ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—John Arthur is the director of the Englewood Public Library, one of Englewood’s major academic and cultural centers. He has instituted numerous programs and special events, making the library the “go to” place for people of all ages.
Under his direction, the Englewood Public Library is one of the largest and most popular libraries in Bergen County, with 162,470 visits in 2018. Library leadership is also currently working with partner groups to organize fundraising efforts for a planned expansion, making this an important time in the institution’s history.
Arthur grew up in Northfield, N.J., near Atlantic City. He attended Rutgers University, where he studied philosophy and history, and went on to earn a master’s degree in library and information sciences.
After graduate School, Arthur worked at Patch.com, where he was the weekend editor for Morris and Somerset counties, and then became the editor of Montville Patch where he covered everything from high school sports to breaking news stories.
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Hillary Viders: How did you become interested in library management?
John Arthur: As a child, I visited the library on the corner where I grew up so frequently that it became a way of life for me. So, working in a library was a natural transition. Given my history background, I originally wanted to work in university archives, but then I realized that I liked working with people more than with documents, so working in a library became a great fit.
So, I began working as a children’s librarian and progressed to bigger opportunities and bigger cities. I served as children’s librarian, to director of the children’s department, to assistant director at Chatham Public Library, then director of the public libraries in Fairfield and Metuchen before coming to Englewood.
HV: What motivated you to come to Englewood?
JA: I liked the fact that Englewood is such a large and diverse community, and the size of the library here provides a larger staff and opportunities for more programs.
The Englewood Public Library is a wonderful place to work because the outstanding staff, the board, the Friends that do fundraising and the community, all work as a team.
I love the fact that we are able to serve not only Englewood but also neighboring communities because of our consortium of 77 libraries in Bergen County, the largest of such collaborations in New Jersey.
HV: Do you feel an additional obligation to maintain the library’s high standards because it is in an historic building with an illustrious past?
JA: When I first walked into the Englewood Public Library, I was struck by the architecture and the fact that it was such a memorable library.
But, I believe that no matter where you’re working, your goals should be the same, to understand what people in and around the community want in a library and provide them with the absolute best services, materials and classes.
HV: The Englewood Public Library offers many programs throughout the year. What are your favorite ones?
JA: The “Jazz under the Stars” concert series hosted by Calvin Hill every summer is an obvious favorite because of the amazing caliber of the musicians. I also like the Shakespeare in the Park series brought to us by the Black Box Studios. These events are even more enjoyable because they are held outdoors, which enhances the community’s welcoming environment puts everyone is in a good mood.
HV: In addition to your directorship work, you perform on guitar and sing for a group of up to 50 children every Tuesday at the Englewood Public Library. How long have you studied guitar?
JA: I began playing guitar when I was 14 years old. I used to perform rock music at Radio Station WFMU, at The Bitter End, the Bowery Electric and other nightclubs in New York City.
I play guitar for children at the library because I have also always enjoyed working with kids. I believe that libraries should lay a solid and diverse groundwork for young people, to educate them in reading, music, art, etc., because children are our future.
HV: What are the newest additions and innovations at the Englewood Public Library?
JA: We are trying to modernize our building and our services and we are always trying to keep up with technology and to reach many age groups and ethnicities. As such we want to set up the library to accommodate the community for the next 20 years.
As far as the building, a multi-million dollar addition to the city’s library has been proposed and fundraisers are being held to bring the project to fruition.
(Author’s note: The Library Board and Friends of the Library are co-hosting a fundraiser titled, “A Novel Night Out: Benefit for the Building,” Thursday, Sept. 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at SPACE at 491 S. Dean Street in Englewood. For information and reservations, call (201) 568-2215).
The city has already earmarked $2.5 million for the project. The State Library Construction Bond Act could fund a matching grant to help defer the cost.
The addition will feature a two-story cube on the front lawn that will complement the existing circular building and provide a flexible space for events, programs, and library materials.
HV: Besides expanding the physical space of the building, what are your long term goals for the future?
JA: To make the Englewood Public Library the best resource it can be for all members of the community, to work together with members of the community and organizations to provide outstanding programming and classes, as well as to continue to work to renovate and expand the library in order to modernize and set the library up for success for many generations to come.
Photo by Hillary Viders
