About the Branch
The Van Buren Branch Library is located around the corner from Ferry Street, the commercial artery of the Ironbound District, which immigrants (primarily from Portugal, Brazil, and Latin America) call home. The branch also lies within easy walking distance from Newark Penn Station, the PATH train, the City Subway, and many bus routes.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the branch is handicapped accessible.
The Van Buren Branch Library, located in Newark’s Ironbound district, first opened its doors on September 23, 1923. For more than eighty years, the branch has been a cultural and educational center within the community, serving over 40,000 children and adults from predominately European and Latin American backgrounds. A newly renovated and expanded Van Buren Branch Library re-opened on November 19, 1997.
Located east of Penn Station, bordered by the Passaic River and surrounded by major highways and the railroad, the Ironbound feels more like a village than a neighborhood of a major city. In the 1820s, German and Irish immigrants first settled the Ironbound and worked in the factories springing up amid the Industrial Revolution. Successive waves of immigrants—including Italians, Poles, Slavs, Jews, Lithuanians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Brazilians, and Latin Americans—followed this pattern, finding jobs and a chance at the American Dream in the Ironbound and Newark.
The Van Buren Branch has Portuguese language and Spanish language book collections. Assistance in Portuguese and Spanish is also available.
Collections and Services
For Adults
For Young Adults
For Children
Books and Magazines
- Strong collection of new African-American novels for adults
- Diverse collection of nonfiction books
- Diverse collection of fiction books
- Collection of African American videotapes
- Popular video and DVD collection
DVD’s and Movies
- Popular video collection
Computers
- Word processing
- Internet
- Access to the library’s electronic resources
Community Meeting Room
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The Van Buren Branch Library has a large meeting room available for public organizations and public meetings. There is seating for approximately 50 people. Contact us for information and reservations at 973-733-7750.
The Young Adult Collection and Services are available:
- Fiction, non-fiction, and paperback books
- Books for high school assignments and papers
Parents, teachers, preschools, and students from grades K – 8 can benefit from our services.
- Help finding materials for homework assignments
- Books, book and cassette sets, and magazines to read for fun
- Picture books for the early readers
- Movies
- Computers for:
- Word processing
- Internet
- Access to the library’s electronic resources
Special activities are held throughout the year, including the popular Summer Reading Challenge. Preschool and kindergarten classes can visit and enjoy stories, films, and other fun activities. Teachers in elementary and middle schools can schedule visits to do research using the library’s wide array of resources.
Please call the Children’s Room at 973-733-3897 for seasonal programs.