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HOME FOR HISTORICAL ARCHIVES AT RIVER EDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Home for Historical Archives at
River Edge Public Library
River Edge, New Jersey.
Deepti Dutta
Drexel University
INFO 520
Grant Proposal
5th June, 2010
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The River Edge Public Library in River Edge, NJ is requesting funding to organize and
conserve the special collection owned by the Bergen County Historical Society which “trace the
county’s development from an agrarian Dutch settlement in the 17th century to its role as a
Revolutionary War battleground to the birth of the modern suburb” (Rogers, 1999), in a climate
controlled archival area. By sorting, organizing and preserving, the library wants “to ensure
adequate protection of historical information of enduring value for access by present and future
generations” (Conway, 1990, pg. 206).
The library will provide the space of 15’ x 18’ to set up the archival section. A historian
from the Historical Society and two students from local university will volunteer to assist the
Archivist librarian to arrange and describe the documents.
The town’s center piece is the Historic New Bridge Landing, where Gen. George
Washington and his 2,000 troops crossed the Hackensack River in 1776 to escape the British
forces (Lipman,2009). The site also show cases three Jersey Dutch historic houses, a type of
architecture found nowhere else in the world.
SETTING
The town of River Edge is situated on the banks of Hackensack River with the library
located at the heart of the town. The library has been serving the community for almost 77 years.
Since the town does not have a community or a senior center, the library plays that role too. This
historic town was a Revolutionary War battleground and receives many visitors and school
children interested in history. One can follow the markers for Gen. Washington’s Retreat Route
from the New Bridge Landing down the Main Street.
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Library’s Mission and Programs
The mission of River Edge Public Library (REPL) is to satisfy the educational, cultural,
recreational and informational needs of the community through provision of access to print and
non-print materials and a variety of programs.
Programs are organized year round to entertain and educate the adults and children of the
community. The library aims to instill the love of books and reading by organizing story times
and crafts for children of different age groups. Every month a program featuring ‘People in our
neighborhood’ invites a town resident who educates the community about his or her occupation
and interests. Game nights encourage families to bond and have fun the old fashioned way.
In collaboration with the Bergen County Historic Society, the library organizes lectures,
activities, tours and educational activities at the historic site of New Bridge Landing.
Library facilities
The REPL began as a branch of Women’s Club of River Edge in 1933. In 1953, the
Woman’s Club turned over the administration of the library to the newly formed Trustees of the
Free Public Library. In 1961, the present building was dedicated. Two additions followed in
1976 and 1994. In 2008, the Board of Trustees hired Globus Design Associates to redesign the
library’s interior in order to improve the quality of service. It is a great opportunity to designate
an area in the library for the county archives.
The library is over 14, 000 sq feet in area and houses a collection of over 80,000 items. It
serves a diverse population of 11, 000 with an annual circulation of about 158, 000. It provides
free internet access to the patrons through 10 internet terminals and has provision for printing,
copying and scanning print materials.
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Library Staff
There are sixteen employees at the library including four professional librarians: Library
Director / Reference, Technical Services Supervisor / Reference, Archivist / Adult Services and
Youth Services Librarian. The Archivist / Adult Services librarian currently works part time.
Library staff also includes two full time and three part time circulation desk staff, three part time
technical processing staff, one book keeper and four pages. An eight member Board of Trustees
appointed by the town’s elected council has authority for developing and implementing the
policies that govern library services.
The staff at the REPL is qualified, enthusiastic and ready to take on another enterprise to
serve its community.
STATEMENT OF NEED
The town of River Edge houses one of New Jersey’s most historic sites, New Bridge
Landing. Quoting historian Kevin Wright, Lisberg (2004) explained the site’s history, describing
how one small crossing changed the course of history.
This bridge became the critical path. If the British, who were three miles away,
had stopped Washington’s army before he crossed the Hackensack, the war would
have been stopped right there … he wouldn’t have crossed the Delaware if he
hadn’t have crossed the Hackensack. (Lisberg, 2004)
With Washington's soldiers safely across the Hackensack, American engineers
disabled the bridge and delayed the British long enough for Washington to escape
all the way through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania; and then return a month
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later with his famous Christmas crossing of the Delaware River to win the tideturning Battle of Trenton. (Kelly, 2007)
Lisberg describes it as the “Bridge that saved the nation”. It is visited by almost 20,000
school children every year (Lisberg, 2004).
The site also contains three historic houses, The Campbell Christie House, built in 1774
was moved to New Bridge site in 1977. The Demarest House, a two room Bergen Dutch
sandstone cottage built in 1678 was moved to this site in 1955 (Lipman, 2009). And The Steuben
House, built in 1752, stands on the west bank of the Hackensack River and served as Gen.
Washington’s headquarters in September 1780 (Leichman, 2007).
The Steuben House stored collection of artifacts for the Bergen County Historic Society
until a flood in April 2007, damaged hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of artifacts and the
Revolutionary War-era documents. The collection had to be temporarily relocated while the
house was being repaired (Schweber, 2008).
Dumping the collection in boxes in a storage area is not a solution. The collection needs a
secure, climate controlled location where it can be organized and preserved for present and
future generations. Hamill (2009) argues that, “Historical manuscripts have value because of
their association with significant events or personages of the past or present or as useful sources
of information about the past or present” (as cited in Buck, 1940, p. 114). Furthermore, Nelson
(2010) quotes M. Morrisey (personal communication, June 18, 1981), the curator for Library of
Congress who believed there should be policies and procedures in place to form the archives
otherwise they “will only be an assembly of miscellaneous records of varying degree of
historical value”. Once organized, preserved and protected, the archives can provide resources
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for historians, researchers and the rest of us to examine the past, to comprehend the present, and
to prepare for a better future.
The REPL proposes to take the responsibility for preserving the cultural and historical
memory of its society by storing and exhibiting archives owned by the Historical Society.
PROPOSED PROGRAM
Many public libraries have the privilege of caring for a special collection, often
devoted to local history or the achievements of a notable person intimately
associated with the area … No matter where it's located or what its size, the
special collection exists as a separate unit apart from the main collection, and it
has special needs all of its own. (Price & McConnell 2007, p. 38).
“Archival preservation encompasses planning and implementing policies, procedures and
processes that together prevent further deterioration or renew the usability of selected groups of
materials” (Conway, 1990, p. 206).
Assessing needs
According to Price & McConnell (2007), the first step towards addressing the needs of a
special collection is “needs assessment survey”, which can be conducted by an outside consultant
who draws recommendation addressing environmental monitoring, pest control, fire protection,
storage, security and disaster preparedness. An archiving consulting company Archivists-R-Us
Inc. was contacted and Mr. Joseph Smith will be working with the Director of REPL to
recommend what services are required and the estimated cost involved in this part of the project.
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Preservation policy
The development of a preservation policy is equally important as it demonstrates
accountability, sets priorities and justifies expenditure. It can be useful in every aspect of
preservation from selection to storage, from cataloging to correct handling and from training the
staff to the maintenance of building and equipment (Forde, 1997). The Archivist / Adult Services
Librarian and Library Director are working on the policies and procedures for the maintenance of
the Special Collection.
Conservation
According to Conway (1990), the next step in the archival planning should be to conduct
surveys assessing the scope and nature of deterioration within collections. Accordingly, steps
should be taken to restore, repair or replace original items with duplicates. The damage to the
collection was accessed after the April 2007 nor easter and the damaged archives and documents
were restored before putting them in storage.
Arrangement
Purchase of archival-safe metal shelves and preservation supplies like folders and boxes
which are acid free are necessary to organize and protect the documents, records and other
materials from the Revolutionary War Era. The collection comprises of roughly 1,000 artifacts,
rare books, a collection of 1800 volumes, early encyclopedia of New Jersey towns, pamphlets,
newspaper clippings, atlases, postcards, letters, deeds, church and cemetery records, family
histories – some dating back to 1700s, town histories, land records, pieces of Jersey Dutch
furniture, a 6,000 year old dugout canoe and a shovel used at the ground breaking for the George
Washington Bridge. The furniture, canoe and some bigger artifacts would still be on exhibit at
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the Historic houses on New Bridge Landing. Plans are to make rest of the collection available to
students, teachers, authors and historians for research at the REPL.
The Archives will be physically organized. The hierarchical levels of record group,
series, file and item, will group similar documents together, which will make it easier for
researchers to find a record in a particular group or series (Hamill, 2009). ‘Finding aid’, a
document containing detailed information about a specific collection of papers or records within
an archive will be created. The Archivist / Adult Services Librarian at the REPL will be
responsible for organizing and cataloging the documents. She will be assisted by the historian
from the Historical Society and two volunteers.
Climate control
The world in which our documents live has changed for worse. The emissions of
pollutants into the air are a cause of concern (Stazicker, 1987). Humidity, temperature, light and
air-borne pollutants all contribute to the deterioration of archival material. Within a storage area
these factors can be controlled and monitored to ensure optimum conditions (National Archives,
n.d.). Part of funding received by the REPL will be allocated to install environmental monitoring
equipment for the special collections area. The library has received estimated cost from the
interior designer, Susan Globus of Globus Design Associates for this project.
Inauguration
The archival area at the library is scheduled to be open to public in the third week of
February, 2011, to commemorate George Washington’s birthday. The REPL in collaboration
with Bergen County Historical Society will host lectures on the History of Bergen County and
the Role of New Bridge Landing in the Revolutionary War. Some of the records and documents
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related to the lecture will be on display to be viewed by the public. There will be activities and
crafts for kids based on the same theme. Re-enactment of the civil war, in which children will be
active participants, would be a great way to introduce them to the historical importance of the
town. People wearing dresses appropriate to that period will demonstrate crafts and games of the
18th century. Food and drinks suitable to that era will also be available.
The three Historic houses at New Bridge Landing Park will also be open for tours, with
society’s collection of artifacts and authentic Revolutionary militia uniforms on display.
Program Staff
The Director of REPL, John Callahan will be working with the Archival Consultant and
Interior Designer to allocate space for the special collection. REPL’s Archivist / Adult Services
Librarian, Jennifer Crowley who has been with the library for more than 10 years, will organize
and catalog the historical archives. She will be assisted by a historian / volunteer, Kevin Wright
from the Historical Society once a week.
Two undergraduate students from the Farleigh Dickenson University who are history
majors will volunteer 5 hours each, per week in assisting with the research and description of the
records. Flyers and pamphlets will be made by school children to be printed and distributed all
over Bergen County to raise awareness about the importance of archives. Fundraisers will be
organized at local schools to cover this cost. Volunteers at Historical Society will assist with the
moving of archives from storage to REPL.
The Director of the library Mr. Callahan is certified by the State of New Jersey as a
public librarian and has been working at the REPL for almost 12 years. He has practiced this
profession for 19 years, is an advocate of Free Public Libraries and is actively involved in
various committees in the Cooperative Library System. He will work to advertise the project
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through print materials and the listserv – both to the local community and other institutions in the
county. He will also update the library webpage to highlight the new addition to the library
collection. Mr. Callahan will also oversee the planning and development of the archival area and
will devote 10% of his time over the next six months.
Mrs. Crowley has her Master’s degree from Rutgers University and specializes in
archives. She has worked with the archival department of a major newspaper for 7 years before
serving the community here at REPL. Mrs. Crowley will work closely with Mr. Wright who has
been a volunteer and curator at the Historical Society for more than 40 years. She will oversee
the move of archives from storage area to REPL and organize the documents “to ensure that
readers can access the desired material accurately and not handle documents unnecessarily”
(Forde, 1997, p. 165). She will work with two volunteers on “Collective Description, that is
description of groups of records, [which] makes it easier for researcher to decide whether the
records in a particular record group or series will answer his research question” (Hamill, 2009, p.
24). Mrs. Crowley currently works 20 hrs per week. She will spend additional 5 hours per week
to work on the archival project for the next 6 months.
Susan Globus of Globus Design Associates is a nationally renowned leader in the field of
library interior design. She will work with the archival consultant Joseph Smith in providing safe
and secure area for housing the historical archives. Her professional staff will spend 20 hours
installing the necessary equipment and lightning in the archival area. Mr. Smith has been
working in the field of Archives for over 12 years and has worked with academic and public
libraries and other institutions to set up small and large archival areas. He is knowledgeable
about recent developments in his field and the latest technology and equipment available. He will
spend 20 hours drawing the requirements and assessing the need of the archival space.
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Timeline

Acid-free supplies to store and arrange the documents will be ordered by 15th July, 2010.

The archival consultant will start working on the project requirement starting 1st August,
2010.

Globus Design associates will work to install environmental monitoring equipment,
proper lightning and archival-safe shelves starting 1st September, 2010. They will also
work on other requirements for an archival area as suggested by the archival consultant.

Part of the historical archives will be brought to REPL starting 1st August, 2010.

Archivist / Adult Services Librarian will start sorting and arranging archives with the
help of two volunteers and the historian starting 1st August, 2010.

Archival area will be completed by 1st October, 2010.

Historical documents will be arranged and described by 31st January, 2011.

Grand inauguration of the archival area will be held on 19th February, 2011.
Program Evaluation
The library will work to advertise the archives to institutions of higher learning in and
around Bergen County. The collection will offer the faculty and students a valuable chance to
work with unique and out-of-print publications. The material would be of particular interest to
arts and science majors working on senior research projects. Usage statistics and user satisfaction
survey will help REPL to cater to the needs of this part of the community which is not usually
seen at public libraries.
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The archives are also expected to draw the history buffs and visitors from the historic site
of New Bridge Landing. The library circulation, especially the civil war collection is expected to
increase by 15%.
The publicity of the archives will also bring publicity to the historic site. The number of
visitors and donations to the Historical Society are expected to increase by 25%. Part of the
donations will be allocated for acquiring more archives to fill the gaps in the collection.
CONCLUSION
Libraries [are] … one of the institutions charged with the responsibility for
preserving the cultural memory of their society… Traditionally, this has meant
identifying physical items and conserving the original item in some way in order
to ensure the object’s long term survival. (Pymm, 2006, p. 62).
Archives are useful to the society for the information they contain. They educate, enlighten and
entertain. By providing space to house the collection of documents and archives owned by the
Bergen County Historical Society, REPL is providing access to an important collection. Once the
collection is arranged and preserved following approval of this grant, plans will be made to
expand their usage and reaching out to more consumers by digitizing them.
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BUDGET FOR ARCHIVAL AREA
Consultant Fees
Amount in $
Globus Design Associates
$ 2000
Archival Consultant
$ 1500
Archivist Librarian
$ 5250
Cost of Material
Archive – safe shelving
$ 2000
Artifact boxes
$ 600
Document boxes
$ 1400
File folders
$ 500
Record Box
$ 1600
Cost of Equipment
Climate control equipment
$ 6000
Lightning fixtures
$ 2000
Furniture for Archival Room
Table with 6 chairs
$ 1000
Inauguration expenses
Speakers
$ 1000
Colonial artists
$ 2000
Other costs
Stationary, supplies and Miscellaneous
TOTAL
$ 3150
$ 30,000
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References
Buck, S. J. (1940). Essentials in training for work with public archives and historical manuscript
collections. In A.F. Kuhlman (Ed.), Archives and Libraries (pp. 114-122). Chicago:
American Library Association.
Conway, P. (1990). Archival preservation practice in a nationwide context. American Archivist,
53(2), 204-222.
Forde, H. (1997). Preservation policies - Who needs them? Journal of the Society of Archivists,
18(2), 165-173.
Hamill, L. (2009). Archives 101: Or, how archives are organized. Kentucky Libraries, 73(3), 2225.
Kelly, M. (2007, December 31). History on the scrap pile; Revolutionary War’s ‘sacred ground’
stands neglected. Record, pp. L01.
Leichman, A. (2007, February 16). Bringing out the wooden teeth; In River Edge, a party for
George Washington. Record, pp. G31.
Lipman, H. (2009, November 16). Twin challenges for historical society; Cash-starved group
stresses it’s not part of Bergen government. Record, pp. L03.
Lisberg, A. (2004, January 14). En route to greatness, Washington crossed here; N.J. promises
help in saving historic New Bridge Landing. Record, pp. A03.
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National Archives. (n.d.). Environmental management. Retrieved from
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives/environmental_managment.htm
Nelson, J. (2010). Properly arranged and properly recorded: The library of congress archives.
Libraries & the Cultural Record, 45(1), 25-36.
Price, L., & McConnell, P. (2007). Love, and funding, for special collections. Public Libraries,
46(6), 38-41.
Pymm, B. (2006). Building collections for all time: The issue of significance. Australian
Academic & Research Libraries, 37(1), 61-73.
Rogers, P. (1999, August 8). Protecting the past for the future; College to house country history
trove. Record, pp. pN1.
Schweber, N. (2008, March 9). Flood-damaged landmark home awaits repair. New York Times,
pp. 7(L).
Stazicker, E. (1987). Climatic control: A hopeless bewilderment? Journal of the Society of
Archivists, 8(3), 171-173.