Students from the Burlington County Special Services School District’s Transitions School prepare sandwiches and baked goods for sale at the Community Blend at Bestseller’s Café, in the lobby of the library system’s main branch in Westampton.
Burlington County library patrons can now enjoy food and drinks with their reading materials, courtesy of a new partnership between the library and the Burlington County Special Services School District.
The district – which specializes in educating students with disabilities – partnered with the county library system to open the Community Blend at Bestseller’s Cafe in the lobby of the system’s main branch in Westampton. The new cafe has a full menu of coffees, drinks, sandwiches, soups, bakery items parfaits and other items prepared and served by students from the district’s Transition School Program for young adults between the ages of 18 and 21.
County and state leaders, library staff and school officials – along with students who cook and serve as cafe baristas – celebrated the official grand opening of the Community Blend on March 11. The cafe has been called a success for both the library and the Special Services School District, whose students are gaining real-world job experience and job training.
The cafe marks the first staffed food service at the library in more than five years. It launched a similar facility in the late 1990s and made the Bestseller’s Cafe a central feature of the building’s lobby expansion in 2012. The staffed service ended a few years later and was replaced with lobby vending machines.
Library system director Ranjna Das said bringing back a full-service cafe to the library was part of a broader revitalization following COVID.
“We have seen an influx in people and activity at our libraries, especially in the last year since the fine free policy began,” Das explained. “Bringing back the cafe is another valuable service that will help encourage more people to visit the library and take advantage of its materials and programs.
“It’s a great partnership that’s making the library even more attractive.”
State and county leaders and officials from the school district and library officials celebrate the grand opening of the cafe.
The Community Blend is open most weekdays during the school calendar year from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and is typically staffed by three students and a supervising teacher. After hours, prepared foods are also available for sale from the cafe’s refrigerated vending machine.
The name Community Blend reflects the collaboration between the library system and the Transition School Program, underscoring a shared goal of preparing young adults for the workforce. The term “blend” symbolizes the integration of various elements: the skills and experiences of the young adults, the library’s resources and the educational framework of the district program.
By merging these components, the cafe creates an inclusive space where young adults can develop essential job skills, improve their employability, and connect with local residents. It also acts as a hub for learning, connection and support, epitomizing community collaboration.
“This is an amazing partnership that exemplifies inclusion, opportunity and community collaboration,” said Dr. Ashanti Holley, superintendent of the Special Services School District and the Burlington County Institute of Technology. “At Special Services, our mission – always – is to prepare our students with the skills and the confidence that they need to succeed in life beyond the classroom. Through this initiative, our students are not just learning, but we’re preparing them for the real world by building a strong foundation for the future.
“This is going to be a space where our students’ potential will be nurtured, their abilities will be recognized, and success is made possible,” Holley added. “This partnership with the Burlington County Library is a testament to what can be achieved when organizations work together.”
Restoration of the cafe service was made possible by a $1.4-million grant the Special Services School District received from the state New Jersey Department of Education to help expand programming for the Transition program. A portion of that grant was used to cover the expense for equipment needed at the library and the nearby Special Services School, where most of the cafe’s menu of food items is prepared. The equipment included new ovens, a broiler, beverage dispensers, uniforms and a cold vending machine.
The funding is also being used for Transition program students to attend classes at Rowan College at Burlington County and to purchase virtual reality equipment for workplace training.
“This initiative, made possible through the dedication of the Burlington County Library System and the Transition campus, is more than just a cafe,” noted Odise Carr, president of the board of education for the Special Services District. “It’s a space where young adults gain real-world skills, confidence and independence.
“This cafe will be an essential space for learning, connection and support, and it truly embodies the spirit of Community Blend.”
“ … Burlington County is a community that supports inclusion,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to county schools. “We don’t just talk about it; we take action to make sure that residents of all ages and abilities have the tools they need to succeed and participate in all aspects of life.”
