Inside the Hoboken Public Library, color is more than décor — it’s a statement. Director Jennie Pu, dressed in her signature tangerine and hot pink, moves through the library’s halls with confident energy, greeting staff and visitors alike. Since taking over as director in 2021, Pu has reinvented the city’s beloved library into a bold, barrier-breaking space that radiates both joy and defiance.
“Bright pink isn’t just a color,” she says with a smile. “It’s a declaration of visibility, joy, and vibrancy.”
Underneath her upbeat demeanor, however, is a fierce advocate for intellectual freedom — a librarian who stepped directly into the storm of America’s culture wars and refused to back down.
In June 2023, Pu and her team hosted a Banned Book Read-a-Thon in Church Square Park for Pride Month, an event that quickly made national waves. Local leaders, including Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, joined drag performer Harmonica Sunbeam and other readers to celebrate literature that has been challenged or banned elsewhere — from LGBTQ+ stories to classic works that explore race, identity, and justice.
Almost immediately, the library became a target for online harassment. Angry messages and threats poured in after the event was promoted on social media. Pu says the campaign against them was driven by extremist online groups attempting to intimidate libraries across the country. Staff members were accused of everything from indoctrination to immorality, and the library’s phones rang nonstop with hate-filled calls.
Pu personally fielded many of those calls herself, determined to shield her staff. Through it all, Hoboken stood behind her. The city council, Mayor Bhalla, and residents came together in solidarity, defending the library’s right to celebrate diversity and inclusion. “We held strong,” Pu recalls. “Our city didn’t waver.”
That moment galvanized something bigger. Soon after, the Hoboken Public Library declared itself a Book Sanctuary, pledging to protect the freedom to read for everyone. The city soon adopted the same resolution, and Pu helped more than 40 other libraries across New Jersey follow suit. Her leadership also played a role in the passage of the Freedom to Read Act, ensuring that public libraries in New Jersey remain safe spaces for open access to ideas.
For her courage and innovation, Pu was named Librarian of the Year by the New Jersey Library Association in 2024, along with recognition from the American Library Association. But accolades aren’t what drives her. “I’m very competitive,” she laughs. “I want us to be the best public library — not just in New Jersey, but anywhere.”
That ambition is evident throughout Hoboken’s library system. The library’s van and BookBikes, all painted in bright pink, travel through the city delivering books to neighborhoods. Inside, the MakerSpace buzzes with creativity as residents learn new technologies. A Library of Things allows patrons to borrow unexpected items like record players, binoculars, pickleball gear, external drives, pressure washers, and even baking molds. “Libraries are about sharing,” Pu says. “And that can mean more than just books.”
She’s also expanded the library’s mission to meet real-world needs. Pu hired a full-time social worker and introduced a public wellness corner stocked with Narcan and hygiene kits labeled, “Take what you need, no questions asked.” Under her leadership, the library also offers bilingual story hours, cooking classes, and even a seed library that encourages residents to grow their own food.
And then there’s the entertainment factor. In May, the library hosted a comedy fundraiser that filled the building with laughter — a sharp departure from the old stereotype of stern librarians and whispered voices. “I actually get shushed by the patrons,” Pu says, laughing. “And I love that.”
Her background prepared her for this kind of leadership. A native of Seattle, Pu moved east in 2003 and built an impressive career with positions at Weill Cornell, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Hudson County Community College before taking the top job in Hoboken. She’s also a longtime Jersey City resident and an active school parent who understands how libraries anchor their communities.
At 51, Pu’s influence continues to grow far beyond Hoboken. She’s reimagining what a library can be in the modern age — a space where education, activism, and community life converge. Her bright pink branding and fearless advocacy have become a symbol of a new kind of civic leadership: one that embraces visibility, diversity, and joy even in the face of hostility.
In a world where the battle over books and ideas has become a national flashpoint, Jennie Pu has positioned the Hoboken Public Library at the forefront of change — an institution that refuses to be quiet when it matters most.
Her work embodies the forward-thinking spirit that defines New Jersey’s cultural landscape — bold, creative, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. Learn more about innovation and local leaders pushing boundaries across the Garden State at Explore New Jersey’s Cutting Edge section.
