in the hallway at Central School in 1945. Professional librarian Zoia Horn volunteered her time to Central School's PTA so that Warren Township might have its own library. She lent 5 books to 3 people from a collection of 183 books.

Emma Jo Cain was among those early volunteers who helped maintain the collection and in the early 1950s she and founder Horn spearheaded ambitious fundraising efforts to help the library.

In 1958, the collection was moved to a renovated porch of the Municipal Building, formerly the manor house of the Hofheimer Estate. Four years later, the library had amassed 6,000 books, which were moved to the carriage house (now the current court building) next door. 

The Friends helps fund many programs for children and adults, including musical performances and the Children's Winter Festival. People can support the library by making a donation to the Friends of the Warren Township Library and becoming a member. Membership forms can be found at the library and on the Friends website.