Former City Councilwoman Melissa Holloway noticed a problem on the first day she was in the New Jersey Room of the Main Branch of the Jersey City Public Library.

"I was asking for certain photos and documents, and the staff had all the information in their heads, but much of this information had not been filed away or stored on computers," said Holloway.

That's a problem.

Holloway has been doing research recently for a book that she hopes will show the photo history of African-American life in Jersey City. But the problems were magnified further for Holloway when a New Jersey Room staff member led her into a storage room next to the New Jersey Room.

"When led to a file drawer of old Jersey Journal photos from 1966, I noticed the hot sweltering room which the entire New Jersey Room collection was being held," wrote Holloway in an essay commenting on the haphazard situation of the New Jersey Room.

Holloway noted in this essay, "Saving The New Jersey Book Collection For The Next Generation," that when she asked the staff member about the cooling system for this collection, there was no money that was available to purchase a cooling system, or to be put towards upgrading the preservation of this valuable and extensive historic collection.

That query led Holloway to figure out how to find money to fund the needed preservation work, which led to her approaching State Assemblyman and local resident Louis Manzo (D-31st Dist.) This led to a meeting that took place the week before last in the New Jersey Room.

History crumbling before our eyes

In attendance at the meeting a week ago Thursday in the New Jersey Room was the director of the Jersey City Public Library, Priscilla Gardner; Assistant Director Sonia Araujo, head librarian for the New Jersey Room Cynthia Harris, host of the radio show Talking Politics Pat O' Melia, and Holloway and Manzo.

Holloway opened the meeting by handing out green folders filled with photocopies of information on saving the collection of the New Jersey Room and on genealogy as a growing national hobby.

Then Manzo offered some information of his own.

"I have good news," he said. "In this year's state budget, there is $4 million allotted to Jersey City, of which $100,000 is available," said Manzo, who pointed that this money is usually available for historical preservation efforts but is not always utilized by many New Jersey politicians. Manzo also announced that funds are available from the New Jersey Historical Commission but require some paperwork to be filled and an assessment report of the collection, known as a CAPES report.

Harris then offered over a CAPES report done last year on the New Jersey Room.

Ideas were soon brought up during the meeting, such as O'Melia's idea to get developers who are receiving abatements for their projects to donate some money that would put toward the preservation work of the New Jersey Room.

What she needs

Holloway estimated that at least $2 million would be needed to upgrade the archives and preserve the historic documents in the New Jersey Room Collection. That preservation work includes creating a temperature controlled room to decrease humidity in order to prevent mold and storing archival material in acid-free boxes. The New Jersey Room was opened in 1964, but for years there have been calls for an upgrade of the facilities. After the meeting, Harris gave a tour of the room, from the extensive collection of the papers of former New Jersey Governor and US President Woodrow Wilson to maps of old Jersey City and the state of New Jersey. Also kept in the room are real estate maps, old telephone books and school registers.

Then there was a tour of the archives. Harris led attendees into a poorly ventilated, overheated room where only staff is allowed. Crowded with back issues of newspapers, heavy City Council meeting books weighing down wooden bookshelves, and drawers stuffed with manuscripts deserving of folders.

"I have had problems with my ears and with my nose," said Harris. "It's sometimes difficult to breathe in here." Harris also gave a demonstration of what happens when archival materials are not stored properly, as she placed on a table an 1898 book, "Jersey City and Its Historic Sites." The book was crumbling as the front cover was separated from the pages, with pages themselves already brown and flaking.

Then the tour went to other rooms in the library, including a fourth floor storage area when one can see paint chips and dust falling off the ceiling. Visitors could nearly taste the dust in the air.

After the tour

Harris said she hopes nothing will be discarded.

"I hope to save everything," she said.

Melissa Holloway stood outside the library, showing pictures of African-American life in Jersey City in the last century that she was able to find for the book she is working on.

"This is the oldest city in the state, and there's information in there not only on Jersey City's history but also Hoboken and Bayonne," said Holloway. "We need to save that information before it's gone."