“There is a lot of beauty in the city if you just look for it,” said Rich Jutkiewicz, Community Outreach Librarian for the Trenton Free Public Library. The beauty illuminates from Trenton’s historic landscape, storied riverfront, arts and culture, residents and beyond. While beauty is not typically associated with a library, Trenton Free Public Library stands as an exception to the rule. When you enter the establishment, you immediately get a profound sense of historic significance and grandeur.
Beauty in the library?
“The library is not just books and four walls. It’s about the space and the community that uses that space,” added Jutkiewicz, who stressed the significance of various programs and offerings at the library.
Upon entering the doors of this historic edifice, visitors can explore the Seed Library, which, through a partnership with Isles, allows residents to take from a wide variety of seeds and plant them to help kick start their own gardens.
You can’t miss The Reading Room, which offers Trentonians a comfortable and inviting setting to relax and read a book of their choosing. You can then check out the Mezzanine Gallery, which displays art by local artists, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen’s A-Team, and others. Also, you can meet the artists in person as they typically come in to discuss their work.
Take a walk down the grand stairs and you will find the Poetry Café which is bustling on Friday nights during the fall with poetry slams and other events. Straight through the Poetry Café sits an exhibit of works and projects recently completed by one of the library’s programs. If you look to the right, you’ll find information about Trenton’s rich history captured by Trentoniana.
Here’s a historical fact you might not know: The Trenton library was founded in 1750 making it the second oldest library in the United States. It was actually started by Benjamin Franklin who donated books, many of which were burned during the Battle of Trenton. However, there are still four that remain today. You can check them out as well as many of the library’s offerings to the community during your next visit.
To follow Rich’s suggestion and start looking for an example of beauty in the city, you can visit the Trenton free Public Library at 120 Academy Street or call (609) 392-7188.
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To keep up on their wide arrange of programs for all ages, visit them online at http://www.trentonlib.org/ and be sure to sign up for their weekly newsletter.
