County Library Booms As Public Hits the Books

Bv Jacob Schaad Jr. COURT HOUSE - A reading resurgence by the public is placing new demands on Cape May County’s expanding $880,000 county library system that now totals 237,000 volumes. Library Director Thomas Leonard, who reads four boo'ks a month himself, says the main library at Cape May Court House, the branches in Avalon, Stone

Harbor and Sea Isle and the bookmobile are “busier than they have ever been." "There’s no doubt about it," he says, “and we're getting busier all the time." So large has been the demand for library services* in Cape May County that a new $635,000 facility" is being built on Bay Shore Road in Lower Township, the most populous municipality m the coun-

ty. Scheduled to open this summer, it will staft with 25,000 volumes and will have a capacity to accommodate 35,000 books. Leonard attributes the revived interest in reading to a number of factors. "WHEN THINGS arc tough economically, people tend to read more,” said the New York City native who is a graduate of Cor(Page 3 Please)

SMCIA1 UCnON Of THl HUtALD AND LANTtUN JUM 2. 1983