The Glen Rock Public Library is currently renovating its bathrooms to be more accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

Its bathrooms, while original to the building, were not found to be up to the accessibility guidelines set by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This launched a full-scale renovation project to update the lavatories, which have been modified but hardly changed since their 1965 construction.

This necessary project has been an extensive one, with no definite end in sight. Various precautions and inspections must be set by the town in order to make sure the new lavatories are up to standard.

Ellen O’Keefe, the current director of the library, knows firsthand about the tedious process public buildings face in order to undergo renovations. This project precedes her position on the staff; plans to renovate the bathrooms began to form at the end of March.

Under New Jersey law, the project was required to be put under an open-bid process, lengthening the process by the span of months. The resolution to award Gokus Construction LLC the project was declared on May 24 at a Borough Hall meeting. There is still no final date for the construction to end, however, the project is close to being finished, O’Keefe assures.

The new bathrooms will be worth the wait. They will be fully ventilated and accessible to everyone. A filtered water cooler is also a part of the installation plans and is already operational.  

The library, built in 1965, has stood the test of time. However, changes are necessary in order to keep the building running and its patrons happy.

“We always want to put our best foot forward,” said O’Keefe. “Clean, attractive bathrooms puts everyone in a better mood.”