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January 29, 2009

Libraries, schools honoring Lincoln with Pennies for Peace

Courier-News
By TIM KOLUPANOWIC • Editorial Intern • January 28, 2009

Throughout February, schools and libraries in New Jersey will honor the bicentennial of the Feb. 12 birthday of President Abraham Lincoln by raising money in the Lincoln Pennies for Peace project.

South Amboy's Sadie Pope Dowdell Library is among the sponsors of the penny collection. According to Library Director Elaine Gaber, Lincoln Pennies for Peace will be an opening to "broaden children's horizons and create an opportunity to read."

Pennies for Peace is a nonprofit organization that was started by mountain climber Greg Mortenson. After he traveled to remote regions in Pakistan and Afghanistan, he noticed that children did not have any supplies or places to learn. The Pennies for Peace founder is also the author of the bestseller "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time."

Information about Lincoln Pennies for Peace only recently has been posted on the State Library of New Jersey's Web site, www.njstatelib.org. As of yesterday, more than 10 schools — including Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, the New Providence School District and Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit — have signed up to participate. Other libraries participating are Bernards Township, North Brunswick, South River and the Henry Inman Branch (in Colonia) of the Woodbridge Free Public Library. Registration is available by visiting www.penniesforpeace.org. Donations will be accepted through March 12.

On Nov. 21, Gov. Jon Corzine signed an executive order establishing the New Jersey Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. In an e-mail, he said, "It is appropriate for the State of New Jersey to join the national effort and to plan and carry out its own bicentennial tributes to honor President Lincoln."

The State Library of New Jersey was contacted by the commission to see if it had ideas to honor Lincoln. Associate State Librarian Tina Keresztury credits State Librarian Norma Blake for connecting with the Lincoln Pennies for Pennies for Peace after reading Mortenson's book.

"She felt (it would be) great if we could get the schools and libraries involved as well," Keresztury said. "This is a great way to honor Lincoln and at the same time help educate others."

The State Library of New Jersey has contacted Mortenson's group, the Central Asia Institute, as well as his publisher and hopes to meet him in April to donate the funds that are raised. Either Mortenson or a representative from the Central Asia Institute will make an appearance to accept the donation.

"This event will also help to show children that a small donation, even just a penny, can go a long way toward helping others," Gaber said. "Whatever (amount) people can afford to donate is great."

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January 25, 2009

Morris, state offer job-search services

Attendance up at library career seminars
By Tehani Schneider • Daily Record • January 25, 2009
Sixteen years ago, the Morris County Library began its career seminar courses when the nation was gripped in a recession and the job market reflected the economic malaise.

The economy rebounded and the job seekers to the library dwindled over time.

But as a new economic slump worsens, the numbers for the courses are mushrooming again, said reference librarian Lynne Olver, who instructs the course.

"We're a good barometer of the economy," Olver said. "(In 2007), we ran 51 sessions and received 472 people. Last year, we ran 54 sessions and received 745 people."

Those figures are likely to go up as the number of unemployment claims skyrocket in New Jersey and nationwide. The state's unemployment rate of 7.1 percent is still below the national average of 7.2 percent. Morris County's jobless rate, however, was 4.3 percent as of November.

Olga Burns, director of employment and training services for the county's human services department, said the county is anticipating more layoffs this year and is part of a state response team to offer job-search assistance.

The county assisted 1,300 residents in finding jobs last year, she said.

"We operate what is known as the learning links, the computer labs, helping to increase introductory skill levels and provide introductory computer training as well," Burns said. "We try and provide as many training opportunities as possible (and) also refer to free training that may be available throughout the region as well."

The state operates career centers in Morristown and Dover for Morris County residents who are unemployed and seeking aid in updating resumes, honing skills and finding jobs.

Gordon Cross, a Sussex County resident, credits the state's unemployment office in Dover for helping him find new employment.

The 48 year-old, who was laid off at the beginning of 2008, was facing an uncertain future without a college degree. He took the advice of employees at the Dover office of the Professional Services Group and earned his associate's degree from the County College of Morris last fall.

"It's incredible how well (the PSG program) works, between the classes to get you ready to go back into the job market and the opportunities, looking for openings in New Jersey," Cross said.

Private counseling
The county job-placement services are not the only agencies to experience a boom over the past few months. Career counselors -- who offer a more intimate setting and cater to a smaller number of clients -- have also seen a significant pick-up in business.

Dover resident Yolanda Mendez, who runs a Flanders-based counseling service, offers monthly career-counseling services to a wide variety of clients.

"I have some folks from real estate, some from the design industry, IT, finance," Mendez said. "It's really a broad range. Even the public health sector. Everybody's hurting."

Back at the library, Olver, too, is seeing the effects of cuts in various industries. Those who are unemployed, however, see the library as a site for networking opportunity, she said.

"One of the things that's really nice about the library sessions is that we're in neutral territory. It's not the same stigma as going to unemployment offices," Olver said. "People get to meet one another in the same circumstances."

In fact, Olver -- a Randolph resident -- even encourages job seekers to use the resources at the library, a free service that their taxes pay for.

"We allow people to use the library databases and resources in order to research companies, over and above what you could do from Googling," she said. "That very well could put you over and above someone else who has similar qualifications, because you've gone above and beyond doing research and using these tools. It makes the difference between having a job and not."

Tehani Schneider can be reached at (973) 428-6631 or tschneider@gannett.com.

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January 22, 2009

Wrong time for deep cuts at libraries

January 22, 2009
Asbury Park Press

Irony of ironies, New Jersey's public libraries are facing some of their worst financial struggles just as their users need them the most.

Libraries are rarely more important than when the economy heads south, as patrons call on them for cheap forms of entertainment like reading a book or borrowing a video.

But they play an even more crucial role when employment is scarce and personal finances are stressed by providing job seekers with key resources, be it educational texts or access to computers. Yes, not everyone is online, especially in the cities.

"We're finding our libraries are being called on now to an even greater extent than they were six months ago," said Patricia Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. "In this economic downturn, many have nowhere else to go." Indeed.

Newark's public library system — unable to sustain itself without heavy infusions of state assistance and public donations — nearly closed the doors on its Roseville Branch; it may yet be shut upon further review of its finances. Meanwhile, other library closures are being threatened in Bridgeton and Bayonne, while Trenton's system was also on the brink until the state agreed to bail it out.

Closure isn't the only worry, either. Shorter hours, layoffs and smaller budgets are being discussed around the state; suburban libraries are no exception, either.

Such a shame, since local libraries have done so well to reinvent themselves. Rather than falling prey to the fast and easy glut of electronic information available in one's home via the personal computer, libraries — in all of their bookish glory — have instead been able to capitalize on the advent of computers and their links to the Web mostly by luring patrons who want Internet services along with a good read.

Those successes, in turn, have encouraged libraries to adapt to the changing world in other ways few could ever have imagined, expanding their roster of services to include classes for children and adults, video clubs and video nights, even trendy coffee bars next to the stacks. Most amazing, libraries have morphed from a solitary experience into participatory community endeavors, places where neighbors can meet, learn a thing or two, and exchange ideas in a now fashionable setting.

It would be sin for libraries to lose ground now, just as they've reached these new heights of popularity and importance.

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January 21, 2009

Weakened economy forces N.J. libraries to trim services

by Lawrence Ragonese/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday January 21, 2009, 7:57 PM
Just as libraries are seeing an increase in use by people searching for jobs or simply taking advantage of free services, the state's weakened economy is forcing some branches to cut hours and programs, or shut down altogether.

Though the full impact of the fiscal downturn won't be known until cities and towns, which finance public libraries, put together their 2009 municipal budgets, many libraries have already been told they'll have to continue serving the public with less money and fewer resources.

"We've got to fight to keep libraries open," said Patricia Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. "People who have lost jobs and had to give up internet service at home are using library computers for jobs and resumes. Families who have cut back spending are sending children to story hours at libraries, taking out library books instead of buying them at stores. They really need libraries now."

In Newark, the library system may lose $1.2 million of the $12 million its gets from the city. As a result, the Roseville branch may close while the Branch Brook and Clinton branches face cuts in operation.

In Madison, officials have "begun the difficult process of re-examining all aspects" of the library's operation. Library closings are being considered in Bridgeton and Bayonne.

In Trenton, financial help from the state prevented four neighborhood branches from closing. However, those branches agreed to cut hours, lay off workers and trim their budgets by 10 percent.

Across the Delaware, in Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter sought to close 11 library branches to save $8 million a year. Library advocates went to court and won a temporary reprieve, though a lack of funding forced several branches to shut down in recent days.

"We are trying our best to keep offering services people need and expect," said Joanne Kares, director of the Morris County Library, which this year will close on Sundays of holiday weekends and Sundays from May through September. "In bad economic times, libraries are used more, needed more," she said.

The American Library Association says library card registration is up 5 percent since 2006, in-person library visits are up 10 percent and the percentage of library card users visiting library websites is up 18 percent. The association's 2008 report showed Americans visited libraries -- including New Jersey's 245 municipal libraries and 21 county libraries -- 1.3 billion times last year and checked out more than 2 billion items, a more than 10 percent increase from the last economic downturn in 2001.

"The biggest story for libraries right now is the incredible increase in library use due to the economic downturn," said Jim Rettig, the association president. "So if libraries close their doors or cut their hours, it means people would not be getting the services in their communities that they need."

Jay Dharmendra, a regular user of the Parsippany library, urged officials to maintain library services.

"Libraries are kind of temples or churches for learning, especially for children. And older people benefit, too. I see so many people who have lost their jobs at the computers searching for new jobs. They need the library," Dharmendra said.

"I know times are tough, but let's not be hasty in cutting library services, let's not make the mistake to think libraries are less than essential," said Roger White, a student from Morristown, who was doing research recently at the Morris County Library.

Library officials realize they are not immune from budget woes. Cash-strapped towns and cities, which are mandated to fund public libraries, are also struggling to find ways to continue financing other municipal services, like nutrition programs and road repairs.

William Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, did not dispute the importance of libraries but said the mandated funding formula is hurting towns that need fiscal flexibility in tough economic times.

"When municipalities have to decide between health services, picking up garbage, sanitation issues or life-and-death services like fire and police, it's difficult," he said.

Anticipating a decline in funding, veteran Madison Library Director Nancy Adamczyk has asked the public to make suggestions regarding library services, hours and programs. She also has asked residents to consider making tax deductible donations to the library.

At the Morris County Library, where book shelvers' hours have been cut 20 percent, the staff has been cut by attrition and the materials budget for 2009 has been sliced by $100,000, director Kares is asking the public to be understanding.

"We're still going to be here and do the best we can to provide good library service," Kares said. "Sure, they may be some longer lines and, yes, maybe we'll ask people to put books back on the shelves. But we hope to hang in there during these tough economic times. This is when people need us."

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January 20, 2009

Children's room a casualty of library cutbacks

The Times of Trenton
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
BY MEIR RINDE
TRENTON -- With its vaulted ceiling, high windows and child-size shelves, the children's room at the city's main library felt like "another world."

"It was the most beautiful room in the building," said Mill Hill resident Eileen Smyth, who would visit with her daughter Vivian, a first-grader.

So she was stunned when she went to the library earlier this month and saw that the room had been shuttered and its books moved into a corner of the library near the entrance.

Smyth and a group of her neighbors said yesterday that they're not happy with the new children's area, and they're upset the library didn't publicize the closure in advance.

"I used to go there weekly with my 4-year-old, and I am really disappointed," Mercer Street resident Angela Capio said. "I hope they considered other options."

In fact, not only the children's room but the teen and computer rooms at the main library were all phased out over the last month because the library system's dire fiscal situation is forcing it to cut staff, director Kimberly Bray said.

The library faced a 10 percent cut in its $3.5 million allocation from the city last year. It only avoided closing its four branch libraries by getting permission from the state librarian to reduce the main library's hours below the required 60 hours a week.

But then it turned out that the other funds controlled by the library board had also shrunk, and the library only had through the end of the fiscal year in June to make up the resulting $1.2 million deficit, Bray said.

"By the time you actually effect the changes that are necessary, we were facing a reduction of nearly 40 percent," she said.

This week the city is laying off more than 50 employees in several departments, and a number of library employees will be among those losing their jobs, Bray said. She didn't have the number yesterday.

As a result, the main library must close some of its rooms, she said.

"Every time you have a separate room, you have to make sure it's secure. You have to have staff in there full-time," she said. "We're not able to afford those staffing levels we had in the past."

The children's room will be closed until funding is restored, Bray said. The collections in the teen room were moved to another part of the library, but the room itself will be available for children's story times and community meetings.

Some old books were weeded out of the children's collection, and some books that were available in multiple copies were moved to the branches, she said. About 15 computers were also redistributed to the branches, which will be a new asset for those libraries, Bray said.

The director said the budget problems have been well-publicized since last summer, though the news of coming service cuts at the main library may have gone unnoticed in the celebration over the preservation of the branches.

She said she regretted the imminent layoffs.

"I don't know if there's a way you can lose these kind of valuable, longtime staff members, and not be sad," Bray said. "It's a sad situation for us, the city and the entire country. These are difficult economic times and we're all feeling it."

Contact reporter Meir Rinde at mrinde@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5717.

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January 17, 2009

Plainfield library a haven for those hit by job loss, economic downturn

Courier-News

By MARK SPIVEY • Staff Writer • January 16, 2009

PLAINFIELD —It was only when the economy kicked city residents down that Joe Da Rold realized to what degree he and his staff were capable of lifting them back up.

The director of the Plainfield Public Library says the facility has become a haven for job seekers and people otherwise affected by the harsh financial climate, with many of its free services being used at higher rates than ever.

"From the minute we open," Da Rold said when asked when daily crowds start arriving. "And almost every night, all of our rooms are busy."

Likely the most useful tool the library offers to job seekers, Da Rold said, is the free use of 19 library computers, 17 of which also have Internet access. Open chairs found here and there in the past, he added, are all but nonexistent of late, with terminals packed and job searches representing the No. 1 Web destination.

"It's amazing," he said. "There's almost no break, from nine in the morning until nine at night."

POPULAR PROGRAMS

Nearly as popular as computer access, Da Rold said, are English classes taking place almost every weeknight. About 75-80 tutors use the library's downstairs classrooms to teach approximately 150 students, according to Da Rold, with many on hand simply to develop language skills that will allow them to find work. Classes range from 1-on-1 sessions for beginners to groups of 2-20, he said, with the city's growing Hispanic population representing a large percentage of students.

Patrons' concerns about employment have become so strongly voiced that the library is putting together plans to devote an entire section of the building to the matter. Assistant Director Bob Golon is developing plans for a "Job Center," to bring together hard-to-find resources, databases and Web sites that will make job searching less frustrating for those who are out of work, seeking their first job, or seeking a job change.

"(Job) information is available everywhere, but we want to put it in one place," Da Rold said. "We want users to be able to find who the human relations resource manager or corporation head of a company is online."

Plans for the center are on hold for the moment, Da Rold said, until the city passes its 2009 fiscal year budget, a process that has seen multiple delays. Between 2.2 percent and 2.5 percent of the budget traditionally has gone to the library, he added, a figure he hopes remains unchanged despite the financial squeeze.

Da Rold said he sees the recession as a challenge to legislators to understand that modern libraries are no longer simply book depositories.

"We are community centers, and we are deeply entrenched in our communities," he said. "We will do everything we can to tighten our belts, but the reality is that we need to be allowed to do even more for the public."

For more information on programs run through the library, call 908-757-1111.

Mark Spivey: 908-707-3144; mspivey@MyCentralJersey.com

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January 15, 2009

Folks Are Flocking to the Library, a Cozy Place to Look for a Job

Wall Street Journal
By JIM CARLTON
TRACY, Calif. -- The financial crisis has caused a lot of withdrawals at the public library.

A few years ago, public libraries were being written off as goners. The Internet had made them irrelevant, the argument went. But libraries across the country are reporting jumps in attendance of as much as 65% over the past year, as newly unemployed people flock to branches to fill out résumés and scan ads for job listings.

Other recession-weary patrons are turning to libraries for cheap entertainment -- killing time with the free computers, video rentals and, of course, books.

Last Friday, there was a particularly long waiting list of 157 to check out the popular vampire novel "Twilight," by Stephenie Meyer, from a branch of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Library here in Tracy. This central California town has been ravaged by mortgage foreclosures, and area libraries report a surge of traffic. Shamika Miller huddled over a laptop at the Tracy branch. Laid off from her job as a bookkeeper at Home Depot more than a year ago, Ms. Miller, 29 years old, says she has visited the library "if not every day, every other day" since October to check job listings with her computer.

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Jim Carlton/The Wall Street Journal
Shamika Miller works on a computer at the Stockton-San Joaquin County Library in Tracy, Calif., a town that has been ravaged by mortgage foreclosures.
"I come here, first of all, because it's a free Wi-Fi spot," says Ms. Miller, who supports a 10-year-old daughter on her unemployment compensation. And, she says, "there's something about the library that helps you think, at least for me."

At the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Conn., "it's not unusual for us to have 40 or 50 reserves on a popular book," says spokeswoman Linda Avellar. At the Randolph County Public Library in Asheboro, N.C., a 25% increase in visitors over the past six months from a year ago has been hard on 14-year-old carpeting that officials say needs to be replaced now rather than in six years, as planned.

This isn't the first time library attendance has spiked in a downturn. The 1987 and 2001 recessions saw similar jumps, librarians say. But few people thought that libraries would again be in such favor after so much information flooded the Web.

One big draw: Most libraries have put in free computer and Wi-Fi service. And they've begun stocking DVDs and videogames. With the recession weighing on them, "people recognize what a great value the public library is," says Jim Rettig, president of the American Library Association in Chicago.

Librarians are turning into job counselors -- and even social workers -- as they have to deal with a sometimes-desperate new class of patrons. "They are frustrated, overwhelmed and thought they would not be job hunting again in their lives," says Jan Perrier, head of reference and adult services at the Roxbury Public Library in Succasunna, N.J. "I had one woman just so overwhelmed she sat in front of the PC and cried."

Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
A patron browses the science fiction and fantasy section of the Tracy library, which has seen an increase in the number of people using their materials.
Many jobless people are reporting to the library as they used to report to the office. Career books are in particularly great demand at the Morris County Library in Whippany, N.J. "The shelves are bare," says Lynne Olver, chief librarian there. She says attendance in "Career Resource Seminars" that the library has held for many years jumped to 745 in 2008, from 472 in 2007.

Others come in to escape their troubles for a while. Wesley Martin on Friday tapped his hands to the beat of a hip-hop video he was watching on one of the Tracy library's computers. "This is just a chance for me to get out of my house," said the 33-year-old, who lost his job at a discount store a month ago.

The sheer numbers of jobless visitors are overwhelming some libraries at a time of funding cuts by cash-strapped local agencies. The library in Winter Park, Fla., reports a 25% increase in checkouts of its books and other materials over the past 15 months, even as its budget for stocking new items has been cut 12%.

Some libraries are cutting their hours, reducing staff or even being closed altogether because of budget problems. The Schenectady County Public Library in Schenectady, N.Y., says it has had no money to replace four librarians who have left in the past two years. "As a result, we recently found that it is taking up to five days to reshelf books, as just one tiny example of the impact," says Karen Bradley, a reference librarian there.

The Randolph County library in North Carolina can't afford to replace those rugs: "We are just going to have to live with the worn carpet for now," says Suzanne Tate, the library's director. An average of 230 people a day line up to use the library's 27 computers. To help manage the traffic, the library has taken to bumping users off if they try to stay on for more than the one-hour limit.

Ian Fletcher/Randolph County Public LIbrary
An average of 230 people a day line up to use the 27 computers at Randolph County Public Library in Asheboro, N.C.
But the patrons keep coming. "Many times a day there is a line of people waiting to get on one of our three computers," says Mary Wright, director of the Marks-Quitman County Library in Marks, Miss., who says many of the new patrons are laid-off workers from nearby casinos.

Tracy library officials have ordered nine more Internet-access computers. For now, patrons have to line up at a kiosk to make a reservation to use one of the 11 existing terminals, says Kathleen Buffleben, the supervising librarian.

At a checkout counter nearby in the Tracy library, Brandon Perry, 24, and his fiancée, Chardenac Van Rooter, 21, were applying for library cards Friday to aid in their job searches. The couple, who were with their 1-year-old daughter, said they support themselves largely on part-time restaurant work by Mr. Perry, who was laid off as a heavy-equipment operator at a ski resort a year ago. On top of their other troubles, the couple said they were forced to move into a homeless shelter a few weeks ago after a relative's home where they were staying was foreclosed on.

"Now," says Mr. Perry, "we just want to go to Hawaii. We don't have a computer, so we'll start coming here to find a job there."

Write to Jim Carlton at jim.carlton@wsj.com

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One in seven U.S. adults unable to read this story

By GREG TOPPO • USA TODAY • January 9, 2009

A long-awaited federal study finds that an estimated 32 million adults in the United States -- about one in seven -- are saddled with such low literacy skills that it would be tough for them to read anything more challenging than a children's picture book or to understand drug side effects listed on a pill bottle.

While many communities are making huge strides to tackle the problem, it's worsening elsewhere -- in some cases significantly.

Overall, the study finds, the nation hasn't made a dent in its adult literacy problem: Between 1992 and 2003, it shows, the nation added about 23 million adults to its population; in that period, an estimated 3.6 million more joined the ranks of adults with low literacy skills.

How low? It'd be a challenge to read this newspaper article or deconstruct a fuel bill.

"They really cannot read ... paragraphs (or) sentences that are connected," says Sheida White, a U.S. Education Department researcher.

The new findings come from the department's National Assessment of Adult Literacy, a survey of more than 19,000 Americans ages 16 and older. The 2003 survey is a follow-up to a similar one in 1992 -- and for the first time lets the public see literacy rates as far down as county levels.

In many cases, states made sizable gains. In Mississippi, the percentage of adults with low skills dropped 9 percentage points, from 25 percent to 16 percent. In every one of its 82 counties, low skill rates dropped -- in a few cases by 20 percentage points or more.

By contrast, in several large states -- California, New York, Florida and Nevada, for instance -- the number of adults with low skills rose.

David Harvey, president and CEO of ProLiteracy, an adult literacy organization, says Mississippi "invested more in education ... and they have done innovative programming. We need much more of that."

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings agrees, saying adult literacy efforts are inefficient and "scattered" across government agencies.

"We're not using research-based practices, broadly applied," she says.

Harvey cites undiagnosed learning disabilities, immigration and high school dropouts as reasons for the poor literacy numbers.

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January 13, 2009

Mary Louise Abrams, noted library director

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
BY JAY LEVIN
NorthJersey.com

Mary Louise Abrams, who led the Paramus Public Library through a transformational decade, has died. The Hackensack resident was 74.

Mrs. Abrams was director of the Paramus library from 1989 to 2000, an era during which the popularization of the Internet brought great change to libraries. She was previously assistant library director in Englewood and a reference librarian at the Johnson Public Library in Hackensack.

Well known in the profession, she served as president of the New Jersey Library Association and the Bergen County Cooperative Library System.

"Mary Lou was a mentor to so many librarians entering the profession — holding our hands as she encouraged us to be active members of the NJLA and the library community," said Arlene Sahraie, library services director of the BCCLS.

During Mrs. Abrams' 11 years in Paramus, the library's annual circulation increased by about 60 percent, said Len LoPinto, the library's current director.

Mrs. Abrams arrived in Paramus as the main library on Century Road was being renovated and doubled in size. She saw that project to completion and, in 1993, directed the renovation of the library's Charles E. Reid branch, housed in a former one-room schoolhouse on Midland Avenue. LoPinto said Mrs. Abrams' hallmarks as director were customer service and aggressive pursuit of funding.

In retirement, Mrs. Abrams helped run book discussion groups at the library.

"I cannot even tell you how many book clubs she started and promoted," said her eldest daughter, Sioux Lasley of Fairfax, Va.

Lasley said her mother "probably went through two books a week" and especially liked the historical fiction of Ken Follett and Anne Perry.

Mrs. Abrams, who held a master's degree in library science from Columbia University, grew up in Teaneck and lived there until about 10 years ago.

She died of a stroke on Jan. 4, her daughter said.

Surviving are her husband, Allan Abrams; five children, Sioux Lasley and Lisa Doyle, both of Fairfax, Va.; William Sottosanti of Taiwan, Robert Sottosanti of Walnut Creek, Calif., and Margaret McPhail of San Rafael, Calif.; three stepchildren, Susan Sloan of Paramus, Debbie Lynch of Beachwood, Ohio, and Amy Blakemore of Plymouth, Mich.; seven grandchildren and seven step-grandchildren.

The funeral Mass will be Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. at St. Anastasia's R.C. Church in Teaneck. Arrangements are by Volk Leber Funeral Home.

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Monroe library ready for new chapter in its history with $7.5M renovation

By CHRISTINE SPARTA • Staff Writer • January 12, 2009
Courier-News

MONROE —Monroe Township Library Director Irene Goldberg remembers her very bleak digs when she started work at the township's library 20 years ago — a folding table and chair set up in the basement of the township's municipal building.

The days of makeshift operations are long gone as the township will unveil a major $7.5 million renovation at the end of the month that will double the library's space. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place Jan. 31 at 1 p.m.

The renovated and expanded library will include a fine-arts gallery, a gas fireplace and even a drive-thru window.

"It has exceeded my expectations," said the 62-year-old Goldberg. "Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this opportunity."

Work on the renovations started in late October 2007 and was initially estimated to cost $5.5 million, but Goldeberg said that a number of "soft" costs like engineering fees and soil testing increased the price tag.

"We did our homework well. Things came in as anticipated, cost-wise...Bids were less than we thought they would be," said Goldberg.

The building space will increase from approximately 20,000 square feet to about 44,000 square feet.

The majority of the renovations are expected to be finished by the end of January, but the drive-thru won't be completed by Feb. 2.

"Half our community is senior citizens. Some days you don't have the energy to get out of the car," said Goldberg, about the usefulness of a drive-thru feature. The service is also helpful for young mothers who might have trouble waking a child to visit the library.

There will be an early childhood center with computer games and a teen area with a counter and stools for older kids to hang out.

Goldberg said that ""the children's area is a surprise." But she already has gauged the reaction it will get: "You're going to go, "Wow!' "

The fine-arts gallery will feature New Jersey artists and Goldberg would like to find some local talent with work to display. She said she was especially looking for a large fine-art piece to hang over the fireplace.

There will also be a cafe for patrons to take a snack break that will have beverage and snack machines with trans-fat-free items for sale. A seating area will hold a little more than a dozen people.

A special sneak peek for donors who gave $150 or more for the project will take place on Jan. 30.

Goldberg said $54,000 of the renovation money came from community donors. The top individual donation came from Maurice Bakaleinik, M.D., a retired surgeon who lives in town, who gave $25,000. A medical and surgical reference collection is named in his honor.

But the library received a wide range of amounts from $5 and up, including received last month that was accompanied by a letter from a 91-year-old woman who was a library volunteer 25 years ago. She pledged her $150 donation in $10 monthly increments.

A wall listing donors is expected to be in place by April.

"What was special about this is all kinds of people from the township have given us a hand," said Goldberg.

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January 11, 2009

No time for deep cutbacks at the state's public libraries

Courier-News January 10, 2009I

Irony of ironies, New Jersey's public libraries are facing some of their worst financial struggles just as their users need them the most.

Libraries are rarely more important than when the economy heads south, as patrons call on them for cheap forms of entertainment like reading a book or borrowing a video.

Newark's public library system — unable to sustain itself without heavy infusions of state assistance and public donations — nearly closed the doors on its Roseville Branch a week ago; it may yet be shut upon further review of its finances. Meanwhile, other library closures are being threatened in Bridgeton and Bayonne, while Trenton's system was also on the brink until the state agreed to bail it out.

Closure isn't the only worry, either. Shorter hours, layoffs and smaller budgets are being discussed around the state; suburban libraries are no exception, either.

It would be sin for libraries to lose ground now, just as they've reached these new heights of popularity and importance.

Unfortunately, the flaw in some government officials' thinking is that libraries aren't as important as some other public offerings like fire and police protection, or garbage pickups, or health care. In their own way, libraries are just as vital a service.

Just ask those people who refit themselves with a new skill that wins them a better job. Or the child who is inspired by the pleasure of reading to do better in school as well as in life.

So here's to the health of public libraries. May they survive the financial crisis largely unscathed and no less ready to serve the pursuit of knowledge and success.

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Learning while job hunting

Ugly economy brings out beauty of library
Sunday, January 11, 2009
BY LAWRENCE RAGONESE
Star-Ledger Staff
The computer terminals lining the walls of the Morristown and Morris Township Library were all booked last Thursday afternoon, with other potential users sitting patiently at adjacent tables waiting for their turn.

"I've got no choice but to wait," said Roy Copley, a Denville resident who needed to get online to check job listings. "I've got to be able to use the internet to check my e-mails and connect with employers. But I lost my job and couldn't afford to pay for my computer connection at home. So, here I am."

Copley is not alone among people who are out of work or fear they may soon lose their jobs and are turning to libraries in Morris County for help. Libraries are filled with people creating resumes, searching for jobs and getting re- training for skills they may need to find new jobs or new lines of work.

People who have no computers at home are flocking to public libraries, using the PCs to tap deep data bases for job listings and employment possibilities. Some older people who have been out of the work force for a while are coming to libraries to learn or brush up on computer skills. Many are sur prised to learn that even for basic jobs, such as a part-time cashier at a local supermarket, you must apply and take personality tests online.

"In economic downturns, libraries are used more heavily," said Joanne Kares, director of the Morris County Library, which has seen an increase in use in all areas of service and programs in recent months.

Lynne Olver, chief librarian at the county library, said there has been a 60 percent increase in attendance at seminars and classes offered by the county library. In 2008, the library offered 54 seminars and had 745 attendees, which is the most since the recession of 1992. Similar increased use has been seen at the Parsippany, Madison and Morristown libraries, and oth ers across the county.

To deal with this need, the county library has added new classes targeting people looking for work. It has scheduled sessions on internet job search tips, researching potential employers and local resources for job seekers. The county facility, located in Hanover, also offers a full slate of personal computer and software classes, such as learning to use Excel and PowerPoint, and a series of internet-related search courses.

And the classes are free, noted Kares.

Olver also has been taking her sessions on the road, to a homeless shelter in Morris Township, a careers and transitions group in Long Valley and a professional services organization in Dover, among oth ers.

"People who never have taken a public handout, who have never applied for unemployment are hav ing to deal with this now," said Olver. "Many of these people are having a tough time with this. They need to find a way to get back in the work force.

"We can be a good resource for them. That's the beauty of where public libraries can fit into the life of the community."

And it can go beyond technical skills and to a very personal level, said library officials.

"One older woman who came in for job assistance was clearly not eating. You could see there was a problem," said Sara Weissman, principal librarian at the county library. "When I asked her, she quietly told me she had just three days of food left at home. I told her she needed to get help, that taking care of herself was essential. So I was able to connect her with the food pantry."

Parsippany Library Director Jayne Beline said 473,452 people used her town's three libraries last year, a 16.7 percent increase over 2007. Borrowing of materials was up nearly 8 percent, she said.

Her library's information services division is getting many more requests on how to find job opportunities via the internet, how to create resumes and draft letters of introduction to potential employers, she said. People are taking out more self-help books and books that advise on how to deal with change.

"I use it extensively, but more since I've been out of work," said Terry Monaghan, a Parsippany resident looking for work in the packaging, machinery and capital equipment fields. "I do a lot of research there. The staff is really helpful. But I also find the library can offer a respite from the worries of the day."

Lawrence Ragonese can be reached at lragonese@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910.

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January 9, 2009

2nd ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning and Libraries Symposium

Way back in November, during the frenzied weekend before Election Day, I found myself lucky enough to be winging my way to Chicago. No, not in the hopes of seeing Barack Obama speak, but rather to hear a number of other speakers. My Destination: the Second ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning and Libraries Symposium. There have been a number of detailed reports on this conference already. (Just try searching Google.) So, why am I writing at this late date, for all of you? Because there are a few key highlights I want to make sure get shared with New Jersey Librarians.

1. Pew Internet Report on Teens, Video Games and Civics
If you haven’t read it yet, please at least skim over it for a look at what, why and how teens play video games. 97% percent of teens play games, and 50% of them played "yesterday".

2. Grand Theft Childhood by Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olsen
Kutner was one of the keynote speakers and made connections between perceptions of violent video games and “moral panics” of the past. Remember how paperbacks used to be scandalous? I would highly recommend checking out the book.

3. GT System
A web tool for video game tournaments with easy brackets and scoring. Plus, there’s lots of potential for making connections with other libraries here with local, regional and national leaderboards.

4. Don’t forget the old school card and board games. Depending on your population they can be a bigger hit than the electronic options. All games can offer opportunities for complex thinking and building communication and social skills.

5. Even young kids can get in on the action with, particularly with easy board games and the Nintendo Wii. One game, Wii Music, requires and builds pre-literacy skills, rhythm and movement.

6. Games can also be a great jumping off point for reader's advisory. Check out Books for Gamers for ideas.

Does your library have a gaming policy? What about a game collection?
Gaming with kids and teens can provide endless possibilities for reaching children and teens, working with them and building community. Communities develop around games they way they have around the Harry Potter and Twilight books. World of Warcraft is just one example.

Public, academic and school librarians are all using games to make connections with their users. Is your library joining in?

--
Kristen Kirk
Ocean County Library

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Category: Children's Services Young Adult Services

January 6, 2009

Bayonne's potential library closings affect students, seniors

by Ron Leir/The Jersey Journal
Thursday December 25, 2008, 1:45 PM

Wilson School eighth-grader Megan Molina is a big fan of Bayonne's uptown public library branch at Avenue C and 51st Street and, perhaps, not so big a fan of Mayor Mark Smith.
"I use the computers there to do research and I get books on school projects," Megan said excitedly last week.
Smith is considering closing the city's two public library branches -- for a projected annual savings of $250,000 -- to help close a municipal budget deficit exceeding $30 million.

That would spell disaster for Megan. "I wouldn't go to the Main Branch" at Avenue C and 31st Street, she said. "It's too far."
"I'll be mad," chimed in fifth-grader Reda Mimouni, who uses the uptown branch at least twice a week, along with his sister, third-grader Ghita, and his brother, first-grader Amin, when asked how he'd feel if the city shut the library's doors. Reda said he relies on the library computer for print-outs of research material he needs for his classwork.
"And I like to go there to read geography books," Reda added.
Third Ward Councilman Gary La Pelusa said he's been pushing for the uptown branch to be closed for a few years.
"I've gone there many times and it's very underutilized and we're paying $800 a month in rent," La Pelusa said. "Bayonne is not that big where someone can't get to the central library on 31st Street. It's unfortunate that the city also plans to close the downtown branch but if it's going to generate savings, I'd favor it."
But city Library Director Sneh Bains disputed the mayor's savings estimate. "We don't spend $250,000 on our branches and that's why I think (the closings) won't happen," Bains said.
Bains declined to say how much the library spends for the branches but she said that both branches were "heavily used by young adults for computers and children who come after school and by senior citizens."
"The main library is quite far for the people in the downtown and uptown neighborhoods -- it's difficult for them to commute there so closing the branches will have an effect."
Longtime downtown resident John Regan said that shutting the downtown branch at Fourth Street and Story Court would make it tough on older patrons who visit the building for other senior activities.
"They look forward to picking up books, using the computer, reading the newspapers," Regan said. "That branch gets a lot of use."
Another downtown resident who wouldn't give his name griped that library shutdowns "are the wrong way to cut. There are too many fat cats at City Hall. They should start cutting there."

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January 5, 2009

Library is worth saving

Star Ledger

Monday, January 05, 2009
The sad state of the economy has hit home for the Roseville branch of the Newark Public Library. Its fate is precarious as officials prepare to trim $1.2 million from the $12 million the city provides the library system.

The cuts threaten to leave the Roseville neighborhood, an isolated pocket of Newark's Central Ward alongside Route 280, without a library.

Closing the branch seems a small sacrifice in the way of big city budgets. But it would be a big loss for the children who use it daily. Like 9-year-old Natalie Fernandez, who uses the library as a refuge after school. It is where she and her 12-year-old sister, Emely, come everyday to do homework, use the computers and get extra tutoring. There's also Sadeek Mandeville and his friend Shaquan Knight, both 11, who come to the library when "there's nothing to do."

The tiny two-room branch doesn't make a big impression compared with bigger branches, but a recent visit showed how much the neighborhood stands to lose. It's busy for its size, with up to 50 patrons passing through the small building daily. Most are children like Natalie, Shaquan and Sadeek, but it is also patronized by adults seeking a place to go to access computers to send resumes and look for work.

The Roseville branch's closing has been put on hold for now. But the library board has yet to decide its future. Other cutbacks also are being considered. The Branch Brook and Clinton branches could see their hours of operation scaled back to three days from six.

Even in these tough economic times, we think the city would do better to try to cut money from other areas. Newark's libraries not only bring books and after-school homework help to some of the city's most impoverished neighborhoods, they serve as a safe and constructive haven and keep children off the street and out of trouble. In a city where illiteracy and crime already haunt, the libraries are too valuable an asset to lose.

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Libraries tout job services

Gloucester County Times
Monday, December 22, 2008
By Jessica Driscoll
jdriscoll@sjnewsco.com
With so many Americans facing tighter budgets, significant lifestyle changes and even job losses, there is an increasing need for a one-stop shop to help them get back on their feet Ð a need that can easily be met in many communities.

"When people think of a library, they think of books Ð which is wonderful Ð but we're so much more," said Carol Wolf, manager of the Glassboro branch of the Gloucester County Library System.

"In the last three months, we have hosted two resume writing classes, an interview class and monthly computer classes. We have also had about 500 different users conducting 2,000 Internet sessions per month, many of whom were filling out online applications to places like Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Lowe's."

Wolf said libraries have always been a great community resource, but they tend to attract more patrons during tough economic times. She said a woman came in a few months ago seeking help with health insurance, food and employment after being referred by her congressman's office. The library staff promptly directed her to the Glassboro Family Health Center, which didn't require insurance; the Samaritan House, which offers food and clothing to the needy; and the borough's One Stop center to help her find a job.

Wolf said the patron was surprised but relieved by the help she found.

"In addition, we offer lots of free programming and entertainment for children and adults," said Wolf. "In January, we'll offer a basic Microsoft Word class. In February, we'll have a basic Excel class and a two-part resume program run by a Fortune 500 business trainer. And, we have many children's programs, which are a great alternative to other forms of entertainment, which can get expensive."

Glassboro's library is not the only one offering assistance to members of the community. At the Deptford Public Library, patrons can access a reproducible book from the IRS for help with taxes, while the AARP offers free tax services on-site for senior citizens and low-income residents in February.

The libraries also offer free wireless Internet access, several public computers, and story or craft programs for children.

"People are finding that, now more than ever, they have to cut corners and not spend as much," said Jean McGowan, supervisor of circulation at Deptford's public library. "You can come here and find old books, new books, Internet resources and, for children's programming, it's a really good deal. Libraries are safe, friendly places where the community can come together in tough times."

At the Margaret E. Heggan library in Washington Township, Director Linda Snyder said that, despite a lack of space in its current facility, the library is always available to help with resume-writing programs on its public computers, pre-school programming and an informed staff.

And at the Free Public Library of Monroe Township, Director Beth Lillie said that patrons can save money that they'd normally spend on home Internet service and on magazine and newspaper subscriptions by visiting their local public library.

"A library is a place where people can come together and enjoy something that they don't have to shell out money for," said Lillie.

"We also offer access to sites and databases where people can find jobs or get help with taxes and community programs run by volunteers," she added. "People are coming in more and more, talking about their economic worries and looking for help."

In Glassboro, Wolf said she has already seen an increase in library usage over the last several months, and she expects those numbers to grow. It's a trend that the experienced librarian welcomes and encourages.

"We will be here to help our patrons as much as we can Ð even if it means pointing them in another direction," said Wolf. "Libraries must reflect the needs of their communities."

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Nutter says ruling could force more layoffs

By CATHERINE LUCEY
Philadelphia Daily News

luceyc@phillynews.com 215-854-4172

Mayor Nutter today will ask a Common Pleas judge to reconsider her ruling that the administration can't close 11 libraries without City Council approval.
Nutter, who had planned to close the branches Dec. 31 to help close a $1 billion budget gap over the next five years, said that keeping the branches open would mean reduced service across the library system.

"We only have a certain number of personnel to operate the 53 total branches, which will impact the level of service and continued service," Nutter said. "That will cause us to have to cut back service days and programmatic activity."

Nutter also said that if the city has to keep all the branches open, it likely would mean more layoffs.

Last Tuesday, Common Pleas Judge Idee Fox ruled in favor of seven library patrons and three Council members who sued Nutter, citing a 20-year-old ordinance requiring Council approval to close city buildings.

Fox is expected to provide a more-detailed written order today. Nutter said he wanted to get more information to the judge before that.

"I'm very concerned that we have one last opportunity to lay out in clear terms what this will mean systemwide," Nutter said. He said that after the order is issued, the city still may appeal to Commonwealth Court.

The library closings, along with plans to eliminate seven Fire Department companies, have emerged as the most controversial portions of Nutter's budget cuts.

Trying to reach out to opponents of the library closures, Nutter met Saturday with more than 75 members of the Friends of the Free Library to discuss the financial difficulty of keeping the libraries open.

"My administration wants to work in closer consort with the Friends groups," Nutter said. "I apologize to them for not having an opportunity for having more discussion [earlier.]"

Amy Dougherty, executive director of the Friends of the Free Library, said that library advocates have not been included in talks on how to manage the system with reduced finances. She said supporters would rather see the cuts spread evenly across the library branches.

Dougherty said Saturday's meeting with Nutter "was a different version of the same."

"He's going to continue, and thinks the right thing to do is to shutter 11 branches," she said. "Our members, including those from the 42 branches that are not being shuttered, do not think this is right or necessary."

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25 Millionth Item Checked-out Celebration on January 19th at the EB Library

Courier-News Online
Alissa Rothstein • Reader Submitted • January 5, 2009

We've reached a huge milestone and have plenty of reasons to celebrate actually 25,000,000! The Library will celebrate the 25 millionth item checked out on Monday, January 19. Come join us on that day for a celebration commemorating this very special event from 24 p.m. One lucky customer will win a prize for the 25,000,000th item checked out. We will be celebrating with cakes (yum!), refreshments and entertainment for everyone.

Don't forget to enter our raffle for a chance to win a number of great prizes. Raffle tickets will be available at the Circulation Desk beginning January 2. Deadline for raffle entries is January 19th at 2 p.m., with the drawing occurring at 3 p.m.

For more information, please call 732-390-6767 or go to The Library's website at http://www.ebpl.org and click on "News & Events".

I

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January 4, 2009

Check it out

Check it out
As the economy sags, library use is booming. But will the services people want survive the budget cuts towns fear?

By Keith O'Brien
Boston Globe Staff / January 4, 2009
Story time has always been a popular event at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy. But last fall, when children's librarian Jane Miller reported to work to register families for her story time classes, she could hardly believe what was waiting for her: a long line, snaking through the library, out the door, down the block, and into the parking lot.

"I was shocked," Miller said. "Shocked. In the nine years I've been here, I had never seen such a line before for any of our story times."

In the fast-paced, instant message, Internet era, public libraries have often struggled for attention from patrons. But with the economy sputtering, unemployment rising, and no relief in sight, Massachusetts libraries, long the victim of budget cuts, are busier than ever before, said Robert Maier, director of the state Board of Library Commissioners.

Attendance is surging. Check-out rates are soaring. At some libraries, circulation - the number of items checked out in a given month - is up as much as 33 percent since last summer. And for the unemployed, libraries have become something like an office, with computers, Internet access, and even classes that teach how to write a r??sum?? and peddle it online. In a tough time, it seems, people are returning to a place where whispering trumps shouting and no credit card is necessary. At the library, just about everything is free.

"It's classic," said Deborah Abraham, the library director in Everett, where circulation is up more than 23 percent in the first five months of this fiscal year. "When the economy is bad, library use goes up. That's pretty clear. It has happened before, and it certainly seems like it's happening again."

The trend, playing out nationwide, has librarians celebrating, but worrying, too. The same financial crisis squeezing pocketbooks, pushing people to borrow - not buy - books and DVDs, is gutting state and local budgets as well. And so at a time when demand for library services is growing, libraries themselves, which rely on state and local aid, could be facing cuts in 2009.

"It'd be nice to be rolling in money," said Amy E. Ryan, president of the Boston Public Library, where budget cuts are expected this year despite a 7 percent increase in circulation since last July. "But this is a time to really be thinking about our priorities at the Boston Public Library. How do we reach more people? And how do we deliver the best services? We need to change. We need to change with the times."

Libraries have been changing for years, repositioning themselves to attract patrons in a digital age. In recent years, libraries have expanded their DVD collections, opened Internet cafes, attracted children with video game hours, and even used technology to let people download music and video.

Such efforts have helped increase library circulation in Massachusetts ever so slightly in each of the last nine years, even as funding in many communities has been flat or falling. The key reason, according to state data, is patrons' growing interest in borrowing DVDs, books on CD, and other audio-visual materials.

But historically, nothing boosts the profile of a public library like a nice, dreadful recession, and this one is shaping up as a doozy. Maier estimates that circulation is up as much as 7 percent statewide since last July, and some communities can barely keep up with demand.

Circulation is up more than 33 percent in tiny Groveland - population 6,900 - and 30 percent in Milford. West Dennis, Essex, Everett, and Franklin have all recorded 20 percent increases or higher in the first five months of this fiscal year.

The Boston Public Library's branches are thriving. Many libraries saw even larger increases in December. In Groveland last month, circulation was up a stunning 88 percent, said Deb Hoadley, the library director there.

"We are air conditioned. We have heat. So people who may not have those things, we're available to them," said Hoadley. "And also, we have the resources that they're looking for. There are computers and techniques for career building. Especially in these times, people need to have access to the Internet and have somebody help them."

Such services are invaluable - especially now - to people such as Miguel Lopez, a 24-year-old unemployed parking garage attendant. Out of work since October, he's been spending his days lately at the Egleston Square Branch Library in Boston, working on his r??sum??. Without the library, he said, he doesn't know where he would go.

And without the library, Kathleen Foster, a mother of two, would still be spending a lot of money on books.

"In the past, I would take the girls to Borders, or Barnes & Noble, and let them pick out a book," said Foster one day last week, walking the aisles of the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy with her daughters, Abigail, 8, and Clare, 6. "I just don't do that now. We come here instead."

That's good news for libraries, said Maier. But still, he's worried about the year ahead. Just last week, Governor Deval Patrick announced that the state may face a $1 billion shortfall in the months ahead, which could mean cuts in local aid.

Cities and towns - often unwilling to slash funding for education or police and fire services - have turned repeatedly in recent years to the library for cuts. In some cases, Maier said, cuts have gutted libraries, and he's worried about that happening again this year.

"I'm very concerned for residents of towns that may wind up with a library that is a shadow of what it has been," he said, "one that may be open, but really has no library services."

In the meantime, however, librarians such as Miller, in Quincy, will be working harder than ever to keep up with demand.

After the long lines for her story time sessions last fall, Miller switched to a lottery system to determine who got a story time spot. But that confused people, she said. And so recently, she decided there will be no more registration for the children's story time programs.

Instead, starting at the end of this month, every Quincy resident will be accepted, she said, even if it means that classes once limited to 10 children balloon in size.

"It could be 50 people," she said recently, shaking her head. But Miller plans to take all comers.

"The problem is," she said, "I hate refusing."

Keith O'Brien can be reached at kobrien@globe.com.

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N.J. libraries face budget crunch, cuts in services

by The Associated Press
Friday January 02, 2009, 3:41 PM
New Jersey's worsening economic picture is affecting many community libraries in the state.

Patricia Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association, said as budgets decrease, demand for services rises -- especially among job seekers using library computers or families looking to save by checking out books and videos instead of buying them.

Libraries across New Jersey are facing funding challenges. Some are cutting back on hours or services.
"We're finding our libraries are being called on now to an even greater extent than they were six months ago," Tumulty said. "In this economic downturn, many have no where else to go."

With municipalities forced to reassess all their services to meet state-mandated budget reductions, many worry that libraries could be on the short-list for cutbacks.

New Jersey has municipal libraries in about 245 communities, according to Tumulty, who said municipalities are mandated to fund them according to a state formula that works out to about $33 in taxpayer funds for every $100,000 of a home's value.

In some municipalities like Newark, the formula does not generate enough money to keep the library system fully funded. Additional money is raised from private donors, grants and other municipal allocations.

However, shortfalls in Newark and elsewhere are now causing many libraries to cut back hours, days of operation, book budgets or staff positions.

The Newark Public Library's Board of Trustees held a special meeting today to discuss the possibility of closing its Roseville Branch -- in operation since 1924 -- or cut back elsewhere in the system. They eventually resolved to keep the branch open, pending further review of the city's 2009 budget.

"I don't think there's anyone who doesn't understand the situation the nation is in, or the city of Newark," board trustee Trish Morris-Yamba said. "It's difficult, we know what we want -- to keep the libraries open and improve on them -- but we have the budget we're given."

Eloisa Morales, a clerk at the Roseville library, said the 50 or so patrons they serve each day -- from children in the after-school homework help club to adults who come in for job search assistance -- view the library as a lifeline.

"If they lose this library, it might have a ripple effect in this community," Morales said.

Library closings are also being considered in Bridgeton and Bayonne.

And Trenton's library system was due to close its neighborhood branches before being granted a reprieve by the state in November. It had to agree to cut hours, lay off workers and trim its budget by 10 percent.

In Philadelphia, a recent move by the mayor to shutter 11 public library branches drew sharp criticism. And a judge ruled Tuesday that the mayor didn't have the authority to close the libraries without the city council's approval.

William Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities said libraries serve an important community service, but their mandated funding formula is hurting many communities that need more flexibility in tight economic times.

"When municipalities have to decide between health services, picking up garbage, sanitation issues, or life-and-death services like fire and police, it's difficult," he said. "If every service got its fair share of dollars, we wouldn't be having these discussions."

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The library - a recession sanctuary

The library - a recession sanctuary
By Derrick Z. Jackson
Boston Globe Columnist / January 3, 2009

IN A SPEECH a month ago to the nation's governors, 41 of whom he said were likely to face budget shortfalls, President-elect Obama said, "Jobs are being cut. Programs for the needy are at risk. Libraries are being closed. . ." Libraries are a rhetorical anchor for Obama, from his 2008 campaign promise to "connect our schools and libraries" to the Internet to his 2004 Democratic convention speech where he said, "we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries."

This week, senior Obama advisor David Axelrod said support for libraries is still part of the stimulus package, "refurbishing the nation's classrooms and labs and libraries so our kids can compete."
That is, if the libraries first avoid being trampled.

Obama's library lament to governors came in Philadelphia, where Mayor Michael Nutter says he must shutter 11 of 54 branches in cuts of "epic proportions." This is part of a silent tragedy. Library systems across the nation face cuts and closures at the very moment they have become recession sanctuaries.

Checkouts of books, CDs, and DVDs are up 15 percent at the main library in Modesto, Calif. In Boulder, Colo., circulation of job-hunting materials is up 14 percent. Usage of the Newark Public Library in New Jersey is up 17 percent. Library card requests have increased 27 percent in the last half of 2008 in San Francisco. The Boise Public Library reported a 61 percent increase in new library cards in 2008. In Brantley County, Georgia, library computer usage was up 26 percent in the last quarter.

"Some have said their computer at home was all torn up," Brantley library manager Kathy Moody told the Florida Times-Union. "Others have said they don't have Internet service or they had to drop their service."

In Washoe County, Nevada, library director Arnold Maurins credited early voting for a 9 percent or 10 percent increase in library usage that has stuck. "I think it's kind of a common-sense conclusion that people are looking for less expensive ways to meet their reading or recreation needs," Maurins told the Associated Press. "They can go to a program that's free instead of paying $20 to go to the movies."

In Kern County, California, where Diane Duquette has been library director for 22 years, library checkouts were up 19 percent in the last quarter. She told the Bakersfield Californian, "We've never had that kind of increase before. Wow. In my time here, we've maybe had a 1 percent or 2 percent increase in good years."

The Boston Public Library is no different. New library cards are up 32.7 percent from July to November of 2008, compared with the same period in 2007. Visits are up 13 percent, from 1.4 million visits to 1.6 million. Checkouts of books, CDs, and DVDs are up 7.2 percent overall over the last fiscal year. More telling is that checkouts have soared between 27 percent and 37 percent at the Egleston Square, Fields Corner, Jamaica Plain, and Orient Heights branches.

New BPL president Amy Ryan said a baby story program at the Copley library has grown from fluctuating between 60 and 80 families to well over 100. Monthly visits to a free Internet homework tutoring service have doubled from 300 to 600. She said anecdotal reports indicate a spike in people using branch libraries to research new careers or returning to school. This is despite the BPL probably facing cuts, too.

"Libraries are unfortunately used to this," Ryan said. "But the essential role of the library cannot be duplicated in anybody's home, when you consider the combination of manuals, books, and librarian expertise," Ryan said. "In down economic times, families aren't going out to spend a lot of money on books and movies. This is when the branches can shine as a community gathering place and at a time when people are seeking answers to life improvement."

Libraries are shining so brightly in this recession, the nation's politicians - from Obama to the mayors - must keep their lights flickering. Obama says he wants to link all libraries to the Internet. You cannot connect them if the doors are locked.

Derrick Z. Jackson can be reached at jackson@globe.com.

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