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December 31, 2008

Judges blocks Philly plan to shut 11 library branches

by The Associated Press
Wednesday December 31, 2008, 6:27 AM
A judge ruled Tuesday that Philadelphia's mayor can't close 11 public library branches to save money because an ordinance requires City Council approve such actions.

Common Pleas Judge Idee Fox heard more than a day of testimony before finding that the mayor is bound by a 1988 ordinance that prohibits him from closing any city-owned building without City Council's approval.

"If they tried to pull a fast one on us, they got caught," said Councilman Frank Rizzo.

The decision was at least a temporary victory for library advocates who had staged protests, blasted Mayor Michael Nutter at town meetings and eventually sued to keep the branches open, saying they are important resources to underprivileged communities.

The libraries had been slated to close Thursday in a move Nutter said could save about $8 million a year.

In court, city attorneys argued that the 1988 ordinance was invalid and that the city charter requires the mayor to balance the budget. They said the city faces a $1 billion deficit over the next five years.

The attorneys also argued that the branches could reopen as "knowledge centers" using private funding, meaning the buildings are not being closed.

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Opening of Westville library edges closer

Gloucester County Times
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
By Siobhan A. Counihan
scounihan@sjnewsco.com
WESTVILLE It will be at least another month before the Westville Free Public Library reopens.

Library Director Gwen Carotenuto said that construction of the 1,270-foot addition is largely complete, but interior renovations are still being performed.

"We just received our new shelving the week before last, so we're still working on our interior renovations," Carotenuto said. "We still don't have a specific date to open yet. We figure it will be probably another month or so."

The library has been closed since late June, when construction of the $283,757 addition began. The addition has nearly doubled the size of the library.

The library was originally scheduled to reopen in the fall, but there had been setbacks due to permitting delays and changes in plans. The interior work was also delayed, since the shelving was only recently delivered, Carotenuto added.

"We had just recently gotten our shelving in, and we're in the process of really shifting things around in the library now," Carotenuto said. "So that's gonna take some time. There's still some work to be done. It's a work in progress."

Volunteers are scheduled to help with the rearranging after the New Year, Carotenuto said.

"We're still kinda mapping things out, where things are going to go," she said. "We're working on the whole space. We also got additional shelving in the old portion of the library, so that involved moving materials in that section of the library also."

Carotenuto said that despite the delay, the library staff is pleased with the new addition and excited for the public to benefit from the added space.

"It has increased our children's section," Carotenuto said. "There's more room now that we'll be able to conduct story hours. And we're pleased with the choices that have been made as far as the carpeting and shelving and these kinds of things.

"It's all a process," she added. "You have to figure out how things are going to work best, because we're not going to be able to do this again for a while."

The added shelving has also created more space "so things aren't as tight as they were," she added.

"It'll be much more comfortable for our patrons," Carotenuto said.

Carotenuto said that she, as well as the rest of the staff, are eager for the library to reopen.

"We're looking forward to it, and we're looking forward to seeing our patrons again," she said.

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December 30, 2008

Library bond approval delayed

Tuesday, December 30, 2008
By Jessica Beym
jbeym@sjnewsco.com
WASHINGTON TWP. Though the township has signed a contract to purchase a new library building, council members have yet to finalize the $4.6 million bond ordinance to pay for it.

Council President Michelle Martin said council decided to hold off on the bond ordinance until newly elected officers are installed because they might want to bond for more than just the library.

"We just wanted to hold off," said Martin. "It's not that we're stalling. It's just more of a business decision."

Mayor-elect Matthew Lyons, who will be sworn into office on Saturday with two new councilmen, said he plans to seek the support of council to borrow money for a road improvement program. Lyons said that it would save the township money to bond for both at the same time, rather than two bonds within months of each other.

"I made the observation that, if we're not going to move [out of the library] until June, and if we're going to do any other borrowing, it should be done at one time," said Lyons, a Democrat. "I'm going to look for ways to save a thousand dollars every time we can, or even a hundred dollars."

The last time the township borrowed money for roadwork was in September 2006 for about $3 million.

Lyons, who served on council from 1998 to 2006, said that roads and streets haven't been given the attention they've needed since then.

"Years ago, there had been a road maintenance program that was bonded and paid for," he said. "It has been shortsighted. If we let it go, it costs more money to fix them and, in such a large municipality, you cannot fall behind. Once you fall behind, the cost overwhelms you."

The mayor-elect added that continual maintenance and upkeep of the roads is needed and, further, that in some developments that are 40 or 50 years old, roadways may need to be completed resurfaced.

Councilman-elect Scott Newman said he supports the road project. He and Raymond MacDowell will take office this weekend as members of an all Democratic council.

"After eight months of walking the streets, I know there's some really bad roads out there and nobody's done anything for awhile," Newman said Monday.

Having chaired a committee last year to evaluate what type of sports and recreational facilities or improvements to existing facilities might be needed in the township, Lyons said he has no intentions of bonding for any major sports projects this year.

"There's no one who's more committed to the sports programs and facilities in town," Lyons said of himself. "But it's not the time. Money is too tight."

Martin, who said Monday that she favors borrowing money to bond for such a program, estimated that the township should spend about $3 million.

"It'd be one penny at the most," Martin said of the annual increase in the tax rate which would be needed to pay down such a debt. A one-cent increase on the tax rate for a home assessed at the township average of $130,000 would cost the homeowner about $13 a year.

However, the township is already facing a possible double-digit tax increase in 2009.

The money to be borrowed for purchasing and renovating the Educational Information and Resource Center on Delsea Drive would not cost taxpayers any additional money.

The library board will be able to pay the debt with funds already in its annual budget and surplus funds from previous budgets, which are funded with tax dollars set by a state formula.

Councilman Bob Timmons, liaison to the library board, said he's in favor of saving money by lumping the bonds together, but declined to comment as to whether he supports spending the additional money on the road program.

"Until I hear the numbers, I'd rather not comment," Timmons said.

A council meeting for a second and final reading on the library bond ordinance was scheduled for Dec. 1 but canceled, Timmons said.

Nevertheless, the township held the ceremonial signing of the library contract as scheduled on the following day.

Timmons said the delay in the bond approval shouldn't affect the library plans.

"We unanimously voted to support a new library," Timmons said.

Mayor Paul Moriarty said the contract was signed to lock in the deal, since it was authorized by council. The township has until March to secure the bond.

"Hopefully the new administration will secure all the loose ends," Moriarty said.

Posted by tumulty at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)
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Libraries to become 'learning centers'

By MENSAH M. DEAN
Philadelphia Daily News

deanm@phillynews.com 215-854-5949

As library supporters booed Mayor Nutter and called him a "liar" at City Hall yesterday, he announced that with outside financial help, the city plans to transform the 11 library buildings slated to close after tomorrow into "knowledge centers."
Appearing unfazed by the catcalls, Nutter - flanked by staff and supporters that included four members of City Council - pledged that free computer access will be at the heart of the new public centers.

The city will lease the buildings to the new operators, which include community groups, foundations, corporations and others that would provide funding and staffing for the facilities, Nutter said.

Five organizations already have offered to create programs, and as soon as all 11 sites are spoken for, Nutter said, details about the services that the centers are to provide will be made public.

Shutting the libraries will save $8 million a year and $40 million over five years, city officials have said. The move is part of the effort to make up what is estimated to be at least a $1 billion shortfall in the city's five-year financial plan.

"This is a very bad situation," Nutter said. "We've come upon this economic crisis. We didn't create it, it was created by others."

He insisted that concerns about the libraries that were voiced by citizens during eight community meetings were heard and taken into consideration.

Not so, said Eleanor Childs, 62, a teacher at Montessori Genesis II, a small private school in Powelton Village.

"This is really a crime against the people," the library backer said after the news conference. "It's a civil-rights issue, this is a human-rights issue. This is not a budget issue."

The Charles L. Durham Library, which Childs' students visit each week, is one of the 11 branches scheduled to close.

Nutter also announced that the LEAP (Learning, Education and Play) after-school programs housed in the 11 closing libraries will be relocated to nearby recreation centers, schools and other facilities on Jan. 12, the day the program is scheduled to restart for the new year.

Eight of the new LEAP sites are within three blocks of the old sites, Nutter said, adding that one is eight blocks away but in a residential area. Nutter said that on Saturday he walked from the libraries to the new locations to gauge the distances.

In all, more than 50 federally funded LEAP sites around the city provide more than 80,000 1st- through 12th-grade students with homework assistance, computer help, workshops, mentoring and other enrichment activities from September to June.

Nutter said that books and other materials likely would stay at the new knowledge centers, but computers leased by the city would not remain, and the new operators would equip the centers with new ones.

The dozens of teachers, students and other protesters who packed the news conference were unimpressed by what Nutter had to say.

At 9:30 a.m. today some of them, members of several groups calling themselves the Coalition to Save the Libraries, planned to gather outside City Hall to "indict" Nutter.

The charges against the mayor, according to a news release, include "wasting the minds of children," "promoting illiteracy" and "eliminating safe havens for kids."

"I think it's a compromise that we cannot afford to make," Abby Miller, 34, a coalition member, said of the knowledge centers.

"Community-run centers don't have the support that libraries have. They don't have trained librarians. It's a substitute for something that every neighborhood deserves."

The library issue has led City Council members to take sides.

Council President Anna Verna and members Frank DiCicco, Marian Tasco and James Kenney stood with Nutter at yesterday's announcement.

"I don't think I have any choice but to support the mayor," said Kenney. "People need to understand this is an international economic meltdown. We are in two wars and our economy is falling apart. . . . Screaming at the mayor in a rude way when he's trying to do his best to keep it all afloat, I think is crazy."

On the other side of the issue are three Council members who've filed a lawsuit to stop the library shutdowns: Bill Green, Jack Kelly and Jannie Blackwell.

"All of my communities are united, whether it be Cobbs Creek or Mantua, whether it be Powelton Village in University City," said Blackwell. "All my neighborhoods, all races and income groups, everybody."

"Last week before the issue of the lawsuit came up," Blackwell added, "I had teachers from my area saying, 'We're ready to go to jail.' " *

Posted by tumulty at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
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Opponents' day in court

By CHRIS BRENNAN
Philadelphia Daily News

brennac@phillynews.com 215-854-5973

TANYA WESTBROOK, an aspiring writer in search of a job, bought her house in part because the Logan branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia is across the street.

Westbrook and six other library patrons asked a Common Pleas Court judge yesterday to halt Mayor Nutter's plan to close the Logan branch and 10 other libraries after tomorrow due to the city's serious budget woes.

The patrons, along with the union that represents librarians, say that a 20-year-old ordinance prohibits the mayor from closing city buildings without approval by City Council. Three Council members — Bill Green, Jannie Blackwell and Jack Kelly — filed a similar lawsuit. Judge Idee Fox is considering the cases together.

Nutter's staff says that the 1988 law conflicts with the City Charter. City attorneys are expected this morning to put on their case.

Westbrook, a single mother of two sons who also frequent the Logan branch, testified that she uses the library Internet access to search for work and books for inspiration for her poetry. Her family would have to walk six or seven blocks to the Greater Olney branch if Logan closes. Westbrook said her sons are not allowed to walk there alone because one of them was jumped by neighborhood youths last year.

Fox's courtroom was packed with pro-library spectators, some who sat on the floor and in the jury box. Many snickered when Westbrook was asked if she could replace library services with the local Barnes & Noble and Internet access with the local Starbucks. Opponents of the closures complain that they hurt the city's poorest neighborhoods.

Susan Feenan lives two blocks from the Fishtown branch, also scheduled to close. Feenan testified that she could drive her three young daughters to another library but prefers her local branch, where she volunteers, because it is a "melting pot" of different types of people.

"Fishtown is a quirky place," she said. "It's the one place where all these people come together."

Maryanne McHale teaches her 5th-grader son at home, using the nearby Holmesburg branch a couple of times a week as a resource for his avid reading. They have their regular walks to the branch timed to 12 minutes. Using another branch would require two SEPTA bus rides. That's $8.80 a week in fares.

"It sounds small but it's well over $400 a year," she added.

Sharon Vann can see the Queen Memorial branch, at 19th and Federal streets, in South Philadelphia, from her window, allowing her 11-year-old daughter to visit there alone. The next closest branch is on Broad Street, eight blocks away.

"I wouldn't feel safe allowing her to walk there," she testified. "This library is the heart of the neighborhood. It's so much more than a place to house books."

The library closures, along with Nutter's plan to eliminate seven Fire Department companies, have emerged as the most controversial portions of his efforts to deal with an estimated $1 billion shortfall in the city's five-year financial plan.

The result has been an emotional outpouring that had turned angrily toward the new mayor. Nutter was heckled yesterday at a City Hall announcement that after-school homework programs would continue in neighborhoods where libraries are closing. A coalition has been aggressively seeking attention for a "people's indictment" of the mayor, to be announced this morning in response to the library closures.

In court yesterday, Rev. Terrence Griffith, vice president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity, warned that the closures would mean more work for his fellow pastors, especially as a faltering economy increasingly drives congregants to the church.

"We know that the church will have to pitch in if these libraries are closed," Griffith testified.

City attorneys repeatedly sought to disqualify Griffith, pastor at the First African Baptist Church at 16th and Christian streets, from testifying as an expert on the social impact of library closings. Griffith at one point made it easier for city attorneys to challenge part of his testimony by saying that he takes his family to a Barnes & Noble bookstore because he can afford it.

"I don't personally use a library," Griffith added. *

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Some targeted library branches may be saved

Posted on Tue, Dec. 30, 2008

Some targeted library branches may be saved
By Patrick Kerkstra and Jeff Shields

Inquirer Staff Writers

Mayor Nutter said yesterday that five of the 11 library branches once scheduled to close permanently on Thursday are instead on track to be taken over by private foundations, wealthy individuals, companies, and community development corporations.

It was not immediately clear which branches have sponsors and the mayor did not identify the benefactors.

But Nutter expressed confidence that in time private operators could convert each of the branches now on his budget chopping block into community "knowledge centers" that would offer similar or perhaps even superior services to those now available. Though the services would vary from branch to branch, Nutter said the centers would likely retain book collections, computers, and perhaps even trained librarians.

"Libraries are much more than repositories for books. We know this," said Nutter, who ordered 11 of 54 branches closed as part of a larger plan to address a $1 billion five-year budget gap. "They are the absolute complete nexus of community life."

Nutter made his remarks at a City Hall news conference where he was loudly heckled by dozens of protesters who seemed unimpressed by his announcements. When Nutter said that afterschool LEAP programs now held at the 11 libraries would be moved to nearby city facilities, protesters raised signs that read "restored service is a cheap knockoff."

But other library advocates were encouraged.

"It's a way to keep library doors open," said Amy Dougherty, executive director of the Friends of the Free Library.

"Basically what he's talking about is privately run libraries of some sort. While we certainly would prefer to keep it publicly run, this seems to be a third way, and it's better than closing them."

But even the branches that are able to secure sponsors will be closed temporarily. Nutter still intends to cut off city funding to the 11 libraries on Thursday, and it is unclear how long it will take for new managers to reopen them.

Dougherty said the city had many issues to resolve if it hoped to privatize management of the 11 branches. For instance, she said, the privately run libraries would still have to provide security and conduct background checks on employees to ensure that they remained safe for children.

"The devil is in the details. There's a lot of questions and we definitely would like to see accredited librarians, even if they're not city workers," Dougherty said.

Nutter said that no city librarians or other municipal employees would work at the "knowledge centers," which would seem to preserve the $8 million in savings he hoped to achieve by closing the libraries.

Cathy Scott, president of AFSCME District Council 47, which represents city librarians, could not be reached for comment.

Though Nutter said little about how the centers would work, he unambiguously declared that the city had no plans to sell any of the library sites, and would instead lease the facilities to private operators at nominal rates.

Two floors up from the room in City Hall where Nutter made his remarks, Common Pleas Court Judge Idee Fox heard testimony from library-closure opponents who filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the mayor from shuttering the branches.

Irv Ackelsberg, who represents the plaintiffs, asked Fox to grant an order stopping Nutter from closing the libraries, arguing that a 1988 law prohibits mayors from closing public facilities without City Council's approval. Council members Bill Green, Jannie L. Blackwell and Jack Kelly also seek to stop the closings on similar grounds.

City Solicitor Shelley Smith, who represents the city and the mayor, argued that the 1988 law conflicts with the City Charter. In an apparent reference to Nutter's new plan, Smith wrote in a court filing that Nutter "hopes to find sufficient funds to keep the 11 library branches open for alternative uses," which would "render plaintiffs' complaints null."

Green declined through an aide to comment on Nutter's new plan, citing the litigation.

Ackelsberg said that as long as Nutter intended to close the libraries at the end of tomorrow, court action remained necessary.

"This all sounds like very good news, but I guess my immediate reaction is, 'Then why are you closing the buildings on Wednesday?' " Ackelsberg said. "If there are all these things being worked out then let's keep things the way they are until everything is worked out."

During yesterday's hearing, senior city attorney Gerald Wallerstein said the administration "worked their butts off" to make the library cuts as fair as possible, and to ensure that no one was more than two miles from the nearest library.

But plaintiffs who took the stand yesterday testified that the loss of their local libraries presented a greater deterrent than the distance would suggest.

Tanya Westbrook, a single parent of 12- and 16-year-old boys, lives across from the Logan branch of the Free Library.

She said the six- or seven-block walk to the nearest branch in Olney would take her 16-year-old son through the same neighborhood where two youths recently jumped him.

"It's not something that I feel is safe for my children," Westbrook said.

Losing the local library is particularly hard on homeschoolers, testified Maryanne McHale of Mayfair, who lives a 12-minute walk away from the Holmesburg branch in Northeast Philadelphia. Her homeschooled 10-year-old son often goes to the library after tae kwon do sessions nearby, and they use Holmesburg extensively, she said. They would have to take two buses to get to the nearest branches in Tacony or Torresdale, she said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Patrick Kerkstra at 215-854-2827 or pkerkstra@phillynews.com.

Posted by tumulty at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)
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Philly mayor under fire for threatening libraries

By KATHY MATHESON
Associated Press Writer
Published: Tuesday, December 30, 2008

PHILADELPHIA
Some of the loudest protests over proposed city budget cuts in Philadelphia are being voiced for places that are usually ghostly quiet - city libraries.

Mayor Michael Nutter was repeatedly booed during a news conference Monday over his decision to shutter 20 percent of the city's 54 library branches in an effort to help close an estimated $1 billion spending gap over the next five years.

The mayor, who estimated the 11 library closings will save the city $8 million a year, said the shuttered facilities may reopen as public-private partnerships dubbed "knowledge centers" if the city can find enough financial partners.

That didn't go over well with Zachary Hershman, one of a few dozen protesters at the mayor's news conference. Hershman, 23, said the closing of the library in his Kingsessing neighborhood will lead to more dropouts, unemployment and crime in an already poor and violent area.

The next nearest branch is overcrowded, he said, with long waits for Internet use that many residents need to access online job applications.

Library advocates have been extremely vocal since the mayor announced the budget cuts in November. Seven residents and a municipal union sued last week to stop the library closures, contending they are illegal and endanger poorer communities that don't have the luxuries of big chain bookstores and home Internet access.

The mayor is making other cuts, including lowering limits on curbside trash collection, consolidating fire companies, closing 68 of 81 swimming pools, cutting back on snow removal and cutting funding to the city's annual New Year's Day Mummers Parade.

In response to the library cuts, Nutter said he expected books, computers and other materials to stay at the "knowledge centers." But he could not say if the facilities would be staffed by librarians.

The public-private partnerships could be with individuals, corporations, nonprofits or community groups, Nutter said, noting officials have received interest in five or six of the sites.

"We are working diligently every day on this issue," Nutter said.

American Library Association president Jim Rettig said libraries work best as publicly funded entities with trained staff. "It makes as much sense to privatize your libraries as it does to privatize your police force," Rettig said.

To tell people to use another branch doesn't help, he added. "Each branch has its own character," Rettig said. "To say they can go to another branch - if that happens there will be a real adjustment period."

Posted by tumulty at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
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December 29, 2008

For the rest of '08, battles for libraries

Posted on Mon, Dec. 29, 2008
phillynews.com

For the rest of '08, battles for libraries
By DAVE DAVIES
Philadelphia Daily News

daviesd@phillynews.com 215-854-2595

For Mayor Nutter, 2008 will not end quietly.
The battle over his plan to close 11 libraries will be intensely fought over the next three days - in court, on the streets, in news conferences and, finally, in the libraries themselves, scheduled to close on Wednesday.

At stake are important policy questions involving how Nutter chooses to cope with a daunting financial crisis. But legal and political issues are in play as well.

Courts will be asked to decide whether the mayor has the authority to close public facilities without City Council's approval, and library advocates will see how much strength they can muster among Nutter's political base, and how Nutter reacts to the challenge.

Among the events slated to unfold this week:

* At 10 this morning, proceedings were to begin in Common Pleas Court on two lawsuits seeking to stop the closings. One was brought by seven library users and a union representing library employees. A second was filed by Council members Bill Green, Jannie Blackwell and Jack Kelly.

Both charge that the closings violate a 1988 City Council ordinance barring the mayor from closing city capital facilities, such as fire stations or libraries, without Council approval.

Their lawyers are asking a court to issue an emergency order halting the closings while the merits of the case are decided.

* This afternoon, Nutter and other city officials were to announce a plan to preserve what spokesman Doug Oliver called "a critical library service" in the 11 affected neighborhoods.

A source outside city government said that the announcement would involve a homework-assistance program that now operates in city libraries. Oliver said that Nutter also would provide an update on ongoing efforts to maintain library services.

* Tomorrow, library supporters will demonstrate at City Hall and present what organizers called a "people's indictment" of Nutter for closing the libraries. The group staging the event, including people who have supported Nutter in the past, said in a news release that the charges in the "indictment" would include "wasting the minds of children, promoting illiteracy, and eliminating safe havens for kids."

* On Wednesday, unless the courts intervene or Nutter changes his mind, the 11 targeted libraries will close for good.

Staffers at those libraries have received assignments to work at branches that will remain open.

Nutter announced the library closings and other budget-cutting measures in early November. City officials said the decision to close the 11 libraries was made after a careful analysis of community needs and branch usage - an assertion that will be challenged in the court hearings and the demonstration tomorrow.

In eight town meetings, Nutter said that his administration was developing ideas and alternative funding to preserve library and other services. But he also warned that the city's financial condition would likely get worse before it gets better.

Posted by tumulty at 4:34 PM | Comments (0)
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Nutter newser to concentrate on libraries

The Associated Press, Dec. 29, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Michael Nutter is scheduled to have a news conference at City Hall at 1 p.m. Monday to discuss the situation with Philadelphia's libraries.

With the city facing a $1 billion deficit over the next five years, Nutter is scaling back programs across the board. He has called for the closing of 11 city libraries.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that three Philadelphia council members have filed an emergency motion in Common Pleas Court seeking to prevent the mayor from closing the libraries without the council's permission.

The motion filed by City Council members Bill Green, Jack Kelly and Jannie Blackwell cites two ordinances and a section of the city charter in saying the mayor cannot sell city buildings without council approval.

Posted by tumulty at 4:28 PM | Comments (0)
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Library creates an online career center

Asbury Park Press
By CAROL • GORGA WILLIAMS • COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU • December 29, 2008

LONG BRANCH — As the recession begins to take its toll, the city's Free Public Library has found ways to respond: The newest initiative, called the Virtual Career Center, gives people short on computer literacy the opportunity to hone their skills in potentially lucrative ways.

But the Virtual Career Center is more than just a few tutorials on keyboarding or how to work a mouse. The center seeks to provide a link between those who are hiring employees with those who wish to be hired.

The Virtual Career Center is found on the library's Web site and is the product of a year of planning by Tonya Badillo, who works in the Gates Computer Lab.

She is responsible for maintaining the Web site and handles diversity and literacy issues for the library system.

Badillo and Ingrid Bruck, the library director, are championing the new services available through the Virtual Career Center which, they said, serves a vital function, particularly in a community like Long Branch, where not everyone speaks English.

Because many employers require job candidates to file applications online, the programs at the library become critical, officials said.

"We were seeing an influx of people looking for work, and we wanted to respond to that, and we did with the Virtual Career Center," Bruck said "We have seen more and more people coming in looking for a job."

The services the library offers are tailored specifically for the city and surrounding community. Badillo and Bruck hope that, as word gets around, more employers will learn about the center, and it will function as a link between employers and potential employees.

Badillo, who worked in the library's Gates Computer Lab for five years, saw the need for a program that would help direct potential employees as they search for jobs, work on educational needs and learn basic computer skills.

Many potential clients of this career center are community members with limited computer skills who must look for jobs, develop new skills and submit applications, all via the computer.

"It has many, many links," Badillo said of the site. "The first thing we did was design the site to focus on our community." She said she tried to design the site in a way that any inquiry can be answered in three clicks of a computer mouse or less.

The programs also aim to help those who expect to be laid off in the months ahead, as well as students, small-business owners and those who run nonprofit organizations. Tools are available to help assist with college planning and to allow students to practice standardized tests.

Practice Civil Service tests also are available.

This is not like a site such as Monster.com, the library officials said. The jobs are local, culled from sources including Asbury Park Press classifieds. A database of summer jobs is being prepared.

The program already has attracted the attention of other libraries, which are looking at it as a model, officials said. Council President Michael DeStefano said the program was an important one and recommended a link be added to financial aid resources for career advancement and educational programs.

"There is so much great information, it would keep me busy for months," said Badillo, who is constantly adding and updating to the site.

"Unfortunately, I think you are going to be busy over the next 12 to 24 months," Council Member Anthony Giordano said during a recent meeting to unveil the program to city officials.

Local vocational and trade school information also is available, and the site provides resources that help people start a business, determine the tax implications of various courses of action, management tools and free business forms.

An online computer tutorial page is available to help people work on basic and advanced computer skills.

The site offers information tailored for the city's diverse population, including help for the black and Latino populations as well as those recently released from incarceration. Help also is tailored to the needs of senior citizens, teens and the city's disabled residents.

The site offers help for those returning to work after an extended leave, such as public assistance-to-work programs, help for parents who previously stayed home but now are re-entering the job market and for those being released from programs that require them to find employment.

The program also includes resources for those teens looking for after-school work or summer jobs.

"The people are out there," Bruck said. "We see them every day at the library. They are looking for work."

Meanwhile, the library has applied for a Public Library Innovation grant administered by the International City/County Management Association funded through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. If received, the grant will be used for a Back-To-Work Transition Program that will run for 12-to-16 weeks and offer computer training, leadership workshops and job-search assistance for those who register.

While the Virtual Career Center is hosted by the Gates Computer Lab, its services are available anywhere by simply accessing the library's Web site.

"It was finished in August," Badillo said. "Unfortunately, it came out at a perfect time."

Posted by tumulty at 4:21 PM | Comments (0)
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7,000 books given to the College of Saint Elizabeth

Daily Record staff reports • December 29, 2008

MORRIS TWP. -- A West Orange couple recently donated about 7,000 books to the Mahoney Library at the College of Saint Elizabeth.

The books donated by Nathan and Aida Litwack arrived at Mahoney Library at the end of the spring term and ranged from literature to travel to illustration books. The library staff has been working diligently to process the collection and make the new resources available to the campus community.

“I am simply thrilled to have this donation of one person’s lifelong reading collection at the college,” said library director Amira V. Unver. “Many of these books in the collection are first editions and some are quite rare and are not owned by other academic libraries within the state.”

Nathan Litwack, who was born in Detroit, Mich., in 1918, attributes his lifelong love of books and libraries to his parents. His father, a pushcart peddler and later a small business owner, was a self-educated man who instilled in his family a love of books and learning, a statement from the college said. Litwack’s library reflects the diversity of his interests and, according to Unver, has enriched the library’s holdings in the areas of Jewish literature and studies, sociology and social history, labor relations, political science, and the arts.

Unver said the books are now available to researchers and readers across the country through inter-library loan.

In addition to the Mahoney Library, the library at the State University of New York in Purchase, the alma mater of one of the Litwacks’ grandsons, also received a substantial donation from their personal library, including a large collection of popular sheet music from the 20th century.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, the College of Saint Elizabeth, at 2 Convent Road, enrolls more than 2,000 full- and part-time students in 27 undergraduate, nine graduate and one doctoral degree programs.

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Secret to saving: Trim a little here, a little there

Simple changes can have a big impact
Daily Record • December 29, 2008

By Peggy Wright

Reducing household expenses in a tight economy doesn't mean subsisting on day-old bread or cloistering entertainment-hungry children in their bedrooms.

Simple life changes -- but ones requiring imagination and adoption of a more frugal mindset -- can equate to a hefty savings in living and entertainment expenses, consumer and financial experts say.

Lynne Olver, chief librarian at the Morris County Library, says anyone with a library card can save a bundle by checking out, free of charge, DVDs, the latest magazines, newspapers and bestsellers, and musical selections. Bypass the Internet café if you don't have the service at home and use the high-speed, Internet-access computer stations at the library, Olver said.

"The worse an economy is, the more people turn to us. There are ways for people to save money by using the gem in their own backyard," she said.

The library also offers computer classes -- free and hands-on -- in PC basics, Excel and PowerPoint, and a slew of programs for children, Olver said.

Cutting back on expenses by using common sense and coupons is Minnesota resident Kimberly Danger's forte. She gained national prominence after launching in April 2000 her website Mommysavers.com, which advises mothers on how to save money.

"Take a look at every part of your budget," she said in a telephone interview from her home in Mankato, Minn. Big savings, she said, can come by swapping expensive household cleaning products for cheaper but equally effective products such as baking soda, Borax and vinegar.

"With a lot of name brands, you are paying for the scent more than anything. The generics are just as good," Danger said. "It's not just about buying cheaper but about buying smarter."

Danger also recommends saving money by cutting out cable television or reducing expanded cable to basic cable. Save on utilities by turning down the thermostat at night in the winter and when away from home for prolonged periods. Cut back even further by knocking the water heater down a few degrees, she said.

Consumers should consider saving as much as $50 a month in fees by ditching their home telephone land lines if they rely primarily on cellular phones, Danger advocates.

Or, as finance expert Barbara O'Neill recommends, consumers should consider bundling cell phones, Internet and cable television under one provider to pare separate monthly fees. O'Neill is a professor and Rutgers Cooperative Extension's specialist in financial resource management.

O'Neill also advocates a no-nonsense approach to saving, such as by keeping a car longer and socking away the monthly sum that was used on a car loan once the debt is paid. Buy a quality, pre-owned car if you can, she also recommends.

"Someone else already took the hit on the depreciation," she said.

Save on utility fees by sealing off drafts, installing extra insulation, or closing off whole rooms that don't demand use. But be careful that any pipes in those rooms are well-insulated so they don't freeze, she said.

Being frugal doesn't mean depriving oneself of enjoying life, O'Neill said. If you enjoy Broadway plays that can wallop the wallet, try buying tickets for productions at local theaters, colleges and playhouses. Try splitting an entrée or appetizer with a friend or family member when dining at a restaurant. Browse second-hand and consignment shops for stylish clothing.

"There's a principle known as 'the step-down principle,'" O'Neill said. "You don't have to give up things you enjoy. Don't stop buying clothes. Don't give up going to plays."

Peggy Wright can be reached at (973)267-1142 or pwright@gannett.com.

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December 19, 2008

Best Careers 2009: Librarian

US News and World Report
By Marty Nemko
Posted December 11, 2008
Overview.Forget about that image of librarians as a mousy bookworms. More and more of today's librarians must be clever interrogators, helping the patron to reframe their question more usefully. Librarians then become high-tech information sleuths, helping patrons plumb the oceans of information available in books and digital records, often starting with a clever Google search but frequently going well beyond.

Librarianship is an underrated career. Most librarians love helping patrons solve their problems and, in the process, learning new things. Librarians may also go on shopping sprees, deciding which books and online resources to buy. They may even get to put on performances, like children's puppet shows, and run other programs, like book discussion groups for elders. On top of it all, librarians' work environment is usually pleasant and the work hours reasonable, although you may have to work nights and/or weekends

The job market for special librarians (see below) is good but is sluggish for public and school librarians. Nevertheless, persistent sleuthing—that key attribute of librarians—should enable good candidates to prevail.

That effort to land a job will be well worth it if you're well suited to the profession: love the idea of helping people dig up information, are committed to being objective—helping people gain multiple perspectives on issues—and will remain inspired by the awareness that librarians are among our society's most empowering people.

A Day in the Life. You work in a small municipal library, where you have to do a little of everything. You start your day by leafing through catalogs from online database publishers and book reviews in Library Journal to decide which titles to add to your collection. Next, it's out to the reference desk, where visitors regularly ask how to find something. Sometimes, it's esoteric; often, it's the bathroom. Later, you teach a class: an advanced lesson in Googling. Next, it's back to the reference desk, but you're soon interrupted by a group of boisterous kids, so you have to turn into schoolmarm: "You'll have to be quiet, or I'll have to ask you to leave." You end your day reading about "automated librarianship": data storage systems that let the public get needed resources without the help of a live librarian. Tomorrow, you decide, you'll start writing a grant proposal to develop a computer kiosk that will help patrons find health information.

Smart Specialty
Special librarian. All sorts of organizations need librarians, not just public libraries. They work for colleges, law firms, hospitals, prisons, corporations, legislatures, the military, and nonprofit agencies. In fact, special librarianship is the field's fastest-growing job market. Unlike public and university jobs, which require night and weekend hours, these jobs are mostly 9 to 5.

Salary Data
Median (with eight years in the field): $47,400

25th to 75th percentile (with eight or more years of experience): $42,800-$63,700

(Data provided by PayScale.com)

Training
The American Library Association offers information and links regarding training, including online options.
U.S. News rankings of library programs
Learn more
Department of Labor profile: Librarian
American Library Association
Special Libraries Association
Association of College and Research Librarians
Medical Library Association
American Association of Law Libraries
A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science by Patricia Shontz and Richard Murray (editors)
Straight from the Stacks
Medical Library Association
American Association of Law Libraries
A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science by Patricia Shontz and Richard Murray (editors)
Straight from the Stacks: A Firsthand Guide to Careers in Library and Information Science by Laura Townsend Kane
What's the Alternative: Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros by Rachel Gordon

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December 15, 2008

League says save, we say 'Shush!'

Jersey Journal Editorial

Monday, December 15, 2008
T he barbarians are at the gate, or at least the front door of public libraries.

This may be how librarians view the League of Municipalities' recent recommendation that funding for free public libraries be cut in half during fiscal year 2009.

State law requires municipalities that have set up libraries by public referendum - which includes most of the state's 300 libraries - to dedicate a fixed amount of local tax dollars to the library. The league wants that fixed amount slashed by a half.

Statewide, the amount averages about 33 cents on a property assessed at $100,000, according to Pat Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey State Library Association.

The League argues that since the 1944 law mandating a dedicated library tax, the value of real estate has skyrocketed and that the amount contributed far exceeds the needs of public libraries. At its Atlantic City convention, the League approved a resolution calling for a library tax reduction.

League Executive Director William Dressel argued: "In these fiscally distressed times, why should this particular service be sacrosanct over other services, like police, fire and senior services?"

Library officials say the League has previously attempted to cut the contributions local governments make to libraries. Carmine Borzelli, president of the Bayonne Public Library Board, said: "We've turned them back a couple of times in past years, but now they're at it again."

Public servants who attend the League convention should understand some simple principles. There is a long-standing belief that public libraries are "the people's university." A library is a place of learning for all ages.

Libraries serve diverse communities, help businesses, provide recreation, allow socializing, reach the public on important public matters, whether health or civic, and much more.

While real estate values have increased, so has the cost to run libraries. The grants, donations and government revenue streams libraries receive may never be enough to help these institutions weather the demands made on them. The League recommendation should be shelved.

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December 14, 2008

Library outlook, S.Jersey edition: Growth industry

Unlike in Phila., where closings are set, several towns plan to expand facilities.
By Cynthia Henry

Inquirer Staff Writer

How cramped is the Margaret E. Heggan Library in Washington Township?
"We were storing books in the bathroom, that's how bad it was," said Sally Zbikowski, treasurer of the library's friends group.

Children in the township - Gloucester County's most populous - get squeezed out of story times, patrons wait for computers, and meetings are jammed into a tiny conference room.

But that could all be a memory as early as next fall under plans to move the outgrown public library into a renovated building twice the size of the current facility.

While Mayor Nutter plans to shut 11 Philadelphia libraries in a desperate effort to close the city's deficit - and Burlington County has postponed its Westampton branch expansion until the economy improves - libraries in several South Jersey towns are preparing for a growth spurt. Directors are weeding their collections, rethinking floor plans and retrofitting buildings to meet future needs.

"A library in the 21st century is much more than books, CDs and DVDs," said Ruth Balton, chair of the citizens group advocating a new library in Haddonfield. It should be "a place to meet people and share ideas."

In Washington Township, the library board plans to apply a $1.2 million library budget surplus toward repaying a $4.65 million bond to purchase and outfit the Educational Information and Resource Center building. Township Council gave initial approval to the deal last month.

Not only is its layout well-suited to the library's needs, the roof has solar panels, which would generate about $50,000 annually through sales of clean-energy credits, said Mike Allen, library board president. EIRC will move to the South Jersey Technology Park in Harrison and Mantua Townships in the spring.

Zbikowski said the surplus was an accumulation of the township's annual state-mandated library funding, which went unspent because "there was no place to put anything else" in the 10,000-square-foot Heggan building.

The board hoped to construct a new building for up to $12 million, but that would have required a tax increase, according to township Mayor Paul Moriarty. Allen said the board could cover the relocation, debt service and higher operating costs in its budget.

About 115 New Jersey public library buildings need renovation or replacement, including Moorestown, Gloucester Township and Swedesboro, said Tina Keresztury, associate state librarian for construction. In 2001, the state awarded $45 million in matching aid for 68 library projects, including new facilities in Willingboro and Cherry Hill.

"It created building envy," said Pat Tumulty, executive director of the 1,700-member New Jersey Library Association. "We've seen what these new libraries have done for their communities."

The buildings have expanded children's space, computer labs, meeting rooms and - for the first time - dedicated teen areas. Some have cafes, patios, and fireplaces in cozy reading areas. Patronage is up as a result, Tumulty said.

Monroe Township's new library, to open this spring, will have all those amenities. About three years ago, the town purchased a former Verizon building just off the Black Horse Pike for $1.4 million. Including renovations, landscaping and furnishing, the project - which will more than double the library's size - will cost about $6 million.

The current building on Main Street, a former five-and-dime purchased in the 1970s, was meant to be temporary, said library director Beth Lillie.

"The town's been building a library for the last 30 years," Mayor Michael Gabbianelli said facetiously.

The old place's limitations became evident as Monroe's population boomed to 32,000, an increase of 15 percent since 1990.

"You couldn't drive in or out of town without seeing a new housing development," Lillie said.

Novels are piled five-high on shelves, and after-school tutoring sessions often leave no available seats. Since 2003, Lillie has issued about 100 new library cards a month, she said.

"There are people who say, 'Why do we need a library?' And economic times aren't good," Gabbianelli conceded. "But we can't shelve this now."

No longer just "book warehouses," libraries now require modern technology and wiring for patrons' electronic tools, said Steven Bell, associate Temple University librarian for research and instructional services.

"Libraries need to be much more multi-functional," he said. In the past, many libraries had a 50-year floor plan. Now, Tumulty said, flexibility is the key: They should have easy-to-move furniture and bookshelves that aren't bolted to the floor.

Haddonfield would love to follow that advice, but its 1917 building imposes severe obstacles, library director Susan Briant said.

Pillars block aisles, study carrels are old, and the roof leaks. There is no space for public programs.

"The thing I'm most embarrassed about is that it's not [fully] accessible" to people with disabilities, said Mayor Tish Colombi, whose town has two special-needs schools. The building's children's library and restrooms are down stairs.

The borough tried for 20 years to build a new library, on its current Haddon Avenue site or elsewhere. A $7.5 million plan failed in 2003 because it was too big and expensive, Colombi said. She said she wasn't surprised when residents voted Nov. 4 to require citizen approval of future library expansion.

Earlier this year, the borough hired Library Development Solutions, of Princeton Junction, to survey residents, then recommend a size and site. It also has hired an advisor to seek private donations.

"We've already had a half-million dollar donation" to the capital fund, Colombi said. The library hopes to raise at least half the cost of the new building privately.

Moorestown also is back at the drawing board. Last month, Collingswood architects Kitchen & Associates presented a pair of options to the town, which came so close to a $4.7 million expansion two years ago that the building closed to facilitate construction.

That plan fell through when Moorestown rescinded the contract with the job's overseer because of a problem bonding subcontractors. A spruced-up old building reopened in January 2007, library director Joseph Galbraith said.

"It was discouraging to the town. Everyone thought the renovation we had been talking about for 10 years was going to happen," he said.

A fire that closed the adjacent township building eight months later now has Moorestown rethinking the whole Second Street plaza. The latest options involve renovating the existing library or attaching it to a remodeled township building.

In the meantime, Galbraith is implementing suggestions - Sunday hours, drop-in story time, business services - from his patrons.

"Our service is about more than the building," he said. "It's about creating a space where people feel comfortable."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Cynthia Henry at 856-779-3970 or chenry@phillynews.com.

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December 8, 2008

Possible cuts have library predicting 'disaster'

Monday, December 08, 2008
By RONALD LEIR
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Advocates for the Bayonne Public Library predict disaster if the Legislature enacts a recent recommendation by the League of Municipalities to slash funding for municipal libraries in half during fiscal year 2009.

Carmine Borzelli, president of the Bayonne Public Library Board, said this isn't the first time the league has targeted libraries for fiscal pruning. "We've turned them back a couple of times in past years but now they're at it again," he said.

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• Mamie
Monday, December 08, 2008
By RONALD LEIR
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Advocates for the Bayonne Public Library predict disaster if the Legislature enacts a recent recommendation by the League of Municipalities to slash funding for municipal libraries in half during fiscal year 2009.

State law currently requires municipalities that have set up libraries by public referendum - which includes most of the state's 300 libraries - to dedicate a fixed amount of local tax dollars to the library. The league wants that fixed amount cut in half.

On a statewide basis, the current amount averages about 33 cents on a property assessed at $100,000, according to Pat Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey State Library Association.

"That's a very tiny portion of the average homeowner's property tax bill," Tumulty said.

But the league - in a resolution passed at its annual conference on Nov. 21 - stated that since the law mandating the dedicated library tax was passed in 1944, the value of real estate has skyrocketed to the point that "the amount each municipality is required to contribute... far exceeds the reasonable needs and requirements of the free public libraries."

League Executive Director William Dressel argued last week: "In these fiscally distressed times, why should this particular service be sacrosanct over other services, like police, fire and senior services?"

If the cut goes though, Bayonne Library Director Sneh Baines said she'd have to review her budget "line by line" to adjust to a 50-percent chop of the $62,000 slice in annual library aid Bayonne uses for its automated circulation service, online cataloguing of books and Internet computer phone lines.

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December 2, 2008

Libraries offer solace in hard times

Sunday, November 30, 2008
Last updated: Sunday November 30, 2008, EST 11:12 AM BY DENISA R. SUPERVILLESTAFF WRITER

PATERSON — Before heading to his job at a carpet company in Hackensack, Jorge Maradiegue stopped by the main library on Broadway to check out three DVDs and browse the Internet from his personal laptop.

"You know how much this [costs] to rent at Blockbuster?" Maradiegue asked, motioning to copies of "The Bourne Identity," "Las Mejores Canciones Del Mundo" and "Da Vinci Code" he had borrowed. "It's more than $4 [each]. That's a lot of money.

As consumers continue to look for ways to save money in a slow economy, more and more are heading to the local public library.

People who otherwise would have gone to Barnes & Noble to buy the latest thriller or to Blockbuster to rent a new release are now giving the public libraries a second look, library directors across Passaic County say.

Although the highest increases are in DVDs and audiovisual items, library directors say that patrons are not just using the library for entertainment.

"You have people checking their mutual funds, the stock market; some are working on résumés, searching for jobs," said Jody Treadway, director of the Wayne Public Library, where book circulations have increased by 5 percent. "Some of it is economy driven. They are watching their money. They might still have jobs, but if they can save and use something that their taxes already support, why not."

The result has been longer wait times for computers and Internet use and more patrons putting holds on books at some libraries.

During recessions, library use tends to increase, said Camila Alire,president-elect of the American Library Association.

"When times get tough, public libraries get busy," Alire said recently.

Earlier this year, the American Library Association reported that more than 2 billion items — including DVDs, CDs and books — were checked out of libraries last year, a 10 percent increase over the last recession in 2001.

"If you think about it, when people have lost their jobs, or have to retrain or retool, they go to their public libraries," Alire said. "We provide not only access to materials, we also provide access to databases, access to computers, so that people can fill out job applications online, access information on how to write resumes, and cover letters."

In Paterson, for example, library circulation increased by more than 5 percent, from 87,921 between January and October last year, to 92,732 from January to the end of October this year, according to library officials.

And it's not just large libraries reporting an increase in users. In Bloomingdale, Library Director Jean Rubin said she noticed the trend in March.

Year-to-date, library circulation there has increased 7.88 percent, from 33,375 items circulated from January to October in 2007 to 36,005 items during the same period this year, Rubin said. The biggest increase has been with DVDs, she said.

In West Paterson, where circulation has been growing steadily in recent years, the library has also seen an increase in patrons this year, said Robert Lindsley, the library director. In all of 2007, the library had 33,288 items in circulation. This year, 39,916 items have been circulated, surpassing last year's total.

Some patrons are people who always use the libraries. Others are returning after a number of years of inconsistent use, said Threadway, of the Wayne library.

They are finding that the library is not just a place to get books. Some libraries now allow users to download entire movies online, something that was unavailable until recently, they said. Others offer yoga classes.

But if the downturn continues, libraries could see their funding decease while having to serve more people.

"If the economy is down and the tax base continues to dwindle, and you have to share services for the dwindling pie of funds, it's not a pretty picture," said Alire of the American Library Association. "We are all affected by the bad economy."

Still, directors say they are pleased that many are rediscovering the joys of combing through the stacks, despite the circumstances under which they are returning.

"It is a good thing," said Treadway. "It's always good when we are used. The worst thing would be for us to be sitting here empty."

E-mail: superville@northjersey.com or (973) 569-7135.

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December 1, 2008

New library in Linden will turn the page on antiquated facility

Courier-News Online
STAFF REPORT • November 30, 2008

LINDEN —In about a year, work is scheduled to be completed on the new $9 million Linden Public Library on East Henry Street.

Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers Inc., based in Livingston, has been awarded the contract to provide the structural engineering, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, fire-protection suppression and alarm services for the project.

The building was designed by Johnson Architecture of Manasquan and is being built by Fuscon Enterprises of Westfield.

Ground was broken in September for the project, which is being financed through the Union County Improvement Authority. Linden is borrowing $7 million from the improvement authority which arranges financing for public projects. The city had previously borrowed $2 million for the project.

The new three-story, 25,000-square-foot building is being constructed behind the existing library on East Henry Street. The existing building will remain in use until construction nears completion, at which point it will be demolished. Linden library cards also are being accepted at neighboring libraries such as Clark, Rahway and Roselle.

During the construction, the children's library has been temporarily relocated to the game room at the John T. Gregorio Recreation Center, 330 Helen St.

The new library will serve about 20,000 patrons from Linden and surrounding in Union County, according to Library Director Dennis Purves. The new building will replace a structure dating from 1939 which is too small and in poor condition. In addition, the existing library has an outdated electrical system which cannot support the electrical demands of computers and other modern technology.

"The existing library is not set up for 21st century needs," Purves said.

The new library is designed to have an open, welcoming facade with landscaping that includes flowering plants and the city's namesake linden trees. The library will be equipped with wireless capacity for Internet access, as well as a computer laboratory with space for computer classes. The library also will have three large conference room, including a circular room with a balcony.

The children's area will feature an outdoor patio for reading and story time. A separate area with comfortable seating is designed to appeal to young adults.

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Proposal to close Bridgeton Library upsets neighbors

By JOHN MARTINS Staff Writer, 856-794-5114

Published: Friday, November 28, 2008

The Press of Atlantic City

BRIDGETON - For 17-year-old Juana Lopez, going to the local library is part of her routine.
It's a sure bet that she's there every Saturday, and Lopez said she tries to swing by most days after school, too. But the Walnut Street resident said that will change if the city decides to close the facility and refer patrons to the county library less than 2 miles away.

"I don't have a car," Lopez said Tuesday as she sat in the library's young-adult section with her friend, Gloria Santiago. "I don't even know how to drive."

Even if the city made good on its promise and offered a shuttle service, Lopez said it is still unlikely she'd be able to go. Santiago said she'd be in the same boat, for the simple reason that her parents just would not allow it.

"My mother wouldn't let me," the 16-year-old North Pearl Street resident said. "It's too far."

In the past several weeks, officials in this cash-strapped city have floated the idea that it would make financial sense to close the 85-year-old library, which cost city taxpayers about $337,000 in 2008.
If the library were to close, Business Administrator Arch Liston said it would be less expensive to offer a citywide shuttle service to the county-run library at the city's eastern border. The cost savings in that plan, Liston said, would amount to $1 million over five years.

No decision, though, has been made, and City Council members have indicated that there would be a public hearing on the matter before any action was taken.

City Council President Celese Riley said on Tuesday night that she and other lawmakers were exploring other alternatives.

"This city is doing the best it can," Riley said, adding that she understood how important the library is to city residents. "It is the heart of our community. It is the one place in the community where we could all meet, where we could all get together."

Those connected to the library, however, say the small facility does much more for the people who use it on a regular basis.

Gail Robinson, the library's executive director, said the library is a critical resource for city residents young and old who rely on its seven computers for projects ranging from school assignments to job applications.

"We have really noticed an increase in people using the computers to do job searches," Robinson said.

About 6,500 people use the library per month, a figure that was determined after library staff started counting patrons in October 2007.

Much of the facility's patronage is in its walk-in business from the surrounding Milltown neighborhood, which in recent years has become an enclave for the city's burgeoning Hispanic population.

Nereida Pantaleon, 30, the library's bilingual assistant, said that the library's free Internet connection enables residents, many of whom are poor, to stay in contact with loved ones who are living in other countries.

"Honestly, this is the only way for them to communicate with family members," Pantaleon said.

Nancy Forester, director of the Cumberland County Library, said she understood the Bridgeton library's importance to the community it serves.

"They have a library that is important," Forester said, adding that there was no other place in Bridgeton that offered the same types of services. "There's a lot of poor people here, and they use both libraries. They apply for jobs. They do their taxes. We serve people from the cradle to the grave. I think it's sad that people don't realize that."

Riley said the city is making an application for a $20,000 shared-services grant to study the feasibility of combining the city and county libraries.

Riley said she was also interested in exploring the possibility of using the soon-to-be-vacated Bridgeton City Hall - which is located directly across Bank Street from the original city library - as a future home for any new merged city/county venture.

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Millville Library board wants public input for future plans

By JOEL LANDAU • Staff Writer • November 28, 2008

Asbury Park Press, Nov. 28, 2008

MILLVILLE -- The Millville Public Library Board of Trustees is preparing for some changes at the facility.

The board hired the Philadelphia-based firm Library Development Solutions to conduct a feasibility study for the library and solicit input from the public on what the residents want at the location. The firm will help the library with plans for fundraising, space planning, strategic planning and plans for a new facility.

The firm will hold town meetings and focus groups. The board wants the plans in place by the end of June, according to Director Irene Percelli.

"We want the community to come out and tell us what they'd like to see happen," she said. "And where they want us to prioritize."

The library already made one change. It reorganized its computer lab and set up eight computers on a long table in the main room, and cleared the computers out of the children's room.

The board allocated $28,000 to upgrade the network to handle the additional computers, Percelli said. The library could receive that money back from federal programs, she added.

The library hopes to add eight more computers through donations from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Percelli said.

"We were not providing enough computer services," she said. "At 8 p.m., there are 10 kids waiting to use the computers. That's not right."

Tanya Ruiz said she uses the lab at least once a week to look for jobs and other things.

"I wouldn't have access to the Internet without it," the city resident said.

The firm may also develop plans for a new building. The city is trying to attract a developer to build a hotel along the Maurice River near the facility. A new library could team with the developer's plans, Percelli said.

"We have to position ourselves very quickly," she said.

The library would like to add more programs, but does have budget issues, Percelli said. The operating budget for the current fiscal year is $675,000, of which about $651,000 is from the city, she said. The library lost 25 percent in aid from the state, about $8,000, she said.

Bill Fenton Jr., vice president of the library's board of trustees, said the body has confidence in Percelli to upgrade the library.

"She has the vision and energy I believe we need to help us grow and meet the needs of the public," he said.

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