TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today announced the launch of the second round of grant solicitations for the Library Construction Bond Act (LCBA), allocating $37.5 million in grants. This allocation is subject to change pending grant agreements from the first round of grant solicitations. The LCBA, which authorized $125 million in state bonds, was passed by New Jersey voters in November 2017 to improve public library facilities across the state in order to ensure the well-being and success of New Jersey residents.

“From providing critical resources to serving as community hubs for learning and gathering for our residents, libraries are a central part of building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all,” said Governor Murphy. “We are pleased to announce the second round of grant solicitations that our communities will benefit from to fund critical projects that will provide improvements to modernize our libraries.”

“While we celebrate the fact that libraries will soon break ground on 38 highly-ranked projects in communities across the state from round one funding, we look forward to the launch of the second round of grant solicitations for the Library Construction Bond Act,” said Jennifer Nelson, New Jersey State Librarian. “We are grateful for the LCBA initiative, which will once again provide NJ libraries an opportunity to improve their facilities, making them safer, more energy efficient, and technologically modern.”

“This additional investment in New Jersey libraries will continue to transform libraries across the state, allowing for important enhanced access to better serve our residents and support the educational and community priorities of the state,” said Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, President of Thomas Edison State University.

The bond program will provide funding for projects such as ADA accessibility, major building renovations, and new construction projects. New Jersey county, municipal, joint and association public libraries will be eligible to submit a grant application for the program. The State Librarian, in consultation with the President of Thomas Edison State University, will be responsible for the administration and oversight of the LCBA grant solicitation.

Applicants interested in applying for the second round of grant solicitations should submit their applications by June 4, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. (ET).

Visit https://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/new-jersey-library-construction-bond-act/ for more information.