Hillsborough Library Unveils Eco-Friendly Renovation
- The Hillsborough library completed a multi-phase eco-friendly renovation and held a public ribbon-cutting April 20. - Upgrades focused on sustainability and modernizing spaces to better serve patrons and community programs. - Town officials and residents attended the ceremony; details and photos are in the coverage (patch.com).
Hillsborough’s public library reopened its renovated branch with a ribbon-cutting on April 20 after a multi-phase overhaul centered on sustainability and updated public space. (sclsnj.org) The Somerset County Library System of New Jersey said the work reshaped the 17,000-square-foot branch at 379 South Branch Road into a brighter, more flexible building. The township scheduled the ceremony for 2 p.m. Monday and invited residents to tour the space. (sclsnj.org) The last major phase replaced carpeting that library officials said was more than 20 years old. Flooring Foundation removed more than 17,000 square feet of old material and routed it into recycling streams instead of standard landfill disposal. (sclsnj.org) The new carpet tile came from Shaw Contract and can be reclaimed through the company’s re[TURN] program at the end of its life cycle. Shaw Contract said the project was designed around a “circular” model, with old flooring diverted from waste and new flooring selected for future recycling. (shawcontract.com) This renovation followed an earlier Hillsborough branch upgrade completed in spring 2025. That phase added an updated study area, a larger children’s section, a public conference room, a craft studio, and a low-sensory space for patrons who need a quieter environment. (sclsnj.org) Library officials tied the project to how the branch is used day to day. Shaw Contract said the branch serves about 45,000 patrons and is one of the largest and busiest libraries in Somerset County, while branch manager Cathy DeBerry said families and children often sit and play on the floor. (shawcontract.com) The 2025 renovation was funded primarily by the Friends of the Hillsborough Library, according to the library system. During that two-week project, staff moved about 40 tons of books and averaged roughly 20,000 steps a day to keep the branch operating through the transition. (sclsnj.org) The April 20 event marked the public debut of the finished branch after those back-to-back phases. Library director Peter Bromberg said the project let the system “model environmentally responsible practices” with Hillsborough’s municipal partners while reopening a space built for study, children’s programs, and daily community use. (sclsnj.org)
