Schiavo Library

      Saturday, June 10, 2023: After visiting Ocean City (OC), I decided to go farther south in Cape May County, New Jersey and see Strathmere, NJ. I’ve never been here before, but I learned that it was a very quiet beach town compared to its neighbor to the north, OC. Also, unlike OC, NJ, Strathmere has been allowed to sell alcoholic drinks, and I noticed a few places that sold drinks and food. Otherwise, the big attractions in this town were the beach and chances to go fishing & crabbing. Anyway, the best part about this beach was that it was free—no beach tags required. (I did hear a rumor, however, that those in power may be thinking of changing this policy.) This also sounded like a good place to bring children if you wanted them to strictly enjoy the beach without the distractions of boardwalk amusement rides, carnival games, and other similar attractions. (There’s room for both kinds of beach towns!) Anyway, if the weather took a turn for the worst, I could recommend the following place: Dr. Rita C. Schiavo Library, 801 South Commonwealth Avenue, Strathmere (609-486-6265). Dr. Schiavo (1921-2005) was a highly regarded lawyer who did much for her hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and she was a summer resident of Strathmere for over 80 years. Before she died, she put in her will to have her former summer home become a library. Inside, I first entered a “micro-museum”—compared to Ocean City’s “mini-museum”. It was really a showcase of exhibits. While I was there, the place presented “Boatbuilding 1940-1946” that displayed equipment the boat builders used in making boats back then. Of course, the rest of this place was a library of many books and other library resources. At certain times of the year, they hold special events, including book sales.