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January 29, 2010

N.J. libraries, post offices halt state tax-form service

By Venuri Siriwardane/The Star-Ledger
January 29, 2010, 6:40AM

A 2009 New Jersey income tax form. The state forms can no longer be requested at libraries and post office in a cost-cutting move.

If you’re looking for a last-minute state tax form, don’t bother going to your local library or post office. They won’t have them.

The state Treasury Department last year told libraries and the postal service they would not be getting printed copies of New Jersey 1040 tax booklets to distribute to residents. Instead, residents must request paper forms from the state directly, print out forms available on the department’s website or file their tax returns electronically.

Federal income tax forms are still available at libraries and post offices.

The move is a cost-cutting measure and should save the state about $500,000 this fiscal year, Treasury spokesman Thomas Bell said.

"There’s been a dramatic reduction in paper forms as this process has evolved," he said, noting that more than 60 percent of state tax returns are now filed online.

But librarians warned the decision could alienate those who don’t own a computer or don’t know how to use the internet.

Many of those who picked up forms last year from the Bernardsville Public Library were senior citizens without access to a computer, said Executive Director Karen Brodsky. She said most were used to obtaining the forms from libraries and were unhappy the service had been cut.

"I absolutely think it’s going to cause a problem. But the reality is the state has to find ways to cut expenses," she said. "Was this the best way? I don’t know."

Brodsky said staffers are now helping residents use library computers to print out forms — at 15 cents per page — or explaining how to request print forms directly from the state.

A large portion of the 750 booklets available each tax season at the Morristown and Morris Township Library would end up unused and in the trash, said Polly Lacey, the head reference librarian.

"In the past five years, we’ve needed fewer and fewer," she said. "But there are some people who do need them and I’m sorry that I don’t have any to give away."

Residents can pick up state tax forms at a regional tax office, request them via mail by calling (800) 323-4400 or print them out by visiting www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation.

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January 28, 2010

Parise joins NJ Library Champions

nhl.com

Wednesday, 01.27.2010 / 2:30 PM / News New Jersey Devils
Parise looks down from NJ State Library in Trenton.
Devils fans visiting the New Jersey State Library in Trenton will be greeted by a familiar face.

Left wing Zach Parise has been named a New Jersey Library Champion and currently appears on a larger-than-life billboard adorning the side of the library in the state capital.

Next month, Parise – along with New York Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett and New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck – will be featured in a video montage at PATH train locations in Hoboken, Journal Square, World Trade Center, Harrison, and 14th and 33rd St. stations.

All three players will also appear on billboards along the New Jersey Turnpike. The goal is to emphasize how important reading and libraries were in building a foundation for each of their successful careers.

The New Jersey State Library’s community-based public awareness campaign demonstrates how libraries have the power to transform people’s lives, especially young people, by offering free and excellent reading and learning opportunities for everyone.

The campaign supports the New Jersey Library Association’s (NJLA) efforts to register 10,000 Library Champions from all walks of life. Library Champions are people who love their libraries and want to be in the know about issues that may affect them.

For more information on the campaign visit njlibrarychampions.org. To become a Library Champion, visit ilovenjlibraries.org.

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January 27, 2010

The New Jersey public library — A lifetime experience that keeps growing

newjerseynewsroom.com
Friday, 22 January 2010 16:36

BY JOHN ESPOSITO
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
"The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries." Cosmos by Carl Sagan

There are certain first time events from early childhood that remain an integral part of our lives forever. One such flashback in time came flooding back to me while preparing this column. My mind conjures a Saturday spring morning when I was seven years old. There is no mistaking the undeniable truth that the episode about to be told, occurred fifty long years ago, thus making me no longer young, while hopefully still retaining some relevance.

Memory dictates that on that particular day my father and I entered a small, cluttered building known as the Irvington Public Library. Located at 1064 Clinton Avenue, it was in close proximity to the business center of the largely blue-collar community. Irvington is a densely populated, 2.8 square mile urban town in Essex County, where I was raised and called home until my mid-twenties. On this otherwise nondescript early June day, I was about to become a bona fide, card-carrying member in one of our nation's first democratic institutions.

We were greeted inside by the friendly Library Director, an attentive woman, whose name I recall as Ms. McCloskey. To youthful eyes, she presented herself as an intelligent, older woman, who wore eyeglasses attached by a string of beads. I was taken by her exuberant speech and the obvious devotion to her profession. Standing alongside her was a much younger and taller woman with dark hair. Ms. McCloskey introduced this person to my father and me as her able assistant. I will refer to her as Ms. Helper, as her real name has been lost in time. Ms. McCloskey informed us that many years earlier, Ms. Helper had visited the Irvington Library on a personal crusade to improve her knowledge, by nurturing a new found appreciation for books. Reading, she said, was something Ms. Helper viewed much like a plague during her grade and early high school years. Under what the Director proudly described as her guidance, Ms. Helper developed a voracious appetite for reading as many 3 books on a variety of subjects in a single week. She said I too could achieve similar results simply by reading regularly. I could not believe there was any chance of my completing such a daunting task. By the manner which Ms. McCloskey focused her eyes on me in the course of her impressive dissertation, it was evident there was a message to convey — books are to be enjoyed and treasured like special friends. I thought it odd that Ms. Helper contributed nothing herself to the Director's kind words, beyond appearing embarrassed by the conversation. The most she could muster was an occasional self-conscious smile in my direction. This went unnoticed by Ms. McCloskey, who continued to speak in glowing terms about her star pupil.

Truth be told, the drama of Ms. McCloskey's kindly lecture did not interest me half as much as my immediate intent for locating the one book I had hoped to find. Dad walked with me to the card catalog, opening the long wooden "Subject" drawer designated by letters MAG — MRN. I then took over, turning the index search cards quickly, flipping ahead until reaching MAN, then pay dirt — Mantle, Mickey — BIO. I immediately sought Ms. Helper for assistance. She escorted us to the Biography shelves, and within no time, I was firmly gripping my hard cover treasure perfectly encased in a plastic dust jacket: Mickey Mantle of the Yankees, by Gene Schoor.

The remaining hour or so was spent walking the many long aisles with my dad, intently listening to him point out a classic novel, a well known author and certain subjects that might interest me, e.g.: the planets, mysteries, cowboys, trains and U.S. Presidents. I was clearly spent by the entire experience, more than likely exhausted from taking in the overwhelming volume of inventory, with names and titles that meant nothing to me — more books than I had seen in my lifetime. My father must have recognized the wilting signs in me. He announced it was time to leave. We made our way to the Circulation Desk where I obligingly handed Mickey over, along with my brand new library card to the Desk Librarian. She carefully applied her date stamp to a card that was fastened inside the rear book flap, signaling Mr. Yankee was mine to keep for an entire month. As we left for home in my Dad's 1959 Chevrolet Belair, I felt all was right in my world.

The Irvington Public Library of that early time has since taken up new quarters in an attractive, spacious building, erected in 1968 and located on Civic Square. But on that Saturday morning long ago, thanks to a baseball hero, an energetic Library Director and a loving parent, the wheels were set in motion for my initiation into the world of books. Beginning in 1789 when the first New Jersey public library opened its doors in Burlington N.J., variations on this experience have served to introduce children to a higher degree of learning.

Time has certainly altered the scope and physical appearance of the New Jersey public library. The process of evolution has brought about expansion and growth. The days of serving the public only as a book lending and reference collection institution has long since vanished. The card catalog demonstrates perhaps the most apropos example of what once was. The card filled drawers in wooden cabinets, a basic staple for generations of patrons, was arguably the most familiar site beyond book shelves themselves. They have literally been lost in the shuffle and effectively replaced by

Today's libraries offer a wide spectrum of media beyond books and periodicals for children and adults, which includes DVDs, books on CDs, music CDs, E-books and video games. Through the advancement of online services, most libraries are also now offering free public computer, internet access and interlibrary loans. This has dramatically driven up attendance figures, especially in certain rural and urban areas of the state where people cannot always afford home computers and utilize library searches to perform job searches and complete mandatory online employment applications.

The New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, promotes and supports high quality library and information services to all the people of New Jersey. It subscribes to a large number of licensed data bases that are made available to every card holder in the state's 304 libraries. Depending on the available funding of their operating budget, some local libraries have purchased additional databases for their residents.

Ridgewood's Public Library Director, Nancy Greene considers today's public library both a community and education center. She reports 50,000 sign-ups per year for usage of its library computers. Besides its mainstream events, the Ridgewood library offers a diverse variety of cultural activities for its community residents. For example, volunteers from The Genealogical Society of Bergen County provide assistance for those wishing to trace their genealogy. The library offers a foreign film discussion group which is conducted by Ms. Greene.

The Newark Public Library is an active participant within the community. The library has seen an increase in attendance in the past year which is attributable in part to patrons using the computers to perform job searches in this difficult economy. Many employers will only accept online applications. The library also offers many programs which include free computer classes, outreach programs and ongoing exhibitions which encompass a variety of subjects and themes.

The current Irvington Library Director is Joan Whittaker. She advises the library provides a number of community programs which include musical concerts, movies and poetry readings. Free computer classes and assistance in performing job searches is provided. Reference Librarian, Daphne Bishop-Brown emphasized that library funding is a necessary ingredient needed to provide educational services. She stressed the need for local government to recognize the library's important role in the community at large when budget time comes around.

Reference Librarians Madeline Roese of Bernards Township and Louise Yan of Belleville believe that patron assistance remains a core component of every library. Ms. Roese used internet searches as an example, commenting that "some people are able to navigate successfully through a particular website until a certain point, but eventually they require hands on direction."

Library Director, Colleen Byrne of New Providence noted a "considerable increase in both attendance and circulation in 2009 from the previous year." Similar comments were provided by Directors Stephanie Burke of North Arlington, Kimberly Matthews of Trenton, Bob Belvin of New Brunswick and the aforementioned Nancy Greene and Joan Whittaker. Most cited these increases were due in part to the sluggish economy and less new books being purchased, online job searches, free internet access use and database downloads.

The increases are even more impressive considering 2008 produced even better results than in 2007. With attendance and circulation continuing to rise each year, it is especially good news given flat funding or decreases in funding have affected most New Jersey public libraries in recent years. Libraries are supported by tax monies from municipal and state governments. The major funding is based on Equalized Valuation, which equates to the equalized valuation of the municipality, as certified by the Director of the State Division of Taxation for the year preceding that in which the calculation of State aid is made. As real estate values increase, so will library funding and conversely, when prices go down, so does funding appropriation for libraries. Some have foundations to support them with additional capital. Libraries also receive funding from user generated fees by charging fines for overdue, lost or damaged books.

The New Jersey State Library collects statistical data and surveys from the public libraries throughout the state. This information can be reviewed on their extensive website at www.njstatelib.org. The local libraries will report their individual 2009 results in March and April. The State Library compiles these findings for release in its official report expected in May 2010. The results are expected to be very positive, similar to the findings in the informal polling. According to State Library Analyst Trend Specialist, Alka Bhatnagar, the 2008 results verified an average increase in attendance of 5% from the prior year. During this same calendar year, circulation increased by 7%. The most dramatic, but not surprising increase from 2007 was a 15% increase in free usage of the library's personal computers. Funding increased for only a few libraries in 2008 while basically remaining flat or experiencing slight decreases. On average, state aid accounts for only 1% of funding with 95% being received from municipalities. Ms. Bhatnager opines that when the 2009 statistics are tabulated, the results will show the upward trend in attendance, circulation and computer usage has continued with even higher percentage increases across the board than in 2008.

Nancy Dowd is the Marketing Director at the New Jersey State Library. She is an avid cheerleader for public libraries and with good reason, based upon recent statistics and future projections. Libraries are reinventing themselves by taking on more expansive roles. Ms. Dowd clearly envisions the public library serving as full fledged community centers of the future. She considers the ongoing goal of the library to provide the community with the best possible programs and activities and will someday take on more expanded roles as senior centers, teen centers and even day care centers. The possibilities are abundant.

An epilogue to my youth and that very first library card is in order. There is no cause for concern about the future of books on our library shelves. Our cherished institution will not lose sight of books, nor of newspapers and magazines and their indelible role. There is no mistaking that they will remain with us forever, no matter what medium delivers the words. Books are at the core of our learning, research and education process and will continue as a library mainstay. There is magic in words. Reading is an active endeavor. It requires us to think, to explore and to use our imagination. Conversely, television is passive and promotes very little of the above. This has been aided, in part, by the remote control, a plastic comfort invention which the writer, Pete Hamill, considers as addictive as any drug to come along in the past century. It permits a flood of images, from hard core news stories about the earthquake tragedy in Haiti, to the secret life of Tiger Woods, to Viagra commercials and the latest American Idol to permeate our brain. If nothing grabs us, we simply CLICK-CLICK-CLICK and turn to something else. There is no time to process and interpret. These images amount to a seamless, visual blur that can distort the difference between truth and falsity, reality and entertainment. Books, however, do require effort on the part of the individual. They make us use our brain and promote learning. The British philosopher, Sir Francis Bacon, said it best, "knowledge is power."

We need only to be willing patrons at the friendly public library in our local town, borough or city to benefit. It's a special gift to all of us, courtesy of our cherished institution. It simply needs opening. The keys to learning through books and so much more can be found there — and they are offered for free.

(An informal poll of 14 New Jersey public libraries, across 10 counties, was conducted for this article.)

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Wayne library board delays decision on ways to close budget gap

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
BY ANDREA ALEXANDER
The Record
STAFF WRITER
WAYNE – Trustees for the township library are considering options to make up for a $93,286 budget shortfall this year that could include closing on Sundays or asking the staff to make concessions.

The library is facing a gap in the 2010 budget because the tax base in the township shrank while fixed costs, including insurance and pension contributions, increased.
Library director Jody Treadway recommended closing on Sundays and taking money out of other line items to close the shortfall. But during a recent meeting some trustees also suggested asking library employees to go on furlough to make up the difference. Library staff is under contract, and any concessions would have to be negotiated.

Board members delayed making a decision during a special meeting Tuesday night and will continue to consider how to close the budget gap during a Feb. 9 meeting.
“We’ve made no decision, the board is still in investigation mode,” said Library Board president Franco Mazzei.

Trustees directed Treadway to contact union representatives to consider alternatives for dealing with the shortfall. Treadway said she would also write the school district to ask for a break on the $30,000 rent the library pays for the Preakness Branch on the Hamburg Turnpike.

State rules mandate that municipal libraries receive a minimum funding level equal to a certain percentage of the township’s overall equalized valuation — the worth of taxable property in the entire township. Because the township’s tax base has decreased in value, the library budget dropped from $4,011,646 in 2009 to $3,939,483 this year.

Treadway said she had already made cuts in anticipation of the shrinking tax base. The library no longer pays to have a police officer stationed in the Valley Road building after school at a savings of $20,000. The library also stopped calling in substitutes to fill in when workers are on vacation or out sick.
E-mail: alexandera@northjersey.com

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January 26, 2010

USDA awarding $310 million for broadband projects

January 25, 2009

JOELLE TESSLER

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Agriculture Department is handing out nearly $310 million in stimulus money to bring high-speed Internet connections to 14 rural communities around the country.

The awards being announced Monday amount to the largest round of government funding for broadband since Congress included $7.2 billion for high-speed networks and adoption programs in last year's stimulus bill.

The money is intended to bring jobs and economic opportunities to rural communities, poor neighborhoods and other parts of the country that are falling behind in the information age. It is also intended to pay for the network infrastructure needed to deliver telemedicine services, offer online classes and provide other applications that require a lot of bandwidth.

"This big batch of projects will create urgently needed jobs now and also build networks that will fuel rural economic development for years to come," said Jonathan Adelstein, who heads the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service, which is awarding the money.

The awards being announced Monday include:

, an $88.1 million grant and loan to an Alaskan telecommunications company that will build "middle mile" networks to connect 65 Eskimo towns and villages in southwestern Alaska to the Internet.

, a $19.1 million grant and loan to a Missouri electric cooperative to build a fiber-optic network that will reach nearly 5,000 homes, businesses, public safety entities and community organizations in rural Ralls County, Mo.

, a $3.9 million grant to a unit of TDS Telecommunications Corp. to build a digital subscriber line network to serve homes, businesses and community institutions in sparsely populated parts of Alabama.

, a $376,000 grant and loan to a telephone company to build a WiMax network that can deliver wireless broadband connections to nearly 325 homes in northeast Iowa.

Including the latest round of funding, the Rural Utilities Service has doled out $363.7 million for 22 broadband projects across the country. The Agriculture Department will award a total of $2.5 billion in stimulus money for broadband programs.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Department, is handing out the remaining $4.7 billion in stimulus funding for broadband. As of last week, NTIA had awarded roughly $200 million in grants for 15 projects.

Applications for the next and final round of broadband funding are due by March 15.

In the second round, the Agriculture Department will focus on projects that provide "last-mile" connections that link homes, businesses and other end users to the Internet. The Commerce Department will focus on "middle-mile" projects that connect anchor institutions such as libraries, colleges and public safety agencies. It will also award some money for computing centers in libraries, colleges and other public facilities, and adoption programs that teach people how to use the Internet.

Demand for the broadband money has been intense, far outstripping the amount available. The Commerce and Agriculture departments already have received nearly 2,200 applications requesting a total of $28 billion.

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January 20, 2010

Summit Library to celebrate a record year

By Independent Press
January 19, 2010
SUMMIT — The Summit Free Public Library will hold a reception to celebrate its record-breaking year.

More than 300,000 items were borrowed from the Library in 2009, making it the busiest year ever. On Sunday, Jan. 24, from 1 to 3 p.m., everyone is invited to stop by the library to enjoy some refreshments and live music provided by Summit High School musicians.

The winner of the “Guess Our Circulation” contest will also be announced. Prizes will be awarded to the person whose guess is closest to the actual 2009 total circulation. Entry forms are available at the library; the winner must be a current Summit Free Public Library cardholder. The contest deadline is at the close of the workday on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The Summit Free Public Library is located at 75 Maple Street. The telephone number is 908-273-0350. Website: summitlibrary.org.

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January 18, 2010

Beverly library to close temporarily

Jan, 13, 2010
By: Dave Maccar
Burlington County Times
BEVERLY—The Beverly Free Library on Cooper Street will be closing for an indefinite period of time beginning Feb. 1 due to a serious lack of funds.

Library Board of Trustees member Kathy Wade said the decision was made at a board meeting on Monday.

“We’re just bleeding money. We have the state cuts and the county cuts, we just can’t do it at this point in time,” Wade said.

Wade added that the library has always depended on income in the form of rent from the building next door, which the library owns.

“A pharmacy was in there for many years. There’s a two-bedroom apartment upstairs that was rented. That entire building has been sitting vacant and that was our main source of income,” Wade said. “We actually get very little money from the county, state and Edgewater Park and Beverly. It’s kind of a sign of the times.”

Board member Dennis Rogers said the apartment portion of the building has been vacant for about four months, but the business portion has been empty for nearly four years.

The library, which has been operating for 102 years and has been in its current location for 91 years, is a standalone operation and is not a part of the county library system, though it does provide the library with some funding, according to Gail Sweet, director of County Library Systems.

Contributing to the decision to close was the resignation of the library’s only employee and director Tracy Hall.

“When we sat down to talk about it, it was, ‘Tracy’s leaving, we’re in debt, we have no money coming in.’ We actually had someone in mind to step up and take her place, but no money to pay her,” Wade said. “We’re all very sad about it and upset and we’ve kept it going actually longer than we probably should have at this point with no income coming in.”

Wade said the board will be working hard to rent the apartment and to do additional fundraising with the hopes of reopening the library and soliciting donations from the public.

“All of us are just really sad. The library is my home away from home,” Wade said. “Hopefully it will only be temporary.”

Rogers said the library may only be closed for a month or two.

“We have to look everything over, look where we can cut, which might be hours or days of operation,” he said. “We will reopen, it’s not like we’re closing forever. We just have to look things over and it will help us actually to close for a month. We’ll be saving a month’s worth of (heating) fuel in February. But we will be back.”

In the meantime, library patrons are directed to use the Burlington County Library. For information on county services call 609-267-9660.

Staff writer David Maccar can be reached at 609-871-8068 or dmaccar@phillyBurbs.com.

January 13, 2010 04:52 PM

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South Orange, Maplewood mull merging libraries

By Richard Khavkine/For The Star-Ledger
January 13, 2010,
MAPLEWOOD -- Officials in Maplewood and South Orange are encouraging their respective library boards to explore a possible merger of the two systems as a cost-cutting measure.

At a budget meeting last weekend, Maplewood Deputy Mayor Fred R. Profeta Jr. suggested that as part of a merger Maplewood’s main branch be shuttered. Profeta said his research shows that Maplewood is the only New Jersey town of its size with two branches.

The move, which would presumably include layoffs, could trim as much as $1 million from the township’s budget, which faces a $3 million gap this year.

The Maplewood Memorial Library’s director, though, said closing the main branch on Baker Street would be shortsighted, given the expanding role the main branch plays in the community.

The director, Jane E. Kennedy, said the Hilton branch, on Springfield Avenue, would be hard-pressed to meet current demand, particularly in a building about one-third the size of the main branch.

“It’s vibrant and thriving,” Kennedy said of the Baker branch. “This one has always been a busy library.”

Maplewood Mayor Victor DeLuca, though, praised Profeta for going public with a potentially controversial idea.

“The proper course for us is to ask the two library boards to meet and discuss the topic,” DeLuca said. “I don’t think there’s any harm in raising these issues.”

But Kennedy, in her seventh year as director, disputed the contention that library services are at an ebb.

“Their use is booming, especially in a recession,” she said. “Circulation is up. Our computers are being used all the time,” she said.

Kennedy noted that the library already suffered a 10 percent budget reduction last year. The library also lost three full time staffers, including two to layoffs.

Mellisa Kopecky, the South Orange Public Library’s director, questioned how consolidating the libraries would translate into savings since the bulk of what libraries do are service-oriented and therefore depend on staff.

“Less staff means less services, and less funding means less services,” she said “We are efficiently run, and our bottom line is the services we offer.”

Since municipal libraries are set up by popular vote, residents in both towns would first have to dissolve their libraries via referendum before they could merge, through a popular vote, said Patricia Tumulty, the executive director of the New Jersey Library Association.

That scenario, though, would in theory risk that a second vote – to establish a merged system – would fail, leaving residents without a library.

By law, municipal libraries are funded at $33 from every $100,000 in assessed value. Both towns, though, fund their libraries at a higher ratio, which leaves town officials the option of scaling back funding.

DeLuca acknowledged that several obstacles, including distinct library boards and a negotiated apportionment of the library tax, would have to be scaled for a merger to take place.

But, he said, “it’s not an impossible deal.”

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West Long Branch library absorbed into county system

app.com
Jan. 13, 2010

by Carol Gorga Williams
WEST LONG BRANCH — On the Monmouth County Library's Web site, among the list of reading programs, movie listings, jazz concert schedules and tips on marketing your job skills in a difficult economy, is this minimalist request: "Welcome West Long Branch to MCL."

While many residents were enjoying the tail end of their holidays, the Borough Council on Dec. 30 voted 3 to 1 to adopt an ordinance that dissolved the local library system and allowed the Poplar Avenue facility to become a branch of the Monmouth County Library system. (The Monmouth County Freeholders had approved the measure a week earlier.)

Councilman John E. Hegarty dissented, saying he had grave doubts the borough would save as much as others have estimated. Councilman J. Thomas DeBruin, who supported the measure, said it would save borough residents about $400,000 in 2010. The borough still must pay to maintain the building, Internet access and the cost of periodicals, which DeBruin estimated at less than $50,000.

The West Long Branch facility had long been a member of the county library system, but borough voters cast ballots Nov. 3 favoring becoming a full-fledged county branch by more than a 2 to 1 margin.

County Library Director Kenneth Sheinbaum said the transition was going better than he initially expected, especially considering the last time a local library became a county branch was more than 30 years ago, long before computer software had to be part of the equation.
The county offered each member of the borough's library's staff a job with the county system: all but one accepted. Meg Rosenblum, formerly borough library director, will run things for the county as well.

Carol Herskowitz, vice president of the West Long Branch Library Board of Trustees, said the changes in the former borough library may be intangible. While the former local library permitted young well-behaved children to use the library without adult supervision, the county has a policy that such patrons should be supervised.
Now the county is trying to work it out to allow the borough policy to control, since it predated the transition, said Rosenblum.

"It is the kind of thing you can't put a price tag on," Herskowitz said of the borough library's way of dealing with its youngest patrons.

While West Long Branch will lose its Friday morning hours, it will gain a full day Saturday, Sheinbaum said. However, Herskowitz noted there was a particular reason why maintaining Friday morning was important to West Long Branch residents.
"We had many patrons who would come in on Friday mornings because of religious observances" that would make a Saturday trip to the library problematic, she noted.

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January 16, 2010

Libraries more wired, financially stressed

Posted on Thu, Jan. 14, 2010
philly.com

Libraries more wired, financially stressed
HILLEL ITALIE

The Associated Press

NEW YORK - The state of the country's public libraries: Higher demand, tighter funding and much more connected.

"The Condition of U.S. Public Libraries, Trends 1999-2009," compiled by the American Library Association and released Thursday, shows a steady upward trend of visits, from 1.23 billion in 2002 to more than 1.4 billion in 2007, and a struggle for money since the recession began.

Out of 45 states reporting, 24 decreased library funding in the previous year, and money for an additional 11 states was unchanged. Nearly 15 percent of libraries said hours had been cut.

"As the poor economy continues to fuel deep library budget cuts, I'm haunted by the notion that for each hour a library is closed, and for every service lost, thousands will lose the opportunity to better their lives through education," American Library Association President Camila Alire said in a statement.

A separate report, funded by the ALA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shows one notable improvement: Internet access.

According to the study, 76 percent of libraries had wireless access in 2009, compared to just under 18 percent in 2004. E-book availability increased from less than 40 percent of libraries in 2006-2007, to well over 50 percent in 2008-09.

During that same time, the percentage of libraries offering online video jumped from less than 15 percent to just over 50 percent.

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January 15, 2010

Libraries turn their attention to young-adult programs

By BOB JORDAN • Staff Writer • January 14, 2010
app.com

MONMOUTH — A newly added series of teen-themed programs is giving the Monmouth County Library System a chance to reconnect with young readers, organizers say.

At the Marlboro Library branch, "Mardi Gras Mask Madness" recently was offerred for middle school and high school students. Caitlyn Wong, a seventh-grader at Marlboro Middle School, attended with a friend; both sculpted, painted and embellished their masks with materials provided at the workshop.
The wide variety of teen events kicked off with a Mischief Night party held at the Library Headquarters in Manalapan on Oct. 30. Organizers said more than 200 young adults ages 12 to 17 attended.

"Our goal is to have teens come to know they will experience interesting, useful things when they come to the library," said Stephenie Acosta, one of two librarians in charge of the teen/young-adult programming. "We recognized that teens have been an underserved group. Every other library is trying to cultivate this demographic."

Patrick Jones, a frequent speaker at library conferences and owner of a Minnesota-based library consulting firm, said building teen programs is a way libraries can stabilize future circulation levels and "build developmental assets."
"Programs such as those offered at the Monmouth County Library give teens an opportunity for creative expression, build relationships with peers and adults, define themselves as library users and have meaningful participation," Jones said.
"The trend seems to be more libraries engaged in more activities that allow for this meaningful participation, (and) moving away from "big events' to smaller groups where teens can learn, interact and feel their voice matters."

The Monmouth County Library has had an active volunteer program for teenagers and occasional workshops, such as the popular SAT Math test tips program.
Acosta, who shares coordination duties with fellow librarian Veronica Stevens, said this is the first time a series of teen-themed programs has been offerred.

"I think kids are over-scheduled with soccer programs, dance classes, and we are competing to an extent with all that," Acosta said. "With computers and social networking, teens are reading, but they just are not reading books. Good programs can get them to the library. Then we can introduce them to all the library has to offer and eventually expose them to books and literature."

The library system also has a Teen Advisory Board that holds monthly meetings. Students serving as board members earn community service hours as they share ideas for teen programs.

"I personally would live at the library if I could, but I see some of my friends not using the library as much," said board member Rosie Wood-Yesline, a Neptune resident who is a junior at St. John Vianney High School.
Wood-Yesline and Manalapan High School students Doug Rock, a senior, and Zach Lasky, a junior, said many teens suddenly discover and depend on libraries when it's time to prepare for college-assessment tests and write research papers.
"People come into the library when they're trying to write junior-year papers, trying to find books that are related to what they're writing about," Rock said. "It's easier if you're more familiar with the library before you reach that point."

Upcoming programs include the Puzzle Project artistic collaboration, which will take place at various branch libraries, including 1 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Wall Library; and the Young Adult Basic Guitar Workshop on four consecutive Saturdays, beginning Feb. 6, at the Allentown Library.
For more information about the library system, visit www.monmouthcountylib.org or call the Library Headquarters at 732-431-7220.

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Kenilworth Library can help residents ride out the recession

By Cranford Chronicle
January 14, 2010, 12:55PM
KENILWORTH — Is your family budget tight and getting tighter? Are you looking for ways to cut back on spending but hate to give up some of the things that you enjoy? Do you want to take full advantage of what the Borough of Kenilworth has to offer?

If so, then there is no better way to start the New Year than with a visit to the Kenilworth Public Library. Getting a card is quick and easy – just bring your driver’s license or other form of identification with proof of address and you can start checking out items from our collection the very day you sign up. And you can put that old stereotype of cranky librarians to rest – our staff members are both knowledgeable and friendly and they’ll have you feeling like library regulars in no time at all.

Best of all, the library really does have something for everyone. The book collection features the latest best sellers along with a comprehensive collection of fiction, mysteries, romance, biographies and non-fiction covering a wide range of subjects and authors, with many titles also available in large print. Not interested in books? The library also subscribes to more than 60 magazines plus six daily or weekly newspapers. For the younger set, the library has an extensive collection of books arranged in separate collections for teens, elementary school students and the picture book set.

Reading’s not your thing? Not to worry, because the library is proud of its DVD collection of nearly 2,000 titles, all of which can be checked out at no cost for a three day loan period. For music lovers, there is a collection of approximately 1,000 CDs covering a wide range of musical tastes, from kiddy to classical, and with everything in between. For those who do love books but prefer to multitask, the library also has an ever growing collection of audio books that can either be checked out on compact disk or downloaded directly through access on the library’s webpage.

Tired of your dial up internet connection? Check out the library’s high speed internet computers or relax in an easy chair and take advantage of the library’s recently upgraded wireless internet connection. Need Microsoft Office? The library also has a computer set aside especially for those who want to work in either Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint. For the littlest library users, the library recently acquired a special computer workstation, complete with a colorful and easy to use keyboard and mouse, along with a full complement of educational software and games.

Got free time on your hands? Check out the many programs the library offers throughout the year, all available to Kenilworth residents totally free of charge. For our literary set we have a book discussion group and a writers’ support group, live Shakespeare performances and other theatrical offerings. For families, we have a wide array of children’s programming, featuring such crowd pleasers as magicians, musicians and up close and personal visits from live animals. Other recent programs have included performances by the Metro Rhythm Chorus, the Libby Richman Jazz Trio, a cooking demo by a celebrity chef, and a showing of a documentary movie about Beethoven.

Need help finding information or having trouble tracking something down on the web? Let Dale Spindel, the library’s director and reference librarian, help you find exactly what information you’re seeking either in print or through online sources, many of which are available through the library’s webpage only to library cardholders.

Kids need help finding information for school assignments? No one does it better that the very able staff members of our children’s department, headed by children’s services coordinator Robin Koerner.

Looking for a book the library doesn’t own? Not to worry, as Kathleen Czarnecki, interlibrary loan coordinator, does an extraordinary job of locating hard to find items and bringing them to Kenilworth on temporary loan.

Still not convinced? Visit in person at 548 Boulevard or visit online at kenilworthlibrary.org. Getting that library card could be the best decision of 2010.

Posted by tumulty at 7:48 PM | Comments (0)
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Library fund makes first -- and last -- donation

nj.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
STAFF WRITER
TRENTON -- A charitable foundation that collected thousands of dollars for the cash-strapped Free Public Library, but then became mired in a dispute with the system's board, made its first and last contribution to the library yesterday:

Members of the Foundation for the Trenton Free Public Library ceremonially presented new furniture and equipment worth more than $17,000 at the main library on Academy Street.

Foundation President Kevin Moriarty, who helped create the organization in September 2008, said before the event that making the long-delayed contribution would be bittersweet for members who had hoped to play an ongoing role in the library's revival.

"It does have a wistful, "what could have been' feeling," Moriarty said.

"We could have done a lot more," he said, while adding that he wanted to emphasize the positive nature of the ceremony. "We were glad to raise the visibility of the library," he said.

The foundation, and its contribution, have a complicated past.

In 2008, after the city cut its $3.5 million annual allocation for the independent library system by 10 percent, library director Kimberly Matthews said she would have to close the four branches, prompting an outcry from a wide range of residents.

Moriarty and others accused the library board of mismanaging its finances and failing to respond effectively to the crisis.

Eventually, the branches were given a reprieve after the state librarian agreed that the library could stay open for fewer hours per week.

Meanwhile, the foundation raised $17,300 and sought to craft a memorandum of understanding with Adrienne Hayling, who was board president at the time, and other officials that would establish transparency and accountability.

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January 11, 2010

New Jersey towns face crash diet of budget cuts

By Philip Read/The Star-Ledger
January 09, 2010, 10:00PM
The furloughs are business-as-usual in Maplewood, so much so that they wind up listed under "Events" on the suburb’s official website.

There will be 12 more of the monthly unpaid days off this year. There’ll be rolling summer library closings, too. Add those to the 22 staffers laid off — 10 percent of the municipal work force — and its pedestal on Money magazine’s list of "one of the best places to live in America" looks frayed.

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerChristopher Langfield, 13, takes time to do research after school while visiting the Bellevue Avenue branch of the Montclair Library. He says it would be inconvenient for him if they closed the branch because he lives nearby and doesn't drive yet.
The crash diet in this Essex County Township isn’t likely to end anytime soon after Gov.-elect Christopher Christie on Wednesday warned New Jersey’s already cash-strapped municipalities that state aid would be reduced in the coming fiscal year. The sobering reason: The state could run out of money as early as March.

The cuts -- coupled with the fallout from as much as a 25 percent rollback in state spending -- are likely to force towns to reconsider what services they can provide.

"We have been living far beyond our means — living a lifestyle of municipal and educational services beyond our economic capacity," said James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. "There is no painless silver bullet to get back on track. The question is not, ‘When will things get back to normal?’ but rather, ‘What will the new normal be?’

"There may have to be significant service downsizing in adjusting to this new normal," Hughes said.

That is likely to translate into a debate about what a municipality considers a "core" service versus a "discretionary" one.

Traditionally, municipalities have provided everything from road repairs to snow cleanup, from libraries to community centers, tennis lessons to summer beach events. Kevin Sluka, the administrator in Somerville, said these usually aren’t luxuries, but some services towns typically provide are not mandated by law.

New Jersey towns might forgo recreation departments, for example, since they are not mandated, said Sluka. "Dog licenses are mandated. Cat licenses are not," Sluka said. "Is there a benefit to knowing what your cat population is? Service is not the driving factor. Economics is."

Somerville is eliminating its health department and folding it into Somerset County’s office, a fate that might await the library after a blue-ribbon committee specifically weighs in on a merger, he said.

"I think it’s going to be bad," Sluka said of the coming year.

Like Somerville, many New Jersey towns pump more money into their libraries than required under a state funding formula.

Montclair, for one, contributes $3.78 million to its two-branch system, $1.3 million more than the minimum. If Montclair loses $1 million in state aid, that budgetary line can pop off the page, and some may question the expenditure.

"I don’t mean to pick on the library, but it’s such a big number," said Joseph Hartnett, the township manager.

To Vic DeLuca, Maplewood’s mayor, rising health insurance premiums, up 18 percent in Maplewood’s case, and pension obligations, up an extra $1 million there, are colliding with falling revenue from tax appeals born of a declining real-estate market. Kick in the state’s 4 percent tax cap, and the prospect for state-aid cuts, and there’s no alternative but to cut into payrolls and services.

"Nothing is sacred anymore," DeLuca said. "The bulk of state funding goes to state aid, the bulk of the budget. We’re at the end of the pipeline."

It is against this backdrop that the idea of "shared services" is taking on new urgency.

Montclair, Hartnett said, has been in discussions with smaller towns about merging everything from courts to police forces. In Maplewood, DeLuca said, the final touches are being put on merging its violations bureau with neighboring South Orange.

New Jersey municipalities, meanwhile, are looking more and more like orphans with each passing day.

"The state is going to keep whatever they can," said Lawrence Pollex, interim administrator in Edison, New Jersey’s fifth-largest municipality. "They view the aid they share with other levels of government as discretionary."

To some segments of the public, anything other than police or fire is discretionary; to others, it’s not that simple. "One of the best ways to find out what’s discretionary is to cut something," Pollex said.

Do so, and hundreds of people can pack a public meeting. Just three days into his job, though, Pollex wouldn’t venture guesses about Edison’s budget-in-progress.

"You don’t want to cry wolf," he said. "We don’t want to go there until we know."

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January 7, 2010

Plans afoot to rebuild the Watchung Library

By Independent Press
January 06, 2010,

By Diane Thorn

WATCHUNG — Residents of the Borough of Watchung can look forward to some big changes at the library in 2010. If all goes as planned, ground could be broken this year on a project to completely rebuild the more than 60-year-old building.

During a year-end interview, Watchung Borough Mayor Albert Ellis said, “Hopefully we can put a shovel in the ground in 2010… . The architectural firm that will be selected will let us know of the best target dates to begin the project.”

“A large percent of the financial support hopefully would be done by donations,” said the mayor. “The interesting thing about this project is the overall cost. We will have to see the overall impact the project will have on the taxpayers.” To help offset the costs, the borough will aggressively apply for grants from the State of New Jersey to fund special projects such as the expansion of the library.

According to the mayor the building, which is located at 12 Stirling Road, needs more space for both materials and patrons and needs to be more energy efficient.

“The new building we want to build is going to be ‘green,’” said Ellis, “The architect we choose will be specific on issues for ‘going green’ on this project.”

There will be several updates included in the project which will make the library be more energy efficient. The architectural firms interested in this project have been asked to present their ideas on how to make the building “green” as part of the decision process.
Ellis said there have been a number of interviews conducted in the course of the past several months with architectural firms to determine which firm should be hired for the project.

“The Library Committee continues its hard work interviewing candidates for the architectural services needed for the new library,’ he said. “The candidates will be required to make their presentation in a reasonable amount of time,” said Ellis. “Their ideas of the concept (for the building) we would like early enough in 2010 to know about the final construction. It is hard to sit here now and know when the project will happen. We will wait and see how/what is involved in the project by the architects.”
In the end, the rebuilding of the library will create more room in the library for audio, visual materials and periodicals, provide more space for community meetings and for patrons to have more room.

Even though there will be more space for the patrons of the library, the mayor said he wants to keep a warm feeling in the library, similar to the one it has now.

As for what it will look like, “We might tend to keep the colonial style that the building has now,” Ellis said adding “We would like to keep the cozy feeling, but, we will wait and see, based on what the architect can do. We will incorporate ‘going green’ as much as possible.”

Rebuilding the library will require lots of effort on the part of the staff and Friends of the Library, because books, DVDs, CDs and reference material will need to be removed from the shelves.

Mayor Ellis pointed out the Watchung Library is involved in the Friends of the Library network, made up of neighboring libraries which work together on community projects. “This is a good opportunity for the town people,” Ellis said. “Friends of the Library work together in regard to helping with shelving, furniture and many other projects, we are happy to be part of the system.”

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January 6, 2010

Manville library has new 'quiet room,' thanks to resident's $17K donation

MyCentralJersey.com
By PAMELA SROKA-HOLZMANN • STAFF WRITER • January 5, 2010

MANVILLE — Patrons searching for a quiet area to study, read a book or browse through historical archives now have a secluded haven in which to do just that, at the Manville Public Library.

The $17,000 "quiet room" was paid fo by longtime patron and resident Jerry Yadlowsky, in tribute to his late parents, Max and Julia. Yadlowsky's parents moved to Manville in the 1960s and lived in the borough until his father in 1973 died at age 75 and his mother in 2008 at age 101.

The couple also were avid readers, Yadlowsky said.
"I just wanted to pay the town an acknowledgment of all the good years I've had in town," Yadlowsky said of the donation. "It was for whatever the library needed."
Yadlowsky then said of his parents, "I think they (Max and Julia) would have liked it."
The room was dedicated last month when members of the library board of trustees and Mayor Lillian Zuza thanked Yadlowsky publicly for his donation.

Existing space was used to create the quiet room, said Library Director Ed Smith.
Smith said the 140-square-foot room had been a vision of the library's trustees for about 30 years and was included in the library's original construction plans from 1978 before being scrapped by the architect at the time. Smith said the architect had wanted a more spacious look for the library.

"I think this room is something especially important for students doing their homework," Smith said. "Here, they can lay out the project or their notes on the table and have it in front of them to concentrate on."
Smith said the soundproof room can comfortably seat eight people and has three tables. It also is equipped with wireless Internet access and has outlets to plug in laptops. A plaque in front of the room states, "Let Silence Relax the Mind."

The back wall showcases historical photographs of the borough's first mayor, Gustav Boesel, who served in 1929, and an end-of-World-War-II celebration at the then Johns-Manville factory in 1945. The factory was the site of one of Central Jersey's great industries and employed thousands from Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. It also gave the borough its name.
Yadlowsky, working with library board member Sandy Filippini, said he also wants to add plants and curtains to the room in coming weeks.
"We want to make it look homey," he said.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann:

908-243-6615;

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January 3, 2010

Old Linden library to come down as new library opens

By Eliot Caroom/For the Star-Ledger
nj.com
January 03, 2010, 7:17AM
LINDEN -- Linden’s 70-year-old library, built in 1939 under the Works Progress Administration, will be demolished by the end of the month to make way for a brand-new and modern facility behind it on the same East Henry Street site.

Last week, librarians bustled around the building one last time, boxing books to move them a stone’s throw away to a new, nearly-complete facility that towers over the old library.
Library staff members said they won’t miss it.

“I’m sure when it was built it was beautiful,” said Susan Schmidt, a library assistant. “It hasn’t been for a long time. We really needed a new library.”

When Schmidt first started working at the library in 1978, the building was already being eyed for replacement.

The city council first approved renovations in 2005 and then a new building in 2007, for a total of $9 million in bonds financed through the Union County Improvement Authority, according to Linden’s treasurer, Alexis Zack. The new building, begun in July 2008, will relieve crowding from the city’s main library, which currently doesn’t have enough space for meetings and activities.

Money for the new library’s furniture and shelves has been raised by Linden residents in a drive that raised $225,000, according to library director Dennis Purvis. Boxes for the move were donated by local businesses including ConocoPhillips, Cox Printers, Epicor, and House of Flowers.

Mary Purvis, who has worked at the library since 1981, grew up nearby on Washington Avenue and visited it many times as a child. Purvis said that in the current recession, the library has been busier than ever, filled with Lindenites who wait in line for the computers and kill time reading newspapers and magazines.

“I’m sad about seeing it go,” Purvis said. “But I’m excited about the new facility. It’s been a long time coming, and we desperately need it.”

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