Ocean County Library - Stafford GRAND OPENING 10/5

Join us for the Grand Opening of the

New Stafford Branch!

Monday, October 5, 2026 @ 11:00 AM

Ocean County Library is pleased to announce that the new Stafford
Branch Library located at 179 South Main Street in Manahawkin, will officially open to the public on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11:00 AM, preceded by a 10:00 AM ribbon cutting.

The 19,700-square-foot building is a state-of-the-art facility replacing the former library on North Main Street, designed to serve the growing needs of Southern Ocean County residents.

The Ocean County Library received $4,824,000 in grant funding through a highly competitive process in the second round of funding for the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act (LCBA). The LCBA awarded $37 million to 36 library projects from 13 counties across New Jersey.

The new library will provide the following:

• Educational resources and community spaces
• State of the art technologies
• Public computers
• Shelving for 40-50% more books and materials
• A large children’s area
• An intergenerational space for senior citizens for socialization
• A new teen area and study rooms
• A maker space for STEAM activities
• A sensory space to provide a welcoming environment for people with sensory processing needs

"We are incredibly excited to open the doors to this beautiful new branch and provide the community with the services, programs, collections, technology, and gathering spaces they have been anticipating."

-Library Director, Susan Quinn

"On behalf of the Ocean County Library Commission, we are very excited by the completion and grand opening of the new Stafford Branch. This has been a project that has taken many years to come to fruition. It is an excellent example of multiple layers of government working together to provide this great public asset to the residents of Stafford Township and Ocean County. This cooperation included State, County and Local support and funding. We would like to thank all of those who came together and worked towards the completion and opening of this beautiful facility.”

- Library Commission Chair, Henry J. Mancini

"Ocean County would not be the County it is without our 21 library branches which provide invaluable resources to all of our residents. We have the largest library system in the state for a reason, and it’s because we value the positive impact that libraries provide to our communities and our future. Thanks to the significant grant funding, this new Stafford Branch location is close to existing County government services located on the property and will provide all residents and visitors access to important programs and services."

- Deputy Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and liaison to the Ocean County Library, Jennifier Bacchione

Stafford Branch library hours are as follows:

Monday – 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday – 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday – 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday – 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday – 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday – 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

This project is supported by funds from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, administered by the New Jersey State Library.

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Ocean County Library
101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: 732-349-6200

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