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October 30, 2009
Simons makes Bridgeton Library plea
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
By JOE GREEN
jgreen@sjnewsco.com
BRIDGETON - The public library board of trustees voted Tuesday evening to delay closing the library on Mondays - at least until Jan. 1 of 2010.
The trustees had considered the one day per week closing in the face of continuing city and state budget woes.
Of late, many feared the library may close altogether, as both levels of government are strapped for cash.
The trustees also, however, put off adopting a budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.
Library director Gail Robinson submitted a budget of $238,286, based on a reduced payroll due to Monday closures and possibly reduction of most library employees hours to part time.
She submitted an alternative budget, without those cuts, of about $253,000.
Preziosi & and Nicholson LLC, the Millville accounting firm performing audits for the library, had suggested limiting the budget to approximately $230,000.
For that reason, board president Donna Longo and other board members requested Robinson ask the auditor to clarify those recommendations, or challenge them.
Some expressed frustration that, six months into the fiscal year, the board hasn't approved a budget, but keeps asking for clarification of the audit.
But several members refused outright to vote on it until Robinson approached the accountant.
There was no real debate during the meeting, however, over ways to adjust the budget, and where.
"There's nothing ridiculous about this budget," Robinson said. "Everything is legitimate, and this is for the entire fiscal year."
"There's not a whole lot of difference between this budget and all the others," she said, adding that she's been preparing them since 1993.
Despite the fiscal headaches, Friends of the Library treasurer John Simons, a Preston Avenue resident, reported that fundraisers for roof repairs have beaten their goals.
While the Friends had aimed for $20,000 by this month, they'd raised $32,140.53 from 324 individual donations, Simons said.
One person gave $5,000, four gave $1,000 each. Other donations ranged from $15 to $500.
"Why would these people send us that kind of money? Because they were motivated to keep the library open," Simons said in pleading with the trustees to avoid the Monday closures.
"If you have funds for a rainy day, use them," he implored them. "It's raining. We can't close the umbrella. Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of people are trying to hold that umbrella open."
A little more than $1,000 came from donation cans in stores and banks throughout the city, Simons added.
Posted by tumulty at 5:17 PM
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October 28, 2009
State Library awards grant to Salem library for graphic novels
Salem Sunbean
Saturday, October 24, 2009
From Staff Reports
tsnews@sjnewsco.com
TRENTON - The New Jersey State Library has announced the award of $3,000 grants to 14 libraries, including the Salem Free Public Library, to assist them with establishing and growing graphic novel collections.
Funding for the program was made possible through the Florence Taylor Tischler and Nathaniel Tischler Memorial Fund.
Libraries will use the money to either develop their core collections of graphic novels for adults, teens and children, or expand existing collections. Graphic novels are original literary works combining illustrations and words in the tradition of comic books and are popular with all age groups.
The New Jersey State Library serves as a leader in the provision, promotion and support of excellent quality library and information services for all people in New Jersey. This grant was specifically designed to help smaller libraries in the state with their graphic novel collections.
"We recognize that our smaller libraries face funding challenges when it comes to providing their customers with the variety of products they'd like," said Norma Blake, New Jersey State librarian. "Although it's rare for the State Library to fund a core collection like this, we believe it's important to bring this popular genre to smaller libraries who otherwise couldn't afford these books."
As part of the grant, the State Library conducted workshops featuring experts discussing various aspects of graphic novel collection development, and furnished a core graphic novel bibliography for the librarians to use to purchase books for their collections. Workshop panelists were John Cunningham, vice president of marketing for DC Comics, Laverne Mann, librarian with the Mercer County Library, David Inabnitt, librarian with the Brooklyn Public Library, and Sophie Brookover, librarian with Eastern Regional Senior High School, Audubon.
Libraries receiving grants include Salem Free Public Library, Wenonah Free Public Library, Westville Public Library, Atlantic Highlands Public Library, Belvidere Free Public Library, Berlin, Marie Fleche Library, Brielle Public Library, Delanco Public Library, Gibbsboro Public Library, Jamesburg Public Library, Manasquan Public Library, Milford Public Library, Newfield Public Library, and Rumson Free Public Library.
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Bridgeton library gets $32K in donations for roof work; trustees avoid one-day-a-week closure for now
NJ.com
By Joe Green
October 27, 2009, 7:55PM
BRIDGETON — The public library board of trustees voted Tuesday evening to delay closing the library on Mondays at least until Jan. 1 of 2010.
The trustees had considered the one day per week closing in the face of continuing city and state budget woes. Of late, many feared the library may close altogether, as both levels of government are strapped for cash.
The trustees also, however, put off adopting a budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.
Library director Gail Robinson submitted a budget of $238,286, based on a reduced payroll due to Monday closures and possibly reduction of most library employees’ hours to part time.
She submitted an alternative budget, without those cuts, of about $253,000.
Preziosi & and Nicholson LLC, the Millville accounting firm performing audits for the library, had suggested limiting the budget to approximately $230,000.
For that reason, board president Donna Longo and other board members requested Robinson ask the auditor to clarify those recommendations, or challenge them.
Some expressed frustration that, six months into the fiscal year, the board hasn’t approved a budget but keeps asking for clarification of the audit. But several members refused outright to vote on it until Robinson approached the accountant.
There was no real debate during the meeting, however, over ways to adjust the budget and where.
“There’s nothing ridiculous about this budget,” Robinson said. “Everything is legitimate, and this is for the entire fiscal year.”
“There’s not a whole lot of difference between this budget and all the others,” she said, adding that she’s been preparing them since 1993.
Despite the fiscal headaches, Friends of the Library treasurer John Simons, a Preston Avenue resident, reported that fundraisers for roof repairs have beaten their goals.
While the Friends had aimed for $20,000 by this month, they’d raised $32,140.53 from 324 individual donations, Simons said.
One person gave $5,000, four gave $1,000 each. Other donations ranged from $15 to $500.
“Why would these people send us that kind of money? Because they were motivated to keep the library open,” Simons said in pleading with the trustees to avoid the Monday closures.
“If you have funds for a rainy day, use them,” he implored them. “It’s raining. We can’t close the umbrella. Hundreds upon hundreds, upon hundreds of people are trying to hold that umbrella open.”
A little more than $1,000 came from donation cans in stores and banks throughout the city, Simons added.
Posted by tumulty at 9:46 AM
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October 27, 2009
Project would expand Swedesboro library
CourierPostOnline.com
October 27, 2009
SWEDESBORO — The library here will more than double in size under a project set to break ground on Thursday.
The Swedesboro Library, currently 2,500 square feet, will add 3,000 square feet under a partnership between the borough and the Gloucester County Library System.
Improvements will include a meeting room, a larger children's area, a study room and space for more public-access computers.
Ground is to be broken at 12:30 p.m. at the library at Kings Highway and Auburn Road. The library, founded in 1783, has occupied a former bank building since 1944.
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West Long Branch officials to discuss library referendum
By CAROL GORGA WILLIAMS • COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU • October 26, 2009
WEST LONG BRANCH — Days before Election Day, two different perspectives are likely to be presented at public meetings highlighting the upcoming public referendum question on the status of the borough library.
The Borough Council previously had approved the question which will ask voters "Shall the borough of West Long Branch dissolve the West Long Branch library and change its current status from member of the Monmouth County system to branch.''
The council maintains without the change in status, borough taxpayers will continue to be taxed twice for library services while those who maintain the status quo say they can find other ways to cut costs while still not surrendering local control.
The library is sponsoring the second of its informational sessions, 7 p.m. Wednesday at the library, 95 Poplar Ave., while borough officials have scheduled a
session for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Borough Hall, 965 Broadway.
The sponsors of both forums say residents will be exposed to both sides of the
question so they can make educated decisions at the ballot box Tuesday.
Councilman J. Thomas DeBruin, who heads the borough's finance committee, said he would be negligent if he didn't find a way to stop the local taxpayers from having to pay twice.
Monmouth County officials say they welcome the change in which the county will
pay for employee salary and benefits, education for the staff, library collections,
including books, DVDs and CD and system services. The borough would pay to maintain the library facilities and for newspaper sand periodicals.
Meanwhile, the library board says it can save money by severing its ties with he
Monmouth County system and going a Middlesex County Library consortium.
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October 26, 2009
Libraries offering free homework help to students
NJ.com
By Shabria Davis
October 25, 2009, 11:06AM
Thanks to a partnership between the New Jersey State Library and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), local students will be able to receive free homework assistance at several area libraries.
The Homework Help NJ Program, available at the Elmer, Penns Grove, Pennsville, Salem, and Woodstown-Pilesgrove public libraries (as well as 19 other public libraries throughout the state), provides students in grades kindergarten through 12 and those taking introductory college courses with help in math, social studies, science, and English via the Internet at www.homeworkhelpnj.org
Spanish-speaking tutors are also available for help with math and science assignments.
The program offers one-on-one instruction. Students can connect to a tutor through their local libraries or from their home computers by using their library card number.
Online tutors are available from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. seven days a week. Tutors can help students with both simple questions and complex concepts.
All tutors are certified through Tutor.com.
Pennsville Public Library Director Nancy Whitesell believes the program is beneficial for students because it helps them accomplish their academic goals.
“(Homework Help NJ) provides students with help whenever they need it. They are never abandoned and there is always someone available to help them with their assignments,” said Whitesell.
Despite being involved with the program for more than a year, Whitesell said she has seen very few students coming in to take advantage of the program.
“We were really excited when the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative told us about this program,” Whitesell said. “I haven’t seen a lot of kids come in to use the program. But we have given out a lot of bookmarks describing the program, so I know they are taking home the information.”
She added that as library staff, it is their job to inform the public of this service.
“We have gone over instructions on how to use the program and the benefits that come from using it,” she said.
Along with the 24 participating libraries, students in the New Jersey After 3 program can also access Homework Help NJ at all local program sites, including Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and many other organizations.
PSEG is the parent company of PSEG Nuclear.
For more information, visit the official program Web site at www.homeworkhelpnj.org
Posted by tumulty at 10:30 AM
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October 23, 2009
Library's a more welcoming place
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Neighbor News (Dover Edition)
STAFF WRITER
By David Jimenez
What started out more than five years ago as a simple plan to extend the life of a well-used library has evolved into a major remodeling effort for Denville's Public Library that is nothing less than redefining the whole notion of how a contemporary library should feel and look.
Designed by the architectural firm of Dennis Kowal Architects, based in Somerville, the estimated $1.6-million renovation was completed last month. Initially thought of as a stop-gap measure to prolong its current use for another decade, the remodeling project provided an opportunity to resolve some age-old issues with its patrons.
"Using focus groups conducted with business owners, moms, seniors, Friends of the Library and teens, we found out that the public wanted better lighting, a separate children's area and a more comfortable atmosphere," said Betsy Kanouse, library director. "The planning took longer than the construction that began in January 2009 and lasted nine months."
Using existing floor space, the library was divided into several sections to allow room for a teen lounge, a glass-enclosed children's room, quiet reading areas, a media and computer section, and space for the library's fiction and non-fiction collection of more than 60,000 books.
The library is creatively whimsical with wood flooring and pillars meshing with rich carpeting and stone work that gives the library an outdoor feel. Even where the interior space is basically just a box, the library's design was able to inject a degree of drama. A canoe sculpture hangs above a comfortable reading area, a section of the library offering a reprieve from the day's pressure.
"The library's renovation project is self-funded," Kanouse said. "Expenses have been offset by an $800,000 contribution from the library's Board of Trustees who accumulated the money over several years. The remaining costs will be paid for by the library's operations budget, savings and fundraisers," she said.
The Denville Public Library is located at 121 Diamond Spring Road. Library hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays.
E-mail: jimenezd@northjersey.com
Posted by tumulty at 10:29 AM
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October 22, 2009
Monroe Township set to open new expanded library
Gloucester County Times
Monday, October 12, 2009
By Christina Paciolla
cpaciolla@sjnewsco.com
MONROE TWP. After years of planning, the doors of the new Monroe Township Public Library will open tomorrow to the public at its Marsha Avenue location.
"People are very anxious to see and I think they are going to be really excited," said Library Director Beth Lillie.
Some folks got a sneak preview during the township's weeklong 150th birthday celebration, but now, all the shelves are stocked, the furniture is in and the meeting rooms are finished.
The library's old building, located on Main Street in downtown Williamstown, had two floors and was just over 14,000 square feet. The library's new digs may be just one floor, but it's 24,000 square feet. On that one floor, however, the library has several meeting rooms, reading areas and computer hubs for its patrons.
The new meeting room facility, Lillie hopes, will bring in local community groups and business meetings.
"We have a separate story room which has a beautiful ceiling that when we turn on looks like A Starry Night," Lille said.
There is also a storage area for old and new newspapers that can be viewed and accessed easily by the public. There are also four separate tutoring rooms something that the old library never had.
"We have an absolutely exquisite fireplace in a reading area," Lillle said. "It's a very relaxing, calm area where you can look out the windows to a garden."
There is also a children's story room that leads out to a special children's garden. Lille said that children's reading groups will utilize the garden. There is also a parent waiting area with couches. It also looks out onto the garden.
In the new building, all of the DVDs and videos for rental are located on the main floor, instead of tucked away in the basement as was with the Main Street location.
"We had a very sizable collection stored in our basement," Lillie said. "If someone wanted something, a member of the staff would have to retrieve it. Now, everything is on the main floor."
In addition to a custodian and student helpers, all 12 staff members have moved over to the new library location and soon, a technology librarian for all the computers the new library is housing. The amount of computers has doubled they are up to 28, just for Internet access.
"They are new and spiffy," Lillie said. "We have got things set up so they move pretty fast."
A technology lab will also open shortly, with 18 additional computers. Lillie's hope is that the lab will be used for specific training, such as software classes for a small corporation.
"These are the kinds of places they might look to have that," Lillie said.
The only computer-related issue the new library is having is wireless access but Lillie said that will be up shortly, and is one of the more minimal features that may not be made available tomorrow.
"It's just comfortable," Lillie said. "All new furniture and it's clean, neat and quiet."
An added bonus to the new library is outside and it's the parking lot. The Main Street location didn't offer a parking lot of its own. The bank housed next door would allow library parking in its lot, or patrons would park along Main Street. At Marsha Avenue, there is plenty of parking for library-goers.
Two years ago, the library's staff conducted a survey of everybody that came through the doors. Lillie said it was a short survey asking people how they got to the library. The results were that over 90 percent said they had driven there, which boded well when switching to a location not entirely central to Williamstown's down town area.
"People came to the library because they wanted to come to the library," Lillie said. "Truthfully I think we're going to see even more people."
The new library is less than a mile from its old location.
Another draw to the new library is its location behind the Stoltzfus Farmer's Market, Lillie said. Shoppers from all over Gloucester County make that a destination.
"Not only will we be pulling in a lot of new residents, we're going to have people from all over the county who want to see the new library, because it's fantastic," Lillie said.
The Monroe Township Public Library is also part of an inter-county library system, where residents can use their Gloucester County library card at the Williamstown location; being a resident isn't entirely needed.
Lillie has credited Monroe Township council, as well as Mayor Michael Gabbianelli, as driving forces to getting the project completed. Lillie has wanted a new library in the community for nearly 30 years.
"If it weren't for them," she said, "we wouldn't be here. They have been really supportive of this in the community."
As a thank-you to them and other friends of the library, flat screen TVs mounted above the desks give information about those organizations, as well as letting patrons know of upcoming community and library events.
"I think people are excited about it because it's new and different," Lillie said. "This is like our township's jewel. It's not just a place for the books and computers.
"Just for me to be able to look out a window to see a beautiful blue sky with white clouds floating by is just amazing."
The library will open to the public tomorrow at 11 a.m. but a grand opening celebration has yet to be scheduled. The new library is located at 713 Marsha Ave. For up to date information about the library, become a "fan" on their Facebook page The Free Public Library of Monroe Township, or visit monroetownship.org.
Posted by tumulty at 6:51 PM
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October 19, 2009
County gives $325G for restoration, expansion of Perth Amboy library
By SUZANNE C. RUSSELL • STAFF WRITER • October 18, 2009
PERTH AMBOY — Perth Amboy got a financial boost from Middlesex County in its efforts toward a $9 million restoration and expansion of the city's 106-year-old library.
Middlesex County has awarded the city a $325,000 grant from the open space, recreation and farmland and historic preservation trust fund to prepare a preservation plan and specifications for restoring the city's historic Carnegie library.
The award was unanimously approved Thursday, Oct. 15, by members of the Middlesex County Board of Freeholders in attendance, according to the clerk of the board's office.
“This is a big boost for the city and the library,” said Karen Kubulak, chair of the Celebrate Perth Amboy/Save Our Carnegie Library organization which is working to raise funds to restore and expand the Jefferson Street library.
She said some of the funds may be used to file a preservation plan with state, which costs $45,000 to $60,000.
“That's why we're so grateful to the county,” said Kubulak who attended the freeholder meeting with Mayor Wilda Diaz and Barbara Sottilaro, president of the library's Board of Trustees.
“It (the funds) allow us to move forward with the architectural specifications,” said Kubulak, adding that work needs to be done before the project can go out for bid. “It will start the whole process.”
The save our library organization and city also are working to have the library designated on the state and national register of historic places.
Since last week when plans were announced for a Tuesday, Oct. 20, Save Our Carnegie Library reception fund raiser, Kubulak said she's heard from architects interested in the project as well as a bank inviting the organization to apply for foundation funds.
Although sales of the $50 tickets to Tuesday's fundraiser have been slow, Kubulak is hopeful people will walk in that day to buy tickets. Members of the freeholder board, Perth Amboy Chamber of Commerce and city teachers have been invited to attend. Tickets will be available at the door.
“I know in this economy it's hard,” said Kubulak. “Hopefully they will file in. I'm trying to be positive.
Sottilaro earlier this week said the renovation and expansion project will need “big money.”
“If we aspire to be a first class city, we need a first class library,” said Sottilaro, who has long advocated for the restoration of the library.
The Perth Amboy Public Library was built in 1901 with funds from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. It opened two years later. The building is structurally sound, but has not been well maintained.The roof leaks, plaster on the walls is crumbling. It also does not comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
A feasibility study conducted by architect Dennis Kowal set the cost to protect and expand the Jefferson Street library at $7.85 million. Furnishings would increase the price tag to $9 million.
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October 13, 2009
Library sponsors help for unemployed
By: TODD MCHALE
Burlington County Times
MOORESTOWN - With more than 10 million Americans out of work, the Moorestown Library hopes to do its part in helping residents get back into the job market.
This week the library will host three workshops for job seekers that will be moderated by vocation expert Molly Mihocko, who also serves as a vocational consultant in Burlington County.
Mihocko will cover job hunting and networking on Wednesday, resume writing on Thursday and interview skills on Friday.
The library has a broad range of services in place to assist residents with their employment searches, and library officials believe the workshops will offer valuable information to those in need of a job.
"As a resource center we make every effort possible to accommodate the needs of our community," library director Joe Galbraith said. "The library has facilitated the job-search endeavor for a very long time and we are happy to offer these workshops as a continuation towards those services and programs."
Advertisement The workshop series is funded in part by a grant from the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative and the New Jersey State Library.
The workshops are free and scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call the library at 856-234-0333.
Contact: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com or 609-871-8163
Posted by tumulty at 10:48 AM
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Campaign under way to repair, renovate Perth Amboy's landmark library
By SUZANNE C. RUSSELL • STAFF WRITER • October 11, 2009
PERTH AMBOY — About $9 million is needed to repair and renovate the city's 106-year-old library - funds the cash-strapped city doesn't have.
But supporters of the Jefferson Street library are hoping grants and donations will be able to fund the project.
The city is partnering with Celebrate Perth Amboy, a nonprofit organization that has been active in Perth Amboy for more than 20 years, to raise funds to restore, renovate and extend the historic Perth Amboy Public Library.
The kick off fundraising event will be a Save Our Carnegie Library reception, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the library, 196 Jefferson St. The library will close at 5 p.m. and reopen at 5:45 p.m. for the reception.
Karen Kubulak, chair of the Celebrate Perth Amboy/ Save Our Carnegie Library organization, said the reception will include musical entertainment by the Perth Amboy High School show choir, a student keyboard player, – and maybe even a tango dance demonstration – as well as refreshments and discussion of the efforts toward the restoration project. Tickets are $50 per person.
“Have I raised $9 million before, no,” said Kubulak. “We're looking to get this moving. “We'll be reaching out to people.”
Kubulak said there are “zero dollars in the bank account” for the project, but she's hoping to start getting money from a community fund raising effort and foundation grants. She said a packet of information about the library is being prepared to solicit donations from individuals with ties to Perth Amboy as well as corporations and government agencies.
“It's not just a pipe dream,” said Kubulak, a former member of both the City Council and Board of Education. “I think you have to be creative and open. We're hopeful.”
The Perth Amboy Public Library was built in 1901 with funds from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Opened in 1903 the building is structurally sound. The library is not on the New Jersey or National Register of Historic Places. Kubulak said that designation could help with fundraising efforts.
The library has not been well maintained. The flashing on the roof leaks creating crumbling plaster walls throughout the building. During heavy rains, buckets are placed throughout the library to catch water.
The building is not barrier free. There are no meeting rooms and a narrow 24-inch staircase is used to get to the bathrooms on the lower level. The entrance to the children's section is through an alley.
During the summer architect Dennis Kowal who conducted a feasibility study told City Council members it would cost $7.85 million to protect and expand the library building. The cost increases to $9 once fully furnished.
Barbara Sottilaro, president of the library's Board of Trustees who has been pushing to have the library restored said she's happy something is happening.
“I think it's a good thing we are finally starting,” Sottilaro said. “I've been pushing for this a long time.
Sottilaro said she's hoping the library gets big monetary donations.
“I think positive and pray,” she said.
Anyone interested in becoming a members of Celebrate Perth Amboy/Save Our Carnegie Library or would like to participate in the fundraiser is asked to e-mail celebratepa.library@gmail.com.
Posted by tumulty at 10:43 AM
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Tough choices for feds giving out broadband money
Posted on Sun, Oct. 11, 2009
Tough choices for feds giving out broadband money
JOELLE TESSLER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The federal government will soon start handing out the first $4 billion from a pot of stimulus funds intended to spread high-speed Internet connections to more rural communities, poor neighborhoods and other pockets of the country clamoring for better access. The challenge is that the government has received $28 billion in requests.
So the reviewers at the Commerce and Agriculture Departments who will award the broadband money must make hard choices. The 2,200 applications each envision something different , more fiber-optic lines, for example, or computer labs or municipal wireless networks. But they all promise that their proposals will create jobs and bring new economic opportunities.
What follows are snapshots of four projects representing a cross section of the broadband stimulus hopefuls. It's too soon to know which plans will win federal grants or loans, either in this round of funding or in the next, as the total broadband stimulus expands to $7.2 billion. Those that do get picked may not get the full amount they are seeking.
But perhaps one , or more , of these projects has a chance.
For the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe in the Idaho panhandle, the stimulus money could mean a lifeline to the outside world.
The tribe is asking for $12.2 million for a ring of fiber-optic lines that could connect up to 3,500 homes on one side of its rural reservation, which is about half the size of Rhode Island.
Right now, the tribe's landline broadband options are limited. The local cable company has pulled out of the market. And the phone company, Verizon Communications Inc., offers digital subscriber line (DSL) service to just a small slice of the reservation.
Although the tribe launched its own wireless network in 2005 with the help of Agriculture Department funding, that network reaches less than half the reservation and slows to a crawl whenever too many people get online at once.
Valerie Fast Horse, the tribe's information technology director, says stimulus money would let the Coeur d'Alene Indians build a network that is "more stable and more reliable" and could deliver faster connections at lower prices.
The tribe's wireless network currently offers top speeds of 1.5 megabits per second, comparable to standard DSL service available elsewhere. But it charges users about $100 a month, about four times the standard price. The proposed fiber network would deliver a 20-megabit connection , faster than what most cable subscribers get , for $100 a month. Or tribe members would be able to get a 1.5-megabit connection for $25 a month.
Fast Horse envisions all sorts of uses for the fiber lines, including distance learning. Tribe members already use video conferencing to participate in classes at North Idaho College, about 35 miles away, when the roads are too icy to drive. But that requires them to travel to the tribe's education center, which has a landline connection to the Internet. A fiber-to-the-home network would let tribal members take classes without leaving their kitchens, she says.
It would also enable Coeur d'Alene members to consult with medical specialists around the country. And it would help the tribe preserve its language and culture, by allowing more members to access the tribe's video-sharing Web site, Rezcast. Among other things, the site features clips of powwows and online tutorials with tribal elders speaking their native language.
Clearwire Corp., a company pioneering the use of a next-generation wireless technology known as WiMax, is upfront about the fact that some markets don't make sense for telecom providers that need to show a profit.
So Clearwire is asking for $19.4 million to build a high-speed wireless network in a handful of poor Detroit neighborhoods that it otherwise might not serve anytime soon.
Although those neighborhoods have more than 800,000 people, high unemployment and poverty levels make for a tough business case. But federal dollars would change the equation, says John Bunce, president of the Clearwire unit applying for stimulus funding.
And with that seed money as a starting point, the company pledges to spend its own capital to expand the wireless network across metropolitan Detroit, including more lucrative suburban markets.
The company offers a range of wireless plans, including a $45-a-month package that delivers speeds averaging 3 megabits to 6 megabits per second. On the low end, the company offers a basic 1-megabit connection for $25 a month.
In Detroit, Clearwire says, it would also provide free and discounted accounts for poor residents through nonprofit partners.
In Appalachia, a nonprofit Internet provider called the Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN) wants help expanding a service started back in the dial-up Internet days so that people in the mountains of North Carolina wouldn't have to make a long-distance phone call to get online.
MAIN is asking for $2.5 million to extend its wireless network in Asheville, N.C., and several remote mountain communities. A sister non-profit is asking for $38.8 million to install fiber lines that would connect that network to the Internet.
Launched in 1996, MAIN today has about 1,200 dial-up subscribers, 400 wireless subscribers and several hundred additional customers who pay to access a Wi-Fi connection for a few hours or a few days at a time. Stimulus money would enable the non-profit to spread its wireless "cloud" to 11,000 additional homes in Asheville public housing projects and surrounding low-income neighborhoods.
Wally Bowen, MAIN's executive director, says the service would bring inexpensive mobile Internet connections , with speeds of 3 megabits per second for $30 a month , to a transient, low-income community that includes struggling artists and young entrepreneurs. Many of those people, he says, cannot sign up for the typical one-year or two-year contracts required to get the cheapest Internet rates from the big phone companies.
MAIN would also use federal funding to bring wireless connections to 1,700 homes in Graham County, an isolated, rural district that has no four-lane highway. Although the library and community college in Graham County's only town, Robbinsville, do provide high-speed Internet access, budget cuts have restricted the number of hours that those computer centers are open.
In addition, MAIN would use stimulus money to extend its wireless service to Mount Mitchell State Park, home to the highest point east of the Mississippi. That would allow campers, park rangers and visiting scientists studying acid rain and biodiversity to get real-time updates on weather and trail conditions.
Philadelphia is making its second run at a big municipal broadband project.
The city is asking for $21.8 million to connect police precincts, fire stations, libraries, housing projects, recreation centers and community organizations across three inner-city neighborhoods.
Allan Frank, Philadelphia's chief technology officer, envisions doing this with a combination of fiber lines and a wireless network. That would bring high-speed links to city buildings to handle municipal affairs , while also enabling garbage collectors, emergency responders, fire inspectors and other city workers to stay connected using handheld devices in the field.
Philadelphia also has two other stimulus proposals: The city's public housing authority would like $2.4 million to place computer labs in housing projects. And the city's library system, working closely with community groups, is asking for $15 million to set up Internet training programs, supply laptops and install Internet connections to get low-income residents online.
Five years ago, Philadelphia partnered with EarthLink Inc. to blanket the city with wireless access, in hopes of providing cheap connections for poor neighborhoods. But that effort ended in failure: EarthLink concluded the venture had no business model and pulled out. Now the city hopes to buy the network assets that EarthLink left behind.
Frank says the stimulus money is an opportunity to "restart the conversation about what our technology future should look like." By retaining control over the project and focusing on broadband adoption as well as access, he added, the city would avoid the mistakes it made last time.
"This is a game reset for us," he says.
Posted by tumulty at 10:40 AM
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State Support for Libraries in Pennsylvania Cut Nearly 27%
Twenty percent cut in direct public library aid; advocates say it could have been worse
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 10/12/2009
•At one point, 55% overall cut considered
•20% cut in public library subsidies
•Big hits to stateside card, databases
After nearly 100 days of deadlock on the Pennsylvania state budget, legislators last week agreed to a compromise, including a 26.7% slash in state support for libraries, from $93,246,000 to $68,322,000, cutting back on direct public library aid and even more so on statewide services.
Given the national economic downturn, and particularly Pennsylvania’s painful situation, the cut was seen by library advocates as a “could have been worse” situation. At one point, a 55.3% cut was considered, and Philadelphia, anticipating a “doomsday” budget if the legislature refused to approve a new sales tax, planned to shut all its libraries down. (That was averted last month.)
Roller coaster budget
“[D]uring the eight months of this year’s budget roller coaster, our overall funding levels ranged from a potential highest total (all programs) of $81 million (Rendell/House Democratic plan) to a potential lowest total (all programs) of $42 million (Senate Republican plan.),” wrote Glenn Miller, executive director, Pennsylvania Library Association. “In the end, fortunately, our overall funding of $68 million ended much closer to the higher number than the lower.”
Among “the excruciating details” are a 20.1% cut in public library subsidies, a 47.8% cut in the State Library, and a 71.5% cut in Library Access (POWER Library, statewide card, interlibrary delivery) and the Electronic Library Catalog (Ask Here PA, Access PA database), which was merged into Library Access.
Big impact
“I know that these end results will not be pleasant at all for library staff, for services, and for library users,” Miller wrote. “At the same time, I also know we recognize—all of us—that this is the worst economy in Pennsylvania since the Great Depression and that state coffers lost a mind-numbing $3.2 billion in revenue just this past year.”
“We will work with Deputy Secretary Clare Zales to try and minimize the damage to statewide programs and begin planning to rebuild services and funding,” he added. “The hit to the Public Library Subsidy was bad but not as severe as it could have been. We will also work with Clare Zales to see if it is possible to accelerate the payment dates for state aid.”
Miller reminded the library community that it could have been worse without advocacy. “We know that legislators heard our voices even in the face of this budget’s tidal wave of red ink,” he wrote. “I realize that it may not feel like it right now, but your advocacy made a huge, positive difference.”
Posted by tumulty at 9:42 AM
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October 9, 2009
Woodbridge wants all students reading by end of first grade
NJ.com
By SERGIO BICHAO • STAFF WRITER • October 8, 2009
By the end of the year, every single first-grade student in a township public school will be reading. That's the goal both school and township officials expect to achieve through a multi-pronged effort involving a revamped curriculum and promoting reading among adults.
"While it sounds like something every school district should do, it's not, and there's never been a commitment like this in our district to make sure this is done," said Assistant Superintendent Lois Rotella, who attended a press conference at the Fords Branch Library with Mayor John E. McCormac and school and township officials to launch Woodbridge Reads.
In the schools, first-graders will be taught through a new rigorous reading curriculum developed over the summer after extensive research and teacher training. A Reading Recovery program will identify students who need extra help to catch up.
In the libraries, meanwhile, the township will target parents and senior citizens through a Mayor's Book Club, including reading discussion groups and book blog on the library's Web site.
The mayor's first book choice was the John Grisham legal thriller, "The Associate." The library director, schools Superintendent John Crowe and the township council will pick other books in the future.
Officials cited research showing how children whose parents read to them, and children who live in homes with lots of books and reading materials, tend to do better in school.
"More important than the book read is time spent," said Woodbridge Public Library Director John Hurley.
Rotella said the district's new curriculum was based on practices in New Zealand, which has the highest early literacy rates in the world. Like in New Zealand, township schools will celebrate first graders who learn to read and give them a library card.
"The child and parent are celebrated. We need to refocus what's important in public education. We should be celebrate those things," she said.
Teachers at some schools will be aided by reading coaches, hired from part of an $820,241 federal stimulus grant for schools with a high number of students from economically disadvantaged homes. The district has seven such schools based on enrollment in the federal free-and-reduced price school lunch program.
High school athletes will also be enlisted to become reading mentors for the elementary school students, particularly the boys, who as a group do not read as well as girls.
"Males don't read," Rotella said. "There has been a feminization of public education that has to stop." One way to turn that around is to find books boys are interested in and give them male role models. "You have to want to read in order to learn to read," Rotella said.
Hurley noted that the township libraries offer adult courses on learning English.
About 30 percent of the township's elementary school students come from homes where English is not the primary language. At Woodbine Avenue School No. 23 in Avenel, about 65 percent of students speak English as a second language, while at Kennedy Park School No. 24, only 20 percent of the students come from primarily English-speaking homes.
School officials say language diversity is not a hindrance to youngsters learning English or how to read, noting that School No. 24 last year was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
Aside from helping children become better students, McCormac believes this initiative will help the township.
"Parents are always looking for great schools," he said. "A program like Woodbridge Reads can only enhance our image."
Posted by tumulty at 10:27 AM
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October 8, 2009
A.C. library creates Teen Space to attract city's youths
By VINCENT JACKSON, Staff Writer, 609-272-7202 Thursday, October 8, 2009
ATLANTIC CITY - Talhah Zubair, 17, doesn't own a Macintosh personal computer and neither do any of his friends.
Zubair, who attends Atlantic City High School, visits the main branch of the free public library at least once a week. He plans to make time to stop in at its new Teen Space in the future.
The Teen Space houses Macintosh computers, and Zubair wants to learn how to use them.
On the library's second floor, the new 985-square-foot Teen Space, which holds its grand opening today, features not only 10 computers - six Macintosh and four other computers - but also lounge furniture, a large-screen television, a teen art gallery and the teen resource collections of books, movies, music and magazines. The space is also home to several game consoles, including the video game consoles Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStations 2 and 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360.
"I think it looks great," said Zubair, who helped Ocean City graffiti artist Stephen Gibson paint the "imagine" mural that takes up one wall of the room. "There's nothing like it that I have seen at any other normal library. It's different."
Teen Space came together through planning, hard work and a lucky break.
Last October, The South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative and the New Jersey State Library invited public libraries to submit proposals for its A+ Teen Space Demonstration Project.
"We felt as a group that we needed a Teen Space," said Jennifer Boyce, the free library's coordinator of teen service and Teen Space project manager. "We (the city) have a lot of entities, Police Athletic League, the Boys & Girls Club. We wanted to be another option for kids. So many kids are here after school. We knew we wanted a space for the kids."
Teen Space was built for $75,000. That included $10,000 from the state library, $30,000 from the regional library cooperative and $35,000 of the library's money from the city.
A bunch of middle-aged adults did not decide how the Teen Space would look. That's where good fortune played a role.
Last year, Boyce visited the Grind Garage cafe on Asbury Avenue in Ocean City. She saw a long, thin space that resembled the type of area the library's Teen Space would be constructed in. She liked how it was decorated. Ocean City resident Shaina Horton, 24, designed the Grind Garage and was hired to design the Teen Space.
Boyce and Horton met with art and computer-aided design students at Atlantic City High School, along with members of the library's teen advisory group to create a space that teens would like and use.
"My bold color choices were inspired by them. The shapes and forms (of the furniture) were inspired by them. As teens, they had really eclectic tastes. They really helped define the space as far as the aesthetics. The teens were my inspiration. ... The teens made it a teen environment," Horton said. "The library would be the last place I would ever go when I was young.
Because the Teen Space's equipment and construction money partially came from the demonstration proposal, library officials from inside and outside the state will be visiting the Teen Space to check how it turned out and to see if any of its elements could be incorporated into their libraries.
E-mail Vincent Jackson:
VJackson@pressofac.com
Posted by tumulty at 10:05 AM
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Harding trying to build a library with private funding
By Sarah Schillaci/For the Star-Ledger
October 07, 2009, 5:38PM
HARDING--Build a new library more than 10 times the size of the old one in the midst of a recession with zero impact on taxpayers?
That’s what Harding Township is trying to do.
Construction is continuing on the new Harding Library.
Granted, it’s not too hard to dwarf the old space, which comes in at 370 square feet and occupies the first floor of town hall.
But although the expansion project to move the library into its own building is more than halfway complete, supporters of the private library are struggling to raise the $6 million necessary to build the library and run it once it opens next year.
“We were moving along quite well, and then it slowed down dramatically about a year ago,” said Mary Ann Crutchlow, president of the executive board of the library. “A lot of people around here are based in Wall Street. It’s just made the last year far less productive in the campaign.”
So far, the board has raised $4.6 million for the project.
Unlike most libraries in New Jersey, the Harding library is an association library. While local governments are required by state law to fund libraries with a percentage of assessed property value, towns are not required to give private libraries any funding. In wealthy Harding, where the few municipally-funded programs keep the tax rate low, the library has been kept alive by donations and an annual contribution of $40,000 from the town.
“They like their independence, and that’s a good thing,” said Mayor Louis Lanzerotti.
Plans to expand the library from its current space were hatched about 10 years ago, when the county library mandated that every library in the county system needed to be providing computers for patrons, said Crutchlow.
“Of course, we had no room,” Crutchlow said.
After rejecting the idea of closing the library, the board decided to build a new library.
The 8,000-square-foot building is located on municipal property adjacent to town hall, and will provide spaces for children, young adults and adult patrons. The book collection is expected to double in the new library, which will have computers and periodicals for patrons, two things the current library lacks which are required by the county.
Last year, the township committee passed a resolution allowing the board to lease the land from the town for the next 40 years for $1 a year.
Construction began late last fall, and the new library is expected to open in the spring.
Now it just comes down to finding the money to open the doors.
The board and Friends of the Library began fundraising about five years ago, and are about 75 percent to their goal. But with less than a year to go, Crutchlow said the board has been scrambling to meet its goal by the time the library opens next year.
“We’re just approaching people individually, because we need the money yesterday,” Crutchlow said. “How successful we’ll be, you can’t predict.”
Posted by tumulty at 10:01 AM
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October 7, 2009
Cape May library to close Oct. 19 for renovations
Press of Atlantic City
From Press staff reports | Posted: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 |
CAPE MAY-The city and the Cape May County Library Commission will begin extensive renovations to the Cape May City Public Library this month.
The library will be closed starting October 19th for 10 to 12 weeks.
During renovations, the Cape May County Library's Bookmobile will be available on Fridays at the Acme Shopping Center from 1-3 p.m. and in Cape May Point from 10 a.m. until noon. Also, library customers may use other branches of the Cape May County Library, including the Lower Cape Branch located at 2600 Bayshore Rd., Villas and the Wildwood Crest Branch located at 6301 Ocean Ave., Wildwood Crest.
The Cape May City Public library's book drop will remain open.
For additional information please call 463-6350 or visit the library's website at www.cmclibrary.org.
Posted by tumulty at 10:53 AM
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New Jersey libraries will take a 'Snapshot' of a typical day on October 7
New Jersey libraries will take a 'Snapshot' of a typical day on October 7
By Somerset Reporter
October 06, 2009, 12:25PM
TRENTON, NJ – On Wednesday, October 7, libraries from across New Jersey will participate in another Snapshot Day, to collect photos and statistics of how libraries are being used, the number of people using them and how important libraries are to their communities.
Last February, the New Jersey State Library and the New Jersey Library Association launched a project called “Snapshot: One Day in the Life of New Jersey Libraries.” Its purpose was to capture the impact that New Jersey libraries have on their communities on a typical day, February 19. Librarians from all types of libraries were asked to participate: public and academic libraries, school and special libraries, hospital libraries and government libraries, from the tiniest facility to the largest county systems. A survey was created to record the activities, and hundreds of libraries responded with impressive results: 161,367 people visited those libraries. However, the number of people was only part of the picture. In addition librarians answered nearly 20,000 reference questions.
“Each day libraries across the state provide accurate information, employment help, assistance with navigating government Web sites, and a rich cultural experience to New Jersey’s residents. Snapshot Day allows us to highlight the activities that occur on a typical day in our libraries and gives our customers the opportunity to describe the prominent role libraries play in their lives,” said Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian.
Patricia Tumulty, Executive Director of the New Jersey Library Association, said: "In these difficult economic times we are trying to figure out what would happen if we had no libraries in New Jersey by taking a snapshot of the incredible things that go on every day in New Jersey libraries."
Snapshot Day was so successful that 4 other states will be holding a Snapshot Day.
For more information about Snapshot Day, visit snapshot.njlibraries.org, or contact Peggy Cadigan at the New Jersey State Library 609-278-2640, x113, or pcadigan@njstatelib.org.
Posted by tumulty at 10:03 AM
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October 6, 2009
Program for children on gang awareness
NJ.com
By Erin Duffy
October 02, 2009, 7:42PM
TRENTON — A new Trenton Free Public Library program seeks to hammer home the dangers of gang lifestyles and youth violence to school-age children.
The month-long initiative, called “Gang Sense,” partners the Trenton Public Library with the state police and Department of Corrections for a one-of-a-kind program that’s unlike any other in the state, according to library director Kimberly Matthews.
The program will focus mainly on preventing violence and destroying the lure of street gangs for kids in grades five through eight.
The four-week long program will begin Tuesday and run every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Every night has a different theme, like “making good choices,” “finding positive role models,” or “introduction to the pressures of joining gangs.”
The last week will include a harrowing visit from former gang members who have renounced their gang affiliation as part of Northern State Prison’s Security Threat Group Management Unit and help promote the department’s Gang Awareness and Prevention Program, according to Deirdre Fedkenheuer, a spokeswoman for the DOC.
“It’s a very powerful presentation,” she said, one whose message is compounded by the fact that all the former gang members are still currently incarcerated.
Matthews said Gang Sense will build upon the preventative, early-action messages targeted at kids that other Trenton organizations, like the police department, mayor’s office and public school system have been stressing for years.
“(They’re) doing a lot to fight gang violence and this is just one more thing we can do to help,” she said. “Educational programs like this, community programs like this are absolutely vital.”
The program is free, but space each night is limited to 30 to 35 students. All kids must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian, Matthews stressed.
“Parents should really come with the intention of participating with their kids in this,” she said.
The program will be held at the main branch of the library at 120 Academy Street.
For more information, or to register your child, call 609-392-7188.
Contact Erin Duffy at eduffy@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5723
Posted by tumulty at 11:37 AM
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In New Jersey, Libraries Are Lifelines for Needy
NY Times
By JULIE BOSMAN
Published: October 2, 2009
Thousands of unemployed people in New Jersey have used the state’s public library system to look for jobs online, polish résumés with word processing software, research new careers and ask Web-savvy librarians for help with all of the above. But many library visitors are also quietly looking for help finding mortgage assistance, food stamps and subsidized child care, but are too embarrassed to describe their situation to the librarians.
“If you lose your job, you’re willing to ask for help,” said Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, the associate state librarian for library development. “But when it comes to help with food and insurance and housing, that’s not necessarily something you want to share.”
So in an effort to steer visitors to a central resource, the state library staff in March created a Web site, gethelp.njlibraries..org, that provides links to state agencies and nonprofits, and information on jobs, food assistance, military benefits, utility assistance and even free tax preparation for people with low incomes, disabilities or difficulty speaking English. Librarians throughout the state system have been trained in using the Web site and directing people to it.
“It has really cut down on the frustration,” Ms. Moeller-Peiffer said. “The Web site is a way for people to get the help they need without us needing to ask them about all of the particulars. And we’re helping them by pulling the information together, so they don’t have to go from place to place to place.”
Posted by tumulty at 11:34 AM
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October 5, 2009
Library prepares for facelift
Home : News
Library prepares for facelift
Sunday, October 4, 2009
BY TERESA EDMOND
Suburban Trends
STAFF WRITER
0 Comments The Wanaque Public Library is gearing up to redecorate part of the library’s interior for early next year at no cost to taxpayers, according to the library director.
Instead of from taxes, money to fund this project will come from the Library Board of Trustees’ savings accumulated in the last two decades. The library had established a Capital Improvements Fund for the purpose of future renovation. Savings were made from the library’s investments per state statute that applies to public libraries, according to Library Director Richard Mariconda.
"In this time of recession and recovery, this one project is going forward as a benefit of the fiscal conservatism practiced by Wanaque Public Library over recent decades," said Mariconda in a statement. "All members of Wanaque Borough will benefit from this overall upgrading of the library facilities."
Contracting for the project will be advertised for public bid later this year. The Library Board of Trustees is behind the decisions regarding Phase One renovation.
According to Mariconda, Phase One of the redesign plans would focus on the main office, the reading room and the library foyer. Among the features would be a new, centrally located circulation desk with new lighting, computer workstations and a media station for access to videos, audiobooks and music CDs. The foyer would also have a wall-sized mural of the Wanaque Reservoir as part of the revamp.
Although Phase Two designs of the project are not definite yet, it would include the children's reading room, the Library Board meeting room and the technical services work room, Mariconda said. Funds for Phase Two will also come from the Board of Trustees without taxpayers’ help, Mariconda said.
Two outside companies are already immersed with the Phase One project. Soyka-Smith Design Studios, an Upper Montclair-based furniture and interior design consultant, is handling the library’s furniture provision under state contract. Though such provision is expected to fall within budget, papers have not been signed yet, according to Mariconda. Soyka-Smith also helped the library select its new carpeting and upholstery. Architectural firm Arcari and Iovino of Little Ferry is preparing the formal bid documents.
Further details of the renovation project’s exact timeline are expected to be unveiled toward the end of this year, according to Mariconda.
E-mail: edmond@northjersey.com
Posted by tumulty at 11:15 AM
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Filmmaker Michael Moore wears Rutgers hat to honor an ally
Filmmaker Michael Moore wears Rutgers hat to honor an ally
By The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk
October 05, 2009, 5:48AM
Colbert Report/Comedy CentralMicheal Moore on the Colbert ReportMaverick documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, who has been seen wearing a Rutgers University baseball-style cap during recent high-profile TV appearances, wears the hat as a thank you to a Rutgers librarian who helped his cause years ago, according to a report on the Rutgers Today website.
The report said Moore has sported the Rutgers cap at various times as a gesture to Ann Sparanese, a librarian and Rutgers graduate. Sparanese, a librarian at the Englewood Public Library, posted online support that helped the filmmaker get a book published after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrrorist attacks when the publisher was worried the book would be seen as unpatriotic.
Posted by tumulty at 10:39 AM
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