Copyright Statement

« February 2009 | Main | April 2009 »

March 29, 2009

Costs for new Warren County library and human services headquarters now at $24 million

Friday, March 27, 2009
By COLIN MCEVOY
The Express-Times
WHITE TWP. | Warren County freeholders plan to shave $2 million from a $26 million plan for a new library and human services headquarters by reusing old furniture.

During an update on the proposed 78,000-square-foot building, architect James Guerra said reusing furniture from the old county buildings, rather than buying new furniture, cuts the estimated project cost to about $24 million.

Appearing Wednesday before the board, Guerra said the project at Route 519 and Foul Rift Road also would include a $60,000 generator, $50,000 third-floor storage area and the possibility of using solar panels down the road.

Upon its anticipated 2011 completion, the building would house the library headquarters, Warren County Department of Health and Human Services, election board and the public health nursing agency. It is proposed beside the county's Wayne Dumont Jr. Administration Building in White Township.

Guerra said he expects to have construction documents completed by summer's end and hopes to begin and end the bidding process before winter.

The county has committed to a $4.6 million geothermal heating system, Guerra said. But it may pursue solar panels, depending on what kind of grant money becomes available.

Engineer John Carson said the solar panels would pay for themselves in about 20 years, but the panels generally only have a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years.

If the county can put enough grant money into the panels, it would see a payback much sooner than 20 years, he said.

Carson told freeholders he expects to know by next month how much grant money would be available. The county has already been approved for a $284,000 energy grant.

The third-floor storage area is obtainable by converting the pitched roof on the two-story building, Guerra said.

The area could contain up to 125 pounds per square foot, and the county would have the option of expanding it into office space in future years.

Although no formal vote was held, Freeholder Director Richard Gardner and Freeholder Everett Chamberlain said they approved of the option.

They also informally agreed on the $60,000 generator that would cover minimal safety items if power goes down.

Guerra also discussed options for more expensive generators that could handle all heating and lighting for up to $100,000, but freeholders preferred the less-expensive option.

Reporter Colin McEvoy can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at cmcevoy@express-times.com.

Posted by tumulty at 6:06 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 25, 2009

Moorestown Council approves design for municipal complex

By: TODD MCHALE
Burlington County Times
tmchale@phillyBurbs.com

MOORESTOWN - The township council has decided what to do with the municipal complex.

In a unanimous vote Mon-day night, the board approved an architectural design that will move the library into the former Town Hall next to a newly renovated police station and other shared facilities.

The plan calls for a new, 14,000 square-foot building next to the old Town Hall to house the township's municipal offices. The project is estimated to cost about $11.6 million.

"It's been a long time coming," Mayor Daniel Roccato said after the vote. "I think it's a major step forward in the project."

The decision comes 20 months after a fire severely damaged the Town Hall, causing the township to condemn the building and move its offices into temporary quarters off Executive Drive.

Acting Mayor John Button, project point person, said the design chosen was the best of the four options considered.

"We felt this made the most sense for the township," Button said, adding it fulfills all the township, police and library needs.

In addition, the design allows for the library and the township to share a multi-purpose auditorium for municipal court, public meetings and events.

Under the plan, the former Town Hall would be gutted to the steel and reconstructed, according to Button.

The existing library could be demolished and turned into open space or used in a different capacity, officials said.

Advertisement Councilman Seth Broder believes one of the best parts of the plan is that it provides different options for the existing library property.

"This is one [plan] where we have incredible flexibility," Broder said. "Our asset is the flexibility."

Prior to the vote, several residents spoke in favor of the municipal complex design.

Resident Stanley Ralph en-couraged the council to move forward. "As an engineer, it's way good enough," he said of the design. "I think it's time. We have a boarded up Town Hall, a library that needs some help. Let's just do this thing."

But resident Joyce Connell questioned proceeding in such tough economic times.

"Considering the current state of the economy, I'm concerned you are moving forward in haste," she said.

Township officials and some residents said that lower construction and labor costs now makes it the perfect time to proceed. It is expected the project will take up to two years to complete.

"We are never going to find a better time to do this," said Jake Der Hagopian, chairman of the Moorestown Economic Development Advisory Committee. "The costs of these types of projects are not going to go down any lower."

Button agreed and said the township should be able to take advantage of the recent federal stimulus program and other alternative funding for the project.

Posted by tumulty at 9:59 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Hanover mulls cut to library funding

Whippanong facility would have to cut hours, story times
BY JAKE REMALY • DAILY RECORD • March 25, 2009

HANOVER -- A sign at the Whippanong Library circulation desk outlines the possible impact of a $65,000 reduction in municipal aid, a cut the Township Committee is weighing as it works to draft its 2009 budget.

The library would close on Sundays, reduce hours on other days and close for four weeks.

Spring and fall story times would be eliminated, and the library would reduce its acquisitions of CDs and DVDs, among other measures, the sign says.

"People need the libraries," library Director Sulekha Das said in an interview Tuesday. "Why they want to cut us, I have no idea."

The Whippanong Library board of trustees and the Hanover Township Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the library's 2009 budget request and possible funding reductions at an open public session at 7 p.m. today in the main conference room of the municipal building, 1000 Route 10, Whippany.

Library officials said on Tuesday that they had heard speculation that some committee members have proposed eliminating the Whippanong Library altogether because the Morris County Library also is in the township.

No redundancy
Das, Whippanong Library director for 29 years, said the library shouldn't be seen as redundant.

"Here, this is the town center," she said. "We don't compete with the county library. We complement each other."

Committeeman George Coppola said he did not know of any committee members who want to eliminate the library altogether.

"I understand how they feel," Coppola said. "I understand how everyone feels. These are not normal times."

The Township Committee invited the library trustees to the meeting, and no formal action will be taken during the joint session, according to a township notice of the meeting.

The library is a private organization housed for free in the municipal complex.

Das said the township historically has always funded the library's budget requests because the governing body always got positive feedback from the community.

$390,000 request
The library's request for 2009 was $390,000, the same as in 2008, she said.

Das said the library has expanded in size during her tenure and now has four additional full-time employees.

"If you build it they will come, and that's what happened," she said.

She said that during the recession people are increasingly turning to libraries for free books, movies and newspapers.

In the summer months, people come into the air-conditioned library for refuge from the heat, she said.

She said the county library is a great research library, while the Whippanong Library is a good place for popular books, community events, story times and chess clubs.

The committee also is considering not funding the fireworks or the annual festival, Hanover Township Day.

The combined elimination of those events could result in savings of $35,000.

The next budget work session is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at the municipal building.

Posted by tumulty at 9:51 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Libraries help during

Times of Trenton
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
BY NORMA BLAKE
During the past year, more than 100,000 New Jersey residents lost their jobs, adding their names to a list that was already well over 200,000. Many families in our state are facing economic challenges, some for the first time. Businesses, both large and small, are closing their doors as their revenue stream is squeezed by a lack of available credit and reduced consumer spending. As families and businesses cut their budgets, they are turning to their libraries to make up for some of the cuts and shave expenditures.

"As a small business owner, in these struggling economic times, every dollar counts," Lisa Harper of A&L Harper Trucking Co. told us. "I learned that the Burlington County library subscribes to a database through the New Jersey Knowledge Initiative (NJKI) that I was about to pay a couple of hundred dollars for. Since then, I've learned of other resources available for businesses at the library."

Rachel Schneider, owner of Magnus Marketing Group, finds the library's resources vital to her business and the businesses of her clients. "I work with a lot of small and start-up companies who, like me, could not afford to subscribe to the databases my library provides," she said. "With the resources on NJKI, we are able to research business and industry trends in newspapers and trade journals. It allows small, unknown companies that cannot afford to advertise or have a Web site the opportunity to be discovered. By using Frost & Sullivan, I was able to put together an effective business plan for one of my clients to guide their success, and use the resources available to find prospects to help grow all of our companies."

In response to these harsh economic times, libraries are not just maintaining services like NJKI, but adding programs to help community members who have lost their jobs to learn new skills, cope with new challenges, ease their fears and help their bottom lines. Some of these people are not strangers to the staff, but it is the first time in many years, perhaps their entire lives, that they have come to the library unemployed and worried about the future. Some have little or no computer skills, have never created a résumé, have never looked for a job online. For those with laptops who have cancelled internet service at home, our libraries offer free WiFi. Some small business owners have seen their business plans ruined and need expert advice on how to reorganize their business to preserve its viability.

Our librarians are reporting that computer use is up substantially -- an average of 25 percent -- as a direct result of the increase in unemployment. At the East Brunswick library, its 50 internet stations are always busy. In Plainfield, the 19 public computers are busy 11 hours a day, six days a week; and the Morris County library has seen a 275 percent increase in attendance at its career seminars.

Libraries all over New Jersey have transformed themselves to meet the needs of their communities by scheduling career counseling, résumé writing and networking workshops; English as a second language and citizenship classes; basic and advanced computer classes; and classes on financial literacy and management. Some have set up career centers and are working with their local employment service offices to bring in speakers in the evening. Libraries in Caldwell, Cranford, Princeton and South Brunswick have scheduled SCORE programs and counseling sessions for small-business owners.

With the increase in demand, one of the things we realized was that many of our customers, now faced with economic challenges for the first time, might not know what assistance is available or where to get information about those services. In response to this need, the State Library created Get Help! at http://gethelp.njlibraries.org, which provides links to a spectrum of important service providers covering everything from applying for food stamps and children's health care to veterans' services and foreclosure prevention help.

In spite of the need and in spite of the increased usage, many of our libraries -- 28 percent in our random sample -- are reporting decreased operating budgets. This will result in a reduction of products and possibly operating and staff hours, occurring at a time when New Jersey families need their libraries the most. Our libraries are valuable resources in our communities -- for adults, teens, children, senior citizens, businesses and organizations. It's a vital resource at a very affordable price.

With their wealth of resources, variety of programs and increased services, our libraries are striving to make these difficult times a bit easier for small businesses and families facing economic and employment challenges. The personal service our users receive can relieve some stress, remove some doubt and increase confidence. Our libraries have never been more important to the citizens of New Jersey and are committed to providing the resources our users need to speed their personal recovery, which, in turn, will aid in making our national recovery much faster.

Norma E. Blake is New Jersey state librarian. In 2008, she was named National Librarian of the Year by "Library Journal" and she was selected by the Girl Scouts of America as a Woman of Distinction.

Posted by tumulty at 9:31 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 22, 2009

Soliman: Libraries are a bright spot during rough economic times

Friday, March 20, 2009

NorthJersey.com
THESE ARE tough economic times. There are those who are unemployed and wondering how they will maintain their rent payments and grocery costs. And those who are still employed are cutting back on luxuries.

In fact, just the other day, I heard someone say he wished they had more money for videos, books, magazines and Internet service. He said that the current economic climate has forced him to cut back on entertainment costs. That's when I told him about a trick my father taught me as a child to get around paying for such items: Get a free public library card.

The ability of people to spend $25 on a new book and $5 on a magazine at the local bookstore as they drink their $4 lattes has dramatically decreased.

Meanwhile, as the value of almost everything in this economy goes down, the value of the local library is on the rise.

According to the Bergen County Cooperative Library Systems, which is made up of 75 libraries in North Jersey, borrowing rose by 8.2 percent in 2008 to a total of 10.9 million items.

The library offers Internet access, puppet shows for the kids, free video rentals for family movie night and an almost unlimited number of magazines and books for avid readers, all at no cost.

But despite the advantages the public library offers the community during these tough economic times, those same tough times are threatening library funding.

Recently, the New Jersey League of Municipalities proposed halving library funding. The library community responded with a campaign to defeat the budget changes, and dozens of library boards in the Bergen County Cooperative Library System objected to the proposal.

The debate over library funding has surfaced in various area townships as well, as town councils have been asked to pass resolutions that oppose the budget cuts. One such debate occurred in Demarest recently. The concern is that the budget for the libraries continues to rise each year, while revenue does not keep up.

Despite concerns, the budget increases are clearly worth the cost.

Library officials have calculated that the average yearly value to every card used in the Bergen County Cooperative Library System is $706, assuming savings users accrue by not spending money on such things as book purchases, subscriptions, cable and video rentals.

To cut the funding of one of the few public services offering relief in these economic times would be wrong. More importantly, it would send the wrong message.

It wasn't too long ago that many people declared the era of the public library to be nearly over. It was argued that the competition from cable television and video games was too much for the libraries to match.

Now, however, the local public library is growing in popularity with youth for the first time in years. This is an opportunity to allow an entirely new generation to understand the importance of their local library.

If communities were to cut the funding in half for those libraries, it would be telling the youth that the libraries are not worth it. That's a message we cannot send.

The current economic situation is tough, but it will not last forever. One of the few silver linings that might come out of it is increased and lifelong appreciation for the local public library, but only if adequate funding is retained. All measures to do otherwise should be quickly rejected.

Ahmed Soliman's column appears weekly. Send comments about this column to The Record at letterstotheeditor@northjersey.com.

Posted by tumulty at 8:11 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 21, 2009

New flap over old books

New flap over old books
Words fly about ink in pre-1986 children's works.
By Lee Logan
Philadelphia Inquire March 21, 2009
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Could a vintage, dog-eared copy of The Cat in the Hat or Where the Wild Things Are be hazardous to your children?
Probably not, according to the nation's premier medical sleuths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But a new federal law banning more than minute levels of lead in most products intended for children 12 or younger - and a federal agency's interpretation of the law - prompted at least two libraries last month to pull children's books printed before 1986 from their shelves.

Lead poisoning has been linked to irreversible learning disabilities and behavioral problems, and lead was in printer's ink until a growing body of rules banned it in 1986. The federal law, which took effect Feb. 10, was passed last summer after a string of toy recalls.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has interpreted the law to include books but has neither concluded that older books could be hazardous to children nor made any recommendations to libraries about quarantining such tomes, agency chief of staff Joe Martyak said Tuesday.

Still, the agency's interpretation itself has been labeled alarmist by some librarians.

Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association's Washington office, said: "We're talking about tens of millions of copies of children's books that are perfectly safe. I wish a reasonable, rational person would just say: 'This is stupid. What are we doing?' "

A CPSC spokesman said in a recent interview that until more testing was done, the nation's more than 116,000 public and school libraries should take steps to ensure children are kept away from books printed before 1986.

But Martyak said the spokesman "misspoke" about the agency's stance on older books.

"We're not urging libraries to take them off the shelves," Martyak said. "It's true the CPSC is investigating whether the ink contains unsafe levels of lead in children's books printed before 1986."

Jay Dempsey, a communications specialist at the CDC, said lead-based ink in children's books posed little danger.

"If that child were to actually start mouthing the book . . . that's where the concern would be," he said. "But on a scale of one to 10, this is like a 0.5 level of concern."

The publishing and printing industries set up a Web site in December for book publishers to post the results of studies measuring the lead in books and their components. Those results show lead levels that were often undetectable and consistently below not only the new federal threshold but also the more stringent limit that takes effect in August 2011.

Those findings were cited in a letter from the Association of American Publishers to the CPSC.

The American Library Association said it had no estimate of how many children's books printed before 1986 were in circulation. But typically, libraries don't have many, because youngsters are rough on books, librarians said.

"Frankly, most of our books have been well-used and well-appreciated," said Rhoda Goldberg, director of the Harris County system in Houston. "They don't last 24 years."

Sheketoff said she heard of just two libraries that started to restrict access to children's books last month amid publicity about the new law. One roped off the children's section; the other covered children's books with a tarp. Both libraries, which she declined to identify, stopped after being contacted by the association, she said.

Margaret Todd, with the Los Angeles County system, which has 89 branches and about three million children's books, said, "Communities would have a stroke if public libraries started throwing out hundreds and hundreds of books."

Posted by tumulty at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 19, 2009

In tight times, N.J. libraries market themselves

March 19, 2009
By Cynthia Henry

Inquirer Staff Writer

New Jersey librarians are learning to tell their own story.

They're compiling testimonials and statistics they say will "reinvent people's perceptions of what libraries are - not just someplace to house books," said Helen Snowden, children's librarian at the Gloucester Township branch of the Camden County system.

The New Jersey Library Association, in conjunction with the State Library in Trenton, is teaching libraries to market their services, which these days include unemployment assistance, small-business development, tax filing, and early-childhood education.

"Marketing is a new job for us," said Carolyn Wood, West Deptford adult-services librarian.

Library associations need savvy lobbyists to fight impending budget cuts, leaders say. Gov. Corzine's proposed 2010 budget calls for cutting library aid for the second time in two years - a cumulative 18 percent since 2008, said Pat Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association.

On Feb. 19, the association took a daily-use "snapshot" of 250 member libraries. Now the State Library's "Tell Me Your Story" project is creating an online journal of how patrons use libraries.

"When people ask me the dreaded question, 'Do people still go to libraries?' I'm able to say, 'On this day, 161,367 walked through the doors,' " said Heidi Cramer, association president and cochair of Snapshot Day.

Intuitively, libraries know what they do, Cramer said. But the one-day survey provided concrete evidence: 156,793 books and movies borrowed, 18,537 questions asked, 27,742 computer sign-ons, 1,241 programs offered.

"It's just an easier way to explain what we do to people, whether it's to our patrons or politicians," Cramer said. "It was a great morale booster."

On Snapshot Day in West Deptford, frequent patron Anne Marie Smith waited with a half-dozen others for free tax advice. She planned to return that evening for an Abraham Lincoln lecture.

Smith has been going to her town's library since 1961, when she first took her children to a story time. Now she stops in to type up notes on the computers for the town's Senior Club.

She also attends programs at the county library in Mullica Hill.

Could she imagine a day without a library, the premise of Snapshot Day? "Oh, no," she said. "They have a big following here."

Especially since the economy turned sour. "Hard times are good times for libraries," said Joseph Galbraith, director of the Moorestown library, where circulation grew more than 26 percent last year, largely in adult books but also in DVDs.

Average circulation, visitation, computer use, and programs increased by up to 29 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 over the same period in 2007, according to a State Library survey of 88 libraries. Some jumps were huge, such as a 350 percent increase in computer use in Millville, Cumberland County, and a 103 percent jump in borrowing in Delanco.

West Deptford youth librarian Diane Cann has observed parents working on resumes and job applications while their children attend story time. Foreseeing another stay-at-home summer, parents already are inquiring about library programs, she said.

Gloucester Township parents who can no longer afford preschool use library programs to prepare their children for kindergarten, Snowden said.

Libraries depend on state aid to keep the lights on and buy materials, but also to pay for joint purchasing, interlibrary loans, electronic databases, and small-business initiatives, Tumulty said.

"Library usage that was already going up is now skyrocketing," State Librarian Norma Blake said. "At the same time, the budget isn't there. Libraries can't help in the recovery if they don't have the money."

Initial budget figures suggest that New Jersey's per-capita state aid will be down 10 percent in fiscal 2010, after an 8 percent cut last year, Blake said. The New Jersey Knowledge Initiative, which helps libraries give small businesses free advice, faces a 47 percent cut over fiscal 2009.

"We're all trying to do more with less, but there comes a point you can only do so much," Blake said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Posted by tumulty at 6:59 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Libraries' free resources draw residents in hard times

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

BY RICHARD COWEN
NorthJersey.com
STAFF WRITER
When the going gets tough, the tough go to the library.

The economic slowdown has led to a surge in library use as throngs of jobless people seek free help finding work, while budget-conscious families look for cheap entertainment.

"We're seeing a lot more people who are coming for help finding jobs," said Jody Treadway, director of the Wayne Public Library. "I'm also seeing more families coming in to rent DVDs and watch movies."

Visiting a library has become Square One for many job seekers, who can tap into a wide array of books and online databases — all free. And libraries have also become ad hoc job- training centers as people come in to learn new computer skills.

The Ridgewood Public Library offers classes on popular computer programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Other libraries — among them Clifton, Fort Lee, Paramus, Woodland Park and Ringwood — offer one-on-one computer training, usually by appointment only.

"They're turning to us for job assistance and business creation," said Patricia Tumulty, the director of the New Jersey Library Association. "We're helping them fill out unemployment forms online. The public sees us as a central service."

Although demand for services is up, libraries are also being dragged down by the economic crisis. Governor Corzine's proposed budget reduces state funding to libraries by 14 percent, from $16 million to $13.6 million.

"That's not good news, given how much the public has turned to us," Tumulty said.

A recent survey of 88 libraries by the NJLA estimated that circulation was up about 12 percent in 2008; Bergen County's consortium of 75 libraries (www.bccls.org) reported an increase in borrowing of 8 percent in 2008.

Less obvious — but perhaps more telling about the overall state of the economy — is the huge surge in demand at reference desks and for online services.

Most libraries offer online free access to a variety of business databases to their cardholders. Cardholders can link up to these databases through the library's Web site.

The Wayne Public Library received 17.8 million hits in 2008, an astounding 56 percent increase over the previous year. Among the most popular of these databases is ReferenceUSA, a digital Yellow Pages that contains information about businesses and products across the nation.

ReferenceUSA is considered a valuable tool for job seekers and people who are looking to expand their businesses. The NJLA has previously made Reference USA available to local libraries through state funding, but that is now threatened by the proposed cuts.

Also on the increase is the number of technical questions that reference librarians are answering — many of them from people who are running businesses from their homes or laptop computers.

"Ten years ago, the calls to the reference desk were a lot simpler," Treadway said. "People would call and ask, 'What is the capital of Idaho?' Now, they want to know questions about product liability laws and how to obtain certain licenses to run their businesses."

Christine Zembicki, director of the Clifton Memorial Library, says there's an ever-increasing demand for English as a Second Language courses, as well as advice on how to build résumés. The Clifton library added 27,000 new cardholders last year, she said.

Although hard times have dampened retail sales of books, music and movies, they haven't lessened the public's desire to be entertained. They can get the same books, music and movies at the library for free. And sometimes live entertainment, too.

"The other day, we had a juggler and some clowns from the Ringling Brothers circus perform here," said Len Lopinto, director of the Paramus Public Library. "The place was packed."

When the going gets tough, the tough go to the library.

"We're seeing a lot more people who are coming for help finding jobs," said Jody Treadway, director of the Wayne Public Library. "I'm also seeing more families coming in to rent DVDs and watch movies."

Visiting a library has become Square One for many job seekers, who can tap into a wide array of books and online databases — all free. And libraries have also become ad hoc job- training centers as people come in to learn new computer skills.

The Ridgewood Public Library offers classes on popular computer programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Other libraries — among them Clifton, Fort Lee, Paramus, Woodland Park and Ringwood — offer one-on-one computer training, usually by appointment only.

Local libraries have seen circulation rise, but they are also serving as makeshift job centers as people come in for access to online databases and to learn new computer skills. "They're turning to us for job assistance and business creation," said Patricia Tumulty, the director of the New Jersey Library Association. "We're helping them fill out unemployment forms online. The public sees us as a central service."

Although demand for services is up, libraries are also being dragged down by the economic crisis. Governor Corzine's proposed budget reduces state funding to libraries by 14 percent, from $16 million to $13.6 million.

"That's not good news, given how much the public has turned to us," Tumulty said.

A recent survey of 88 libraries by the NJLA estimated that circulation was up about 12 percent in 2008; Bergen County's consortium of 75 libraries (www.bccls.org) reported an increase in borrowing of 8 percent in 2008.

Less obvious — but perhaps more telling about the overall state of the economy — is the huge surge in demand at reference desks and for online services.

Most libraries offer online free access to a variety of business databases to their cardholders. Cardholders can link up to these databases through the library's Web site.

The Wayne Public Library received 17.8 million hits in 2008, an astounding 56 percent increase over the previous year. Among the most popular of these databases is ReferenceUSA, a digital Yellow Pages that contains information about businesses and products across the nation.

ReferenceUSA is considered a valuable tool for job seekers and people who are looking to expand their businesses. The NJLA has previously made Reference USA available to local libraries through state funding, but that is now threatened by the proposed cuts.

Also on the increase is the number of technical questions that reference librarians are answering — many of them from people who are running businesses from their homes or laptop computers.

"Ten years ago, the calls to the reference desk were a lot simpler," Treadway said. "People would call and ask, 'What is the capital of Idaho?' Now, they want to know questions about product liability laws and how to obtain certain licenses to run their businesses."

Christine Zembicki, director of the Clifton Memorial Library, says there's an ever-increasing demand for English as a Second Language courses, as well as advice on how to build résumés. The Clifton library added 27,000 new cardholders last year, she said.

Although hard times have dampened retail sales of books, music and movies, they haven't lessened the public's desire to be entertained. They can get the same books, music and movies at the library for free. And sometimes live entertainment, too.

"The other day, we had a juggler and some clowns from the Ringling Brothers circus perform here," said Len Lopinto, director of the Paramus Public Library. "The place was packed."

E-mail: cowen@northjersey.com

Posted by tumulty at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 18, 2009

Editorial: Library Funding

Philadelphia Inquirer
March 17, 2009

Worth checking out

City Councilman Bill Green's proposal for dedicated Free Library funding isn't exactly far-fetched, so Mayor Nutter overreacted Friday when he branded the idea as "fiscally irresponsible."
In several other Pennsylvania counties and municipalities in this region, as well as across much of New Jersey, libraries receive some form of dedicated funding.

That doesn't mean Green's plan should be implemented, however. But it does deserve a serious review by Council, particularly given the critical importance of preserving viable library services in Philadelphia.

Green's proposal, cosponsored with five others on Council, is straightforward. Under state law, voters can be asked to approve a referendum that would dedicate a fraction of the city real estate tax millage to the Free Library.

"Let's ask the voters if libraries are such an essential service that we should have separate dedicated funding," Green explains.

The library earmark wouldn't represent a tax increase, since the city's overall tax rate would remain stable. Libraries, though, would be assured of their slice of the fiscal pie.

Green's intent would be to generate the same level of funding that Nutter is expected to propose in his new budget this week. That wouldn't solve all of the Free Library's money woes. The mayor still faces a challenge to keep the lights on in as many library branches as possible.

There may be downsides to the plan that should be weighed. For instance, a dedicated tax for libraries might only further tie the hands of the mayor in setting budget policy.

Under current rules, the mayor can balance the need for library funding against the whole array of other critical city services. He's fully accountable for all of those decisions, and there's a value in having that flexibility in crafting the city budget.

There's also the slippery-slope effect: While state law does not provide specifically for similar tax set-asides for other city services, officials could come under public pressure to declare set funding levels for fire stations, trash collection, and the like. That would erode further a mayor's ability to manage City Hall.

The practical effect of a dedicated library fund could be to delay or even postpone the broader, dispassionate review of the library system and staffing: Can and should all of the branches continue to be funded, given the city's population decline and revenue crunch?

At the same time, the city should work with the Philadelphia school district to see if joint funding is a solution, since the district essentially uses some branches in place of its own libraries. More broadly, the energetic group of advocates who rallied against 11 branch closings last year should develop a plan to adopt libraries and identify private funding to underwrite branches.

Posted by tumulty at 10:35 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Nutter wants to hike sales tax; will save libraries, pools, health centers

March 18, 2009
By Jennifer Lin

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In a bad news-good news press conference today, Mayor Nutter said he wants to impose a temporary one-percent sales tax to raise revenue - but added that he would direct some of the money to keep open libraries, pools, homeless shelters and community health centers.

Nutter said a sales tax for only three years could generate $340 million. He added that the measure would have to be approved by lawmakers in Harrisburg.

Standing on the baseball field at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia, Nutter said, "No one likes to propose raising taxes. It's not the most comfortable place to find myself, but the alternatives are worse."

The proposed sales tax comes on the heels of an announcement Monday by the mayor that he also wants to increase property taxes.

The mayor tempered the news of his proposed sales tax by outlining all the services that the money could save, such as:

Keeping open all libraries;

Maintaining the hours of all recreation centers;

Maintaining all eight community health centers;

Retaining 3,390 slots for after-school programs;

Retaining all services for abused and neglected children;

Maintaining funding for homeless shelters.

Previously, his administration had been examining big cuts in each of those areas.

In addition to asking the General Assembly for approval to impose a three-year sales tax, the city also is asking for relief for how it amortizes the unfunded portion of its pension fund. Under the city's proposal, the timeline for that liablity would be stretched over 40 years instead of 20.

Nutter said if those two measures are not approved, the cuts in essential services would be drastic. "It is absolutely a place where none of us wants to go," Nutter said.

The reaction to the Mayor's announcement was mixed.

A coalition of unions, homeless advocates, churches and anti-proverty groups had mixed reactions to today's announcement.

Many were relieved that there would not be cuts to the city's homeless system or community health centers.

But they saw a sales tax as too punitive to the city's poorest residents.

If the city has to raise revenue via higher taxes, the approach should be more "fair and equitable," said the Rev. Jesse Brown, of the Calvary Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia.

The mayor, Brown said, is not seeking to raise the business or wage taxes. "It should not only be individuals of the city who are responsible for closing the budget with higher taxes, but also businesses."

Posted by tumulty at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Philadelphia mayor: Library funding won't be cut

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter says his budget proposal won't close any libraries and will keep more pools open.

Nutter previewed the budget Wednesday. He will take it to City Council on Thursday afternoon. It will include a temporary 19 percent increase in the property tax and a one percent increase in the city's sales tax.

The mayor says his budget will not reduce library funding. In November, Nutter created a public outcry when he announced plans to shutter some libraries.

Nutter says more public pools will remain open because of increased and private funding. Initially, officials said 63 of the 73 outdoor city pools would close this summer; Nutter now says 46 will be open.

He also says the budget will not close community health centers or reduce recreation department programs.

Posted by tumulty at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Phillipsburg and Warren County library agreement could get yearlong extension

Saturday, March 14, 2009
By BILL WICHERT
The Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG | A longstanding agreement between the town and Warren County for library services could be extended for at least a year.

While the county would like the Phillipsburg Free Public Library to join the county library system, freeholders said they would support an agreement extension sought by town officials.

Set to expire at the end of the year, the 19-year-old agreement allows residents from neighboring municipalities who pay a county library tax to use the town library at no charge.

"If they need more time to review it, I don't have a problem with that," Freeholder Everett Chamberlain said. "There's no intent here to take over. It's strictly Phillipsburg's choice."

Mayor Harry Wyant said the town needs more time to look at joining the county system, maintaining the existing agreement or establishing a regional library at the same facility with the townships of Lopatcong, Pohatcong and Greenwich.

"I would rule nothing out at this point," Wyant said.

A regional library wouldn't cost those township residents any more money than they are paying in county library taxes, but seceding from the county system would take two years, Wyant said.

Joining the county system still raises various issues, officials said. Phillipsburg wants to ensure that the library would remain at its Frost Avenue location, Wyant said.

The town would lease the building to the county, Wyant said. The county could pay the municipality for the books or include that inventory as part of the lease agreement, he said.

The municipality also needs to know about any change in hours, employees and capital funding, according to Phillipsburg Council President David DeGerolamo.

If the agreement were to stand, Chamberlain said he has some changes in mind.

The timeframe on renegotiating the agreement, which now occurs every 10 years, needs to be shortened, Chamberlain said. Joint ownership of the books also needs to be considered, he said.

Although the county appoints representatives to the town library board, the county wants more say in the operation, toward which it contributes about 56 percent of the funding, Chamberlain said.

The library board consists of three county representatives and four town representatives, Wyant said. He said he is comfortable with adding another county representative and discussing book ownership.

With greater county involvement, DeGerolamo said he fears the result would be cutbacks in staff, hours and resources.

"Everybody wants control, control, control," DeGerolamo said. "As I understand it, the library is running extremely well."

Reporter Bill Wichert can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3570, or by e-mail at bwichert@express-times.com.

Posted by tumulty at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 15, 2009

Times Are Tough, and Libraries Are Thriving

New York Times, March 15,2009
New Jersey Section

SHIRA WEISS, a 34-year-old publicist, showed up one day with her two children at the Teaneck Public Library for the first time in years after her husband had gently inquired why she needed to spend so much on books.

She applied for a new library card and — after taking out two chick-lit novels, an illustrated “Star Wars” book for her 5-year-old, Jake, and two animal books for her 2-year-old, Ben — she instinctively pulled out her wallet to pay.

“I guess it will take an adjustment period until I realize that some of the best things in life are indeed free,” she said.

Ms. Weiss’s cheerfully erratic return to her local library illustrates a surprising upside to the economic downturn: Libraries are booming.

Indeed, the bad news on the economy is good news for libraries across the New York region, so long as they can escape the budget ax that is falling on many municipal services as cities and towns struggle with declining revenue.

People are flocking to libraries after forsaking Barnes & Noble or ditching their HBO service and subscriptions to Netflix, library officials said, because libraries’ books, DVDs and CDs have a significant advantage: They are free.

Some people are showing up at libraries for the first time for free entertainment — movies, lectures, concerts and puppet shows, library officials said. Still others are capitalizing on their newspaper racks, books and free Internet service for job searches and investment advice or advice on a topic that the title of a much-thumbed book makes obvious: “Surviving a Layoff: A Week-by-Week Guide to Getting your Life Back Together.”

There is an incongruity in libraries’ providing such a wealth of free services because libraries themselves are vulnerable to the economy. Towns and school districts have started to make cuts, and library hours and employees are frequent targets.

In Maplewood, Jane Kennedy, the library director, is grappling with a 10 percent cut to her budget, reducing it to $1.7 million, and she lamented that she is contemplating layoffs, payless furloughs and shorter hours.

“People need us more than ever, and we’re not going to be there for them,” she said, noting that circulation had climbed 8 percent from 2007 to 2008, to 235,285 items. “People count on us and we want to do more, not less.”

Librarians said they had not had to make major increases in purchases of books and DVDs, only shrewder ones — buying extra copies of, say, a John Grisham novel and cutting back on books that might not have as large a readership.

For now, libraries are welcoming their new popularity.

In Chappaqua, in Westchester County, Pamela C. Thornton, the director of the Chappaqua Library, said that circulation in December was up 22.3 percent from December 2007, with patrons checking out 35,692 books, DVDs, CDs and other items.

In Teaneck, patronage for the last quarter of 2008 was up 7 percent compared with the previous year’s last quarter, with 144,500 items borrowed, according to Michael McCue, the library’s director.

The Bergen County Cooperative Library System, a consortium of 75 libraries in northern New Jersey, reported an 8.2 percent increase in borrowing in 2008, with 10,887,000 items taken out.

“People are reawakening to all the things the library has to offer, and unfortunately this is because of the economic downturn,” said Arlene Sahraie, the library services director for the Bergen County network. “There’s a saying among librarians that libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”

Robert White, the director of the network, said he had calculated that “the average yearly value to every card used in our system was $706.”

“You don’t get that kind of rebate on the Discover Card,” Mr. White said. “And it’s all free.”

As in Ms. Weiss’s case, librarians said they were noticing more adults getting library cards for the first time, or sheepishly explaining that they had lost their cards or even paying long-neglected late fees so they could use the library’s free Internet service.

Jude Schanzer, the director of programming at the East Meadow Public Library, on Long Island, tells the story of a middle-class woman in her 50s who dropped in late last year after work and applied for a library card. She confided to a librarian that it was the first library card she had possessed since childhood.

“Now I don’t have to buy my books,” she told Ms. Schanzer. “This is how I’m cutting back.”

In Ridgefield, an affluent Connecticut town where many residents work at nearby companies like Pepsi, General Electric and I.B.M., people are tapping the public library’s free services even if they are financially comfortable enough for now, library officials said.

“I just think people are hunkering down,” said Christina Nolan, the library’s director. “They may not have to cut out Netflix, but they’re choosing to do so because they don’t know what’s around the corner.”

Long Island »Indeed, as Ms. Nolan spoke, Ann Harrington, a mother of two married to a freelance illustrator whose assignments, she said, were slipping, was carrying a half-dozen DVDs, including “A Few Good Men” and “The Upside of Anger,” as well as the inspirational football film “Facing the Giants,” which her whole family could watch.

Ms. Nolan said attendance was up 20 percent at the library’s abundant — and free — weekend and weeknight programs, with residents opting for those rather than tickets to Broadway or Lincoln Center or a movie at the multiplex. Ms. Nolan has shown the Batman movie “The Dark Knight” and “Man on Wire,” the documentary about the Twin Towers tightrope walker, to packed houses of about 100 people, something she said would not have happened a year ago.

Last fall in Chappaqua, a showing of “Waitress,” with a sweetener of 15 pies to highlight a movie motif, brought out 95 people.

East Meadow is a blue-collar and middle-class hamlet of 40,000 on Long Island, and attendance in the library’s adult programs has gone up by almost 2,000 in a year to 19,241. So many children now attend “Storytime” that the library runs two sections to accommodate all comers.

In Maplewood, Ms. Kennedy, the head librarian, said she had noticed more fathers bringing their children in during the day, “more than we’ve ever seen before.” She said she assumed that some of them may have lost their jobs and had the time to take their children to the library.

Fewer au pairs are bringing children in because some stay-at-home mothers are doing without such help, librarians in Ridgefield said. In Chappaqua and Ridgefield, families are signing up for free passes to places like the Museum of Natural History and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, library officials said.

“Here you’d think, ‘Chappaqua? People can afford to go,’ but they’re constantly in use,” Ms. Thornton, the library director, said of the passes. “We’re finding people fighting over them.”

In Ridgefield, Ms. Nolan said she had observed that people who have lost jobs in a town where two-acre zoning can isolate them are finding their way to the library to seek congenial company.

“The library is used as a gathering place for people who are intelligent and have similar values so they’re not as isolated,” she said. “We have days that 1,400 people come through our doors. That’s a lot for a town of 24,000.”

With unemployment rising, people are flocking to the library for help in finding jobs or switching careers or brushing up résumés or checking the financial ratings of companies that are advertising for help, library officials said.

In Maplewood, librarians decided so many people were asking for information about finding jobs that three weeks ago they began holding workshops on skills that longtime jobholders may never have needed, like uploading résumés on Monster.com.

“We thought we’d be getting people who were looking for jobs at Home Depot, but instead we got all white-collar professionals,” Ms. Kennedy said. “That took us back for a minute.”

In East Meadow recently, four of the nine Internet-ready computers were being used for job searches.

One of the searchers was Gary Eisele, 54, who lost his job as a customer service representative for American Home Mortgage Investment, a Melville, N.Y.-based firm that filed for bankruptcy in 2007. Mr. Eisele, one of 1,400 people let go on Long Island, has taken some temporary jobs and was checking help-wanted ads on Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com in the library because, he said, he could no longer afford home Internet service.

When “Slumdog Millionaire” started winning its haul of best picture awards, Mr. McCue, the Teaneck Public Library director, went out and bought copies of the book it is based on. He said he knew there would be requests the next day.

While meeting patrons’ needs, libraries are facing austerity themselves. Teaneck’s library, with a $2.5 million budget costing each homeowner $140, has begun talking to the township about possible cuts, said Mr. McCue.

Ridgefield’s library, with a $2 million budget, has been hit with a $60,000 cut this year, which it has been able to absorb with small adjustments, but officials there worry about what may happen when the town votes on its budget in May. To give itself a cushion, the library raised late fees to 25 cents from 10 cents.

Nonetheless, Ms. Nolan, of the Ridgefield Library, said she thinks that sustaining free services is essential.

“A library is the people’s university,” she said. “From cradle to grave, you can come here and learn about ballet, astronomy, gem cutting or whatever you want.”

Posted by tumulty at 7:17 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 12, 2009

Clock ticks for uptown library

Jersey Journal March 12, 2009
By RONALD LEIR
BW STAFF WRITER

T heresa Jones spends so much time at Bayonne's uptown library branch at Avenue C and 51st Street, she could conceivably be paying rent.

Taking a break from her computer research, Jones, 40, explained: "I come here every day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., looking for a job." She was laid off in December after working nine months as an assistant to the property manager at The Beacon, a luxury apartment complex in Jersey City.

Joseph Bonner, 64, a nomadic English professor who in 1966 captained the basketball team at St. Peter's College, Jersey City, has been coming for the past five years to do writing and research.

Hunched over other nearby terminals, were Bob Garritano, 52, a onetime on-air personality at a Bergen County radio station, and Mike Murga, 49, who last worked as a chauffeur, perusing the Web for employment options.

But after tomorrow, they and many others who've become economic casualties - along with children from neighborhood schools - will have to find another place to hunt down Internet job postings and homework helpers.

As part of an effort to climb out of its own fiscal mess, Bayonne is shutting down its uptown branch and the downtown branch at the city's Fourth Street Senior Center. In a December briefing, Mayor Mark Smith pegged the estimated savings at $250,000 but city spokesman Joseph Ryan said that all the details have yet to be played out, including exactly when the downtown branch will close.

A related issue is where the 12 computer terminals at the branches will end up, since, Ryan noted, several that were acquired through a foundation grant and others bequeathed came with the caveat that they be used in a library setting, so some computers - along with library staffers - may end up at the main library.

Several of the uptown branch patrons suggested that the city consider keeping the branch open at reduced hours for the sake of the city's youngsters.

"At 3 p.m. this place gets crowded with school children," Jones said. "I don't want the children to suffer."

Bonner added: "You come here after 3 o'clock and you'll see 15 to 20 kids waiting around to use the computers. Without them, they'll really be hurting."

Patrons also agreed that librarian Susan Humenic, who's spent half of her 24 years in the Bayonne library system at the uptown branch, has been a godsend.

"I've known Susan for five years and if anyone has devoted her time to the people, it's her," Garritano said.

"If I have a little problem with my computer, she tinkers around and finds out what to do - you need people like that. The library is an education for all of us."

Posted by tumulty at 9:09 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 11, 2009

Phillipsburg Free Public Library eyes regional consolidation

Sunday, March 08, 2009
By SARAH WOJCIK
The Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG | Mayor Harry Wyant is gauging the interest of nearby township officials in establishing a regional library.

The suggestion comes as the Phillipsburg Free Public Library faces negotiations on a 19-year-old agreement between the county and Phillipsburg, allowing residents who pay a county library tax to use the local facility without charge.

Wyant said he does not want the agreement changed and is skeptical of joining the Warren County library system.

"We run a very good library. We run a very efficient library," Wyant said. "When things are working very well, why mess with it?"

A regional library would include Lopatcong, Pohatcong and Greenwich townships, Wyant said. Joining with Phillipsburg would require these townships to secede from the county system. Wyant said Greenwich Township is the only municipality that has not yet expressed an interest.

Warren County freeholders want the agreement reworked before its expiration in December. Freeholder Everett Chamberlain has criticized the agreement for being inequitable.

If the federation agreement is terminated and Phillipsburg refuses to join the county system, residents of the surrounding townships, who make up 55 percent of the facility's usage, would no longer be members.

In the event of a consolidated regional facility, Wyant said, taxes would not increase for township residents who already pay a percentage of their tax to the county system.

Phillipsburg Library Director Ann DeRenzis said while leaving the system would eliminate some inter-library loan opportunities and purchasing power, joining forces would involve re-examining staff, policy and operation.

"Changes in municipal services just don't happen overnight," she said. "This is a serious decision."

While about 56 percent of the funding for the Phillipsburg library comes from the county, more than half of its usage comes from county library taxpayers.

DeRenzis said she has particular concern for the elderly who use the library, with almost 200 more coming from surrounding townships than from within town. She said the library has become a close-knit community with members scattered throughout the region.

"This is hard for us because we see the human part of this," she said.

With the current economic climate, DeRenzis said, she wonders how wise a decision it would be to change the agreement this year. Within a couple of years, "it could be a different story," she said.

Chamberlain said he is hoping Phillipsburg decides to bring the town's library into the county system.

"The ball's in their court," he said.

Reporter Sarah Wojcik can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3631, or by e-mail at swojcik@express-times.com.

Posted by tumulty at 9:35 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Mayor: Other factors affected deal on WT library

Gloucester County Times

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
By Jessica Beym
jbeym@sjnewsco.com

WASHINGTON TWP. The North Jersey assemblyman who introduced a bill to cut library funding in half last month said he doesn't have any plans to move forward with the bill in its current form.

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto said the bill came about because of New Jersey League of Municipalities concerns that library funding is included within 4 percent cap on local budgets, adding to budgeting problems.

Prieto proposed cutting the minimum library funding amount from one third of a mill per $100 of assessed property value Ð or about $33.33 per $100,000 Ð to one sixth of a mill per $100. One mill equals a tenth of a cent.

With that news, Washington Township Mayor Matthew Lyons said he was forced to reconsider the plan to buy a new building on Delsea Drive to serve as the new municipal library. The township wouldn't be able to afford the library if funding were cut, he said at he time.

Lyons said this week the township is still negotiating with the owners of the Education and Information Resource Center, but he still has funding concerns even if the bill doesn't move forward, he said.

"I'm not taking anything out of the mix of consideration," Lyons said. "The Legislature and the government are in predicaments right now that are unparalleled. I'm just being cognizant of that and trying to strike the best deal."

Prieto said his original intent of the bill was to find a way to ease the burden for municipalities that were struggling to meet funding requirements and stay within the state mandated cap.

"In the tough economic times that we have, the League of Municipalities was pushing hard for this," he said. "Because libraries are under the 4 percent cap, it makes it very difficult for municipalities to fund them. When the funding is over that 4 percent, then it throws everything off."

He said he recently met with state library advocates to discuss the bill and their concerns and are working toward a compromise.

The bill, as introduced, was just "a starting point," Prieto said.

"We're looking at making funding of libraries a separate line item, like open space, so that way it could be outside the cap," he said. "The bill is not going to go in its current form," he added.

Lyons said that the bill was just one of the reasons they decided to cancel the contract with EIRC. Former Mayor Paul Moriarty signed a contract in December to buy the 20,000-square-foot building for $4.65 million, which included the price of renovations. The plan was that the library board would be able to fund the entire purchase without raising additional taxes because it had money saved up in its surplus and would also be able to pay down the debt with its annual allotment.

But the township council never finalized the bond ordinance and a 90-day extension on the contract Ð to March 2 Ð lapsed without the funding being secured. However, Lyons said he hasn't ruled the EIRC building out.

"We're still moving forward, still in communication," Lyons said. "I'm not going to negotiate the terms in the paper. But we're still active, still going back and forth."

He said there are other options that are being considered for a new library but that they are "speculative" at this point.

"My concern is the overall, long-term financial health and independence of the library," Lyons said. "We're just trying to explore all options. "

Posted by tumulty at 9:32 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Trenton Library to receive $89,000 for computers, software

Times of Trenton
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
BY CARMEN CUSIDO
TRENTON -- The Trenton Public Library will receive $89,000 over two years from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for computers, software and other upgrades, said Kimberly Bray, director of the Trenton Public Library.

"This is certainly the largest grant that the library has received," Bray said, adding that the first installment of $56,550 was disbursed to the library this week, with the remaining $32,500 to be received next year, Bray said.

Bray will put together a package of recommendations of what to buy with the grant funds, including for software and hardware needs and a system-wide print management and recovery system. The purchases must be approved by the library's board of trustees.

As part of the grant, the library must purchase 29 computers, which Bray said would cost around $30,000.

"The foundation determined that number (of computers). I'm not sure how they devised that, it's formulaic," Bray said.

The library system sites have about 100 computers now, and some of the 29 will be used as replacements for machines that have reached their life spans, others will spread throughout the system sites as needed. All the computers will be for public use, Bray said.

In the fall of 2008, Bray attended a two-day advocacy symposium to be eligible to qualify. She also had to verify the city had 25 percent of matching funds for technology in its budget.

The foundation's "opportunity online" hardware grants are for public libraries "serving communities with high concentrations of poverty and that are at risk of having outdated technology," according to an October 2007 press release by the foundation. The third round of hardware grants began this year.

The Trenton library system has struggled to keep its branches open in the past year owing to funding problems. A shuffling of open hours and some staff reductions helped the library to keep its branches in operation.

"We understand resources in the city, state and country are tight. ... Trenton Public Library will continue to look for as many funding possibilities to augment our services," Bray said.

Posted by tumulty at 9:26 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 10, 2009

Plainsboro facility is home to 7.5 million books

by Christina Johnson/The Star-Ledger
Sunday March 08, 2009, 7:58 PM
The first thing that hits you is the sheer enormity of it: thousands of books packed on shelves that stretch on for so long they end in a blur. These shelves march on and on in uniform rows. And then you look up, and realize these stacks climb three stories high.

This is a real-world place, but it can feel like you've stepped into Alice's Wonderland. The Research Collections and Preservation Consortium, or ReCAP, is an astonishingly huge offsite library facility, the largest of its kind in the country, located on Forrestal Campus, in Middlesex County, near Princeton. It holds 7.5 million volumes, overflow from the shelves of Princeton and Columbia Universities and the New York Public Library.

Every day, an average of 3,000 more books are dropped off. Eventually, the 85,000-square-foot facility will triple in size, to absorb a staggering 33 million books and media items.

"This is something new in the last 10 years, for libraries to think this way, to store their materials away from the public," said executive director Eileen Henthorne, during a tour of the 30-foot high shelves in the huge refrigerated warehouse that first opened in 2002. Four forklifts beeped and whirred as their operators retrieved requests of bound volumes or other archival materials, microfilm, audio and videotapes, maps and posters.

In a few cases, portions of books would be electronically scanned and e-mailed to patrons. But most users want to thumb through the authentic article. ReCAP will deliver about 24,000 volumes this year to the college campus or city library, all within 24 hours of a request, by daily shuttle.

It is how the New York Public Library can move forward with plans for a major transformation of its facility at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, where it plans new reading rooms. Materials from the central stacks will be carted away to ReCAP and another storage facility.

Three million of Columbia University's 10 million volumes now reside in Plainsboro, said ReCAP coordinator Zack Lane. "There is a general shift in libraries to repurpose the library for study space, instead of collection of books."

"There was quite a bit of resistance before it started" said Lane. "People were afraid a book would be out of sight, out of mind." But now every book can be accounted for and accessible; ReCAP boasts a 99.999 efficiency rating.

"Actually, we never lose an item," Henthorne said. "If anything goes missing, everything is halted and we scramble. Because if you miss a book's bar code, the item will be lost forever."

It helps that the people Henthorne hires to work at ReCAP share her admitted Type-A personality. For relaxation, the former project manager enjoys putting together several jigsaw puzzles at once. She looks for similar exacting personality traits in applicants, a strong sense of responsibility, and the ability to count backward, for shelving duty.

"When you get an old book, over 100 years old, you feel like you are preserving history," said Scott Popovich, 37, of Trenton, doing a shift in the Accession and Verify department. His job on this day (the workers alternate job duties, to avoid getting bored) is to pick up books, such as "The Journal of Sub-Microscopic Cytology and Pathology," measure it against a sizing plate to determine the kind of acid-free cardboard tray it will fit into, and scan the bar code. Many of the books he touches are written in foreign languages. They can be very old, or very rare. "In a real sense, I'm taking care of this stuff, " he said.

With 3,000 books passing through every day, this is no place for a curious bibliophile. The workers rarely stop to take a peek. "Well, once some Playboys from the 1950s came in, and the line did slow down a little," Henthorne said with a laugh.

ReCAP's master plan calls for 11 modules, or free-standing, interconnected storage facilities. The fifth just opened, but plans to build the next one, which will hold about 3.3 million books, have been shelved until 2011 due to the weak economy, said project manager Bob Rittenhouse of Aegis Property Group, Philadelphia.

The costs don't end with the construction, which includes special fire walls to reduce the consequences of a disaster. To keep ReCAP at a steady 55 degrees Fahrenheit, 33 percent relative humidity, the nonprofit consortium pays PSE&G $400,000 a year. To stabilize the cost, it recently entered into an agreement with PPL Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania Power and Light, to allow 5,000 solar panels be installed on the roof. "We locked into a relatively modest utility rate over next 15 years," Rittenhouse explained.

One might wonder why universities and libraries bother to keep books at all, in this digital age.

Karin Trainer, university librarian at Princeton, explained in an e-mail: "It's a common misconception that Google is digitizing every book ever published. Intellectual property law, as well as various technical problems with page size and illustrations, mean Google's scope is actually more limited."

So the shelving will continue at ReCAP, where conscientious caretakers are preserving treasured physical artifacts, guaranteeing their longtime survival.

"I don't think of this as a morgue at all; this is a spa for books," said Henthorne.

Posted by tumulty at 7:05 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 6, 2009

Funding crisis to close chapter?

By: MELISSA HAYES
Burlington County Times
Local officials have come out against a bill in the state Assembly that could cut funding for public libraries by 50 percent.

The Willingboro Township Council passed a resolution Tuesday night that protests the legislation, which was fueled by the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

The league passed a resolution in November urging the Legislature to reduce the minimum funding level for municipal public libraries in the state from one-third mill to one-sixth mill of every dollar of assessed property value.

A mill equals one tenth of a cent. The owner of a home at Willingboro's average assessment of $100,000 would pay slightly more than $30 toward the municipal library.

In February, Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, D-32nd of Secaucus, introduced a bill that would reduce the funding as the League of Municipalities requested.

At issue are state-mandated caps on the amount municipal governing bodies can increase their spending and tax levies each year.

Prieto said he introduced the bill because of the economy and the fact that municipalities are struggling to stay within those budgetary caps this year.

"Libraries are in the 4 percent cap of the municipalities, but they are mandated to be funded a certain way, so I could see the problem municipalities have," he said.

Prieto said his intention isn't to cut off libraries or force them to reduce services, as some librarians have said would happen, but rather to begin a discussion on funding.

He said his bill is by no means finalized and he had met with the New Jersey Library Association and the League of Municipalities and hopes to eventually reach a compromise.

"We may do other things that will make it work," he said. "One may be making them a separate line item, something like open space that would be outside the cap, doing it in a way not to hurt libraries."

Advertisement Chris King, director of the Willingboro Township Library, said that if the bill were to pass as is, it could cripple libraries. The library board of trustees passed the same resolution as the Township Council at its February meeting.

"I believe most of them would close as some are only being funded at the minimum," she said. "It is problematic. If Willingboro were to receive minimal funding, we would have major reductions in the services that we could provide including our operating hours. Of course, with the economic situation being what it is in this country we cannot afford to reduce our operating hours."

King said the library is lucky enough to receive funding from the Township Council above and beyond the minimum requirement. She said that funding helps provide computer and Internet access to those who do not have it at home, especially residents who are looking to apply for jobs. The library also offers free family programming.

Most of the public libraries in the county are part of the Burlington County Library System and are funded through a dedicated tax. However, Willingboro, Mount Laurel and Moorestown have their own libraries independent of that system.

The Mount Laurel Library's board of trustees also passed a resolution combating the proposed funding reduction.

Acting Library Director Kathy Schalk-Greene said the resolution has been forwarded to the Mount Laurel Township Council. She said the council funds the library based on the minimum requirement.

"In tough times, everybody's budget is getting looked at very carefully," she said, "but also in tough times, that's when people tend to use public libraries and all libraries the most."

Email: mhayes@phillyBurbs.com

Posted by tumulty at 8:34 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Booked: The happy state of courses for librarians

By Christopher Wink

For The Inquirer

You might think librarians are going the way of card catalogs.

After all, 11 of Philadelphia's Free Library branches nearly closed late last year, and the number of public school librarians has dropped by half in the last 15 years.

Yet local colleges tell a different story.

At a time when free access to the Internet, books, movies, and lectures is more important than ever, libraries across the country - where many librarians are graying and retiring - are seeking skilled information specialists, trained and college-educated in the library sciences. And library science programs here are filling the need.

Today, Drexel has 610 students in that program - among the oldest of its kind - more than three times the 181 the college had in 2000.

"Libraries are essential to our society. . . . So are librarians," said David Fenske, dean of Drexel's College of Information Sciences, which offers a master's degree program in library and information sciences that has reached historic capacity.

The enrollment surge is at least partly the result of a report in Library Journal magazine, which suggested in May 2000 that two in five library directors were planning to retire by 2009. In June 2005, the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington responded by announcing $21 million in additional grants dedicated to recruiting and educating a new generation of librarians. Since 2003, the Free Library has received nearly $3.5 million in similar funds as part of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program.

Other library-science programs in the region have also seen large enrollment growth since those IMLS grants came into effect, particularly in the last year. After a few enrollment dips in the last decade, the library sciences program at Rutgers University has had two consecutive years of growth. Its fall 2008 class had 558 students, 10 percent more than the year before, making it the biggest class in at least eight years.

Since 2004, Kutztown University in Berks County has seen enrollment in both its traditional undergraduate program and its online graduate degree in library sciences steadily increase, before a big jump this year. The undergraduate program spiked by nearly a third to 49 students, and the number of students in graduate courses jumped by more than a quarter to 53. While some of that increase can be attributed to Kutztown's newly offered online courses, says Eloise Long, the chair of the school's library science and instructional technology department, most of its library sciences students are pursuing conventional library placement.

Despite Philadelphia's being the birthplace of the modern public library, these future librarians likely will have to go elsewhere to work.

The 11 neighborhood Free Library branches once threatened with closure have a stay of execution until June 30, the end of the city's fiscal year, but their fate is far from certain, as few budget questions have been answered. In an effort to cut $8 million, or 20 percent of its budget, the Free Library trimmed 111 positions, 25 of them full-time or in-training librarians. (Federal stimulus money is slated for infrastructure and cannot be used for operating costs and permanent staff.) At Free Library branches, librarians make about $39,000, and eventually make between $43,000 and almost $52,000.

This recent library upheaval is "shortsighted," said Fenske, the Drexel dean, a move that is threatening to further reduce the number of librarians in the region.

"It is almost impossible to run a library in Philadelphia," said Deborah Grill, a former librarian, now a literacy coach at Germantown High School. "With these cutbacks and how people see librarians, it can be tough."

Too many people, administrators and legislators included, see a librarian as a glorified babysitter, Grill said. But in schools they help complement the curriculum, and good librarians develop a collection that connects with readers. In this information age, librarians hold the key to technology and are best prepared to bridge the often-lamented digital divide, bringing the benefits of the Internet to the masses, said Fenske.

"It's not just stamping out books," Grill said.

For 15 years, Grill, 58, of Mount Airy, was a respected librarian at Roosevelt Middle School in the Washington Lane section of northwest Philadelphia.

"I think I chose every book in that library," she said. But in 2005, the middle school couldn't afford to have a full-time librarian anymore. Mostly through attrition but also through cuts in programs like Grill's at Roosevelt, there are fewer than half as many Philadelphia public school librarians today as there were as recently as 1991. For more than 200 schools, there are 77 librarians.

"This economy is the time you need libraries the most," Long, the Kutztown library sciences chair, said. "I guess that's not getting across to public officials."

That means regional librarian students are being tapped to work elsewhere. Fenske recalls being contacted by a suburban municipality outside of Los Angeles. It wanted to send a recruiter to Drexel to find a suitable information specialist.

"I wish we could find some magic way of changing society's perception on what librarians and information specialists do, to sharpen the contemporary image," Fenske said.

Posted by tumulty at 7:03 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Piscataway libraries open Career Centers

STAFF REPORT • March 4, 2009

PISCATAWAY — The local library system has opened Career Centers at both the J.F. Kennedy Library, 500 Hoes Lane, and the J.W. Westergard Library, 20 Murry Ave.

Housed in the Adult Reference Section at each building, the Career Center serves the employment needs of the community by offering a collection of books and materials in one convenient location, spokeswoman Linda A. Belkewitch said.

Customers will be able to easily access the items they need to help with job searches and career planning, Belkewitch said.

"Whether just graduating college and launching that first job search, seeking employment, or looking for a career change after years in a job, the Career Center can help,'' she said.

For more more information, call 732-463-1633, Ext. 6.

Posted by tumulty at 7:00 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Demarest library funding debated

Tuesday, March 3, 2009
BY MICHELLE SARTOR
NorthJersey.com
NORTHERN VALLEY SUBURBANITE
Demarest -- After council members were asked to consider passing a resolution objecting to a library funding cut of 50 percent, they expressed concern with the increases the Demarest Library is slated to receive.

Demarest Library President Margaret Shapiro explained to the council that although it appears that a proposed assembly bill to cut library funding in half will not be pursued, passing such a resolution of support “would be greatly appreciated.”

Mayor James Carroll said that while he’s in favor of libraries, he’s concerned with the amount of money the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS) requires.

“What we’re having difficulty with is the yearly BCCLS increase,” Carroll said. “We’re capped at 4 percent. There’s is 15 percent.”

Shapiro said she understood the concern, but added, “You have to fund us for us to be part of the BCCLS system. Without that, we can’t have a library.”

The Borough spent $300,000 on the library last year and with the 15 percent increase will spend $345,000 this year. Of that amount, BCCLS will receive $26,000.

Councilman Brian Bernstein requested that Shapiro provide the council with the 2009 library budget so members could fully understand what the money will be used for.

Shapiro agreed to present that at the next council meeting, but offered some insight into the library’s plans. She said the library hopes to add a teen room downstairs and a community room upstairs, each at 500 square feet. “It would be a great use of space,” she said.

Shapiro will also try to get Robert White, BCCLS executive director, to speak with the council at the next meeting for further explanation of the BCCLS system.

Council members were pleased with that resolution. “Our problem is really with BCCLS and its formula,” Councilwoman Melinda Iannuzzi said.

E-mail: sartor@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6703

Demarest -- After council members were asked to consider passing a resolution objecting to a library funding cut of 50 percent, they expressed concern with the increases the Demarest Library is slated to receive.

Demarest Library President Margaret Shapiro explained to the council that although it appears that a proposed assembly bill to cut library funding in half will not be pursued, passing such a resolution of support “would be greatly appreciated.”

Mayor James Carroll said that while he’s in favor of libraries, he’s concerned with the amount of money the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS) requires.

“What we’re having difficulty with is the yearly BCCLS increase,” Carroll said. “We’re capped at 4 percent. There’s is 15 percent.”

Shapiro said she understood the concern, but added, “You have to fund us for us to be part of the BCCLS system. Without that, we can’t have a library.”

The Borough spent $300,000 on the library last year and with the 15 percent increase will spend $345,000 this year. Of that amount, BCCLS will receive $26,000.

Councilman Brian Bernstein requested that Shapiro provide the council with the 2009 library budget so members could fully understand what the money will be used for.

Shapiro agreed to present that at the next council meeting, but offered some insight into the library’s plans. She said the library hopes to add a teen room downstairs and a community room upstairs, each at 500 square feet. “It would be a great use of space,” she said.

Shapiro will also try to get Robert White, BCCLS executive director, to speak with the council at the next meeting for further explanation of the BCCLS system.

Council members were pleased with that resolution. “Our problem is really with BCCLS and its formula,” Councilwoman Melinda Iannuzzi said.

E-mail: sartor@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6703

Posted by tumulty at 6:40 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 5, 2009

Library saying no to proposed cuts

The Glen Ridge Voice(

by Erin Roll - February 25, 2009)

The Glen Ridge Library is joining with its counterparts to protest a bill that could potentially take a bite out of library funding statewide.

The New Jersey League of Municipalities (NJLM) is encouraging the state legislature to lower the minimum amount of funding a municipality must give its library.

"Library funding is always tight," said Carol Harpster, president of the Glen Ridge Library Board of Trustees, "and we don’t support the cutbacks."

Under state law, libraries must receive at least one-third of a "mill," or approximately $33 for every $100,000 in property value, from their towns. The NJLM wants to lower the rate to one-sixth of a mill, claiming the current rate gives libraries more than they actually need.

The board of trustees signed a resolution declaring its opposition to the proposed cutbacks Feb. 11. They plan to present it to the council during its budget presentation, said Library Director John Sitnik.

The NJLM gave its official support to a funding cut during its annual convention last November. The proposal, submitted as A3753 to the state legislature, is backed by Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-32). This sparked an outcry from the New Jersey Library Association and libraries throughout the state.

The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) and other libraries have stated that a funding cut amidst the current economic climate would have disastrous effects on their respective communities.

"We understand the concerns they’ve been raising," said Mike Cerra, a senior legislative analyst for NJLM. The NJLM’s goal is not to cut library funding, but instead to give municipalities more budget planning flexibility, he said.

"It’s a shame that we have to have this debate in the middle of an ‘economic crisis’," he said, claiming that a dialogue among government and library representatives would have been more appropriate a few years ago.

Sitnik said claims that most libraries are sitting on large surpluses are inaccurate: "We were lucky enough to have a surplus this year, which we are funneling to capital projects."

Contrary to what the bill claims, Sitnik said only a handful of libraries in New Jersey have a surplus. These libraries are in communities with a high number of ratables, such as Jersey Shore towns that experience high tourist traffic, or cities with substantial industry.

Glen Ridge does not have many ratables other than residential property, he said.

At least 126 libraries in New Jersey have signed official resolutions decrying the NJLM’s plan. Fifty-three of the 126 belong to the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS), an inter-library loan consortium that includes Glen Ridge.

Harpster said it was anyone’s guess how the issue would resolve itself.

"It’s going to be up to (the NJLM)," she said.

Posted by tumulty at 5:32 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 3, 2009

What's New At The Library? Financial Advice

NPR Saturday Edition
by Lynn Neary
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101268021

Weekend Edition Saturday, February 28, 2009 . With 401(k) and college funds
tanking, the stock market riding a crazy roller coaster and some banks on
the brink of nationalization, it's no wonder the average Joe and Jane are
just a little nervous about what to do with their money. Where to turn to
under such circumstances? If you don't trust your stockbroker, what about
the reference librarian at your local public library?

"The current economic climate has made libraries a more vital institution in
communities," says John Gannon, president of the FINRA investor education
foundation.

A number of libraries around the country are getting grants to train
librarians and set up programs to teach people about investing through a
collaboration between FINRA and the American Library Association. Gannon
says his organization turned to libraries because libraries have the ability
to reach large numbers of people who may need help with their money.

"Whether that's women facing retirement, teens or even younger people who
are still in school, it's figuring out how to get that information to
people," he says. "And that's what the libraries are good at."

Over the past two years, grants have gone to libraries - including ones in
Athens, Ga., Fargo, N.D., and Riverside, Calif. - to develop programs aimed
at people of different ages and incomes. The programs use the Web, videos
and even traveling vans to reach as many as possible.

2,000 Visitors Each Day

The Newton Free Library in Newton, Mass., used its grant to set up a
retirement planning club for women in 2008.

Nancy Johnson, supervisor of the reference department at the library, says
it was a great time to begin the program.

"We have 2,000 people a day and more that come in and they are certainly job
searching," she says. "But the people that are in this club are trying to
learn about what economics means. It's a great time to study economics when
it specifically pertains to you."

At monthly meetings, women ranging in age from their 20s to their 80s
exchange information, listen to lectures and learn how to use the library's
investor education resources. Johnson says many of the women have questions
about things they hear in the news.

"They wanted to know about identity theft, that's been in the news a lot.
They wanted to know about Social Security basics and more sophisticated
topics within Social Security," she says. "How do you deal divorce within
Social Security? And how about dying without a will? People didn't realize
the complexities of all that."

Johnson says the number of people coming to the meetings seems to be
increasing and a number of men have started attending, too.

Lessons From The Depression

Meeda Moy, 86, is a regular in the club. Moy says she sees it as an
opportunity to continue a lifetime interest in investments which began with
a hard lesson when she was just 7.

"I am a Depression baby and my dad lost all his money in the bank," she
says. "And I said to Daddy: 'I'll never put any money in the bank.' And to
this day I don't."

Carol Plumb, 47, who lost her job, heard about the club through her cousin.

"I have that whole fear of being a bag lady that a lot of single women still
have," she says. "So I have been interested in managing my money because
I've been doing it all along. I know how to do things, but I'm afraid to
execute. So it forces me once a month to say, 'Have you done it yet?' So
it's helped."

For 30-year-old Olympia Valentine, it's all about the future: "I just wanted
to get more involved and learn more about my investments so I can plan for
my retirement," she says. "Right now I have other people do it for me and I
think it's best to do for myself."

So the next time you're wondering what to do about that 401(k), you might
want to ask a librarian.

Posted by tumulty at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

Millville library plans future with a little help

DailyJournal.com
By JOEL LANDAU • Staff Writer • February 27, 2009

MILLVILLE -- The staff at the Millville Public Library is trying to determine what the city will need from their library in the future.

"Twenty years down the road, we want to ensure the facility is a viable organization," said Bill Gant, president of the library's board of trustees. "The facility is more than 40 years old, and we've outgrown it."

The library held a town meeting with about two-dozen residents Thursday. The library hired a firm, Library Development Solutions in Princeton, to collect input and make recommendations on what the library should offer.

Alan Burger, one of the firm's principals, said he's asking people about the library's services, collections, programs, hours, staff, policies and the facility.

Burger said he also will make a survey available for residents at the library for a few weeks. The firm will supply the board with a report in April, Burger said. The report will outline what the library should offer, and if the facility has enough room to provide it, he said.

Gant said the biggest concerns people mention is security inside and outside the Buck Street building, as well as its space limitations. The board is considering developing a plan to build a new facility, he said.

"We're well past the capacity of the 'It's a building to handle what we need to do here,'" he added. "This is a new era, and technology is more important."

Residents at the meeting suggested better management of the noise level and content viewed on the computers, displaying more art, adding to the collection and encouraging more people to come in and support the library.

The residents in attendance all said how important the facility is in their lives, and resident Debbe Watts added she takes college courses and needs the library's computer lab.

"Anything can grow, but the people at the library do a great job," she said. "I love the library."

Posted by tumulty at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)
Category:

March 2, 2009

Pennsville students get homework help online

Today's Sunbean

Monday, March 02, 2009
From Staff Reports
tsnews@sjnewsco.com
PENNSVILLE TWP. - Now students in Pennsville can connect with expert tutors via the Internet.

Children and teenagers in Pennsville never have to be stumped by a tough homework assignment again. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and in introductory college courses, can simply visit www.homeworkhelpnj.org to get free, on-demand help from qualified tutors through Homework Help NJ, an online tutoring service from the New Jersey State Library, supported by a cornerstone grant from PSEG.

Delivered by Tutor.com, Homework Help NJ connects students to expert tutors in math, science, social studies and English via the Internet. Spanish-speaking tutors are available to help students in math and science.

Homework Help NJ has been available to students through the library systems of Newark, Paterson, Elizabeth, Jersey City, New Brunswick, Willingboro and Camden, as well as to NJAfter3 students, since December 2007. It has been a popular success with more than 90 percent of users saying that the service has helped them complete homework assignments, improved their grades and made them more confident about their school work.

"We are excited to be able to offer Homework Help NJ to our young people," said Nancy Whitesell, director of the Pennsville Library. "We believe it will have a significant, positive impact on the success of the students of Pennsville, and serve as a reminder for them to turn to the library as a learning and research resource for the rest of their lives."

Homework Help NJ will allow students in Pennsville to connect with a live tutor via the Internet from either a computer at the library or their computer at home using their public library card, every day from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. to receive help with their homework. To get help, the student simply goes to www.homeworkhelpnj.org or their library's Web site, www.clueslibs.org, and clicks on the Homework Help NJ link, enters their library card number, and then enters their grade level and subject in which they need help.

Within just a few minutes, students are connected to a tutor in an online classroom for one-on-one help in math (elementary, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus), science (elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics), social studies (American history, world history, political science), and English (spelling, grammar, essay writing, book reports).

Together, students and tutors can review specific homework questions, as well as subject-specific concepts using features such as "controlled chat," an interactive whiteboard, and shared Web browsing in the online classroom. Tutors can type math equations using a special math tool, share educational Web sites and much more. All tutors are licensed teachers, college professors, professional tutors, or graduate or undergraduate college students from across the country who have been certified by Tutor.com and have completed a third party background check.

Posted by tumulty at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)
Category:

Library addition debuts

Gloucester County Times

Monday, March 02, 2009
By DJ McAneny
gcnews@sjnewsco.com
WESTVILLE After a summer of the town's residents going without access to their favorite books, videos and public computer access, construction was finally finished on the addition to the Westville Public Library and a celebration was held Sunday in the form of an open house inviting everyone to come see the new digs.

During a brief ceremony before those attending were invited to peruse the aisles, Grace Williams, vice president of the library board of trustees, addressed the visitors and thanked those involved with the project. A spry woman with a lengthy history of involvement with the library, and the person for whom the library will soon be named in a future ceremony, Williams expressed her joy in finally seeing the dream realized.

"I never thought I'd live to see this day of completion," Williams said over a microphone. "But now, I expect to live a lot longer to make sure it all works out OK. I'm a bossy son-of-a-gun. I enjoy the library, I've enjoyed working here and I am going to enjoy it for a long, long time to come."

The addition was made possible by financial support through several different avenues, including government grants and private donations.

"This all started when we applied for a Livable Communities Grant in 2004," said Gwen Carotenuto, the library director. "We were hoping to perhaps get a small grant so we could upgrade and become ADA-compliant. After that, we received another grant and a generous donation, and now here we are."

That second grant, deemed to the project by Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, D-Brooklawn, was then matched in funds by the borough itself. Finally, a private donation from a trustee who wanted to see the project succeed but wished to remain anonymous rounded out the resources needed to make the addition a reality.

But the money wasn't as important to everyone as to whom the thanks fell for all the hard work in completing this project.

"We so appreciate our Public Works Department," said Carotenuto, "Donna Domico and the entire department, for all they've done to help us out so much. They've really been tremendous."

However, with all the other activities and visitors of the day, no person or group of guests was more important than a very special demographic represented by Jenna Bryszewski and Sammy Ensor, who were very happy to finally have the library back open.

"I love books," said 5-year-old Jenna. "I love to read. I like princess books, but my favorite book is The Magic Hat."

"She does love to read," said Jenna's mother, Brenda. "Every night she reads me a story. She's just learning and she's very good at it. And today she's going to get her very own library card."

"I'm going to borrow books and bring them back myself," Jenna said.

And from now on, the young Bryszewski will have more aisles to browse and more books to get lost in than ever before.

Posted by tumulty at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)
Category: