Union will break ground on a new Public Library building this spring! The Township along with the Library Board of Trustees recognize the need for a 21st century library that allows our community to connect, explore and discover. The new library will be built at the former Main Library site at 1980 Morris Ave and is expected to be completed in 2024. Preliminary plans for the new building include a black box theater space, an educational center, meeting rooms, and an arts center. The building will serve as a community hub. According to Union Business Administrator Don Travisano, taxpayers will not be impacted by construction costs, as proceeds from the PILOT program put in place for the Vermella project will cover the costs of the new library. View the Library Q&A session from October 28, 2021 During this period of transition, operations and layouts will be altered. However, library staff will continue to provide the services and resources that patrons have come to expect. What to expect: The Vauxhall Branch remains open The Interim Main Library is located at 1060 Stuyvesant Avenue. This interim location includes: Children’s and Young Adult book collections New books and DVDs for Adults Public computers and free Wi-Fi Printing, scanning and copying Newspapers and magazines Reference and Children’s Librarians Holds, pickups and returns All other books and material will be kept off site, but accessible to patrons by placing a hold. To best meet the needs of the community, library staff expect to be able to move material back and forth between locations on a daily basis. Construction on the new Main Library is expected to last for approximately two years. The new facility, to be build on the existing site, will include spacious seating and reading areas, bright displays, quiet study and meeting rooms, bathrooms on every floor, a community performance center, and so much more. We ask residents for patience during this transitional time, and encourage everyone to visit the Library website for the most up-to-date information. For more information please email unionpl@uplnj.org or call the Main Library 908-851-5450.

The library now circulates video games for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch! Union Public Library cardholders may checkout up to 2 video games at a time for a loan period of 14 days. Due to the limited supplies, video games cannot be renewed. Please return video games on time, so they can be made available for the next patron. Late fees will be charged at $1/day. This collection was started thanks to the generous donation from the Friends of Union Public Library and the Union Township Education Association. Click here to view our catalog, or see below a current list of our circulating video games.  Playstation 5 Demon’s Souls Spider-Man: Miles Morales Sackboy: A Big Adventure (New) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (New) Playstation 4 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy Ghost of Tsushima Gran Turismo Sport The Last of Us Part II NBA 2K21 Ratchet & Clank Spyro Reignited Trilogy Horizon Zero Dawn (New) Grand Theft Auto 5 (New) Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Kirby Star Allies Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Luigi’s Mansion Mario Kart 8 Deluxe  Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition Pikmin 3 Deluxe Pokemon Shield Pokemon Snap Splatoon 2 Super Mario Odyssey Super Smash Bros.  Minecraft (New) Xbox Series X FIFA 21 Forza Horizon 4 Madden NFL 21 Control: Ultimate Edition (New) Red Dead Redemption II (New) Shadow of the Tomb Raider (New) Updated on 10/4/21

In January 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) passed a resolution that asserted overdue fines are a barrier to equitable access and encouraged libraries to eliminate them. The ALA is our largest professional organization and we give serious consideration to their resolutions. The Library Board of Trustees and staff desire to remove this barrier to its resources and to provide more equitable library access to everyone in the community. In going fine free, we are joining the ranks of many other public libraries across the nation. In the lead up to this decision, we carefully reviewed studies and articles about eliminating fines. ​Libraries that have adopted fine-free policies found that: ​Library card registrations increased. Borrowing of materials increased. More library items were returned. Students returned to the library to use homework resources. Staff time was redirected from fines-handling to patron-focused services. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  What Is Fine Free?  Fine free means that there will be no late charges on most materials.* The Union Public Library wants to ensure that ALL of our town has access to our resources in the most equitable way possible. Fines tend to penalize the most vulnerable individuals or families who can’t afford them.  *Due to a limited supply, late charges will still accrue on Video Games and Museum Passes Why Eliminate Fines?  Research shows that overdue fines are not effective in encouraging the return of library materials. Instead, fines can quickly become a barrier to using the library. Our hope is that by going fine free we will encourage prior users to come back to the library and attract new users to experience everything our library has to offer.  Won’t This Prevent People from Ever Returning Their Items?  Late fines are not effective. Studies show that small fines have no impact on return rates and that those with late fines are less likely to visit the library again. Libraries who have removed late fees report few adverse effects on material return rates. The public library model is based upon a trusting relationship between borrowers and a valued community resource. Union Public Library trusts that borrowers will return items on time, so that others may use them.  Will There Be Due Dates? Every item checked out will still have a due date. Please remember that someone else may be waiting for an item, so bring it back on time.  What Happens If I Have Overdue Books?  […]