The Roselle Public Library strives to inform, enrich, and empower every person in our community by creating and promoting easy access to a vast array of information, activities, and services while providing an atmosphere for the love of reading."
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Events
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| Roselle Library Receives Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Grant... |
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today that the Roselle Public Library will be one of the public libraries in 11 states sharing $8.1 million in grants to improve and sustain free, quality access to computers. These Opportunity Online grants specifically will help upgrade computer hardware in public libraries serving communities with high concentrations of poverty
that are at risk of having outdated technology.
Millions of Americans use computers at their public libraries to improve their education, find economic opportunities, access e-government services, and contribute to their communities. Unfortunately, many libraries do not have adequate funding to main-tain quality technology services and meet community demand.
For the Roselle Library, the grant will mean the replacement of six public access computers and the addition of two additional computers. Roselle 's grant is for $13,000 over two years, with a local match of $7800 over the same period. While the grant funds must be used for hardware, matching funds can cover such things as staff training and tech support.
A recent national survey revealed that four out of five public libraries say they don't have enough computers to meet their community's needs. Sixty percent of libraries say that they have no plans to add public computers in the coming year due to limited funding and a lack of available space. Approximately one-third of public libraries experienced a decline in revenue from 2000 to 2005.
"In today's economy, it is critical that people have equal access to the information and knowledge that are available online," said Jill Nishi, deputy director of the U.S. Libraries initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Nearly all public libraries in the United States provide this access, but many struggle to keep pace with advancing technology and rapidly increasing community demand for these services. Communities must commit the local resources necessary to ensure all people have opportunities
to benefit from technology."
Opportunity Online grants are designed to help public libraries secure sustained local funding for computer replacements and upgrades. Because 80 percent of public library funding comes from local sources, the grants require participating libraries to secure a local match, preferably in the form of a local government commitment, to demonstrate they can sustain investments in technology into the future. Librarians participating in the program are required to attend a professional development conference
to help them build the skills and confidence they need to raise awareness about the value of their libraries and increase local support.
“Too many libraries struggle to offer the technology services that their communities need to thrive,” said Kate Nevins, executive director of SOLINET. “Opportunity Online will motivate libraries to do the hard work of building the personal relationships and public financial support required to ensure free computer access for people who need it most.”
To date, the foundation has invested $325 million in grants and other support to install and sustain computers in libraries and train thousands of library staff in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Opportunity Online hardware grants are expected to be the last grants given by the foundation to fund computer upgrades in U.S. public libraries with vulnerable technology, but the foundation continues to support libraries through investments in Internet connectivity, research, training, and advocacy.
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About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States , it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle , the foundation is led by CEO Patty Stonesifer and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. More information is available at: www.gatesfoundation.org. |
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| Readers Can Win Official Olympics Pin at Roselle Library... |
No need to jump through hoops or run a marathon to get good reading and viewing this summer. The Roselle Public Library
has all the new books and popular movies available for you. More importantly, in this summer of the Beijing Olympics, five lucky readers can win a colorful Beijing Olympics lapel pin, fresh from China .
The rules are simple. For every visit to the Roselle Library from Monday July 14 through Wednesday August 6, any child or adult who checks out at least one book, DVD, or other item can fill out a slip for the drawing. The only limit is one slip per day per
library card. A drawing will be held on Thursday August 7 at noon , at the Library, just as it becomes 8/8/08 in Beijing , and the 2008 Summer Olympics get underway.
The lapel pins, which are on display in the library, are official Beijing Olympics souvenirs, brought back from China by library director Keith McCoy, during his recent visit there for the Cultural Olympics. The five pins feature costumed actors from the
famed Beijing Opera.
Library cards are free to anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Roselle . To get a library card, just present proof of Roselle residency; children under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present to provide the proof.
Visit the Library at the corner of Chestnut and West Fourth Avenue , or on the web at www.lmxac.org/roselle. The Library is
open Monday through Wednesday evenings until 8 pm , and Saturdays until 4 pm for your convenience. Call the Library at
908-245-5809 for directions and other questions.
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| Roselle Library to Host Summer Programs for Children and Teens... |
It's that time of year again, when school is out and young minds need to be kept sharp. The Roselle Public Library will have a variety of activities for those age groups, which will make learning as enjoyable as a dip in the pool.
For children, the summer reading program theme is “Get Bugged by Reading!” Marita Parham, our library associate for children's services, has been busy as a bee planning programs. Programs will begin on July 7, with sessions aimed towards pre-schoolers, “bee-tweens”, and everyone else within those age brackets. A “Bug Club” will meet on Tuesday evenings, and other activities are in the works, as well.
For the high school level, Nicole Younger, our library associate for teen services, has programs geared to life now and life after ACHS (or wherever you are attending school). For example, how do you fill out an employment application, and what do you
wear to an interview? Do you know what you want to go to college for, and what schools have those courses? If your teen is more literary minded, a book discussion group will meet on Wednesday afternoons.
Sign –up for sessions for all children's and teen programs will begin (as needed) on June 17, but you can stop by anytime to
pick up a calendar of events for either program.
The Library also has most of the books to support the summer reading lists for the Roselle Public Schools, St. Joseph's School, and Roselle Catholic High School. Those books go out for two weeks, with no renewals. In many cases, we have multiple copies. Even so – students and their parents shouldn't wait until the last minute to check out these books.
Children needing a library card must bring a parent or guardian with them to register, as well as bring proof of Roselle residency. Other than that, library cards are free.
The Roselle Public Library hours are the same year-round: Monday through Wednesday, 9 am to 8 pm, Thursday and Friday 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm. For more information, call us at 908-245-5809 or visit us at www.lmxac.org/roselle. |
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| Roselle Library to Celebrate Seventy Years and More... |
Seventy seems like an odd number to celebrate, but the Roselle Public Library has a number of reasons to do so.
This year will mark the seventieth anniversary of the opening of the current library building, after the Library and its predecessors had moved through four different sites over the preceding fifty years. The Library is also celebrating the completion of almost $500,000 in renovations to the existing building, and will be exhibiting the plans for the expansion of the current library.
The building was dedicated to the residents of Roselle who served in what was then knows as “The Great War”. The dedicatory ceremonies were held on the evening of Armistice Day in 1937.
For this celebration, a program is planned for Sunday afternoon, November 11, from 3 pm to 5 pm . Keynote speaker will be Leslie Burger, director of the Princeton Public Library and immediate past president of the American Library Association. Other speakers and participants will be announced later, including an author visit.
The Library is publishing a program for the celebration, which will include a history of the library, along with other material new and old. We are seeking business and personal sponsors for the celebration, with all the revenue to go towards the Building Fund. The requested donations run from $7 to $70, although any amount is welcomed. Contribution forms are available by clicking here and at the Library circulation desk.
More information about the celebration will be forthcoming over the next two months. Mark your calendars today, so you can attend. For more information right now, call the Library at 908-245-5809.
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| Roselle Library Starts Foreign Language Collection... |
The increasing number of foreign-born residents in Roselle, not to mention those who want to maintain their ancestral connections, has led the Roselle Public Library to start purchasing books and other materials in Spanish. The new collection, which numbers over 250 volumes for children and adults, also includes the newspaper El Diario/La Prensa, and the magazines Hispanic and People en español.
Improvements in the library budget now allow the library to set aside a small percentage of the total materials budget just for foreign language materials. Senior librarian Mark Hunter and Senior Library Assistant Maria Crespo attended a regional workshop on how to select Spanish language materials, and they are assisted in that task by Library Associate Marita Parham.
It's not a large collection, but it is a start,” said Hunter, who oversees all the selection and cataloging at the Roselle Public Library. “We are already looking forward to the F09 budget year. By that time, we think we will have a good base in Spanish, and can start adding French and Creole titles.”
The library also offers a variety of tapes and CDs for learning foreign languages, and for learning English if that isn't your mother tongue. All books, tapes, and CDs go out for two weeks at a time, and can be renewed twice.
The Roselle Public Library is located at the corner of Chestnut Street and West Fourth Avenue , across from Bank of America. For further information, call the Library at 908-245-5809, or visit our website at www.lmxac.org/roselle.
La Biblioteca Pública de Roselle da inicio
a una nueva colección en otros idiomas...
Teniendo en cuenta el incremento en la diversidad étnica de la población de Roselle, especialmente la comunidad hispana, y su deseo e interés en mantener su cultura, lenguaje y demás conexiones ancestrales, la biblioteca pública de Roselle ha iniciado el proceso de compra de libros y otros materiales en Español. La mencionada colección consta inicialmente de 250 libros para adultos y niños, además del periódico El Diario / La Prensa y las revistas Hispanic y People en Español.
Incremento en el actual presupuesto le permite a la biblioteca separar una pequeña partida del presupuesto general de materiales y dedicarla exclusivamente a la compra de
materiales en Español. Por otra parte, los bibliotecarios Mark Hunter y Maria Crespo han sido entrenados para seleccionar títulos en idioma español, quienes con la colaboración de la bibliotecaria Marita Parham, estarán dedicados a esta tarea.
“No es una colección muy grande, pero es un buen comienzo”, dijo el Sr: Hunter, quien supervisa el proceso de selección y catálogo de la Biblioteca Pública de Roselle.
“ Estamos mirando hacia el futuro, específicamente al presupuesto del 2009. Para ese momento , creo que tendremos una muy buena base en Español y podremos empezar a agregar títulos en idioma francés y Creole.”
Además, la Biblioteca también tiene a disposición del público una variedad de cintas de audio y discos compactos dedicados al aprendizaje de idiomas, para aquellos cuyo lengua nativa no es el Inglés. Vale aclarar que todos estos materiales están en circulación por períodos de dos semanas y pueden ser renovados dos veces más.
Más información acerca los anteriores servicios puede ser solicitada al teléfono (908) 245-5809 o en nuestra pagina de Internet www.lmxac.org/roselle. Nuestras puertas están siempre abiertas y nuestros empleados dispuestos a ofrecer cualquier información. La Biblioteca Pública de Roselle esta localizada en la esquina de la Calle Chestnut y Oeste de la Cuarta Avenida, frente al Banco de América. |
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| Roselle Public Library Adds Staff to Expland Teen Services... |
Teenagers always seem to fall into a gap when it comes to library service. They won't sit still for story hour any more, and the novels and reading projects of grownups aren't interesting enough. Teens (and the slightly younger age group knows as tweens) need special attention, to keep them connected to the library and what it has to offer them in terms of learning and education.
It was with that in mind that the Roselle Public Library decided to add a teen associate to the staff, someone whose responsibility would be to work with people aged 11-18. This year, the funding from the borough came through, and Nicole Younger joined the Roselle Library staff at the end of March.
Ms. Younger comes to the Library with many years experience working with youth. A graduate of the College for Human Services and the Metropolitan College of New York, she has over fifteen years of experience working for such agencies as the Boys' Club of New York, the Harlem Children's Zone, and the Women's and Children Health Center. She is an impassioned advocate for the needs of youth.
While she is only half-time at present, the Library will have its newest staff member offer one-on-one homework help to students, develop educational programs , and organize a teen council and other activities. Ms. Younger will also be reaching out to those people and groups already working with teens in Roselle .
As part of the development of this new service to teens and tweens, Ms. Younger is developing a questionnaire to determine what the Library can do for that age group and their parents. The survey is available at the Library or by clicking here. To encourage entries, all surveys returned by April 27 will be eligible for a drawing. Five $25 gift cards will be awarded for participating.
The results of the survey, and a chance to discuss the needs and wants for youth, will be the subject of a meeting at the Library on Thursday May 10, at 8 pm . Out of that, the Library hopes to focus on a few key areas and then seek grant or corporate funding to support them.
To speak with Nicole Younger or anyone at the Library, call us at 908-245-5809. The Library is open Monday through Wednesday until 8 pm , and Saturdays until 4 pm . |
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| A Few Changes at the Roselle Library... |
Thanks to some donations and a grant, some new things can be seen inside and outside the Roselle Public Library. All the changes help make the Library look better or serve our residents better.
A new double-sided bookcase has been installed in the Main Room, to hold books-on-tape and books-on-disc. Acquired with the help of a legislative grant, courtesy of Assemblyman Neil Cohen, the new shelving allows us to give more room to our new books, and allows us to put children's videos out on the open shelves. The grant will also allow us to double the number of books-on-disc that we added last year. More shelving will be added later in the Spring, with the balance of the grant.
DVDs can now be found, shelved like books, in the Main Room. The new arrangement will be more user-friendly.
The drop box at the entrance is now open 24/7. Patrons in a hurry can just stop and drop. The box gets emptied twice daily – morning and closing – so no extra fines will accrue (if you're one of those forgetful people). In addition, you can return videos, DVDs, and CDs to the drop box now, with no penalty involved.
The wooden lettering over the entrance is being replaced with beautiful bronze letters, thanks to the Friends of the Roselle Library. The same lettering over the bay window is being replaced with a black granite monument, donated by Jit Renjen of Hard Rock Marble & Granite. The monument will read:
MEMORIAL BUILDING
Dedicated November 11, 1937
by the Borough of Roselle
to our residents who fought and died
in the Great War
1917 - 1918
The Library will celebrate the 70 th anniversary of the opening of the current Library building next November.
More changes are in store for 2007 – all designed to make the Library more useful to you. Visit the Library at the corner of Chestnut Street and West Fourth Avenue , or on the web at www.lmxac.org/roselle .
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| First Steps in Roselle Library Expansion to Start... |
With the help of some federal funds, site preparation for the expansion of the Roselle Public Library has begun. The CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds were acquired two years ago for the acquisition of property and its use for the expansion project.
With the CDBG money, a vacant residence at 128 West Fourth Avenue was purchased in 2004 by the Borough. Earlier in August 2005, asbestos remediation was performed on the house. The exisitng house was torn down, and trees removed from the property which were either dead or situated where a possible building might be constructed. The final activity was the installation of fencing around the perimeter of the property.
Library Director Keith McCoy said that “while the design of the new library has not yet started, and actual construction is a few years away, we wanted to use this opportunity to prepare the site now, rather than later when that work could be more expensive or cause delays.” McCoy also reported that the current concept was for a free-standing library to be built on the west side of the parking lot, with the original library to be converted into meeting rooms for community use.
Borough and Library officials are pursuing state and federal funding for the library expansion, which is expected to cost between six and eight million dollars. The Library Board is also recruiting a Fundraising Committee, and has established a Building Fund for contributions.
For further information, please view the Preliminary Program of Space Requirements for the Roselle Public Library Expansion Plan. Visit the library website at www.lmxac.org/roselle for planning updates, or come to the library itself at the corner of Chestnut Street and West Fourth Avenue .
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| CONSULTANT: Roselle Library Needs Improvements In a nd Out... |
A year-long study of the Roselle Public Library, by a Rutgers professor of library science, concludes that the Library has a long history of neglect, which needs to be addressed if Roselle residents are to compete with those of neighboring communities. The report was commissioned by the Library Board of Trustees with the help of a grant.
“Long Term Strategies for the Roselle Free Public Library” was originally designed to look into the possibility of developing a shared services program for the library with a community adjacent to Roselle . However, the analysis of funding patterns for Roselle and other Union County towns, going back to 1969, showed that Roselle has lagged far behind in terms of financial support. The conclusion was that, until funding was brought up to the levels of other libraries, the prospect of shared services would be seen by others as taking on Roselle 's problems.
Dr. Daniel O'Connor, associate professor with the School of Communication , Information and Library Studies at Rutgers University , compared the Roselle library to those in Roselle Park , Hillside , and Linden , among others, and found that Roselle had little more than half the per capita support of the others. O'Connor also addressed the space issue and wrote that additional services would not succeed unless there was appropriate space to provide those services in.
The report, which has been distributed to local and state officials, will be used by the Library to obtain grant support for the planned library expansion. The Library Board will also use the report to convince borough officials that their help is needed to bring the Library up to average for the first time in over a generation.
Copies of the report are available for use in the Library and to check out. The Library is open Monday through Wednesday 9 am to 8 pm , Thursday and Friday 9 am to 6 pm , and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm .
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