Four of Trenton's libraries were closed because of budget cuts and without a plan the space will slowly disappear.
Ten years ago, Trenton padlocked all four branches of its public library system, leaving only its main Academy Street building open to serve the city's nearly 85,000 residents.
Because of dire financial problems in 2010, the city was forced to make drastic cuts and, unfortunately, that led to the demise of the Skelton, Briggs, East Trenton and Cadwalader library branches.
That was a huge blow to the city's neighborhoods, where the branches served as an oasis for community cohesion, where children could indulge in all kinds of literary adventures and adults could learn a thing or two.
After years of neglect, the former branches have deteriorated considerably. During a tour of the closed sites in 2014, former library director Kimberly Matthews said, "It was absolutely heartbreaking to see the condition that they were in." There were water leaks, falling plaster from pipes that burst inside walls, broken windows and a missing air-conditioning unit.
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It is sad that these community treasures were allowed to just rot away. To bring them back now would take a large dose of taxpayer money. But there has been no political impetus to do that.
So now Trenton is left with four run-down vacant buildings.
But all may not be lost. The city is now looking to lease out the library's satellite branches and it has gotten several nibbles.
The Amistad Commission, a division of the state Department of Education, put in a bid to lease the Skelton branch and turn it into a center similar to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. However, concerns about cost prompted the group to rescind its offer.
The city also has a lease agreement with a local church to use the Cadwalader building for an all-purpose community center for children and their families.
Bishop James Gaines, pastor of Trenton's El Bethel Baptist Church, wants to replicate a free after-school performing arts program for kids that he started in Tampa.
The Trenton native said the nonprofit Better Life program started with between 20 and 25 children and grew to 300-plus students after only a couple of months.
Gains said he had been looking at a number of possible locations in Trenton, but when he heard about the city's decision to lease the former library buildings, he thought that they would be a great fit. He now has a 5-year lease agreement for the former library.
Indeed, it would be a good fit for one of the closed libraries. It would once again give a sense of community to a Trenton neighborhood. And it also would offer much needed educational and recreational opportunities.
But it can't fill the void left by the shuttered libraries. It's just a tragedy the city did not have the means or foresight to keep the library branches open. Trenton gave up much more than it saved. The residents who would have been served are the ones who have been short-changed.