MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Public Library took a ceremonial ride around the block on Nov. 20 when library staff and town officials unveiled a book bike, the latest way that books will be brought to residents across town. The bike was dedicated in memory of Daniel Ives, a Maplewood resident who owned the Maplewood Bike Shed down the street from the Hilton Branch of the library. An avid cyclist and motorcycle rider, Ives died in September 2020 after a motorcycle crash.
“Danny was an incredible person,” Library Director Sarah Lester said in an interview with the News-Record at the event. “Anyone who met him was touched by his joy. Anything with wheels is appropriate for Danny, so this is a fitting tribute.”
A mountain bike that is partially motorized, the book bike has storage that will allow approximately 50 pounds to be pedaled around town. It’s outfitted with an umbrella and, according to Lester, will be used to bring the library to township, school and senior citizen events.
“It’s really to expand outreach, especially while the main branch is closed,” Lester said, referring to the MPL’s renovation of the larger branch, which is currently closed while work starts. “And during COVID, so many things have to be done outside.”
The bike was just officially introduced to the community, but the library staff has been training with it for weeks now. They had to learn how to ride it when it’s fully stocked with books and how to operate the mobile checkout equipment.
“It really can be used for all ages, and it gets the librarians out in the community,” Lester said. “Everyone who’s seen us out practicing on it has smiled. They love it. It’s whimsical and it’s eco-friendly.”
Funded by the Maplewood Library Foundation and the Fringe Collaborative, a hair salon in town, the bike is similar to others that libraries around the country have. Lester said the timing of COVID-19 and the main building renovation worked out so that Maplewood could get the funding for it this year.
“This is just emblematic of our library and community as a whole,” MLF President Ben Cohen said in an interview with the News-Record at the event. “They’ll be able to bring books to people who can’t get to the library themselves, like seniors. It’s a wonderful thing, and it’s named for someone who was such a big part of this community.”
Ives’ family started the Daniel Ives Foundation in his memory, and last December began donating to local organizations. The foundation’s first donation was for $5,000 to CASA for Children of Essex County, an organization that advocates for foster children in Essex County family court. The money was used to purchase bicycles for foster children, who often don’t get to take possessions with them when they change homes. In March, the foundation sponsored a bike event with CASA and purchased bikes, bike helmets and locks for children.
“It’s wonderful for him,” Martine Ives, Daniel Ives’ mother, said in an interview with the News-Record at the event. “To lose him was hard, but to get something so positive out of it is good. He’s never gone now.”
A graduate of Columbia High School, Danny Ives often pieced parts together to build bicycles and motorcycles from scratch. He was a fixture at skate parks in the area and during the pandemic helped those who dug old bikes out of storage fix up their rides and get back on the road. Martine Ives hadn’t realized how many people her son knew and kept in touch with. The money donated to his family after he died became the basis of the foundation.
“Anything on two wheels, he loved,” she said. “He loved adventure. This makes everyone smile. It’s books and bikes. He would love it.”
Photos by Amanda Valentovic
Maplewood Public Library sets off on wheels added by Amanda Valentovic on
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