Burlington County Library, the first county library in New Jersey, began in a small room of the Mt. Holly YMCA in 1921 after voters adopted a new law providing for the creation of a county library system. The Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders appointed a Library Commission of five members to administer library affairs. This form of government continues into the present.
Library service grew in popularity and several moves ensued as more space became a necessity. By 1971, a new headquarters facility had been constructed, Cinnaminson and Bordentown had joined the system as branches, and a bookmobile visited areas without local facilities. Medford and Evesham had joined the system by 1975. The Pemberton Branch joined the system in 1987. Maple Shade became a branch in April, 2001 while Riverton, our newest branch, joined us in December 2003.
Nine community libraries located in Beverly, Burlington, Crosswicks, Delanco, Florence, Mt. Holly, New Gretna, Riverside, and Vincentown maintain an association with the County Library as "member" libraries. Currently, the County Library provides consultant services, processes some materials, pays for popular title collections, and allocates money annually as "member library aid" to these smaller units of service.
