October 2014 marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Atlantic City Free Public Library’s popular Teen Space — and the library will celebrate the occasion with a party Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1:30 p.m.
The library welcomes people of all ages to attend the party to learn how teens can become a Teen Space member, check out some of the space’s new features or simply to hang out.
The Teen Space was one of the few library spaces of its kind in New Jersey when it opened. The 985-square-foot area, designed specifically for teens, features computer workstations with a variety of multi-media applications, graffiti art mural painted by local youth, large screen television and video gaming area and modern lounge furniture. The Teen Space has provided a safe and fun environment that responds to both the likes and needs of teenagers living in the 21st century.
The A+ Teen Space Project is funded by the Atlantic City Free Public Library, a service of the City of Atlantic City, the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative and the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.
The library enhanced the Teen Lounge section of the Teen Space in April 2014 by adding a Makerspace, where teens are invited to “Make AC: Dream It, Design It, Do It.” The space gives teens access to a variety of technology and tools, including a 3-D printer, digital audio recording, photography and video equipment, robotics, sewing machine and fiber arts, and more.
Funding for this Makerspace Initiative is provided by the New Jersey State Library and by LibraryLinkNJ, The New Jersey Library Cooperative, whose services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion, and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.
The New Jersey State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State University, has awarded the Atlantic City Free Public Library (ACFPL) and other organizations in the state grant funding as part of its Community Center Digital Connect Program – a community resilience project that will address disparities in access to education, employment, and health services by investing in capital improvements at community facilities. The ACFPL will receive $1.283 million in grant funding for its Building Community Project. Click here to read more.
The Atlantic City Free Public Library is one of nine organizations — each from a different New Jersey county — to have been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Community History Program. In the program, the organizations will receive free, expert training on public history practices and develop projects in collaboration with their local communities to learn about and share their untold stories. In addition to the training, each organization will receive $5,000 in funding from NJCH to develop and launch projects that showcase their work. 
Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, March 11, to replace the HVAC system at the Main Library – located at 1 North Tennessee Ave. The project is expected to take approximately two months to complete. The library asks for the public’s patience. It is anticipated there will be increased noise inside the Main Library at times due to the ongoing work, and certain phases of the construction might require closing the Main Library temporarily. 
