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September 30, 2008

Banned books celebration promotes freedom of expression

From the Philadelphia Inquirer - 9/29/08
By Cynthia Henry, Inquirer Staff Writer

Friday will feature some unusual story times at local libraries, when passages from once-verboten books are read aloud to mark Banned Books Week.
"Where we live, the free expression of ideas is unlimited. But that doesn't prevent well-meaning people from trying to suppress information," said Donald J. Farish, president of Rowan University in Glassboro. "As a university, we need to stand up. We do not believe in censorship."

In 1982, the American Library Association, in collaboration with publishers, authors and booksellers, set aside the last week of September to raise awareness about censorship. Beyond outright prohibitions, Banned Books Week highlights "challenges" - formal, written complaints to remove or restrict material so a group of people cannot see it.

"When we started Banned Books Week, hundreds of books were being removed from shelves in any given year," said Judith F. Krug, director of the association's Office of Intellectual Freedom. "Last year 40 books were removed in some library somewhere in the United States."

Every state in the country has had challenges - most brought in schools or school libraries by parents - of material deemed overly sexual, profane or violent. Portrayals of racial and religious groups and of homosexuals also have led to objections.

Controversial titles range from Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to contemporary novels such as Toni Morrison's Beloved. Oft-listed children's authors include Judy Blume, Chris Crutcher, Dav Pilkey, Philip Pullman and J.K. Rowling.

"It's not just the books that make you blush," said Thomas Devaney, a poet and senior writing fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, who will read Friday from the Dutch author Erasmus at the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadephia. "The event is a dramatization of the ongoing struggle between ideas and the attempt to keep them out."

At noon that day in Rowan's Chamberlain Student Center, Farish and his wife, Maia, will read from the Newbery Award-winning children's novel On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer. Mature themes and language in the story - about a boy's guilt concerning his role in the death of a friend - led to objections in Iowa and Pennsylvania. Other Rowan faculty also will read from frequently challenged books at the center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The American Library Association documented 420 book challenges in 2007, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, deputy director of the association's Office of Intellectual Freedom. She estimated that for every objection reported, as many as five go unrecorded because of confidentiality, uneven state reporting standards, and threats to teacher and librarian employment.

Parents have asked Cheltenham High School librarian Randi Wall to take books off the shelf, but she said she usually can persuade them to support unlimited access.

"Everyone's got their own belief," Wall said. "I won't not put [a book] here because one or two people object."

Advises Krug, "If you don't like something you pick up in the library, put it down."

Every year in late September, Wall fills a school showcase with once-banned works. Students are always curious, she said, especially about the objections raised to the "un-Christian sorcery and witchcraft" in the Harry Potter novels.

The Mount Laurel Library rented a traveling exhibit from the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship which will be at the facility, at 100 Walt Whitman Ave., through Oct. 4. It highlights 150 years of challenges not only to books, but also to school newspapers, a student video, a play, and science curriculum.

Samantha Marker, librarian of Mount Laurel's young-adult collection, said the exhibit had helped her direct teens to the sources so they could decide for themselves.

"You read it, and you make a choice," Marker says she told them.

Devaney, also a visiting poet at Haverford College, will be one of eight readers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the Rosenbach, at 2008-2010 Delancey Place in Philadelphia. He chose a passage from Erasmus' "The Praise of Folly," a satirical essay critical of the Catholic Church. The work was published in 1511 and was later banned by the church.

"The program will explain what was banned and why," said Judy Guston, the museum's curator and director of collections.

Books from the Rosenbach collection, including Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen, will be on display. That children's favorite has regularly made the library association's "most-challenged" list since its publication in 1970 because of baby Mickey's nudity.

"Quite a few librarians preferred Mickey Fruit-of-the-Loomed," Sendak said in an interview in 1991.

The Rosenbach and Philadelphia Center for the Book also commissioned five booked-theme artworks related to banning, censorship and control. That exhibit will be at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Central Library, 1901 Vine St., from Oct. 14 to Dec. 5.

"Banned books tell stories about society that make people anxious enough that they wanted to censor them," Devaney said.

"These programs are a validation," he said. "These books were once banned; now they're revered. What does that say about the ideas people are trying to ban now?"

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Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2007
1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell. Picture book. Reasons: anti-ethnic, sexism, homosexuality, anti-family, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group.

2. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. Youth novel. Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, violence.

3. Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes. Youth novel. Reasons: sexually explicit and offensive language.

4. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman. Youth novel. Reason: Religious viewpoint.

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Novel. Reason: racism.

6. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. Novel. Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language.

7. TTYL, by Lauren Myracle. Youth novel. Reasons: sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group.

8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. Novel. Reason: sexually explicit.

9. It's Perfectly Normal, by Robie H. Harris. Youth nonfiction. Reasons: sex education, sexually explicit.

10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky. Novel. Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group.

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Source: American Library Association (www.bannedbooksweek.org)

Posted by mowyn at 9:43 AM | Comments (0)
Category: Library News

September 29, 2008

Burning, banning books imperils freedom, democracy

By MARIAN R. BAUMAN • September 28, 2008
Asbury Park Press

Since the first Banned Books Week in 1982, libraries and bookstores across America annually have celebrated the right to access books without censorship

The theme for this year's Banned Book Week, which began Saturday, is "Elect to Read a Banned Book." It celebrates the most basic freedom in our democracy — the freedom to read freely — and encourages us not to take this freedom for granted.

Entire civilizations have toppled when, in an effort to suppress dissenting or heretical views, governments have burned the books that contain the collective knowledge of that place and time.

In the 1480s, Tomas de Torquemada, grand inquisitor of Spain, promoted the burning of all non-Catholic literature, especially the Jewish Talmud. During the War of 1812, the British burned the Capitol in Washington, D.C., destroying the small Library of Congress that was then housed in the building.

Censorship, however, isn't something that occurs only in the distant past or in places far away.

In the three decades I have worked in a public library, I have been approached several times by well-meaning individuals who wanted a particular book removed from the shelves.

Our renewal policy at the Neptune Public Library is designed to thwart those who check out a book they feel is not appropriate and then renew it again and again to prevent it from being on the library's shelves.

Attempts to remove books are not simply an expression of a certain point of view, but an attempt to restrict the access of everyone else. This censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves. Even when the challenger's motivation is well-intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. We all have the right to choose books freely for ourselves.

Recently, a sincere and kind gentleman asked if I would consider relocating "The Golden Compass" from the children's department to the adult department. He was concerned that the author is a self-professed atheist and might be influencing young children.

I explained to him that when it comes to choosing books for children, parents are the only ones who have the right to decide what their children can read. Since librarians are not in the business of censoring who reads what, children would be able to check out a book from the adult section anyway.

A local school principal found one of our books in a student's locker and called to ask how we could let that book be checked out by a child. I reminded her that it is the parents' responsibility to make sure their child is bringing home appropriate books for their age. With today's literacy levels, I might have been happy the student was reading on an adult level — or even was reading at all.

Children are not given enough credit for being able to distinguish between fact and fantasy. One of the arguments given by those who object to the "Harry Potter" books is the notion that they teach witchcraft. Children understand that fairy tales and fantasy fiction are not real and can enjoy the imaginary plots without becoming warlocks.

I was offended by the churches that burned "Harry Potter" books on their backyard barbecues. They could have at least built a proper bonfire, as the Nazis did in Berlin on May 10, 1933, when they used 1,000 torches to burn the works of everyone who didn't agree with their Aryan philosophy.

The 19th-century German writer Heinrich Heine stated: "Where one burns books, one will soon burn people." He foretold the Holocaust in his own nation.

Reasons for challenging a book's place in a school or public library have included religion, violence, race and ethnicity, profanity, sex and sexual orientation. Classics such as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," "The Catcher in the Rye" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" may not be on school library shelves or included in a school's curriculum because of objections by parents and school administrators.

These books, when placed in historical perspective, can be significant and meaningful to their readers. The Neptune Public Library material selection policy states: "It should be recognized that some materials chosen may be offensive, shocking or boring to some individuals, but may be meaningful and significant to others. It is the responsibility of individuals to limit their library use to books and materials which are consistent with their individual tastes. While everyone is free to reject for themselves and their children materials of which they do not approve, they may not restrict the freedom of others to read or inquire."

Books are not evil and do not harm anyone. The stifling of free discussion harms us as a democratic society. I invite all to come and continue this discussion at the Neptune Public Library at 4 p.m. Wednesday, when the topic will be "Come Read a Banned Book."

Marian R. Bauman is the director of the Neptune Public Library.

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September 25, 2008

This week, they're with the banned

Gloucester County Times

Thursday, September 25, 2008
By Jessica Driscoll
jdriscoll@sjnewsco.com
The title that tops the American Library Association's list of the most frequently challenged books of 2007 is a children's story about a family of penguins.

"And Tango Makes Three" is a 2005 publication, written by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, based on the true story of two male Chinstrap Penguins in New York's Central Park Zoo who hatch an egg and raise a young chick named Tango.

"This is why we celebrate Banned Books Week at the end of each September, because it cuts to the heart of what we do as librarians and what the American Library Association stands for," said Angela Maycock, assistant director of the Office of Intellectual Freedom for the ALA. "We celebrate one of our most basic freedoms, the freedom to read, and it is an opportunity for those of us who are passionate about information and democracy to remind people that we shouldn't take those freedoms for granted."

This year marks the 27th anniversary of Banned Books Week, during which libraries, bookstores and literary organizations across the country hold events and create displays highlighting those literary works that have been banned or challenged throughout history. The week starts on Sept. 27 and continues to October 4.

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials Ð defined as a formal written request filed with a library or school Ð because of content or appropriateness. Frequent reasons for challenges include sexual content, offensive language, religious or political content and claims that a book is unsuited to its marketed age group.

Other books that appear on this year's top 10 list include "The Chocolate War," "Olive's Ocean," "The Golden Compass," ÔThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," "The Color Purple," "TTYL," "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," "It's Perfectly Normal" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

Banned Book Week is being celebrated across the nation with a kick-off "Read Out" in Chicago that will feature oft-challenged authors Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Stephen Chbosky reading their favorite banned books.

In Gloucester County, some of the public and college libraries will feature displays to educate the public about the week.

"This year, we are having a display all week which will feature banned titles and information describing who challenged each book and why," said Bruce Whitham, dean of library services at Rowan University. "It is a constitutional right and concerns education and most librarians believe the best way to dispel negative notions is to shine bright lights on them. It should be very difficult to challenge books even if we find them distasteful because opinions vary and every person has a right to his own."

Whitham said Rowan's Campbell Library will display "three truckloads" of challenged books and highly recommends that people come check them out on the library's first floor. The university will also present a "read-in" on Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the student center. Rowan President Donald Farish and his wife, Maia, will be among the guest readers Ð reading "On My Honor" by Marion Dane at noon.

Gloucester County College's library will also feature the sometimes-controversial books.

"We put up displays each year and students always stop and read them," said Anna Kehnast, coordinator of library serials and user services. "It creates a curiosity because many will remember reading the books in elementary and high school and will wonder why they were ever challenged."

Kehnast recalled an instance when she helped with a children's story hour at a library in Pennsville a few years ago featuring the "Goosebumps" series by R.L. Stine. Many were concerned that the material was inappropriate because it mentioned the occult.

"But you know what, not one child even mentioned the occult or asked a question about it," said Kehnast. "They looked over it completely."

Though the judgment of what is or is not appropriate reading material for various age groups is purely subjective, Maycock said most challenges do stem from genuine concern.

"People may feel that the material in question will be harmful, especially to children," said Maycock. "The issue is that, of course, individuals have every right to restrict what they or their children read, but they don't have the right to restrict what everyone else reads. The public library exists to serve every member of the community and must resist limiting freedoms."

Libraries that will feature displays of challenged books during the week include the Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library in Washington Township, the Franklin Township Public Library and the Free Public Library of Monroe Township.

"Many of these titles are familiar to people and they are surprised to see them singled out," said Debra Rosner, a reference librarian at Heggan Library. "I don't think many people realize this is still happening today."

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Bridgewater library showcases digital downloadable materials

Courier-News Online
BRIDGEWATER —The bookmobile of the future made a stop Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Bridgewater Library, teaching patrons how to download books, films and music for free.

More than 300 people were expected to climb aboard the 74-foot Digital Bookmobile during its visit to the building at Bridge Street and Vogt Drive.

"It's huge," said Manuela Miracle, a spokeswoman for the Somerset County Library System. The colorful 18-wheeler vehicle is outfitted with a high-tech digital lab and other services to show off what's available in electronic audio books, music and movies.

The Digital Bookmobile was provided by OverDrive, the library's vendor for digital media, Miracle said.

The Digital Bookmobile is a community outreach vehicle for public libraries to promote downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, music and video, according to OverDrive's Web site, www.overdrive.com. The nationally touring vehicle is a high-tech update of the traditional bookmobile that has served communities for decades. The vehicle is equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high-definition monitors, premium sound systems and a variety of portable media players, according to OverDrive's Web site.

The Somerset County Library System has thousands of eBooks, music and movie files available for free to those who hold a valid library card.

"We're constantly adding new stuff," Miracle said.

Yesterday's visit was the Digital Bookmobile's only stop in New Jersey on this tour. Its next stop is Saturday, Sept. 27 in Ohio's Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Kara L. Richardson can be reached at 908-707-3186 or krichardson@mycentraljersey.com.

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September 24, 2008

Banned books to be celebrated at Central Jersey libraries

Courier-News Online

By JARED KALTWASSER • STAFF WRITER • September 21, 2008

Buzz up! PISCATAWAY —"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." "Of Mice and Men." And the entire "Harry Potter" series.

Those books are among the most popular — and arguably among the greatest — books ever written. But next week they will be celebrated for belonging on another list: the most-challenged books in the country.

"Banned Book Week," an annual event organized by the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom, kicks off Saturday, Sept. 27, and continues through Saturday, Oct. 4. This year's theme: "Closing Books Shuts Out Ideas."

Among the local libraries participating this year is the Piscataway Township Public Library. Lina Belkewitch, the library's public-relations specialist, says the week is more about freedom than it is about censorship.

"It's about your freedom to read and freedom not to read it, too," she said. "It's your freedom."

In fact, attempts to ban books at local libraries are rarely successful, according to the library association. The books celebrated during "Banned Books Week" are books that most frequently have been the subject of challenges by local residents. A "challenge" occurs when a resident or group of residents attempt to have a book removed from the library's shelves, generally due to concerns over graphic language, descriptions of violence or racism, or mature themes. When a resident challenges a book, the complaint can lead to a hearing before the library's board of trustees, or even a court case.

But Molly Newling, acting director of the Piscataway library, said she can't recall a challenge ever getting to the hearing stage at her library. She said generally an explanation of the library's decision by a librarian will abate complaints.

"I can't recall a time where we've had a major challenge," she said. "Some people have a problem, and we explain it, and we usually fix it."

Piscataway is celebrating the week with a display highlighting books in the library's collection that are frequently challenged at libraries across the nation.

Sharon Rawlins, youth-services consultant for the New Jersey State Library in Trenton, said participation is high among libraries in New Jersey. Some even use yellow caution tape to decorate banned-book displays.

But Rawlins said sometimes parents overestimate the dangers of books because they underestimate their child's readiness or because they overestimate their child's understanding of or interest in mature themes.

"I think sometimes adults are looking at it their from their point of view and seeing the worst," she said. "And the kids don't get that at all. Kids are good at censoring. Maybe they didn't understand it or they'll skip over things."

Each year, the American Library Association releases a list of the most-challenged books of the previous year. The 2007 list is topped for the second-straight year by the book "And Tango Makes Three," by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. The children's book tells the story of two male penguins caring for an orphaned egg.

Many of the books on the list are aimed at children and teenagers. In fact, Mary Piekarski, supervisor of Adult/Young Adult Services at the Piscataway library, said some of the books are frequently recommended by teachers.

"A lot of the books are on summer reading lists," she said.

Newling said local community standards are very important when librarians choose books, and she said the patrons of her library are very diverse.

Rawlins said libraries need to honor that diversity by providing a diverse collection.

"We want to make materials on any topic, on any race, on any religion available for people because we have such a diverse population, not just in our state, but in other states, too," she said. "I think everybody should be for freedom."

Newling said was not sure why so many books that are considered classics are still being challenged today. The 2007 list includes "The Color Purple" and the aforementioned "Huckleberry Finn."

"Possibly it is because they are considered a great book because the author is taking on a big topic," she said. "So people are going to feel strongly one way or the other."

Newling herself said she had a strong feeling when she first read "Huckleberry Finn."

"I read it as a kid, and I didn't like it," she said. "I read it again as an adult, and I really liked it. Which I guess is right. It really is an adult book."

Jared Kaltwasser can be

reached at 908-707-3137 or

jkaltwasser@mycentraljersey.com

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Council leery of library closings Trenton residents plea to keep branches open

Times of Trenton

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
BY ANDREW KITCHENMAN
TRENTON -- City council members took the opportunity last night to question why the library board hasn't done more fundraising before its recent decision to close four neighborhood branches.

Residents took their turn at the podium at last night's council meeting to make impassioned pleas to keep the branches open, with support from some council members.

Explaining the plan was library director Kimberly Bray, who outlined how the library reached this point and said that $1.5 million has been spent over the past five years from a surplus fund. She also said the library will develop a strategic plan, drawing input from library workers and board members as well as residents.

"We desperately need to increase our offerings to the community," Bray said.

Library officials said they plan to hire a development officer this year.

Councilman-at-large Manuel Segura said that if he was a library board member who knew the library system's financial state, he wouldn't appear at a council meeting without having done more fundraising first.

Segura also said he trusted city administration officials to allocate enough money for the libraries.

"I know the principle of sometimes robbing Peter to pay Paul is a great thing to do," Segura said.

Bray described the three options for the library: they could keep the current operations, which would require about $1 million more than the city administration has proposed. A second option would be to allocate a similar amount as last year that would reduce the branches' hours. A third would close the branches but stay within the 10 percent budget cut required by the administration.

Bray said layoffs would occur under all three options. She said she couldn't determine how many layoffs would be necessary until the state Department of Personnel's layoff procedures are completed.

The closures are required with a 10 percent budget cut because the library has lost state aid and other revenue it had last year and faces increases in worker salary and benefits, utilities and book costs.

The library system built a surplus or "reserve" fund several years ago to pay for an online library catalog, but after the online system cost fell, it was left with the surplus.

Between 2003 and this year, the libraries spent $1.5 million to balance its annual operating budgets, Bray said.

Bray also pointed out that the 4.5 percent portion of the library budget that goes toward materials like books is below the national standard of 13 to 15 percent.

Council members had varied responses to Bray.

Councilwoman-at-large Cordelia Staton questioned why more serious fundraising efforts weren't made. She said keeping the branches may not be possible under the city's budget situation and encouraged the libraries to work with the school board to make new school libraries open to the public.

South Ward Councilman Jim Coston said he opposed any reduction of hours at the branches.

Council President Paul M. Pintella said that while the libraries face a crisis today, other city departments will face crises in the near future. He added that the effect of closing the libraries may be permanent.

"When you cut off those branches, they may not grow back," Pintella said.

Library employee Donna J. Moore pleaded for keeping the branches. She recalled that a North Trenton branch closed in 1981 and never reopened. She said some city children would have difficulty reaching the Academy Street main library, which is the only one that would stay open under the current plan.

"Some people don't have people who are going to take them here, take them there," said Moore, a senior library assistant.

Contact Andrew Kitchenman at akitchenman@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5706.

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September 21, 2008

Economic woes means library boom

Sept. 21, 2008
By TODD MCHALE
Burlington County Times

If you have to wait to check out a book or use the computer at the local library, blame it on the economy.

The demand for libraries has been huge over the last several months.

“There's an old saying "when business is bad libraries do well,' ” said Gail Sweet, director of the Burlington County Library system.

That old saying appears to be playing out here and throughout the country.

“We're seeing a substantial uptick in use of the library,” said Joe Galbraith, director of the Moorestown Library.

He said the library recently began offering Sunday hours to satisfy some of the demand.

Willingboro Public Library assistant director Christine Hill said she couldn't agree more with Galbraith's and Sweet's assessment.

“In 2007, we had the most use in our 47-year history, and we had record-setting numbers for June and July this year,” Hill said.

All told, more than 156,300 people used the library last year. More recently, the library was visited by nearly 17,000 people during the summer months.

“I think the economy has made people a bit more prudent with their money,” Galbraith said.

He said people tend to limit the number of books they buy during downturns in the economy.

“Rather than running down to the nearest Barnes & Noble for that latest book, people are starting to rethink that $25, $30 or $50 investment. You can check out that same book at the library for free,” Galbraith said.

He said the library recently set a record, with more than 1,300 checkouts in a single day.

“That's a little more than 100 books an hour. That's pretty good for a small-to medium-size library,” Galbraith said.

Sweet expects that 2 million items will be checked out this year from the county library system, which includes the Westampton headquarters and seven branches throughout Burlington County.

While books continue to be a crowd pleaser for many library visitors, computers and Internet services are also a big draw.

The American Library Association recently found that libraries have experienced double-digit growth in the demand for Internet services.

The association found that libraries are leveraging technology to help children succeed in school and support lifelong learning.

More than 83 percent of libraries offer homework resources, including live tutors and collections of reliable Web sources, according to a study by the American Library Association.

The study showed that today's libraries provide free access to online resources that otherwise would be out of reach for most families.

Galbraith said not everyone has easy access to a computer or the Internet.

“Even in Moorestown, there are a lot of people who don't have access to a computer at home,” Galbraith said.

The Moorestown Library recently doubled the number of computers available to the public, which include express terminals for users to quickly check their e-mails.

“After school lets out, our public computers are pretty much full every day,” Galbraith said.

For those students who need a little help in their school work, the Willingboro Public Library offers online tutorial services and study groups.

Hill said many adults have turned to the library for help in hunting for a job.

Library users don't even have to go inside to access the Internet, according to Hill and Galbraith.

“We know for a fact there are some people that come up here at night and access our computers (through the library's WiFi system), and that's fine with us,” Hill said.

“Society has changed,” Galbraith said. “Libraries are more than just books. They are the center of the community.”

Todd McHale at tmchale@phillyBurbs.com.

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September 19, 2008

Library's cost still divides Cherry Hill

By Cynthia Henry

Inquirer Staff Writer

Two images of the Cherry Hill Public Library have jousted since the building opened in 2004: wasteful Taj Mahal vs. state-of-the-art community center.
"It's a huge boondoggle," said D.J. Whitley, who lives on the east side of town, a long drive from the facility on North Kings Highway.

"I don't know of another township of our size with 10 percent of the budget going to the library," she said.

Rosemary Leach, copresident of the Friends of the Library, who volunteers about 20 hours a week, has a different take.

The library is packed whenever she's there, Leach said: "They're getting their money's worth and then some."

Few people miss the cramped old library, with its leaking roof and antiquated circuitry.

But with state cuts in municipal aid leading to a hefty local tax increase, the old place's $21.6 million replacement - which Cherry Hill residents will be paying off for 14 more years - continues to raise hackles.

"It's not that we don't have a world-class library," said Dan Keashen, spokesman for Mayor Bernie Platt. "The cost is overwhelming, especially the debt service."

From its conception, critics have called the library an overpriced, grandiose monument to former Mayor Susan Bass Levin, who championed its construction.

Residents didn't understand the long-term costs of the construction bond, said Arthur C. Campbell, head of the Cherry Hill Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"What they have now is sticker shock," said Campbell, who, nonetheless, called the building a source of civic pride.

The township owes about $21 million on the bond by 2022, said Cherry Hill's chief financial officer, Deborah Campbell. In fiscal 2009, debt repayment is budgeted at $1.6 million and operating costs at $3.3 million. Total expenses are 8.5 percent of Cherry Hill's projected 2009 budget. In past years, the percentage has been higher.

Statewide, municipalities with their own libraries devote an average 7 percent of their budgets to operating costs alone, said Pat Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association.

"Library services are not free," she said, "but they're the most economic way to provide a broad-based education resource to a community."

At a Cherry Hill budget workshop this month, frustrated residents questioned the library's energy efficiency, fees, and impact on the budget - though any savings would likely go to the library, not to the general fund. The town funds the library at the state-required minimum.

But inevitably, the conversation returns to the initial cost of facility.

Platt, who succeeded Levin, believes "the structure should not have been 72,000 square feet, and the financing should have been put to voters," spokesman Keashen said.

Willingboro's library, which opened in 2003, serves a community less than half the size of Cherry Hill. At 42,000 square feet, it is about 60 percent as big, but cost only a third the price. Like Cherry Hill's library, it benefited from a state grant program that assisted 68 library projects.

A professional planner held focus groups and public meetings to determine what Cherry Hill wanted from its building, said Stephen Barbell, president of the township library board from 2000 to 2006.

"You can tell by today's usage that we did the right thing," he said. "The planner said libraries of the future would be like community centers."

Last year, the building - which also houses a conference center, an exhibit area, a computer lab, a coffee shop and a gift shop - had 421,608 visitors, up from 312,680 in 2004. In a town of 71,000, the library has 65,079 cardholders.

"They may be complaining about it, but they're using it," said Gail Belfer, who lives in the town's west side. She sees a full parking lot when she drives by daily.

One day last week, mothers and grandmothers prepared for "Baby Bounce," a staff-led story time for infants, in the Susan Bass Levin Children's Library. In the basement computer lab, adults studied Microsoft Word 2007 with a volunteer instructor.

In the high-ceiling reference room, which resembles a law library, users typed on a bank of 32 computers, and a handful of people with laptops took advantage of the free WiFi. Off the lobby, senior citizens read newspapers near a gas fireplace, which is lit only occasionally because people tend to doze off.

Clerks at the Java City snack bar and shop straightened counters, awaiting customers.

"This has become a destination," library director Manuel Paredes said.

The Friends of the Library group, which Leach runs with Bryna Thaler, has 340 dues-paying members; 40 volunteers staff the gift shop. The group sponsors three book sales and a flea market yearly to raise money for extras, such as a handicapped-accessible table recently installed on the patio.

Leach contended that the library was living up to its motto: "the heart of the town."

"Because Cherry Hill has no Main Street, the library is just booked" with events, she said.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a nonprofit in Haverford, rents the conference center for educational programs.

"The women feel it's private for discussions, yet in an accessible local place with a friendly staff," said Elyse Caplan, the group's education director.

The most popular library-sponsored programs are for young children, said Katie Hardesty, director of public relations and special events. The 20 or so monthly events often have waiting lists.

Adults like "Lunch and a Movie," "Coffee and Conversation," and "Meet the Author," which draw 15 to 100 people each, Hardesty said.

More than 700 turned out in April to meet Jeff Kinney, author of the popular children's book Diary of a Wimpy Kid. That event was almost too successful, Paredes said. Police and firefighters were called in to keep the crowd safe and manageable.

Paredes said he believed the sour economy had boosted walk-in traffic, especially over the summer, with families seeking activities during stay-at-home vacations.

Other libraries have seen the same trend. The Camden County system - with branches in Bellmawr, Blackwood, Merchantville, Voorhees, Haddon and Winslow - reported spikes in computer sign-ups, program attendance and home-page visits in the first eight months of 2008.

But Whitley, the east-side resident, said that for older teenagers such as her 11th-grade son, "libraries are becoming almost obsolete."

Teachers require so much Internet research and specifically formatted papers that students need their own computers, she said. Plus, the library is open only from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

"I just thought it was a horrible waste of money," she said.

Belfer, on the other hand, said her children, who are 18, 16 and 11, met friends there and used it for study groups. A social worker, she has attended seminars in the conference center.

"The benefits far outweigh what the costs are," she said.

Paredes said he understood the "wow factor" when residents considered the library's budget as a whole. But as a percentage of a property-tax bill, he said, "library taxes are equivalent to the cost of a couple of [hardback] books or one dinner out."

Posted by tumulty at 5:46 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Reading doesn't have to be a solitary pursuit

NORMA E. • BLAKE • September 19, 2008
The 2008 Summer Reading Program for children and teens was an overwhelming success at libraries all across New Jersey. Following that success, and with children back in school, it is a good time to encourage adults to get into a reading program of their own.

Last October, the Women's National Book Association inaugurated National Reading Group Month as a way to commemorate its 90th year as an organization. The New Jersey State Library and the New Jersey Library Association were proud to promote this effort because of our shared goals: the fostering of public awareness and enjoyment of reading by supporting reading groups.

Reading is often a very solitary pursuit, but being a part of a reading group adds a fun, relaxing social element, which stimulates discussion, gives different viewpoints and enhances the appreciation of whatever we are reading. Joining or even starting a local reading group will give you the opportunity to share ideas and thoughts with a friendly group of people from your community who are interested in reading the same genre, whether it be fiction, biographies or history, or the novels of Jane Austen, Ian Fleming or Nora Roberts.

Through the Summer Reading Program, your children were exposed to reading discussion groups. Through these groups, they were given a forum to formulate and express their ideas and opinions about what they were reading, as well as to hear differing views that might pique their interest in reading other types of books. It gave the children confidence in expressing themselves, which is so important in their social development.

Those advantages are not just for children, however. New Jersey has a very diverse population, with residents coming from such places as Latin America, the Caribbean, Vietnam, China, India and Pakistan. Many are faced with using English on a daily basis for the first time; some are just learning to read and speak English. One of the advantages of being in a reading group for these adults is that it gives them an opportunity to increase their "conversational literacy" in a supportive, close-knit group.

This October, libraries across New Jersey will be sponsoring a variety of events to encourage the formation and continuation of reading groups. Libraries will be hosting author visits, lectures and theme events throughout the month. If you would like to start a reading group, your local librarian would be happy to help you organize one, suggest books and show you how to use online resources we have purchased, such as NoveList Plus, which will help you find books to suit every interest.

As the days get shorter, the temperatures get cooler and more time is spent indoors, I encourage you to get out to your library, get your library card, if you don't already have one, and get into a reading group. I am sure you will find it's a perfect way to keep you from slipping into hibernation until next April.

Norma E. Blake is New Jersey state librarian.

Posted by tumulty at 5:36 PM | Comments (0)
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Residents lament plan to close Trenton libraries

Many voice their displeasure at city council meeting
Friday, September 19, 2008
BY ANDREW KITCHENMAN
TRENTON -- City council heard another round of support for keeping neighborhood branch libraries open at its meeting last night.

It was the second straight meeting in which residents focused on supporting the libraries. A special council meeting has been scheduled Tuesday at 5 p.m. with library director Kimberly M. Bray.

Roughly 45 residents attended the meeting, with nearly every speaker denouncing the recent decision by the library board to close the Briggs, Cadwalader, East Trenton and Skelton branches. The main Academy Street library would remain open.

Stuyvesant Avenue resident Zachary Chester urged the council to investigate how the library budget has been operated.

"What concerns me is, it's the libraries today, what's it going to be tomorrow?" asked Chester, adding the council has the power to hold the city administration accountable.

Several residents questioned what happened to a large reserve account that the library previously maintained.

After the meeting, city official Renee Haynes said it was not appropriate for the library to have the reserve and, after the administration became aware of it, the money was returned to the city. Haynes is Mayor Douglas H. Palmer's chief of staff.

The library board approved a plan to close the branches based on a 10 percent cut in the city's $3.5 million funding for the libraries. While the library board governs the libraries separately from the city government, its members are appointed by Palmer and the city funds 97 percent of its budget. Officials have emphasized that the city pays more than is required by the state.

Montgomery Place resident David G. Perez, who has taught children how to fold origami at all of the branches, asked why the branches must close due to the 10 percent cut.

"I'm trying to figure out how four out of five equals 10 percent," Perez said. "I don't know. It's strange math."

Crystal Angela Smith of William Street urged the council to put together a task force to look into how the libraries could operate differently and keep the branches open. She said there is a need for more computers in libraries already.

Missy Balmir, a school board member, said she and other members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. urge the council to consider the impact of the branch closings on children, "the most vulnerable among us." She asked for the council to analyze how much the branches are being used.

Rafael Valentin, president of the Friends of the Trenton Free Public Library, said the organization met this week and has 40 members from across the city.

While some residents are interested in starting a new foundation to support the library, and Palmer called for a new foundation, Valentin said the Friends group has existed since the 1930s. "We will be back," he said.

Valentin also said the council should find out the costs of closing the branches, including utilities, storage, moving and additional security.

Contact Andrew Kitchenman at akitchenman@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5706.

Posted by tumulty at 5:34 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Garden State Teen Book Award FAQ

For a refresher of what the GSTBA is, how to participate, and how to vote, please check out the FAQ created by the Young Adult Services Section. These Frequently Asked Questions are also posted at the NJLA wiki at: http://njla.pbwiki.org/Young+Adult+Services.

Garden State Teen Book Awards
Frequently Asked Questions
Young Adult Section of the New Jersey Library Association

The official rules and explanation of the GSTBA ballot process can be found at: http://www.njla.org/honorsawards/book.

What is the Garden State Teen Book Award (GSTBA)?
The Garden State Teen Book Award is a project of the Young Adult Section of the New Jersey Library Association (www.njla.org). The section represents libraries from throughout the state, and selected nominees are based on teen appeal and quality of writing from the previous year’s “Best Books” list (i.e. the final 2010 GSTBA ballot is completed in late 2008/early 2009 and contains titles published in 2007). Ballots are composed of 20 nominations in three categories: fiction for grades 6-8, fiction for grades 9-12, and nonfiction for grades 6-12. The section seeks to expose teens to books that are appealing and well written, and which accurately display the diversity found in the state of New Jersey. Ballots are made available primarily to New Jersey school and public librarians.

What is the process for putting together the GSTBA ballot?
Members of the Young Adult Section of NJLA who have elected to act as “readers” are assigned titles by the YA Section Executive Board. The section will be notified as a whole when readers and titles are matched up, usually following the September section meeting. Readers read their assigned titles, and then meet with the section to discuss which titles should be chosen for the ballot. Each of the categories are discussed at three separate meetings. These discussion meetings follow regular section meetings in January, February, and March.

In 2008-2009:
Grade 6-8 discussion: January 30, 2009 (with snow date February 27)
Grade 9-12 discussion: February 27, 2009 (with snow date March 27)
Nonfiction discussion: March 27, 2009

At the conclusion of each discussion, a ballot with a maximum of 20 nominations is created. The full ballot of no more than 20 titles in each category is completed following the discussion of nonfiction titles in March. Voting extends from this time through mid-January of the following year.

Who puts together the GSTBA ballot?
Readers! You must be a member of the Young Adult Section of the New Jersey Library Association in order to be a reader.

Being a reader requires you to:
+ read titles that are assigned to you.
+ attend discussion meetings in January/February/March.*
+ help create original annotations of titles that make the ballot.
*note: If you cannot attend one or more of the discussions, you must make every effort to send your comments with a proxy (or a member of the executive board). Be sure to indicate your “Top Five” titles if you cannot attend the meeting. A GSTBA reader feedback form and book review code are available for your reference.

Being a reader entitles you to:
+ vote! Any section member can attend meetings and discussions, but ONLY READERS CAN VOTE for the final ballot.

The Members-at-Large of the section are responsible for compiling the final ballot and list of annotations, as well as for assigning readers and organizing the original full list of nominations.

How can I participate in choosing nominations for the ballot?
If you are a current member interested in participating in the creation of the GSTBA ballot, please contact one of the section Members-at-Large. You will be notified of your title assignments following the September meeting. If you are only interested in reading for one or two of the categories, please indicate this preference to the Members-at-Large.

To participate in putting together the ballot for the 2010 GSTBA ballot, please send an email prior to October 1 to:
Kate at kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com; Emily at haberman@bccls.org.

When does the process for putting together the GSTBA ballot begin?
Reader assignments are made following the September meeting. The section begins discussions in January.

How can I get my hands on the ballot?
Printable ballots are available at the NJLA website (www.njla.org). Print ballots are also available the NJLA Conference at the end of April. You can contact one of the section Members-at-Large to see if there are extra print ballots after this time. Online voting is available at www.bccls.org/teens.

Who can vote for the award?
New Jersey teens! This is an award for teen readers, voted on by teen readers.

Posted by vasilik at 1:53 PM | Comments (0)
Category: GSTBA Young Adult Services

YA Services Section 2008-2009 Meeting & Locations

Attention, teen-serving librarians -- mark your calendars! All new members are welcome!

The dates and locations for the 2008-2009 meetings of the YA Services Section are set.

All meetings are on Fridays at the South Brunswick Public Library, as follows:

September 26
October 24
January 30
February 27
March 27
May 15

The September, November, and May meetings begin with coffee at 9:30 AM, followed by our business meeting from 10-12.

The close of the May meeting will be followed by our traditional, delicious annual potluck luncheon.

The January, February, and March meetings include discussion of titles for the 2009 Garden State Teen Book Awards ballot, so coffee is at 9:00, the business meeting begins at 9:30, and GSTBA discussion goes on until we're done.

Posted by vasilik at 1:45 PM | Comments (0)
Category: Young Adult Services

September 17, 2008

Mayor Palmer open to closure of four libraries

Trentonian
By L.A. PARKER, Staff Writer09/17/2008
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TRENTON - Mayor Doug Palmer yesterday said Trenton Public Library officials "blindsided" residents last week with news of the potential closing of four city branches.

But in terms of being a fiscally responsible idea for the city as a potential $28 million deficit looms, Palmer supported the shutdowns if officials could convert the city's main branch into one super library.

"To find out that word of these potential closings had been discussed with (library) employees and was a newspaper story before there had been adequate time for my review and input as well as City Council's was precipitous at best," Palmer said.

Palmer voiced his support for turning the main library on Academy Street into a full-service, state-of-the-art facility during an afternoon City Hall press conference.

If library officials consolidated, then Palmer said the city would provide a steady commitment of funds toward the renovation of the main library, complete with enough computers and other technology equipment, trained professional librarians, staff, maintenance and security.

He added that students and other residents would have access to safe transportation to the main library.

Palmer said he plans to have discussions with Schools Superintendent Rodney Lofton to gain his support for greater utilization of new libraries at new city schools.

Palmer, like many City Council members, said library officials should discuss all significant matters with them because the city provides approximately $3.5 million toward keeping branches operable.

The $3.5 million represents 97 percent of the library budget.

"That is much more financial support than the city is required to contribute, but right now we are not in a position to maintain operations at our five locations," Library Director Kimberly Bray said.

Bray may praise financial support, but the city's fourth library director since 2001 has never met with the mayor and, except for a June visit to City Council, as a matter of her introduction, has had no extended conversation with the council's members.

Community activist Paul Harris blistered City Council members with criticism.

"When (Bray) came here in June, not one of you asked her a question. We could have discussed the library situation with her then, but nothing. You folks got to step up your game," Harris said.

"The library director has been here since April and she has not even met with the mayor. What does that say about Mayor Palmer and his agenda?" he added.

Harris claimed that the library board informed Bray in April that her budget would be cut by 10 percent, an allegation that does not jibe with an administration account that department directors were given a cut-the-fat directive only several months ago.

The city's library system is approximately $900,000 in arrears.

Palmer, earlier this year, asked every city department head to create a plan that would reduce its operations by 10 percent.

While the library system is an autonomous agency, Palmer said the city will reduce library funding by $350,000 in an effort to fend off a budget deficit that could reach $28 million - a figure that could diminish by $20 million if the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) approves a selloff of the city's water infrastructure.

"The library board appears so autonomous that it reports only to God," said Patricia Stewart, a 2010 mayoral candidate.

The BPU decision could come as late as January 2009, but Palmer said he cannot hold off on layoffs or deficit exit strategy.

"We've got to move on and many of the changes we plan on making must be made whether we sell off the water (infrastructure) or don't," said Palmer.

Palmer predicted Trenton layoffs within 45 days, the first time in his five terms that city workers will receive pink slips.

The mayor painted a bleak financial future that includes layoffs, cuts and in some cases consolidation of departments.

"I understand like I have never understood before the magnitude of the financial picture," he said.

Bray, six months into her director's position, said city residents have rallied library support with a meeting planned tonight (6 p.m.) at the Academy Street branch.
Residents Judy and Kevin Moriarty head that meeting, hoping to create a Foundation for Trenton Free Public Library organization.

City Council President Paul Pintella said he will extend Bray an invitation to appear before the council next Tuesday.

Bray can expect a reprimand for not informing City Council of the library problems.

"If the four libraries can be saved, then let's do it, but library officials should know that we do expect to be kept abreast of how the city's money is being spent," Pintella said.

Bray said she would press forward with plans for success and an alternative plan to close four branches.

"It's disappointing to learn that Mayor Palmer will cut funding, but hopefully this decision motivates us all the more to find the funding that we need," Bray said.

Bray promised longevity, assuring that she will stay on to revitalize the city library system.

"Despite the challenges and in some cases criticism, I plan on sticking it out. I plan on being here, developing support and working my way through this difficult time to build an exceptional library system," Bray said.

©The Trentonian 2008

Posted by tumulty at 8:38 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

'I'd rather have one great library than five'

Times of Trenton Sept. 17, 2008

Trenton mayor wants to soften blow of closing neighborhood branches and discusses budget crisis, layoffsWednesday, September 17, 2008 BY ANDREW KITCHENMAN
TRENTON -- Mayor Douglas H. Palmer announced yesterday he plans to explore ways to reduce the impact of closing the city's four neighborhood libraries.

However, at the same time he also warned it's not just the library facing a budget crisis. Palmer said the city's overall financial picture is not good and will require layoffs.

Palmer offered several possible steps to soften the blow to the libraries, including providing a steady commitment of city funds to renovate the main library; using city buses to bring children to the main library; seeking school board support for opening new school libraries to the public; and establishing a foundation to raise library funds.

The mayor expressed disappointment that news of the branch library closings prompted a public outcry before the city had a chance to explore these options with the library leadership.

"In all candor, I believe this happened because of a poor roll- out," Palmer said of the way the news of branch closings was disseminated to the public. The decision was made by the library board Wednesday.

At a press conference yesterday at City Hall, Palmer also talked about the city's budget crisis and said he would be submitting layoff notifications of city workers to the state Department of Personnel within the next month or so.

Palmer said this year is the worst budget situation he has seen in 18 years as mayor.

"There would be no Houdini- like escapes this time," Palmer said.

Even if the city receives a $20 million cash infusion if the state Board of Public Utilities approves the sale of the city's outlying water utility system, the city will still make layoffs and raise taxes, the mayor said.

Palmer said he ordered city staff members to determine which services are needed and how they can be provided most efficiently.

Palmer said this year is the worst budget situation he has seen in 18 years as mayor.

"There would be no Houdini- like escapes this time," Palmer said.

Palmer said he ordered city staff members to determine which services are needed and how they can be provided most efficiently.

He said that city council members have said they would like to keep the branches open by putting deeper cuts elsewhere on the table.

"What I know, and soon what everyone will know, is that someplace else is already on the table," he said.

He said the impact of the branch closings could be offset by improvements at the main library.

Palmer also said he isn't necessarily opposed to combining the city library with the Mercer County library system, but said that would ensure the branches are closed and would require an additional library tax.

He said a city of Trenton's size doesn't require five branches and that the neighborhood libraries don't serve city children as well as they should. Even if money was found to keep the branches open this year, Palmer questioned whether the funding would be sustainable.

"I'd rather have one great library than five, and four that you can't even maintain," Palmer said, adding that "at the end of the day, the taxpayers are the ones that are already overburdened."

Palmer said he plans to meet with library director Kimberly M. Bray and library board members to discuss his plans. He hasn't met with Bray since she came to the library, he said, although members of his administration have met with her.

More news about the city budget will be available soon, with Palmer saying it would be an open budget process.

"This is a bad budget and it's not just going to be this year -- it's going to be years to come," he said.

Local 2286 president Dave Tal lone said it still isn't clear how many unionized library employees will be laid off.

"We're going to be out there, trying to help them find jobs," he said.

Of the upcoming city layoffs, Tallone said: "It's just very shock ing to me," adding that the state isn't providing the city with its "fair share" of aid.

Contact Andrew Kitchenman at akitchenman@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5706.

Posted by tumulty at 8:24 PM | Comments (0)
Category: