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June 25, 2010
Agreement restores millions for libraries
dailyjournal.com
By JOEL LANDAU • Staff Writer • June 24, 2010
Local library users just got a renewal notice for some of their favorite services.
Proposed cuts in the state budget threatened to eliminate essential programs, such as Internet access, a book-lending program between libraries and electronic database sharing.
Under a compromise reached earlier this week on the state budget, some of those programs could be renewed, state officials said Wednesday.
The proposed 2011 budget would restore $4.299 million in funding for the state's 304 libraries.
Pat Tumulty, executive director of the state Library Association said the money will allow libraries to continue offering Internet access, sharing materials through interlibrary loans and purchasing academic databases for users of the 304 state libraries.
Internet access for all state libraries would be provided through federal money for 2011, but would not be funded beyond June 30, 2011.
The libraries faced a cut of $10.4 million, or 74 percent, under Christie's March budget proposal. The now-$6 million cut will mean the state libraries will have to make some cuts.
"This is much better than in March," Tumulty said. "We're grateful for all the advocacy efforts to restore this money."
The restoration will also enable the state to match a $4.5 million federal grant, Tumulty said.
Irene Percelli, director of the Millville Public Library, said she hopes local libraries will be able to keep intact the CLUES system, which links all Cumberland County libraries and allows them to share materials and ship them between buildings.
"We can breath a sigh of relief, but it doesn't mean it won't happen again next year," she said.
Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-1, said the small amount of money saved under the proposed cuts would not be worth the impact of the lost services. Van Drew noted libraries were considering reduced hours and staff due to the cuts.
"Obviously things are tough and cuts have to be made," he said. "When it comes to smaller amounts of money we were able to find it."
Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said the state is using money it saved by not merging Thomas Edison State College with Rutgers University. The money was set aside for campus improvements, he said.
"It was one of the more difficult cuts proposed and there was a large outcry about it," he said of the library cuts. "It's one of those, that it's nice to see it returning."
Posted by tumulty at 6:06 AM
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June 23, 2010
Fundraising, surprise donation from township helping keep Pennsville Public Library open
June 22, 2010
nj.com
PENNSVILLE TWP. — The past week has shown the Pennsville Public Library some temporary relief in its struggle to stay open.
On Thursday came $40,000 in funding and on Friday it was $5,000.
It’s two steps in the right direction since Pennsville Township Committee announced its was considering cutting funding to the library by 100 percent.
Since then, library officials have been frenzied with trying to regain operating funds if the committee decided to cut their annual funding.
And since then, library officials have been anticipating how much they’d be cut by the township — and with the 100 percent cut a looming possibility, they prepared for the worst.
“The Friends of Pennsville Public Library is a group that has always supported and fundraised for the library,” said Pennsville Public Library Director Nancy Whitesell. “But since the news, they’ve managed to raise $5,000 for us.”
That $5,000, said Whitesell, will mean the difference between having to close doors in this month and being able to operate at least through August.
Whitesell said operating costs alone — including utilities, salaries, and electric, among other expenses — carry a price tag of $14,000 per month.
But technically, Pennsville Mayor Barnhart said the township committee isn’t responsible for the library’s operation.
“The library is a separate entity from the township,” said Barnhart. “And we are not required to provide them with annual funding. Our funding has always been a donation.”
But Anne Buechler, treasurer and former president of the Friends group, said those yearly donations are what the library depended on. Last year, the library received approximately $125,000 from the township.
“I’ve been a ‘Friend’ for 20 years, and I’m one of the only original members left,” said Buechler of the group’s creation in 1991. “I couldn’t believe the funding could just go away so we raised all the money we could to keep our library here.”
The same reactions could be found from Board of Trustee Member Bob Seagraves, also a Friends member.
“The Friends have always given money, but a strong need is there now,” said Seagraves.
And that’s exactly what drove them to collect $5,000.
The Friends took their staple fundraisers like flea markets and book sales, a quilt raffle, Book Lover’s Tea, a hoagie Sub Sale, and Christmas Bazaar and added more.
Though some are currently being planned, new fundraisers, including raffling-off bus fare and tickets to see Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas show.
And the $5,000 is only part the efforts. Pennsville Public Library Board of Trustees President Chris Hooks said since May’s news, the Friends and other individuals and groups raised about $16,000.
“We just want to thank everyone whose contributed,” said Hooks.
“And this check from the Friends — well, they are truly our staunchest supporter, and we wouldn’t have made it without them.”
Other ways the library will stay alive? Hooks said in about two weeks, a township appeal letter will be sent to every household and business in Pennsville, requesting donations.
And the library will hold a Luau at the Riverview Inn July 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and proceeds will help save the library.
On Aug. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., Basket Bingo will be held for individuals aged 18 and older. Those who win bingo also win treats from winners’ baskets. Presale tickets will be $20 and same-day tickets $25. Contact the library for more details.
Mary Jane Cruice, who was elected president of the Friends group directly following the news of a possible 100 percent cut, said she was initially in shock.
“It happened right after I was elected, and I thought, that’s a big responsibility, but it’s one I’m willing to take-on,” said Cruice.
And while the new fundraising tactics may take more responsibility, hard work is paying off, and an unexpected reward showed up at Thursday night’s township committee meeting.
Mayor Richard Barnhart said after the township received state aid cuts, it filed a waiver with the state requesting $1.3 million.
And although Barnhart has said that Pennsville’s public safety operations have been the number one priority since making cuts, he said there could be money for the library. But only after the township’s public safety was fully-funded.
“We gave the library $125,000 last year, and this year we reduced it to $90,000,” said Barnhart of allotting library money.
But the $90,000 determination was made before state aid cuts.
“Then, after we were cut, we contemplated not giving them anything,” he said.”
But once the state approved Pennsville’s waiver request, the committee reconsidered.
“So then we upped it to $40,000,” he said of 2010 library funding. “I don’t know when the money’s coming, but the $40,000 is a line item in our budget, designated for Pennsville Public Library.”
Posted by tumulty at 7:00 AM
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Bridgeton library to stay open full time for now; trustees, library advocates look for needed money
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
BRIDGETON — The city library Board of Trustees on Tuesday reversed an earlier decision - at least for now - to cut the library’s operating hours from 50 to 24 per week.
New trustee David Price, acting at his first meeting on the board, made the motion to retain the 50-hour week.
Share Price, a Bridgeton High School language arts and literacy coach and one-time News staff writer, was appointed by Superintendent H. Victor Gilson as his alternate on the board.
Gilson’s former alternate, Pat Batten, resigned earlier in the month.
Price said it would be “premature and short-sighted” to reduce library hours by more than half before the city budget is adopted, especially considering a new administration under Mayor-elect Albert Kelly will take office in July, along with several new City Council members.
But he also defended the trustees who had voted for the reduction, in response to resident criticism, before he made his motion.
“It is a little complex,” Price said of the money problems that led to that move. “A decision was made, and I think it was made in the best interest of everyone...I think everybody did what they thought was right.”
Board secretary Joyce Cooper suggested placing a time limit on returning to full time operating hours in case the needed funding doesn’t pan out.
For that reason, the trustees decided to revisit the issue at their Dec. 2010 meeting. No one is sure exactly how long the library can operate full tilt without approximately $77,000 the city normally contributed to library employee benefits.
The city would still be required by law to provide about $188,000 to the library.
The trustess had foreseen losing the benefits funding. But members of library support groups Friends of the Brigeton Library and Save the Library!, along with other residents, have urged continuing fundraisers and tapping roughly $200,000 the trustees still have, keeping the library in operation all the while.
Library executive director Gail Robinson estimated full time operations could continue without the city’s benefits contribution until about March 2011.
The board initially voted in May on the cut to 24 hours a week, which would have been effective July 1.
A related attempt at the trustees’ June 1 meeting to lay off all but one full time employee and invite them to reapply for part time positions stalled.
Board member Jackie Huster at that meeting made a motion to table that matter, a motion that reached a three-to-three stalemate.
Tuesday’s return to the 50-hour week appears to make the layoff issue moot, but it doesn’t dull library supporters’ drive to find needed funds.
Like they did at the board’s last meeting, they showed in force to urge the trustees to keep the facility going full force.
Roughly 30 residents attended, and numerous speakers rose to argue their case. Many asked the board to begin using the $200,000 surplus and to find creative ways to raise money.
Friends of the Library member John Simons said his group committed $14,000 to the library’s upcoming budget year. While that money was marked for book purchases, he gave the blessing to contribute it to the employees’ benefits instead.
Some attendees suggested recruiting volunteers more often to donate or maintain equipment.
Popular among residents was the idea that cutting back on library hours and services would leave children more vulnerable to becoming emersed in crime.
It would also rob them of needed resources for school work and research, along with the far-reaching influence of a good reading regimen, they said, several adding that many local kids don’t have computers at home.
17-year-old Joshua Swanson said he has made good use of the library since he was a small child. He argued the loss of time and services there would take from teens one of the few refuges they may have from the streets and even home life.
“A lot of kids come here to escape problems at home,” he said. “Lots of the teens here could get involved in violence and crime (without the library).”
“I’ve been coming here for a long time, and it would hurt me not to be able to come anymore,” Swanson added.
Trustees, meanwhile, assured them they’re exploring options for funding. Several also defended their efforts.
Sherrie Rizzo, acting as board president in the absence of Donna Longo, who also resigned early this month, said members have held fundraisers themselves.
She noted that they had to cancel several for lack of participation by residents and other potential supporters.
“There are things that we’ve done, that board members hadn’t done in the past (to raise money),” Rizzo said. “With your patience and your support, we can continue to do things.”
Board treasurer Al Tugman urged library supporters to lobby City Council, arguing that they, in fact, have control over the employee benefits funding that seems to be the biggest obstacle to keeping the library running as is.
He and other board members commended attendees on being involved.
“When 20 of you show up with Friends of the Library T-shirts, that makes an impression,” he said.
Posted by tumulty at 6:47 AM
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Plainfield Public Library officials fear "catastrophic" cuts
By MARK SPIVEY • STAFF WRITER • June 22, 2010
PLAINFIELD — About a month after being awarded the state's highest honor in his profession, Plainfield Public Library director Joe Da Rold is concerned that the city is planning "catastrophic" cuts that he said would devastate the Park Avenue facility.
Da Rold, the 2009 state Librarian of the Year as named in May by the New Jersey Library Association, said a recent meeting with City Administrator Bibi Taylor led him to believe that the library's funding likely will be cut from its present allocation of $1.56 million to $1.2 million in 2010-11. According to Da Rold, that figure would force the library to close at 5 p.m. every day, close altogether on Mondays, lay off 18 of 31 employees and terminate its popular local history and literacy programs. Taylor late Monday called that notion "extremely premature," but declined to speculate on what the library's budget might be set to, stating that "there's too many unknowns at this point."
The library earlier this year absorbed budget cuts that forced it to trim its weekly hours from 61 to 54 and slash its part-time hours by 42 percent; Da Rold said that if the current budget holds, those reductions will remain in place during the fiscal year that starts next week. But Da Rold and a long list of civic leaders pleaded with the council Monday to take up their cause and restore a previous budget that fell a shade under $2 million.
"This goes against 130 years of history, and it would have a devastating effect on our community," Da Rold said. "It would effectively destroy the library ... and the community that I know does not want to see that happen."
About a dozen people spoke in support of the library Monday, praising its efforts to maintain quality services despite facing financial challenges for years. Rebecca Williams and Jim Pivnichny, the respective Democrat and Republican candidates for a council seat up for grabs during November's general election, echoed each other's comments.
"It's a nonpartisan, nonpolitical place" at which more than 60 community groups hold meetings, Williams noted, opining that the library has "absorbed more than their fair share" of budget trimming during recent years.
"The library, in my estimation, is one of the gems of Plainfield," Pivnichny agreed. "Let's keep it the gem that it is."
Da Rold distributed to council members packages of information that appeared to present a strong case. The city's budget has increased 87.3 percent between fiscal years 1998 through 2009, going from about $38.6 million to $72.3 million, according to the package, while the library's budget increased 26.7 percent during that time, going from about $1.1 million to $1.4 million.
Despite those challenges, the library's circulation jumped 35 percent from 2008 to 2009, Da Rold said, with more than 17,000 users coming to borrow some of the facility's more than 181,000 volumes. Speakers also touted an ESL (English as a Second Language) program that serves more than 200 people from 39 countries, a service for which there is a waiting list of more than 150 people.
Da Rold said he and others also took exception to Taylor's recent statement that "the library is not a part of city government." But Taylor clarified Monday that she simply meant that the library by definition is an autonomous body that operates separately from the city despite being funded by it.
Taylor also said that Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs supports the library, but when asked whether its 2008-09 budget might be restored, she pointed to the cuts that took effect several months ago.
"The mayor's budget reflects the priorities of the administration," Taylor said.
Council President Annie McWilliams and other council members pledged their support for the library and promised to examine the issue closely as the budget process goes forward. The mayor did not introduce a budget until November during the last fiscal cycle.
"I'll be there tomorrow," McWilliams quipped, "to return some overdue books."
Mark Spivey: 908-243-6607; mspivey@MyCentralJersey.com
Posted by tumulty at 6:36 AM
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June 20, 2010
N.J. budget / Priorities taking shape
Editorial
Press of Atlantic City
June 20, 2010
An agreement on New Jersey's next budget is slowly taking shape, as Republicans and Democrats haaggle to avoid a government shutdown on July 1. And the budget that will emerge from the Legislature is expected to look very much like the $29.3 billion, bad-news budget Gov. Chris Christie presented in March.
That's not surprising. The money simply isn't there. The state is facing an $11 billion budget deficit that has only worsened since March.
Still, there are some programs that lawmakers are trying to restore by finding money elsewhere in the budget. And they should - particularly those that have a big impact on vulnerable populations and comparatively small savings. Among those:
Restoring a $7.4 million cut for family planning.
This short-sighted cut would eliminate all of the state funding for family-planning services. According to Planned Parenthood, the cuts would require a Cumberland County clinic to close and force severe cutbacks at Atlantic City's facility.
Christie may have been playing to social conservatives by cutting family planning, but if so, the cut was misguided. Few of the health clinics these cuts would affect provide abortions, and no state funds are used for abortions at the three clinics that do. What the cuts will do is affect the ability of low-income women to get access to health care services that include everything from blood-pressure screening to routine gynecological exams. Those kinds of preventative services avoid much higher Medicaid costs in the future. Democrats say restoring this cut is a priority. It should be.
Restoring at least some of the 74 percent cut in state aid to libraries, amounting to about $10 million.
At a time when state residents are using library services more and more - particularly for free Internet access and job searches - the cuts could curtail these services just when they are needed most.
A bill introduced recently by Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, would require Internet providers to provide free Internet service to at least one public library in each municipality in their coverage area when their contracts come up for renewal. That seems like a good approach in the future, but it doesn't help the problem now. At least some of the money should be restored this year.
There are other unwise cuts that are also being targeted for possible restoration, including $10.5 million for home-health care and $3.5 million to save the State Commission of Investigation. Here's another the Legislature ought to consider: restoring at least part of the cuts in the Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps struggling working families with children survive in one of the highest cost-of-living states in the nation.
The budget is expected to be wrapped up before the July 1 deadline because - in a rare and possibly unprecedented move - the minority Republican Party has agreed to sponsor the appropriations bill in exchange for a minimal number of Democratic votes. Democrats will then be able to distance themselves and blame Republicans for pain caused by the bare-bones budget.
Some political analysts say it's a smart move, others say it's the kind of political calculation that turns people off.
We say: Who cares? There will be plenty of blame and political rhetoric to go around come election season. The most important thing right now is to get this budget done, avoid a shutdown and try to restore some programs that cost relatively little but have a big impact on the poor and vulnerable.
.
Posted by tumulty at 4:14 PM
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June 18, 2010
Watchung library plans progress but financing still an issue
nj.com
Thursday, June 17, 2010, 12:36 PM
WATCHUNG – Plans to build a new town library continue to move along despite tough economic times and no concrete plans as to where the money will come from for the project.
Council member Steve Pote, who is the governing body’s lead liaison to the Library Advisory Board, explained that the board has been working on the library upgrade project for the past two or three years and the group is getting ready to enter the preliminary design stage.
Pote said that money was put aside in the borough’s capital budget several years ago to cover this stage of the project which officials think will run approximately $20,000 to $30,000.
He explained that the Advisory Board has been looking at proposals for the past 10 months or so. Initially 12 architectural firms responded to a request for a statement of qualifications that was sent out in 2008. The group was later whittled down to three firms. One of those firms will be chosen to complete preliminary design drawings.
The new library would most likely occupy the same site as the existing library which is located in a 1920’s house that was donated to the borough and is situated just off the circle.
“It has the opportunity to be a beautiful place,” Pote said. The site has “opportunities” and is conveniently located in the central-most location in the borough, he added.
Pote said the existing library holds sentimental value but was never meant to be a library. Shelves are overstocked with books and there are no extra rooms for meetings and other events that larger more modern libraries have.
Following several open public sessions that Pote facilitated in 2007, the Advisory Board made the following recommendations to the Borough Council:
* The new library should be located at the current library’s location on Watchung Circle
* The space should meet the current and future needs of the community
* The new space would be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet in size
* The building would include flexible space apportionments to accommodate various sized groups and functions
* The cost effectiveness of expansion and renovation of the existing facilities versus total building replacement should be investigated
* There should be a second entrance from Valley Road
* Additional parking should be added at the upper and lower levels of the library
The mayor and council passed a resolution in support of the recommendations.
Pote said that if the library must close during the construction process patrons could end up going over to Warren to use the library there just as Warren residents used the Watchung library when their library was undergoing construction. Residents would also be able to use any of the other libraries in Somerset County through a reciprocal library agreement, he added.
Posted by tumulty at 6:22 AM
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Morristown library may be ready to reopen in August
By ABBOTT KOLOFF • STAFF WRITER • June 15, 2010
MORRISTOWN -- Parts of the Morristown & Morris Township Library are expected to be ready to open by late August, almost three months after an explosion ripped through the building, according to the building’s insurer.
Ross Koch, an executive general adjuster for Travelers Insurance, told the town council on Tuesday night that asbestos remediation will be conducted in part of the library within the next month. He said newer parts of the building, which were not severely damaged, could be open to the public by mid to late August.
However, it’s not clear whether electricity will be restored by that time.
“I can’t tell you when (electricity will be restored,” said Ron Morano, a spokesman for Jersey Central Power & Light. “We are working with the library to get them open again.”
Library officials were not immediately available to comment. Koch said there is no timetable for reopening the oldest wing of the building.
Officials with Travelers and JCP&L spoke to the council last night, as had been requested by Mayor Timothy Dougherty. The mayor also had requested the Public Service Enterprise Group, which has a gas line at the library, to appear at the meeting.
Karen Johnson, a PSE&G spokeswoman, said earlier Tuesday that her company declined to attend because it determined it was not responsible for the explosion.
JCP&L officials have said they believe a combustible gas caused the explosion but have not said what kind of gas might have been involved. PSE&G officials have said they determined natural gas was not present after the explosion.
“Our facilities didn’t contribute to the explosion,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Dougherty said PSE&G told him their equipment was “fine” and that there was only so much they could say because of the possibility of future litigation.
“I’m sorry PSE&G chose not to come,” Dougherty said.
JCP&L officials say the explosion wasn’t caused by their electrical equipment. However, they have said other underground explosions in Morristown, not as severe as last month’s, may have been caused by their underground electrical equipment heating up and causing compressed gas to explode.
Beth Ard, JCP&L’s manager of customer support, told the council that her company has been updating the state Board of Public Utilities with reports of its investigation. JCP&L officials have said their investigation had been delayed because of asbestos concerns by Travelers. Ard said that JCP&L experts had been inside the library three times, including Tuesday, and were in the process of tagging evidence.
Morano said the company also has hired at least four independent consultants to help with the investigation.
Dougherty told the council that he was still trying to determine whether the state BPU would conduct an independent investigation, and not simply a review.
We may have to hire our own experts,” he said.
Abbott Koloff: (973) 428-6636; akoloff@gannett.com
Posted by tumulty at 6:17 AM
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June 15, 2010
Libraries looking at loss of services
Letter to the Editor
nj.com
Gloucester County Times
June 15, 2010
To the Editor:
The libraries in Gloucester County have been sharing services and resources since GOLD (Gloucester Online Library Database) was established in 1988, and since 2004 through the formation of LOGIN (Libraries of Gloucester/Salem Information Network).
Share This unique and very successful partnership consisting of 20 members including municipal libraries, the county library system, two community colleges and the Gloucester County Institute of Technology, is proof that libraries of all types can work together while keeping their autonomy.
LOGIN offers customers what they want — a shared catalog of more than 700,000 items and the opportunity to visit any library in the county and receive quality library services.
The governor’s proposed statewide library budget cuts of 74 percent of state aid will definitely impact and may eliminate some of these services. Since we are in the business of providing information, we felt it was our duty to inform our communities of our pending financial constraints. Now more than ever, libraries are crucial to our communities because residents rely on them for free Internet service, free programs and free computer classes.
Libraries also offer best-selling books, nonfiction materials, DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks, and newspapers and magazines. Libraries provide assistance to job seekers, students of all ages, educators, parents, seniors, business people and other visitors.
Libraries are essential to their communities and the libraries of LOGIN have taken a monumental step in promoting and sharing resources by maximizing taxpayer dollars. Indeed, from July 2009 through April 2010, LOGIN libraries circulated over 1.2 million items.
At an approximate cost of $30 per item (if each borrower purchased the items individually), that translates to more than $30 million we saved citizens.
Jean Wipf
President
Directors of the
LOGIN Consortium
Editor’s note: This letter was written on behalf of all LOGIN directors. Wipf is also director of the Woodbury Library.
Posted by tumulty at 6:36 AM
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June 13, 2010
Libraries plan to cut hours
By JOEL LANDAU • Staff Writer • June 12, 2010
The public libraries in Vineland and Millville are trimming their hours and cutting off interlibrary loans as they look for ways to balance their budgets in the face of state funding cuts.
And Cumberland County Library will shut down one day a month through November for state furloughs.
Gov. Chris Christie proposed a 74 percent cut in state library funding in the 2011 Fiscal Year budget, which will eliminate all statewide library programs and services, including Internet access beginning in 2012, and the ability to share academic databases and borrow materials at all the locations. The $10.4 million cut also includes a 50 percent cut in direct allocations for all libraries.
Starting July 1, Vineland Public Library will open an hour later -- at 10 a.m. -- Monday through Friday. The library will open two hours later and close an hour earlier -- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- on Saturdays.
Library Director Gloria Urban announced the changes earlier this week.
In Millville, the library's opening times will be cut by nine hours a week, starting Sept. 1. Opening and closing will be trimmed by one hour Monday through Thursday. Friday openings will be pushed to 10 a.m. Saturday hours will remain the same.
"It's pretty much obvious why we are doing this," said Bill Gant, president of the library's board of trustees. "We need to cut back in any shape or way we can."
Director Irene Percelli said the board hopes to eventually be able to
restore the hours.
State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-1, said he is working to recover some of the state funding, adding the libraries are receiving more than their fair share of the cuts.
"We need an adequate library system," he said. "Hopefully we will be able to figure out something here."
Calls to Christie's office were not returned this week.
Vineland and Millville are also ending their interlibrary loan program -- the practice of shipping books between libraries on customer request -- as a way to save even more money.
Urban said people can still borrow materials from other libraries in the county, but they'll have to go to those libraries to pick them up and must return them there.
"You can borrow materials in my library, but you must bring it back to my library," she said.
The loan program will be cut off on Tuesday so that the libraries have enough time to recover all of their books.
Jean Edwards, director of the Cumberland County Library in Bridgeton, said she's not reducing hours, but the library will be closed six days between July and November due to furloughs.
The library staff will all take their furlough days at the same time and close the library, she said.
Millville resident Faith Hall said she visits the Millville library regularly and does not have transportation to go to other libraries.
"This is my only source for borrowed literature," she said.
Posted by tumulty at 11:51 AM
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Residents speak out on library expansion plans
htp://www.courierpostonline.com
By JULIA HAYS • Courier-Post Staff • June 11, 2010
As Haddonfield officials weighed plans for expanding the borough's library on Wednesday, a consultant offered proposals for the project and the public was able to comment, though no consensus has been reached.
Proposals were submitted for 7,500- and 15,000-square-foot additions at the existing facility, which also would be made compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Anthony Iovino, a project consultant for the borough with Bergen-based Acari and Iovino, estimated the smaller expansion would cost $5.3 million, while the larger would run $7.8 million. He said a third proposal, for a new library on Allen Avenue, would cost about $6.5 million.
Resident David Hunter said he felt that the proposal to build a new library on Allen Avenue was not discussed enough at the forum.
"We need to present the community with something they can get excited about," said Hunter. "This is a site that could be modern and used for years."
Hunter said he is encouraging residents to attend a gathering he is organizing at the Allen Avenue site at 4 p.m. Sunday to view the space and discuss the issue.
Another resident, Joan Welsh, said she is glad the decision for expansion or a new site will receive a public referendum as soon as November 2011.
"This town is hemorrhaging taxes. We can't keep spending," said Welsh. "I'm glad we can vote on this, because we need to do the smallest improvements to the building and stop spending millions in this town."
Stuart Harting, who also lives in the borough, said a new building at a different site would allow more space, more parking and an opportunity to build an eco-friendly library.
"It's a technology center and a community meeting place," said Harting. "We can then sell the existing building for funds."
Buntzie Churchill, of the library's architectural committee, said the committee recommended the 7,500-square-foot expansion because it would bring the building up to ADA standards, while still adding some more space to the building. She said the smaller addition makes it easier to rally public support.
The borough commissioners will discuss the issue and could decide on one of the proposals within the month.
A fundraiser commissioned by the library will then seek private donations while plans are being finalized and before a public referendum is held. Borough Administrator Sharon McCullough said Haddonfield hopes funding for the project will be split evenly between private contributions and borough bonds.
McCullough said for every $1 million in 15- to 20-year bonds, each household would pay approximately $14 to $18 per year in additional taxes.
In addition to the open public comments, residents heard from Iovino, Churchill, Library Board President Gene Kain and fundraiser Nancy Weber.
Building plans are available on the borough's website at www.haddonfieldnj.org.
Reach Julia Hays at (856) 486-2479 or jhays@gannett.com
Posted by tumulty at 11:44 AM
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June 11, 2010
South Plainfield library won't be moving to Montrose Avenue
nj.com
June 9, 2010
Brent Johnson
The latest plan to relocate the South Plainfield Public Library is officially dead.
The borough’s board of adjustment last week unanimously vetoed a controversial proposal to move the library to a commercial building across town, saying the area — located near an industrial site — is too dangerous.
Then, on Tuesday the library’s board of trustees Tuesday decided not to appeal the decision.
“It would take up to a year and be too expensive,” board president Eric Aronowitz said of the appeal process. “It wasn’t worth it.”
Now, the board plans to form a committee overseen by Mayor Charles Butrico to re-open the search for a new location. Butrico said the deadline to find a new spot is Oct. 15.
This is the most recent snag in an ongoing struggle to relocate the library. For years, patrons and officials have complained that the current location on Plainfield Avenue — which opened in 1964 — is cramped and aging.
But in 2008, voters shot down a $4.5 million proposal to build a new library down the road — a plan that would have raised taxes about $30 for the average homeowner in the 23,000-resident town.
Under the latest plan, the library board would have leased a spot in a commercial building on Montrose Avenue — which would have doubled the library’s space and been paid for by the yearly funding it receives from the borough, Aronowitz said.
But residents complained the spot was too far from the center of town, and that Montrose Avenue has no sidewalks and its industrial location could be perilous for pedestrians.
Butrico said the committee to find a new location will be made up of two borough council members, two library board members and two residents, all who have yet to be named. The mayor added that some possible spots may soon open because a few tenants are planning to leave.
“No idea is a bad idea,” Butrico said today. “Let’s put everything on the table.”
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Posted by tumulty at 6:15 AM
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Collingswood library opens new teen area
http://www.courierpostonline.com
June 10, 2010
Collingswood Public Library cut the ribbon to its new teen area on Thursday afternoon.
The area on the second floor of the library features a flat-screen television, Wii and video games, furniture and books.
There are many young adult books and graphic novels featured in the area.
Funds for the teen area were raised at the borough's first Collingswood Book Festival 5K Run in the fall and contributions were made by the Collingswood Friends of the Library and the Library Board of Trustees.
There were a number of special donations made in memory of Becky Childs, the daughter of the late Library Director Peter Childs. Becky's mother Carol Childs was on hand for the ceremony to dedicate the teen area in memory her daughter.
Collingswood Public Library is located at 771 Haddon Avenue. For more information, contact the library at (856) 858-0649, or visit http://collingswoodlib.org.
Posted by tumulty at 5:42 AM
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June 10, 2010
Oppose 'devastating' library cuts
nj.com
Published: Sunday, June 06, 2010
Letters to the Editor/Gloucester County ...
To the Editor:
Concerning the devastating cuts to library services under the state budget proposed by Gov. Chris Christie:
My family has started using our library, the Gloucester County Library System Logan Branch, for everything.
My husband gets audio books, which makes his hour-long commute go much faster.
My children get movies regularly to take on vacation and also to watch at home. Their preferences change almost every month, so I am able to save money by not purchasing the books or DVDs.
I am an avid reader, and I request books and utilize the books-by-mail service frequently. I request materials from all of the member libraries. I also stopped going to video stores — which saves money — mostly because all the movies I want are at the library.
The library offers phenomenal programs for me and my children. Multiple workshops and children’s events make our days at the library well spent. We are buying fewer things than we used to.
Why buy things when you can “take them out” as a loaner from the library? Less waste, less clutter, less money out of pocket. It is a win-win.
My family would be devastated if we were to lose any of the services as a result of Christie’s budget.
Heather Scheckner
Woolwich Township
Posted by tumulty at 6:28 AM
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County going out to bid for library expansion project
http://www.philyburbs.comJ
une 9, 2010
Burlington County Times
The Burlington County Freeholders voted tonight to advertise for bids for its planned expansion and renovation of the main branch of the County Library in Westampton.
The estimated $6 million overhaul will be the first capital project in the county to take advantage of some $15.6 million in federal stimulus aid through the use of recovery zone bonds, officials said.
By using the bonds, the federal government will reimburse the county up to 45 percent of the interest paid on public capital projects in designated zones marked for economic development and job creation. Eligible projects must be funded by Jan. 1, 2011 to take advantage for the federal money.
The library plan was first announced in 2008. It is the first major expansion of the 39-year-old library since 1992, officials. Bids are due in July and work could start in September with the hopes of opening the new library in the fall of 2011.
It calls for a new roof and heating and cooling system at the building, as well as a new 250-seat auditorium, a larger exhibit area and café, a drive-up window for book drop off and pickup of requested items and an expanded area for teenagers, officials said.
Library Director Gail Sweet said the existing building will be expanded by 15,830 square feet. Some 4,800 square feet in the existing 54,000-square-foot facility will be renovated, she said.
The library will remain open during construction, officials said.
Posted by tumulty at 6:04 AM
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June 9, 2010
Let's not try to go too deep with cuts
Letters to the Editor
DailyRecord.com
June 9, 2010
To the Editor:
In these times of cutbacks, we must realize the multi-levels of impact it has on people and community as they make up these organizations, living and spending in their neighborhoods. Being unemployed, I rely on the Parsippany Library and staff for more than just pleasure and entertainment. It is the individuals who make it happen. Besides people in my situation, the library is filled to capacity with children, teens, college students, parents and seniors. There is a plethora of programs, such as self help, musical and instructional in nature as well as areas to meet for clubs, teachers and social groups. The staff, the people, make this happen.
No one knows more than I that these are times for necessary cutbacks. We must be careful not to go too deep and cause the the people and the community to suffer more.
TERRY MONAGHAN
Parsippany
Posted by tumulty at 6:51 AM
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Library expansion to be discussed
By JULIA HAYS • Courier-Post Staff • June 5, 2010
HADDONFIELD — Haddonfield will host an open discussion with residents about library expansion plans on Wednesday.
An architect from the Little Ferry, Bergen County-based firm Acari and Iovino, which was commissioned to study how the library could expand at its current location or at a different location, will share his findings with those in attendance.
"The architect was told by the borough commissioners to look at making the building Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, and that could include a 7,500-square-foot or 15,000-square-foot expansion," said Library Director Susan Briant.
Also considered were an existing building on Kings Highway and a piece of open land, a municipal parking lot on Allen Avenue near the PATCO station, owned by the township.
The Library Board Committee will have a member present at the meeting and will recommend pursuing a 7,500-square-foot expansion to the library's current building on North Haddon Avenue, said Mayor Letitia "Tish" Colombi.
The library's hired fundraiser will also be present to answer questions from the public.
Colombi said she believed the 7,500-square-foot expansion plan would come with a $5 million price tag.
"We want to look at the plans and prices with the public to discuss this issue," said Colombi. "We'll also look to see how realistic the fundraising efforts will be."
Colombi added the expansion plans would not see a public vote until 2011.
"We want to present the best option. The commissioners have said early on that the hope is that half of the funds could be raised before putting this up to vote in a public referendum," said Colombi.
Expansion plans at the current site would include the addition of an elevator and handicapped-accessible bathrooms to bring the historic building up to ADA standards.
"The extension would be in the front of the building. This would just be using the existing building and enhancing it as much as we can. We would have to add an elevator behind and try to enhance the historical building and contour the front to showcase the building," said Briant. "There would be no moving the building forward. It's a question of how far up to a point that we can go."
Borough resident Darlene Dziomba, 44, said she would vote to support expansion plans, though she thinks a new building would be the best option.
"I think they're better off building something new that will last longer and will be bigger and more energy-efficient," said Dziomba. "The library is too small now. It doesn't meet people's needs."
The public forum about the plans will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at borough hall, 242 Kings Highway E.
Building plans are available on the borough's website at www.haddonfieldnj.org.
Reach Julia Hays at (856) 486-2479 or jhays@gannett.com
Posted by tumulty at 6:39 AM
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Lower Township library branch renovation nearly complete
The Press of Atlantic City
By DEBRA RECH, For The Press
The Lower Township branch of the Cape May County Library is nearing the end of a $1.9 million renovation. If all goes according to plan, it should reopen at the end of July.
Temporarily, the branch is located at the Bayshore Plaza between the Acme and Big Lots in North Cape May, at 3845 Bayshore Road. Work on the library facility's upgrade began in January. The Lower branch that is undergoing renovation is at 2600 Bayshore Road, Villas.
Renovations included expanding the library 2,500 feet by putting on an addition that includes another public meeting room with a bathroom and small kitchen, two new study rooms and a larger reference area.
Extensive work was done on the outside of the building, including repaving the parking lot and adding a driveway and making the building more handicapped-accessible by getting rid of stairs. The entranceway was enlarged to allow easier access for wheelchairs. There is also a new heating and air-conditioning system in the building, which was built in 1982.
Ed Carson, branch head of the library, said the Lower branch is one of the busiest in the county system.
"We do two-thirds of the business of the main branch, so we are very important to the library system," Carson said. "Lower is a heavily populated area, especially in the summer, so we are well-used. We have a lot of groups that like to use our meeting room and we only had one before. The library also puts on many new programs, so we needed the extra space as well. The problem was with only one meeting room, groups that had signed up had to be bumped sometimes for library programs. That shouldn't happen anymore."
Marian Malec has been the library assistant at the Lower Township branch for two years. She said the temporary move hasn't been bad.
"It's actually very nice," Malec said. "All of our patrons are very pleased so it's been really great, but everyone, everyone asks when we will be going back. And we're very excited about going back. We'll have so much more to offer at the new site."
Carson said what he likes most about the new library is that it is more handicapped-accessible, and he also prefers the new layout. What used to be the children's room will now house the library's special collection of books such as new arrivals and the new reference section.
"The new layout puts all the noisy area near the main entrance, not where people are trying to study or work," Carson said. "The circulation desk, the children's room and young adult area are also closer to the main entrance. Those are the areas that tend to generate the most traffic and noise. As you move into the other section of the library, it will be more quiet and subdued. The public can come in and study, bring a laptop maybe and work without all the noise and people moving around them."
Carson also likes the addition of the two new study rooms, which are large enough to hold about four people. The community can sign up to use the rooms for two-hour periods.
"People who have to take exams used to have no privacy here, but now they have a room to themselves," Carson said. "High school kids or those doing projects can also sign up to use a room. It will be on a first-come, first-served basis."
The new group meeting room is spacious and has direct access outside, something else Carson said was needed. Groups that used the meeting room before and ran past closing time had problems, because the library staff had to lock the doors so they couldn't get back into the library to use the bathroom.
"The new room has direct access outside, and since there is a bathroom included, that won't be a problem anymore," Carson said. "Now the groups can come and go as they wish through the door leading outside. There is also a small kitchenette so people can bring in food if they want to or make coffee. It just provides a nicer place for large groups like AARP and the Taxpayers Association to hold meetings."
One problem the library staff faces during this temporary move is that they only have about a third of their books; the rest are in storage. Carson said he misses the collection of art books and maritime books the most.
"It's hard, because someone will come in and ask me for a book, and I say, 'Yes, we have that,' and then I have to say, 'Oh no, we don't, it's in storage,'" Carson said. "We can get books on loan from other branches, though. The patrons also miss our video collection. We brought the DVDs but not the videos. We're in a storefront now so we really don't have much room."
The updated library also features a few more parking spaces, since the old islands were removed and access is easier thanks to a new driveway. A sidewalk now runs all the way around the building. Carson said the new addition also looks like it's always been there because the builder did a good job matching the bricks.
Although Carson said the library has picked up some new patrons at their temporary location, everyone is anxious for the upgraded library to open.
"I know I want to come home," Carson said. "I'm ready to get back to business. I think the community will be happy with all the changes."
Library hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. Call 609-886-8999 for more information.
Contact Debra Rech:
609-463-6719
DRech@pressofac.com
Posted by tumulty at 6:31 AM
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June 8, 2010
Vote buys Bridgeton library some extra time
Editorial
nj.com
The News of Cumberland County
June 03, 2010, 9:08AM
Supporters of Bridgeton’s public library are breathing a temporary sigh of relief after a board of trustees decision to lay off six library employees and cut hours was tabled Tuesday night.
The vote to table followed pleas from many in attendance who understand the value of this library and the importance of fighting for its survival.
For their part, some on the board noted that these cuts were intended to keep the library afloat, and that without those layoffs the place would close completely.
The board’s actions are based on the understanding that the city will cut the funds it normally contributes to cover the cost of library employee benefits.
Given that a new city administration takes over in less than a month, it makes sense to put the issue on hold until it’s determined if the new leadership, under Mayor-elect Albert Kelly, still plans to cut those funds.
For his part, Kelly has talked about pursuing alternate funding sources for the library. If this is what the new mayor offers — a glimmer of hope — then there is no need to rush through what is clearly an unpopular move by the library board.
While they wait to see what Kelly and company can do, the board should consider the notion of tapping its $200,000 reserve to cover any benefits shortfall.
A portion of this money was donated to the library and those donors should be consulted about reallocating their funds to deal with what is clearly an emergency situation.
We have to believe that these donors would rather see their money used to fix this problem than see the library reduced to only being open 24 hours a week.
This page has been filled lately with letters from residents in and around Bridgeton who do not want to see this library close or suffer from substantial cuts. They talk about how much the library is utilized and how it really does make a difference in the lives of our residents, both young and old.
Posted by tumulty at 6:13 AM
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June 7, 2010
Mt. Laurel may vote on shift for library
By JEREMY ROSEN • Courier-Post Staff • June 4, 2010
MOUNT LAUREL — Voters here may be asked to determine the future of one of New Jersey's most progressive local libraries.
With an $8 million municipal budget deficit, township officials are looking at the cost benefits of having the Mount Laurel Library transferred to the Burlington County system.
Manager Jennifer Blumenthal said the transfer would save $300,000 per year.
Blumenthal, Mayor Jim Keenan and Deputy Mayor Peter McCaffrey said council members may put a referendum on November's ballot for voters to make the choice.
"We're finding out from the county what types of services would be available and how they'd run the library," Keenan said. "We're seeing how it would affect the employees and volunteers. I feel that if it would be transferred to county, there should be a referendum so people know what's happening."
McCaffrey said, "It's a matter of economics. It's going to be a tough decision for council either way."
Last month, library officials offered council a bare-bones budget with a proposed $500,000 in cuts to its approximately $2.5 million budget.
Library Director Kathy Schalk-Greene said wage freezes and decreases in staff hours, public service hours, materials and programs were used to defray costs.
"We're a function of township government and they are in a tight financial situation," Schalk-Greene said. "The library board did what the township asked for and took a brutally frugal approach to our budget. We're not sure what (a transfer to county) would mean for us."
In 1973, township voters established a municipal library and building via referendum vote, she said.
That library, Moorestown's library and Willingboro's library are exempt from the county system, which started with Mount Holly's library in 1921.
The county system has seven fully funded branch libraries, including Evesham's and Maple Shade's, and it has nine member libraries that are run independently and funded by the county and local municipalities or volunteer groups, according to assistant county library director Margaret Delany. About 119 full-time staff members and dozens of volunteers in the system serve approximately 102,275 members, Delany said.
"We've known Mount Laurel's interested," she said.
Mount Laurel's library is a regional attraction averaging about 1,100 visitors per day.
It prides itself on being the township's version of a Main Street. Its novel layout, more like a bookstore than a library, has made materials more accessible to an increasing number of users. Its 28-member staff, dozens of volunteers and resources have helped people find jobs.
"We get more business in a troubled economy with people looking for low-cost alternatives for recreation and education," Schalk-Greene said, noting that the library attracted around 387,000 visitors last year, about 28,000 more than the previous year.
Gov. Chris Christie, who visited a couple of times on the campaign trail and included it among his destinations when introducing the new budget, called the library "my good luck stop."
Yet Schalk-Greene said Christie's proposed budget with state library cuts would be unfortunate for the Mount Laurel Library. She said it would mean a $19,000 cut for material purchases, as well ending subsidized e-mail and Internet service for users, electronic databases and interlibrary loan and delivery service.
Reach Jeremy Rosen at (856) 486-2456 or jrosen@gannett.com
Posted by tumulty at 6:24 AM
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At least one Bridgeton library trustee resigns from post; President may be the other
nj.com
By Joe Green
June 04, 2010, 5:58PM
Staff Photo by Bryan LittelThe Bridgeton public library may need two new trustees as a sharp decline in hours and possible layoffs loom.
BRIDGETON — At least one, and perhaps two, members of the city library’s Board of Trustees submitted letters of resignation from the board on Thursday.
Pat Batten e-mailed to library Director Gail Robinson a copy of her letter to be sent to Bridgeton schools Superintendent H. Victor Gilson.
Robinson said she could not confirm word that board President Donna Longo had also chosen to resign. Three other sources knowledgeable about recent board developments said that she had.
Those sources all said Batten had stepped down as well, but all wished to remain anonymous, as no official announcement of the resignations had been made yet.
Batten was Gilson’s alternate on the board. Officially, the mayor and superintendent are trustees, but they usually appoint alternates to serve.
Longo is an appointee of Mayor James Begley, although not his alternate.
Begley did not respond to attempts Thursday night and Friday to confirm she’d sent a resignation letter to him.
If she did, Begley has until July 1 to appoint a replacement. Otherwise, Mayor-elect Albert Kelly would have his pick.
Kelly said he'd heard that someone may have resigned from the board but wasn't sure of specifics or reasons. He said he didn't have anyone in mind for the post.
In any case, Kelly said he's working on recruiting members for various boards here.
"The main thing I want people to realize is the extent to which they have to be involved," he explained, adding he doesn't want members "in name only."
A colleague at Longo’s workplace said she was in a meeting when reached there on Friday afternoon. The colleague said Longo declined to comment on whether and why she had resigned.
The News was also unable to reach Batten on Friday.
It was not immediately clear whether controversy over an attempt to lay off all but one full time library employee effected any decision to resign.
The board reached a stalemate June 1 on whether to table a vote on laying off five full-timers - who would have a chance to work part time - and one part-timer.
The motion to table the decision was made by trustee Jackie Huster, who favored seeking alternatives to the layoffs from a new mayor and City Council makeup in July.
A three to three vote on that left the issue dangling possibly until another meeting, whose date hadn’t been circulated as of Friday.
Adding to the last meeting’s tension, Cherry Hill attorney Mark E. Belland said his office hadn’t received notice that a layoff plan had been filed with the state civil service office as required.
Following approval of such a plan, the employees must be given 45 days notice of the layoff, he said. Belland warned that he and the library workers would fight a move that night to go ahead with the layoffs.
Board treasurer Al Tugman, who served the same role in Begley's recent reelection campaign, said on Thursday night that he'd heard nothing about any resignations. He could not be reached Friday for any updates.
Posted by tumulty at 6:19 AM
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Work pays off: Highlands to open borough library
app.com
Panel raised money; center will house books
By TERRY • GAUTHIER MUESSIG • May 31, 2010
HIGHLANDS — After determination, years of persistence and a lot of work from volunteers, the Highlands Borough Library will become a reality on Saturday — at no cost to taxpayers.
The library will be in the same place it was 15 years ago, Tara Ryan of Highlands said — the Robert D. Wilson Community Center at 22 Snug Harbor Ave. Ryan was named a chairwoman for the library search committee by Mayor Anna Little more than a year ago. The idea had been to have a library in its own building, but not enough money could be raised for that to happen.
The library will officially open at 1:30 p.m. June 7. The hours will be 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Mondays; 3 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
There is a collection of easy-reading books, adult's and children's books and daily newspapers, Ryan said.
For more than a year, the committee has been fundraising for a borough library. To date, it has raised more than $7,000, Ryan said.
The committee decided, with the help of borough Recreation Director Timothy Hill, to use the conference room at the community center as the borough library.
The Borough Council on April 21 approved a resolution to institute the library at the center.
Since then, the volunteers have been working toward the opening.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Saturday, when residents can see the room and celebrate the event, Ryan said. The library will not be open that day for registering for a library card or to take books out.
Highlands residents can join the library for free with proof of residency.
Library hours will change for the fall depending on usage, Ryan said.
For more information, call 732-872-1959.
Posted by tumulty at 6:11 AM
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June 4, 2010
South Plainfield shelves plan to move library
nj.com
By Brent Johnson/For The Star-Ledger
June 03, 2010, 8:04PM
Alexandra Pais/New Jersey Local News ServiceA plan to move the South Plainfield Library to this site on Montrose Avenue was shot down last week.SOUTH PLAINFIELD — The fate of the South Plainfield Public Library is once again uncertain.
For years, officials have struggled to solve the aging library’s cramped conditions. Then, in March, the library’s board of trustees said it finally fixed the issue by voting to relocate the facility from the center of town to a spacious commercial building two miles away.
But last week, the borough’s board of adjustment unanimously shot down the controversial move, saying the new location on Montrose Avenue was too dangerous. Montrose Avenue has no sidewalks, and the building is near an industrial site.
“It just wasn’t a good spot,” Mayor Charles Butrico explained. “I understood the frustration of the library board, but that doesn’t justify sticking the library in the middle of an industrial area where kids will be walking around.”
The move may not be dead, though. The library board plans to vote at its Tuesday meeting whether to appeal the decision. Library board president Eric Aronowitz said the appeal process could take up to a year.
If the members decide against the appeal, Aronowitz said, the board will begin looking for another site in town, possibly forming a committee with the mayor devoted to finding one.
“We are still totally committed to finding a new location,” Aronowtiz said. “Because the current location is awful.”
This isn’t the first time a plan to relocate the 46-year-old library has failed. In 2007, the library board proposed to build a $4.5 million building down the street from the current site on Plainfield Avenue, paid for by grants, fundraising and bond sales. It also would have raised taxes about $30 for the average homeowner.
But the newly elected borough council put the plan on the ballot in a May 2008 referendum. It failed by fewer than 200 votes in an election that drew only about 1,000 voters in the 23,000-resident town.
Aronowitz said moving the library to the Montrose Avenue site wouldn’t have hiked taxes.
The library board planned to lease a 14,500-sqaure-foot space in the one-story commercial building, doubling the current library’s 6,4000 square feet — and Aronowitz said the board would pay for it with the yearly money it receives from the town.
Danger wasn’t the only concern, though. Some residents argued that the current library, though small, is conveniently located in the center of town, next to borough hall and many schools. The Montrose site, they feared, is too far away for students and senior citizens to walk.
Posted by tumulty at 8:11 AM
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N.J. school libraries face cuts amid budget crunch
By Kristen Alloway/The Star-Ledger
June 04, 2010, 5:05AM
CHESTER — Janice Taub’s kindergartners were preparing last week for one of their favorite parts of school: library and computer lab.
"As soon as you’re ready, double clickety-click on your icon," Taub told her young charges, each seated in front of a computer.
After working with a program that teaches patterns and map skills, the children selected their library books, colored flags and wrote a sentence about their favorite teacher (Taub was a popular choice).
It was a typical whirlwind class period for Taub, librarian and technology teacher at Dickerson School in Chester.
But Taub may not be at her K-2 school next year to run such programs. Her district recently cut the librarian in the grades 3-5 school next door, and Taub was told she would need to split her time between the buildings, providing library services and instruction for nearly 900 students.
Instead, Taub, who has 25 years of service, is thinking about retiring.
"There’s not enough hours in the day to do the job they’re asking me to do, in the way it should be done," she said. "They didn’t take into account how important the library is for budding learners."
As New Jersey school districts grapple with steep budget cuts, many are eliminating library jobs. Librarians say years of research have shown well-stocked libraries staffed by certified librarians are linked to student achievement. They argue the cuts are a double-whammy because the state also slashed aid to local libraries.
TRIMMING LIBRARY STAFF
School administrators say trimming library positions is one of several grim, budget-axing decisions they have made in recent weeks.
To deal with a loss of $833,000 in state aid, and a failed budget, Chester schools cut staff by 10 percent. Teachers and volunteers will fill the gaps in the libraries, Superintendent Christina Van Woert said.
"There’s a tremendous value in children going to the library, reading a book, learning about authors," Van Woert said. "We had no choice but to make these tough decisions. We tried to fairly reduce across the board."
A survey by the New Jersey Association of School Librarians found more than 100 library positions abolished in 40 districts. Association president Pat Massey predicted the actual number is higher because employees may be uncomfortable reporting they were laid off.
State regulation says every district must provide school library services under the direction of a certified school library media specialist. But it does not spell out how many librarians are required.
In Hopatcong, several library jobs have been cut, leaving one certified librarian in the district of 2,300 students. Superintendent Charles Maranzano said the district worked to preserve classroom teachers and has considered replacing laid-off librarians with parent volunteers and aides. But, he said, that concerns him.
"When you replace seasoned professionals with aides and volunteers you don’t get what you should out of those facilities," Maranzano said. "Those are the kinds of things you have to do if your back is against the wall, and you’re trying to save teachers."
School librarians said they worry that with the explosion of the Internet, there is a perception libraries and librarians are obsolete. They argue they run literacy programs, teach research and technology skills and help students navigate the web.
"How many times do you do a search on Google and get a million hits?" said Massey, who is also librarian at South Plainfield High School. "Who is going to be there to help the students evaluate what they are finding?"
At Hopatcong High School, where the librarian has been cut for next year, student Jackelynne Umanzor agreed.
"Our librarian is our best resource," she said. "Yes, we can go online to look for things. But ... the librarian can point you in a different direction and help guide you."
"How much can an aide help you when the job description is pretty much to baby sit the library?" Hopatcong High junior Stamatiki Clapsis said.
The cuts worry researchers at the Rutgers Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries. The center’s co-directors, Ross Todd and Carol Gordon, said there are decades of academic studies linking strong school libraries and certified librarians with student achievement.
"How do you engage kids from cutting and pasting to critically thinking about the information they are reading?" Todd said. "We see this robust picture of a school librarian involved in the curriculum of a school."
In Hopatcong, where reading specialist Yvonne Mortello has been cut from Hudson Maxim School library in the fall, teachers said they are distressed at her loss.
"In an elementary school, where we teach them to read, it’s a crime that we don’t have a library program that supports that," said first-grade teacher Doreen Sciabica. "The room is still there, but it’s just a room."
Posted by tumulty at 7:59 AM
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June 2, 2010
New director takes over Washington Township Library as move is readied
nj.com
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
By Jessica Beym
jbeym@sjnewsco.com
WASHINGTON TWP. The fact that Washington Township residents will soon be getting a new library is what enticed Kim Rinaldi to come to the community and work as its new library director.
Rinaldi, a Galloway Township resident, has been working in her new role as the head of the Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library since early April.
She replaced Linda Snyder Ð who retired earlier this year after working for more than three decades.
"I love this place," Rinaldi said as she stood by the children's section. "It's a large community so there will be bigger challenges."
Rinaldi previously worked as the library director at Brielle Public Library, which serves a community of about 5,000.
Washington Township is about 10 times that size.
"This is a big step up," Rinaldi said.
The current library is only about 10,000 square feet. After many years of trying, it will soon move to space more than double that size.
Rinaldi said she's excited about the move.
"It's one of the things that drew me to the position," she said.
The library board is currently working with the engineer on plans to retrofit the new building on Delsea Drive, which previously belonged to the Educational Information and Resource Center.
The township bought the building in the fall for $2.1 million.
Rinaldi said they don't expect to be operational in the building until early 2011. But she already has a lot of plans on how to expand services for the township.
The new space will have two meeting rooms and a dedicated computer lab. Currently, there's only one small room that is used by both the board and by the public for activities, and the computers are in the middle of the library.
Rinaldi said with the additional space, she intends to expand the children's program as well as services for teenagers and adults. The library recently started a teen advisory board to start generating ideas, she said.
Eventually, she hopes to buy more books and materials to fill the shelves.
"When we first move in, it'll look empty," she said.
Rinaldi said her experience at the Brielle library has helped her prepare for her new role in Washington Township.
"In Brielle I did everything," she said.
It was just her and five other employees, so she was given a chance to learn every aspect of running a library.
Snyder stayed on as director for a short term after her expected retirement date to help Rinaldi make the transition.
"The new building's going to be just great," Rinaldi said. "It will give us many opportunities to do a lot more."
Posted by tumulty at 6:50 AM
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Bridgeton Library slash tabled -barely
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
By Joe Green
jgreen@sjnewsco.com
BRIDGETON - The city library board of trustees on Tuesday effectively tabled a decision on whether to lay off five full-time and one part-time library employee in the wake of a money shortage.
The board deadlocked on a three to three vote on a motion by board member Jackie Huster to table the matter.
Only six of the normal seven members were present.
The trustees in May decided to cut the library's hours from 50 to 24 per week.
At that time, several employees were also told - at least verbally - that they would be laid off.
Huster made her motion following impassioned and statistic-laden pleas from residents here and from surrounding communities to nix both the layoffs and the slash in hours, both of which would be effective July 1.
The motion also came after attorney Mark E. Belland alleged that his firm, O'Brien, Belland & Bushinsky LLC of Cherry Hill, had received no notification that the board had filed a layoff plan with the state civil service office, as required.
Once such a plan is approved, the board would then have to give the employees 45 days notice of the layoff, Belland said.
He added that his firm, in representing the library workers, would fight a layoff should it pass under the circumstances.
"It's going to force these employees to pursue litigation, and that's going to be more costly (to you)," he stressed.
Posted by tumulty at 6:43 AM
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