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April 26, 2009

East Brunswick library prepares for cuts amid $350,000 budget reduction

Staff Report • April 26, 2009

EAST BRUNSWICK — Library officials say a total of $519,000 in budgetary reductions will result in major cuts to library hours, staffing levels and services offered to township residents.

The proposed 2009 budget, submitted to the Township Council, cuts the municipal appropriation to the East Brunswick Public Library approximately $350,000. The cut is in addition to $169,000 in cuts made to the library's municipal appropriation at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

In order to continue optimal service to the public, beginning Friday, May 8, the library will cut hours of operation on Friday evenings and Sunday evenings. The library will now close at 5 p.m. Fridays, instead of 9 p.m., and Sunday hours will be reduced from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. to 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition, the library will be closed during Sundays in the summer from June 21 through Sept. 6 and will reopen for Sundays on Sept. 13 for 1-5 p.m.

“Obviously, we regret that these cuts are necessary, particularly at a time that public libraries are viewed as an oasis in the economic storm,” said Elaine Lee Kessler, president of the Board of Trustees at the East Brunswick Public Library in a prepared statement. “Our library offers over 50 high-speed computers for residents to use for job searches, to learn new computer skills, and apply for unemployment. East Brunswick residents have always enjoyed superior library services offered by our library and its staff, and it will be difficult for them to adjust to the cutbacks.”

Library officials say the budget has forced them to scale back every part of the library's operations, including a reduction in staffing levels through layoffs and staff hours.

The library administration also has frozen some staff positions and will institute some fees for services. New fees will be added to interlibrary loan requests, reserving items and computer training classes.

Questions regarding the impact of the budget cuts can be directed to director Carol Nersinger at 732-390-6761.

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'Wowbrary' at Cranford library

by Suburban News
Friday April 24, 2009, 10:00 AM
CRANFORD--The Cranford Public Library is among the first in the country to offer its users free "Wowbrary" email alerts that showcase the library's newest items each week. The alerts feature the latest bestsellers, movies, music CDs, audio books, children's titles, cookbooks, mysteries, travel guides, health books, science fiction and more purchased by the library.

"This is a great new way to enjoy and use your public library more," said John Malar, Director of the Cranford Public Library. "People are truly amazed when they see in one place just how many great new titles we purchase each week, which they can reserve and borrow at no cost. And we cover all age groups and many diverse interests."

Malar said that the new Wowbrary alerts are convenient and quickly show what's new, whether checked out or not, all from the convenience of one's home, work, or school computer. The alerts help those interested in just specific topics, as Cranford Public Library Children's Librarian Judy Klimowicz pointed out.

"It only takes a mouse click to see the newest arrivals appropriate for your child or teen. There's a separate section on parenting. Teachers can quickly spot new resources for their classes."

Wowbrary alerts are free and do not require a library card. To sign up or learn more, go to Cranford.com/library and click on the Wowbrary logo, or go directly to Wowbrary at www.wowbrary.org. For help getting started with Wowbrary, call the library at 908-709-7272 and ask for the reference desk, or email the library at library@cranfordnj.org.

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Budget cuts to East Brunswick library will cost patrons

by Ryan Hutchins/For The Star-Ledger
Thursday April 23, 2009, 5:49 PM
Operating hours, staffing levels and services are being cut sharply at the East Brunswick Public Library, the result of more than half a million dollars in lost funding.

Library leaders say it going to be "difficult" for residents to adjust to the changes, particularly at a time when a sagging economy has driven many to take advantage of free services that stretch well beyond the core purpose of shared literature.

"We've seen a big increase in the number of people coming to programs in the last few years," Library Director Carol Nersinger said.

Those programs and every service offered will need to be scaled back. Weekend hours will be cut, part-time staff reduced and fewer events -- which range from musical performances to lessons on keeping computers safe -- will be offered.

Now, the library is open until 9 p.m. on weekends. Starting May 8, the center will close at 5 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays and be closed entirely on Sundays over the summer.

"It's a shame because, as far as we know, we're the only public library (in New Jersey) open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until 9 p.m.," Nersinger said.

The cuts come as the township looks for ways to save money in its 2009 budget, which as introduced takes about $350,000 away from the library's appropriations.

The cut to the library, which was included in Nersinger's budget request, could grow even deeper if leaders need more savings.

"They have not adopted the budget yet -- the municipality -- but the library understands East Brunswick still has budget problems," Nersinger said.

So, she's reduced spending across the board. In addition to consolidating hours and eliminating some part-time staff, the library will purchase fewer books, CDs, DVDs and periodicals.

The more than 50 Internet-connected computers will stay, but are likely to become harder to get time on because of the reduced hours.

There will be new fees patrons will have to pay for interlibrary loan requests, reserving items or computer training classes.

And the cuts have a ripple affect, too, according to Robin Rushfield, president of the Friends of the Library foundation. Because there won't be as much money for buying books, the group won't have as many books to sell.

"The ripple is going to be that it reduces our ability to raise funds," she said.

Rushfield, who has been a member of the group for some 25 years, sees the cuts to the library as disproportionate to those hitting other departments in East Brunswick.

It has her worried that it threatens the library's "important" mission. "It's a great library - or was a great library - and we hope it will stay that way."

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April 17, 2009

Salem Free Public Library is seeing better days

by Randall Clark, Today's Sunbeam
Wednesday April 15, 2009, 4:53 PM

Staff photo by Britney Lillya
Besty Davis of Salem reads to her grandson, Chase Davis, 2, of Hancocks Bridge, Wednesday morning during story time at the Salem Free Public Library.SALEM -- It is the second oldest library in the state, but the Salem Free Public Library hasn't stopped trying to find new ways to bring in patrons.
In a time of economic instability, that all-important second word in its title has had an impact all on its own. Patronage is up 30 percent since September, according to library Director Jeff Dilks, and the library has gone from five to six days a week.

The free Internet and movie rentals have been a big draw. Refurbishing the children's room, where one can still smell the fresh paint, and hiring a children's librarian have been added incentives.

This Saturday, Dilks said they will be capping off National Library Week with a celebration uncommon to the hushed shelves here.

Events begin at 11 a.m., including a young writer's and illustrator's workshop from 11 a.m. to noon, a performance from a Salem Middle School dance group from noon to 1 p.m., prizes and health screenings.

There will be free library memberships offered for all Salem County residents on this one day only. For more information, call (856) 935-0527.

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Kearny library renovations on the way

Thursday, April 02, 2009
By ROSE DUGER
KW CORRESPONDENT

K earny is planning several renovations to the main and branch libraries on Kearny Avenue to increase accessibility for patrons with disabilities and boost security.

Library Director Julie McCarthy outlined the projects for the renovations, which will be funded largely through state grants, at a recent meeting of the town's governing body.

Preliminary plans call for the small first floor bathroom at the branch library to be moved and expanded to better accommodate people with disabilities.

The space that now includes the bathroom would be used to increase the number of computers at the 1,000-square-foot branch, a quaint building acquired by the town in 1927 to provide library access to residents in the northern part of Kearny.

"The bathroom is not handicapped accessible," McCarthy pointed out. "In fact, I think it's barely accessible to people who aren't handicapped."

McCarthy estimated the project's cost at $19,000. The library's Board of Directors plan to tap into $103,000 in state funding the library has received to finance upgrades. The project received the thumbs up from elected officials at the meeting.

"To me, I think it's very important that the bathroom facility be accessible to disabled persons," said Mayor Al Santos, pointing out that renovations to the exterior of the structure several years ago increased accessibility to the building. "I think this is something we should rectify now."

The library board, which is headed by President Jennifer Cullen, has also proposed replacing the front doors of the main library with sturdy wood-framed doors similar to those installed at Town Hall.

McCarthy said the current doors aren't energy efficient and an interior door in the vestibule came off its hinges last year.

The board was "shocked", however, when estimates to replace the front and interior doors hovered around $60,000, according to McCarthy.

"That's a lot of money in a recession, so we thought we could replace the front doors and wait a couple of years for the inside," she said. "We'd be moving toward beautifying and improving the security of the library."

Santos suggested that the library board seek funding for the doors in an application for several state grants it is submitting for the construction of a children's garden and replacement of a retaining wall and fence around the perimeter of the property.

"I think if we're going to make an investment in the garden, the front door is an extension of that," Santos said.

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There's still time to register for the NJ Author Conference!

NJ Statewide Children's and Teen Author Conference

This conference will be held on Friday, May 8, 2009 from 9:30 am until 4 pm at the Woodbridge Public Library. The registration form is posted on the NJYAC (www.njyac.org) and NJLA (www.njla.org) websites. The authors include: Laura Ruby (Lily's Ghosts, The Wall and the Wing, The Chaos King, Good Girls, Play Me), Marc Tyler Nobleman (2009 ALA Notable Children’s Book award winner for Boys of Steel), Peter Brown (the just released The Curious Garden, Chowder, The Fabulous Bouncing Chowder), Lisa Greenwald whose debut novel My Life in Pink and Green was published in March and Benedict Cary whose debut novel, The Unknowns, was published April 1. The registration fee ($30 for NJLA/NJASL members, $45 for nonmembers, and $15 for students) includes a light breakfast and lunch. CE credits will be awarded and copies of the author's books will be available to purchase and have signed. For more information, contact Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJ State Library, srawlins@njstatelib.org, 609- 278-2640 ext. 116.

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Category: Children's Services Young Adult Services

April 15, 2009

Judith Krug

New York Times

Editorial | Appreciations
Judith Krug
E-MailPrint By DOROTHY SAMUELS
Published: April 14, 2009
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a librarian is a person who specializes “in the care or management of a library.” That definition is far too mechanical. It leaves out the larger role librarians play in our democracy, facilitating access to information and ideas and promoting and protecting a precious First Amendment right: the freedom to read.

Judith Krug, Who Fought Ban on Books, Dies at 69 (April 15, 2009) No one took that role more seriously than Judith Krug, the trained librarian and director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom for more than four decades, who died Saturday at age 69. Defending the freedom to read from damaging assaults by censors in and out of government was her life’s work.

In a 2002 talk, Ms. Krug explained that the role of librarians is to bring people and information together. “We do this by making sure libraries have information and ideas across the spectrum of social and political thought, so people can choose what they want to read or view or listen to. Some users find materials in their local library collection to be untrue, offensive, harmful or even dangerous. But libraries serve the information needs of all of the people in the community — not just the loudest, not just the most powerful, not even just the majority. Libraries serve everyone.”

Ms. Krug assisted countless local librarians and library trustees dealing with objections to library materials. She waged principled legal battles challenging both book and Internet censorship in libraries all the way to the Supreme Court. She stood up against an insidious portion of the 2001 Patriot Act that allowed government officials broad access to confidential library records and to secretly monitor what people read.

In 1982, during one of the nation’s periodic censorship epidemics, Ms. Krug established Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of authors, their literature and the Constitution’s system of free expression. She found reassurance in the perennial appearance of works like J. D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” on the American Library Association’s list of the 10 most frequently challenged library books. “That means that censors, real and would-be, are not making the headway they think they are,” she said. “Books that matter are still in libraries.”

DOROTHY SAMUELS

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April 14, 2009

Librarians serve vital role in our schools

What a shame that the Woodbridge school board believes the elementary librarians can he replaced by volunteers and lunch aides. Apparently, the board did not do its homework when they made this outrageous decision. If they did, they would know that across the United States, research has shown that students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized tests than their peers in schools without libraries.

Our elementary media centers are the hub of learning — particularly in light of the 2007-2010 Technology Plan that is supposed to be in effect for the school district. Libraries are no longer just a place to "check out a book." Elementary Media Specialists teach learning and achievements skills and strategies; they are partners in educating students, developing curricula, and integrating resources into teaching and learning; they select, evaluate and utilize electronic resources and tools and instruct teachers and students in how to use them.

With all due respect, where do they expect to find volunteers and lunch aides who can provide this knowledge? Children need to foster a love for reading from an early age. This is certainly not going to happen if this current proposed budget is allowed to pass with the elimination of Elementary Media Specialists.

With these kinds of decisions, the Woodbridge school system will continue its downward spiral, ultimately de-valuing the homes in this township.

NANCY UR

Sewaren

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W'boro could save dollars joining county library system

By: MELISSA HAYES
Burlington County Times
mhayes@phillyBurbs.com

WILLINGBORO - If the township were part of the county library system, taxpayers would save an average of $117 annually.

Mathematically, the merger makes sense, but you can't always judge a book by its cover.

When resident Gary Johnson raised the issue of joining the county system at a recent Township Council meeting, Councilman Jim Ayrer said he had concerns that the county would not keep the local library open.

Ayrer's concerns aren't unfounded. County Library Director Gail Sweet said economics would be a big factor in whether or not the county system took on another location.

"We're struggling, but we're financially stable," Sweet said. "Taking on a branch would be very difficult for us."

Sweet also said Willingboro is close to the county library headquarters in Westampton and another branch in Cinnaminson.

The township spent $7.6 million to build its library at the Town Center on Route 130; it opened in October 2003. Before that, the library, which dates back 50 years to the township's founding, was housed in the municipal building.

The 42,000-square-foot facility has an exhibit room, a history room, meeting rooms, a cafe and a 14,000-square-foot children's center.

Willingboro's is one of three libraries - along with Moorestown and Mount Laurel - not affiliated with the county system. Homeowners in municipalities that are part of the county system pay a library tax.

Sweet said 2009's proposed tax rate, which the Board of Freeholders has yet to approve, is $0.0295. However, that is just a base rate, which is subject to a state-mandated equalization process to ensure that taxes are spread evenly throughout the 40 county municipalities. The 37 towns that are part of the county library system also are assessed an equalized library tax rate.

The county Board of Taxation establishes separate rates for each municipality to account for instances in which market values are higher than assessed values, or where market values are lower than assessed values. Because Willingboro homes are assessed at only 52 percent of their market value, the county library tax would be $0.0436.

The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $100,000 would pay $43.66 in county library taxes, assuming the rate would not be affected by the inclusion of Willingboro's library.

Township Manager Joanne Diggs said the municipal library's budget in 2008 was $1,618,942, or about $0.16 per $100 of assessed property value. She said the owner of a home at the township average of $100,000 pays about $161 annually toward the library.

Diggs said her budget, which the Township Council is expected to vote on tonight, calls for flat funding for the library.

The Riverton Free Library was the last to become a branch of the Burlington County Library System in December 2003. The library had been a member of the county system before it was upgraded to a branch. At the time, Riverton's status upgrade cost the county about $200,000 in funding.

Member libraries receive partial funds, but still must pay for their staff and upkeep of the facility. Branch libraries are funded entirely by the county. Regardless of whether a town has a member or branch library, once it joins the county system, its residents pay the county library tax.

The county has eight branch libraries: Bordentown City, Cinnaminson, Evesham, Maple Shade, Medford, Pemberton Township, Riverton and Westampton. The system's member libraries include Bass River, Beverly, Burlington City, Chesterfield, Delanco, Florence, Mount Holly, Riverside and Southampton.

Sweet said if Willingboro wanted to join the system, the library's board of trustees would have to support the merger and the freeholders would have to approve it.

Sweet said she met with Willingboro officials more than 10 years ago before the new municipal library was constructed, but they decided not to join the system.

She said one main difference is that Willingboro's library employees are paid at a higher rate than county library employees. She said township officials have not contacted her recently about joining the county system.

"We're always willing to talk," she said, "but money being what it is, it's probably not likely."

Residents such as Johnson think township officials should at least speak with the county and try to reduce property taxes by any means possible. Most Willingboro employees are facing 13 furlough days to offset a budget deficit and the average homeowner could see his municipal taxes increase by about $120.

"The people are our most important asset, and we need to do everything we can to help the taxpayers and the workers of this municipality," Johnson said at the April 7 council meeting. "I understand you have pride and it's justifiable, but it's the people."

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Gates Foundation makes $5M commitment to libraries

The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2009

SEATTLE The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $5 million to help libraries serve more people during the economic downturn, starting with communities in Iowa and Georgia.
The grant announced Tuesday would help libraries raise public awareness about their financial needs and help them raise money.

The foundation says the new program will begin this summer. Other communities will be announced later this year.

Jill Nishi of the Gates Foundation says there has never been a more important time to highlight the importance of libraries in helping people look for work and gain access to government services.

The fundraising and awareness campaigns will be designed by Chicago's Leo Burnett advertising agency

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Library looks to a new chapter

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

BY KAMANA SHRESTHA
NorthJersey.com
STAFF WRITER
WEST MILFORD — Getting stimulus money to triple the library's size would be ideal.

But West Milford Public Library trustees say they could arrange financing of their own for the expansion without costing taxpayers an extra cent. And they predict they'll be able to put plans before the public later this year and then move to invite construction bids.

With all the talk in Washington of projects stimulated by federal dollars, local officials hope some of that cash might be directed to the library expansion.

But the New Jersey State Library, which would be a funneling point for such aid, says currently there is no stimulus money earmarked for the project.

And that's left library trustees planning to put a chunk of savings as a down payment on the estimated $4 million project and then pay off a loan with future revenues.

Planned is an expansion that would include inside space for community activities, a bigger book collection and the space to display it, and more computers.

"One of the big issues the staff faces on a daily basis is the inability to shelve books, because there is no room on the shelves," said Library Director Debra Maynard. "It makes for a challenging work environment to say the least."

The 6,500-square-foot library along Union Valley Road has only five computers, and books are rotated because the entire inventory cannot be shelved at the same time. It does not support programs on a regular basis throughout the year because of a lack of space. To compensate, it holds some programs — such as the children's story time — outside in tents.

"If West Milford residents are looking for free lectures or music and craft programs, they can find those programs at other nearby libraries or pay for those programs through other town services, not at their hometown library," said Maynard.

Mayor Bettina Bieri adds that "The intent of the new library is to service residents of all age groups and enhance what we can provide for the youth and seniors."

Councilman Joseph Smolinski, who has had past reservations about library costs to taxpayers, says "I am all for the new library if that's what they want.

"But I don't know what the township wants because the last time the question of the library came up, they rejected the 1998 referendum."

In 1998, voters rejected a ballot question to spend $4 million on a new library. Library Board President Doug Ott said that happened because voters were not given details on what the new library would offer or where it would be. But he is optimistic the township will favor the new plan, given up-to-date information.

The library, now funded by $1.3 million in taxes under a state-mandated tax formula, currently has $2 million in savings that it can allocate to the project. Bieri is confident another referendum — asking taxpayers for more money — will not be needed because all the additional revenue would come from taking out a loan and then paying that off through a surplus of $200,000 to $300,000 the library manages to save annually.

The facility was built in 1977 for a population of 17,000. A library to serve the current population of about 26,000 should have more than 16,000 square feet in size, according to the State Library.

No official site has been designated, but the library board has narrowed potential sites to two: the current library location or the Hillcrest property. Plans aren't advanced enough to know how much the final cost will be, but officials estimate it at $4 million.

Ott said the library is now researching architectural options, including staying in and renovating the current structure to limit costs.

"The board is confident it will have a bid package ready by September after public meetings are held to get input from residents," he said.

Bieri added that "We can spend the same $1 and have an old library or spend $1 and have a bigger, better library with a cultural center, entertainment center, new computers, expanded books and audio. We would be getting something better for the same price."

Maynard said that "the library has done an excellent job satisfying the needs of the town by providing excellent service, but that service cannot hide the fact that all of the library materials that should be here are not because there is simply not enough space."

E-mail: shrestha@northjersey.com

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April 13, 2009

Connecting with librarians, beyond the campus

Saturday, April 11, 2009
Last updated: Saturday April 11, 2009, 10:35 AM
BY BARBARA BOUCICAUT
NorthJersey.com
STAFF WRITER
WAYNE — The William Paterson University library has set up an "Ask a Reference Question" instant messaging service for students, and the public, to chat with a librarian through a live feed on the library’s Internet homepage.

The service is an alternative to QandANJ.org, which is a nationwide "Connect to a Librarian" instant messaging option based out of New Jersey library system. But unlike QandANJ, users of the WPU service are not required to have a library card, and people can access local information from a local source.

"The goal of all these services is to make things easier for students and more visible," said reference librarian Tony Joachim. "It’s a great way of getting in touch with us in the easiest way possible."

The program was introduced in 2007 as free software, which had to be downloaded onto a user’s computer. The university library then had to be added to a "buddy list" for live chatting. Now, Joachim says, the William Paterson library uses Meebo, a free online tool that allows users access to multiple online chatting devices without the hassle of separate windows and downloads.

Because Meebo is Web based, it allows librarians to chat from anywhere outside the library when students need information.

"Our intention was to provide a service to our community," said Richard Kearney, the electronic resources librarian. He said the service helped during the winter break, when the library is usually closed. Staff members volunteered their time during the break to help the students enrolled in online winter courses.

The reference desk is receiving three to four questions a week, said Joachim, but if it catches on, library staff will analyze usage time to keep the service running smoothly.

The reference desk is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays. A staff of 11 reference librarians is available throughout the week to answer any question the students or anyone may have.

"They always say, go where your patrons are," Joachim said.

E-mail: boucicaut@northjersey.com

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Judith Krug, founder of Banned Books Week, dies

Associated Press, April 12, 2009

EVANSTON, Ill. - Judith Krug, a director of the Chicago-based American Library Association and a founder of its Banned Books Week, has died. She was 69.

Judith Platt, president of the ALA's Freedom to Read Foundation, says Krug (KROOG) died late Saturday at Evanston Hospital in suburban Chicago following a battle with stomach cancer. She says Krug had been ill for more than a year.

She had been head of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom since 1967.

Banned Books Weeks has been observed since 1982 during the last week of September. ALA officials say the event celebrates intellectual freedom.

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Memory Stream Dipping into Philadelphia's illustrated past

Philadelphia Inquirer, April 13, 2009

Today marks the first day of National Library Week, and here in Philadelphia we are fortunate enough to have 54 public libraries throughout the city. For many of those, we can thank businessman Andrew Carnegie.
Carnegie was born in Scotland and came with his family to the United States in 1848. Carnegie accumulated great wealth during his successful business career. When he sold Carnegie Steel and associated companies in 1901 in a deal that created U.S. Steel Corp., Carnegie was one of the richest people in the world. He spent the remainder of his life giving his money away.

As a boy, Carnegie benefited from the generosity of a man who made his personal library available to working youths. In return, Carnegie used his fortune to fund more than 2,500 libraries in the United States and other countries, including 59 in Pennsylvania. Carnegie funded his first library in the United States in 1889 in Braddock, Allegheny County.

A number of branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia are Carnegie libraries, including Chestnut Hill, Cobbs Creek, Thomas Holme, Germantown (now a senior center), Nicetown and Passyunk.

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April 8, 2009

Downturn Puts New Stresses on Libraries

By SUSAN SAULNY and KAREN ANN CULLOTTA
NY Times

Published: April 1, 2009
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The public library here had just closed its doors one evening in December when two homeless men who had been using the stacks as shelter from the cold got into a fight on the outside steps.

Like libraries across the country, Arlington Heights Memorial had strived to keep pace with the changing times, ensuring its relevance in the digital age by becoming something of an indoor town square, and emphasizing that its money-saving services catered to the community’s needs.

These days, however, community need reaches far beyond reference help — and in many libraries, it is turning a normally tranquil place into an emotional and stressful hotbed.

As the national economic crisis has deepened and social services have become casualties of budget cuts, libraries have come to fill a void for more people, particularly job-seekers and those who have fallen on hard times. Libraries across the country are seeing double-digit increases in patronage, often from 10 percent to 30 percent, over previous years.

But in some cities, this new popularity — some would call it overtaxing — is pushing libraries in directions not seen before, with librarians dealing with stresses that go far beyond overdue fines and misshelved books. Many say they feel ill-equipped for the newfound demands of the job, the result of working with anxious and often depressed patrons who say they have nowhere else to go.

The stresses have become so significant here that a therapist will soon be counseling library employees.

“I guess I’m not really used to people with tears in their eyes,” said Rosalie Bork, a reference librarian in Arlington Heights, a well-to-do suburb of Chicago. “It has been unexpectedly stressful. We feel so anxious to help these people, and it’s been so emotional for them.”

Urban ills like homelessness have affected libraries in many cities for years, but librarians here and elsewhere say they are seeing new challenges. They find people asleep more often at cubicles. Patrons who cannot read or write ask for help filling out job applications. Some people sit at computers trying to use the Internet, even though they have no idea what the Internet is.

“A lot of people who would not normally be here are coming in to use the computers,” said Cynthia Jones, a regional branch manager in St. Louis.

“Adults complain a lot about kids just playing games and you know, ‘I need to do a résumé, or ‘I need to write, I need some help,’ ” Ms. Jones said. “There’s a bit of frustration.”

Ms. Jones instructed her staff to tread carefully. “You don’t want to upset people,” she said. “You don’t know what might set somebody off.”

Paul LeClerc, president of the New York Public Library, said résumé writing had become a major use of library computers, and every librarian in the system had received training in how to better assist patrons conduct job searches. The 40 million visits to New York libraries over the past year, he said, is the greatest ever in a 12-month period.

Here in Arlington Heights, newly homeless patrons are showing up in their business suits, said Paula Moore, the library’s director.

“They are living in their cars after losing a job they had for a number of years,” Ms. Moore said.

The American Library Association does not keep statistics on incidents in and around libraries, but anecdotal evidence from around the country suggests that some libraries are struggling with their newfound popularity and the social ills that can come along with it.

In Los Angeles, the police say the Central Public Library has become a magnet for thieves, and that, excluding shoplifting at stores, there were more thefts of personal property at the library last year than any other location in central Los Angeles.

“We hope things get better,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, noting the difficulty of policing libraries. “The library is a place where people tend to congregate, and from a public and government standpoint, you can’t really restrict people.”

In Sacramento this year, two branches of the public library temporarily stopped accepting cash as fines for overdue books, after thieves struck three times since June — in one instance, taking off with a safe filled with money.

In Lynchburg, Va., a gunman shot a man outside the public library on a Monday afternoon in late January. The victim, who survived, staggered into the library bleeding and looking for help. Since then, an off-duty police officer has been hired by the library for extra security.

And in Quincy, Mass., where a man was recently arrested in the library and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, among other offenses, a police officer on beat patrol now walks through the library during operating hours.

Though homelessness is not new to Arlington Heights, security at the library has been tightened since the stabbing. (The man was charged with attempted murder, and the victim survived.) Although such violence is unusual, a library patron, Judi Crawford, said the scene around the building still made her uncomfortable.

“I don’t like my 16-year-old son to study at the library at night anymore,” Ms. Crawford said. “If he is studying here, I make sure he stays inside until he sees me pull up, and he can just run out and get in the car.”

Other things have changed at the library here, too.

It has tried to anticipate the new needs of its neighborhood. Next to its welcome desk, it created a job-search desk, and it has recruited volunteer professionals to review résumés, set up a support and networking group for the unemployed, and assembled a Web site offering the best of its online resources.

Officials said the library was experiencing double-digit increases in the circulation of DVDs, CDs and books on tape. The library’s many children’s programs and cultural arts events are also filled to capacity, reflecting a growing demand, linked to the economy, for free entertainment.

With an estimated 2,500 patrons visiting the library every day, employees must now park at a parking lot at a nearby church.

“When you walk by our new job-search desk, you see people in line and even waiting on the benches for assistance,” said Ms. Moore, the director of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library.

A therapist is planning to give a workshop at the library called “Finding Hope After Losing a Job,” while also offering advice to library employees who are increasingly being thrust into the role of first responder to emotionally distraught patrons who view them as confidantes.

“I’ve had people come in and talk for hours,” said Barbara Vlk, a librarian specializing in business at Arlington Heights. “More and more people are in need of help and direction.”

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The skills learned at SCILS will outlive name

Courier-News Online

April 8, 2009

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When the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies was created at Rutgers University in 1982, few bothered saying the whole cumbersome name. The school was known by its initials, SCILS, and pronounced "Skills."

Last week, the university Board of Governors accepted a faculty recommendation and voted to drop Library Studies from the name, shortening it to the School of Communication and Information, or SCI. So what will it be? "Ski" or "Sky?" "Sigh," perhaps.

According to the university, the shorter name eliminates confusion surrounding the school's identity. While everyone knew it as "Skills," it was anyone's guess what the acronym stood for. "A more general name can be more inclusive and easier for people to understand," said Dean Jorge Reina Schement.

Who known, for example, that the school formerly known as SCILS has studies in radio and television, public relations and journalism? As a sign of the times, it is creating new studies in Competencies for the Digital Age.

The dean insists the name change will not alter the focus of the school, or in any way diminish the role of library studies. No one will notice the difference, other than the fact that the name will take less space. If anything, the school's faculty could have edited the name even further and renamed it the School of Communication. Period.

The dean is justifiably proud of the fact that the school's programs are consistently ranked among the top in the nation. The school's library media specialization is ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report.

"These rankings highlight our investment and commitment to library programs," said Schement.

The change, approved by the faculty by a vote of 30-10, does not sit well with some students and alumni. "There is a communication identification with libraries and librarians, and by removing this from the name of the institution, you're breaking it," said Maurice Freedman, who earned a doctorate from the school.

Ironically, the removal of the name "libraries" comes at a time when libraries are seem as more important as ever. The Home News Tribune, and other media outlets, have produced recent stories about how area residents are drawn to libraries in numbers not seen before.

Librarians are reporting that residents are drawn to the free services — including a variety of DVDs, the traditional selection of books and the availability of Internet access at no cost.

When the Rutgers Athletic Center was opened in 1977, the name was immediately shortened to the RAC, pronounced "The Rack." Though the arena was later given the name of a donor, and is officially called the Louis Brown Athletic Center, most people still call it "The Rack."

We imagine the school now known as SCI will still be called "Skills."

As long as the mission does not change, and the changing of the name does nothing to those ratings, the school will stand tall.

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April 5, 2009

Library computer resources in demand

More people taking classes, doing research, Morris freeholders told
By Michael Daigle • Daily Record • April 5, 2009

HANOVER -- The Morris County Library is fast becoming a go-to information center, even in this age of Google, Twitter, Facebook and all things Internet.

Director of Library Services Joanne Kares told the Morris County freeholders recently that more people are using the county library for research, phone queries and career seminars.

The increased activity also reflects changes in the way the library operates and cooperates with the county's municipal libraries, Kares said.

Librarian Lynne Oliver said that, for example, schools with tight local budgets have cut down on the number of trips to the library. In response, the library staff produced a virtual tour that is available on DVD.

In 2008, Oliver said, the library had 284,043 visitors who borrowed 546,313 items, up 12.4 percent from 2007. The library's Web site was visited 283,639 times last year, she said.

As the economy worsens, the library is seeing increased interest in its career programs, Oliver said, noting 469 such sessions have been held since 1992, reaching 5,250 participants.

In addition to career programs offered at the library, the staff also goes off-site to nonprofit organizations, government agencies and job counseling groups.

Oliver said the library's computer courses are designed to give the most inexperienced person basic instruction. The simplistic approach answered a basic call after schools such as County College of Morris found some of its students had no familiarity with computers.

The library's computer training courses cover such topics as e-mail and PC basics, Google tips and introductions to software such as Microsoft Word.

For information on upcoming career seminars and computer classes, visit www.mclib.info or call the library at (973) 285-6939.

Mike Daigle can be reached at (973) 267-7947 or mdaigle@gannett.com.

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April 3, 2009

Librarians at Rutgers protest vote to drop 'library' from name of school

By ERICA HARBATKIN • Staff Writer • April 2, 2009

RUTGERS — In a move that incited strong protests from a group of librarians, the university Board of Governors voted yesterday to remove the words "library studies" from the name of the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies.

About 20 people involved with the library studies program attended the Board of Governors meeting to show their opposition against the name change proposal, which they said lacked sufficient public discussion and could be detrimental to the library studies program.

The school houses three academic departments — communication, journalism and media studies, and library and information science.

Advocates for the name change said the new name better reflects that range of disciplines, demonstrates a cohesive identity among the programs and provides a simpler identity.

"Our school needs to unify the image we present to the world," said Dan O'Connor, an associate professor in the deparment of library and information science.

The school's faculty voted Feb. 9 to endorse the change, by a vote of 30-10.

Opponents said removing "library studies" from the school's name will alienate alumni and damage the program's name recognition.

"There is a community identification with libraries and librarians and by removing this from the name of the institution, you're breaking it," Maurice Freedman, a library consultant who has a PhD from the school, told the Board of Governors. "Alumni that feel alienated and disconnected are not going to be opening their checkbooks as readily as they would with a name they know and accept."

Jerome Aumente, distinguished professor emeritus, noted that the journalism department developed a strong program despite the decision not to include "journalism" in the school name.

"Journalism was able to grow and thrive in the new school even though we agreed to keep our name off the marquee," Aumente said to the board.

Representatives from the Library and Information Science Student Association asked the board to table the issue until students had the opportunity to participate in the discussion.

"If there is good reason for the name change it would withstand the discussion," Laurie Feistammel, vice president of the student association, said after the meeting.

Jorge Reina Schement, the school's first-year dean, said he met with about 15 student leaders to discuss the name change.

Members of the New Jersey Library Association, which is composed mostly of Rutgers alumni, voiced concerns that the move could signal a decreased commitment to the library program.

"We would have preferred to have a discussion with (the dean) about his vision for the future of the school," said Patricia Tumulty, the executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. "Without knowing his intentions, we have to oppose it."

Schement said there are no plans to cut from the library studies program.

"That is not the case at all. We are investing in it. We believe in it," he said. "We are in a very tough economic situation and we are exploring every possible resource in order to grow the program.This is our great opportunity to invest in the program because everyone else in the country is cutting back."

About 560 students are enrolled in the school's master of library and information science program, while another 150 are enrolled in the PhD program in communication, information and library studies. The library master's program is ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

"If there is good reason for the name change it would withstand the discussion," Laurie Feistammel, vice president of the student association, said after the meeting.

Jorge Reina Schement, the school's first-year dean, said he met with about 15 student leaders to discuss the name change.

Members of the New Jersey Library Association, which is composed mostly of Rutgers alumni, voiced concerns that the move could signal a decreased commitment to the library program.

"We would have preferred to have a discussion with (the dean) about his vision for the future of the school," said Patricia Tumulty, the executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. "Without knowing his intentions, we have to oppose it."

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April 1, 2009

Hanover restores $30K to library budget, hours still cut

BY JAKE REMALY • DAILY RECORD • April 1, 2009

HANOVER — Whippanong Library patrons got some welcome news at the township committee’s final budget workshop meeting on Saturday, which saw the completion of the township’s 2009 budget in a “tough budget year.”

Although the township committee is giving the library $35,000 less than it did in 2008, it ended up being $30,000 more than the library initially thought it was getting. As a result of the cuts, however, the library will close on Sundays and earlier on Fridays.

The additional funds could mean the restoration of some story times by a popular professional storyteller, library Director Sulekha Das said Tuesday.

The township committee originally considered cutting $65,000 from the library budget, “but after considerable protest from library users, $30,000 was restored,” Mayor Leonardo Fariello said in a statement this week outlining parts of the budget, which is almost ready to be formally introduced.

“This has been a tough budget year for Hanover Township,” he said.

The $355,000 budgeted for the library in 2009 is one part of the township’s $21,792,806 budget.

That total budget is about $400,000 less than the 2008 budget, but the municipal portion of the tax bill will still increase by $107 for homeowners with property assessed at the township average of $240,000.

The municipal portion of the tax bill for the average homeowner would be $1,591.

The property tax rate increase is the result of commercial property values in the township plummeting by $26 million, mostly due to property reassessments at the corporate campuses of Alcatel-Lucent and Bear Stearns, which recently was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase, Fariello said.

State aid also was cut by nearly $100,000.

As a result, Hanover anticipates a loss of $1 million in commercial tax revenue and $100,000 in state aid.

“So even though the budget is lower than last year, a greater percent of the budget will have to be funded by property taxes,” Fariello said.

The Township Committee cut the open space and recreation tax by 1 cent per $100 of assessed value, meaning the open space and recreation tax will decrease by $24 for the average homeowner. Taking the open space decrease into account, the overall the municipal tax will increase $83 for the average home in Hanover.

The Fourth of July Fireworks and Hanover Township Day were suspended for 2009, but the fireworks will be funded by a generous donation from a resident, Fariello said. Several road improvement projects also were suspended for 2009.

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