libraries

DMR Architects’ designers deliver modern libraries across New Jersey.

How Smarter Library Spaces Are Shaping Smarter Communities

How Smarter Library Spaces Are Shaping Smarter Communities 789 444 DMR Architects

Libraries don’t just hold knowledge—they help build it. Across New Jersey, DMR is leading a wave of library redesigns that are making communities smarter, more connected, and better prepared for the future. From the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library & Learning Center at Essex County College in Newark to the newly transformed Middletown Township Public Library, DMR’s work is redefining what a library can be: a place where history, technology, and community intersect to inspire lifelong learning and growth.

Redesigned libraries do more than update infrastructure. According to national data, renovated libraries see attendance increases of 30–80%, program participation more than double, and measurable gains in student literacy and digital access. “These aren’t just renovations—they’re reinventions shaped by a deep understanding of how these communities use public space,” said Kurt Vierheilig, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “A modern library is a civic engine, a technology hub, and a cultural connector.”

Middletown Township Public Library
DMR transformed 15,000 SF of dated space into a dynamic multi-generational hub. A former computer lab became a teen innovation zone and makerspace, now home to 3D printers, textile equipment, and creative technology. The expanded History Room celebrates Middletown’s Revolutionary War legacy, now four times its original size and enhanced with interactive displays and curated artifacts.

The renovation also added four private study rooms, an inviting fireplace lounge, and a more open, naturally lit floor plan with flexible seating for all ages.

“The new design was created to meet the needs of our ever-growing Middletown community so we can better serve them,” said Business Manager, Wendy LaTona “This library isn’t just for reading—it’s where neighbors connect, where teens explore new ideas, and where our town’s deep rooted past is honored in a space built for its future.”

Essex County College – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library & Learning Center
In Newark, DMR’s design repositioned the 18,000 SF library as the heart of campus life. The project relocated the Learning Center into the space, integrating AI-enabled academic tools, collaborative tutoring zones, and a custom bookcase honoring Dr. King as a visual and emotional anchor. Clerestory windows were re-opened to flood the space with light, while floor-to-ceiling glass storefronts created a transparent and welcoming entry.

“We wanted students to walk in and feel that this was their space,” said Essex County College President Dr. Augustine Boakye. “This library gives students a sense of belonging. It reflects the diversity, resilience, and ambition of Essex County College—and it honors the legacy of Dr. King by creating a space where opportunity, learning, and equity come together.”

“The new design has brought a real energy to the space—it’s being used more consistently throughout the day by students and faculty,” said Mohammed Seddiki, Executive Dean & Chief Information Officer of Essex County College “The layout and openness make it easier for people to focus, collaborate, and feel comfortable using the library in different ways.”

Real-World Results Back the Design Strategy
According to a Federal Reserve study, public library renovations are linked to:

  • A 21% increase in children’s book checkouts
  • An 18% increase in children’s attendance at programs
  • A steady rise in reading test scores over seven years

Additional case studies show circulation often increases by more than 50%, with new users engaging in programs for the first time. “Design is what transforms a library into a vital part of the community,” said Pradeep Kapoor, AIA. “The way a space is laid out—how it invites people to gather, study, or simply spend time—directly impacts how it’s used. Our goal is to create environments that support how people learn, connect, and grow today.”

These projects build on DMR’s continued work across New Jersey, including the Montgomery branch of the Somerset County Library System, and showcase the firm’s leadership in public infrastructure that is responsive, inclusive and forward-thinking.

 

The media center at the Blanquita B. Valenti Community School, showing flexible furniture, book storage and in the distance, the glass-enclosed makerspace.

Media Center is Centerpiece of Technologically-Advanced Blanquita B. Valenti Community School in New Brunswick

Media Center is Centerpiece of Technologically-Advanced Blanquita B. Valenti Community School in New Brunswick 789 444 DMR Architects

Students at the DMR-designed Blanquita B. Valenti Community School are enjoying their first year at the three-story, 127,000 SF facility featuring a media center, technology lab, makerspace, and science demonstration rooms in addition to other traditional education spaces.

DMR is committed to being one of the best of breed for designing technological advancements in education spaces, striving to set another new standard for learning, mentoring and interacting for the 900 K-eighth graders.

The project is one of more than 30 projects that DMR has worked on for the New Brunswick Board of Education since 2010 including assessments/reports/long rang facility planning; Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP) projects; HVAC upgrades; roofs; and fields, in addition to the auxiliary gym addition at New Brunswick High School which is currently under construction.

“The media center was an especially important element to this project; it needed to be a meaningful learning environment for students who are tackling the alphabet for the first time all the way up to kids who are taking advanced STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities and coding classes,” said Lloyd Rosenberg AIA.

The 3,000 SF space features wraparound, floor-to-ceiling windows, bookshelves incorporated into the backs of seating and furniture, and a classroom with electronic whiteboards for small-group instruction.  Additionally, an area of the media center that is encased in glass windows is used as a makerspace filled with things such as virtual reality tech and 3-D printers.

Planning incorporated flexibility and adaptability throughout the building as shown in the multipurpose room with removable seating so that it can be easily converted for activities such as school dances and science fairs.  DMR’s design also provides a separate entrance for its kindergarteners so that their earlier pick-up time does not disrupt classes for the rest of the students.

In a creative land arrangement, the Blanquita B. Valenti Community School replaced the Lincoln Annex School, formerly St. Peter’s High School and Elementary School, which was demolished for construction of the state’s first free-standing cancer hospital.

The children's room at the Montgomery branch of the Somerset County Library System includes bright colors, patterns, age-appropriate games and small gathering areas.

Montgomery Library Featured Among Country’s Most Celebratory Libraries

Montgomery Library Featured Among Country’s Most Celebratory Libraries 789 444 DMR Architects

The Montgomery branch of the Somerset County Library System is among vibrant, celebratory and stimulating libraries across the country that were featured in Library Journal’s Architecture Issue.

The exceptional design of the branch, built as part of the design and construction of a new municipal center, focused on providing a modern space that met the varied social and intellectual needs of the community, while also honoring the township’s history as an agricultural community.

Design features implemented in pursuit of this goal include:

  • The main “living room,” with a fire feature and soft furniture for casual reading. Seating is also located along the full height, glazed façade which overlooks the surrounding landscape, primarily open space, and connecting the patrons to the outside. The use of heavy timber throughout the exterior and interior is also a tribute to the township’s agricultural history.
  • A sort-o-matic, a book sorting machine. Special design considerations were taken for patrons to enjoy watching their books move through the grand piece of machinery.
  • A digital preservation lab, equipped with a large format archival scanner, advanced video and audio editing technology, a light box for photographing historical objects and access to many other digital programs. Designers strategically placed this room in a central location and utilized glass walls to maintain visual connection.
  • Additional technological integrations, including reserving materials online to after-hours pickup from an outdoor book locker.

A rendering shows what the history room at Middletown Library will looks like, with rich colors and an abundance of display shelfs showing local historial artifacts.

In Middletown, Renovation Reflects Social Identity of the Library

In Middletown, Renovation Reflects Social Identity of the Library 789 444 DMR Architects

While libraries have always served as hubs of curiosity and enlightenment, changes in technology, resources and styles have called for many renovations. Middletown is the latest municipality to turn to DMR to renovate their public library to address these modern needs.

DMR’s plans at the Middletown Library will soon reshape the facility into a destination that will better serve the social and intellectual needs of the town through new and expanded programming space including a makerspace and business skills lab, café/coffee station with a fireplace lounge, and dedicated history, teen, reading and community rooms. The design considered visual connection, existing natural light and overall flexibility.

Previously, DMR helped fund library projects in numerous municipalities and completed projects in Montgomery, which received national recognition, and for the North Hunterdon Regional High School District.

The exterior of the Montgomery Municipal Center includes an abundance of heavy timber, meant to honor the township's agricultural history.

Montgomery Municipal Center, Fueled by Robust Community Input, Reflects History and Identity

Montgomery Municipal Center, Fueled by Robust Community Input, Reflects History and Identity 789 444 DMR Architects

DMR Architects conceived the design for the new Montgomery Municipal Center to reflect the township’s identity as a close-knit suburban community with deep agricultural roots while providing a state-of-the-art facility that will serve the future needs of the community and administration.

The 62,000 SF building opened last summer delivering offices for Montgomery Township’s police headquarters and administration, a new branch of the Somerset County Library System, and the council chambers arranged around a central common public lobby.

It is unique in not only its design, hearkening back to old barns and farm structures, but also in its purposes and function, with connected spaces for municipal, library and community programs under one roof. The project was borne from a collaborative approach that included input from municipal and county voices, as well as more than 200 residents.

“The new municipal center has been planned to serve as a community gathering place, something that the township has long sought,” said Montgomery Mayor Devra Keenan.  “This is not just a building to us; it is a representation of Montgomery’s collaborative spirit and pride of place.”

The design takes cues from agrarian architecture with contemporary material choices, seen through the gable roof, stone exterior, metal roofing, wood siding, heavy timber canopies and abundance of glass. The result reflected the collective pride of Montgomery’s elected officials and residents so effectively that the building design was incorporated into an updated municipal seal.

“There is a distinct shift in attitudes away from building utilitarian municipal facilities that are seen as a place people ‘have to go to’. Trends are moving toward providing residents with a location that is more welcoming and engaging to the community,” said Kurt Vierheilig, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “It’s important to a project’s success to work in unison with residents, county and municipal leaders. The spirit of collaboration was strong at all levels and the final product is something we are all proud of and that will be used for many generations.”

With aid of Grant Funding, $24M of Library Projects are set to Begin

With aid of Grant Funding, $24M of Library Projects are set to Begin 789 444 DMR Architects

Aided through a 50% funding match by the first round of funding of the Library Construction Bond Act, authorized in November 2020, library projects in Roselle, Freehold and Montgomery, improvements that represent a total estimated construction cost of $24 million, are set to begin in 2021. The projects will address critical building upgrades and support modern technological improvements to these community fixtures.

In the Borough of Freehold, funding will support a nearly $2 million project at the Freehold Public Library, an original Carnegie Library. Since its construction in 1904, the building has gone through minimal renovations, with many of the original design elements now aging and in need of repair or not suitable for the library’s current needs. As part of this project, a wheelchair accessible ramp and lift and ADA-accessible bathrooms will be added, and aging building elements such as a new roof and improved HVAC systems will be addressed.

In the Borough of Roselle, $5.5 million of funding will help fuel an $11 million renovation and addition. While the resources and needs of the library have expanded greatly since it was constructed in 1938, the limited size and antiquated design of the facility has made it difficult to keep up with modern demands. The 15,400 SF, two-story addition will allow the library to expand its programs and resources, and will include a new youth services section, with both teen and children’s zones, a program room and study rooms. The renovations to the existing facility will address ADA improvements.

In the Township of Montgomery, a new library branch, part of the Somerset County Library System, will be part of the new municipal center, also designed by DMR. $5.4 million from the bond act will support the 20,000 SF library which will include small study rooms, a conference room, a children’s section, a lounge area for parents and casual readers, a sound proof studio for podcasting and recordings and lockers outside for after-hours pick-up of books via a code sent to a mobile phone or device.

DMR assisted each municipality in the grant application for these projects.

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