Keep Calm And Carry On With “All Things Downton”

Need some help to get through the off season of Downton Abbey?  Chin up, we have a new library display entitled “All Things Downton.”  As you enter the library you will be greeted by a comprehensive selection of period literature and dvds exploring 20th century British fiction and history.  Read-alikes/view-alikes to the Downton Abbey PBS series are showcased throughout the display.  Featured videos include The Cazelets, Brideshead Revisited, The Forsyte Saga, and, of course,Upstairs, Downstairs.  When not on reserve, our dvd sets for seasons 1, 2, and 3 of Downton Abbey may also be borrowed.

Fans of biographies might enjoy reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey detailing the life of the fifth Countess of Carnarvon and events at Highclere Castle during the First World War.  Noteworthy fiction apropos of the times or dealing with similar topics can be found throughout the display. Here you may borrow Howard’s End, The Remains of the Day, or The Buccaneers, for instance.  

In addition, please browse or take our original, complimentary bookmarks for Downton Abbey subject matter or for British historical fiction.   These bookmarks are included in the display and will serve as helpful reminders of what to read next.  And don’t forget to visit “The British Collection” area of our dvd shelving to find other great series as well.

Driving With Dead People

Monica Holloway's memoir Driving With Dead People will be discussed on May 4th at 3:30 p.m. by Bernardsville Public Library's book group, Saturday Samplers. The observation that some people ought never to become parents certainly applies here as the author reveals a childhood of parental abuse and neglect that proved shocking to the people who knew her family and later read her memoir. Some of the abuse from her parents was verbal, some psychological, some physical, some violent, yet those in her hometown claimed they were surprised to learn of this sad family history when her book was published.  Perhaps it was a result of the times, the 1970's, when neighbors didn't interfere with the sanctity of other people's families, but it is hard to believe that such obvious abuse and neglect were overlooked.  The more shattering, hidden abuse the author and some of her siblings endured is only revealed at the end of this book.  As she notes, "I almost feel like I have climbed Mount Everest. My sister and I don’t have the shame anymore. We gave the shame back in a way, not to the public, but to the people who can accept responsibility —
and that is why I wrote the book.”

National Library Week

National Library Week (April 14-20th) at Bernardsville Public Library is designed to highlight the strong bond we share with our community.  The slogan, "Communities Matter" illustrates the symbiotic relationship inherent between libraries and library users.  When people use libraries, libraries succeed; when libraries serve people, people succeed.

To celebrate our community, we have created posters of a few Bernardsville community leaders holding their favorite books.  Each poster is unique, but all posters say the same thing, "Read."  Posters of the staff with their favorite books are also included in the poster/book display shown in this post.  Additional community leaders will be included in future "Read" posters, again emphasizing the importance of reading and libraries throughout our lives.

The Life of a Newspaperman

Bernardsville Public Library book group, Saturday Samplers, will attend author Mark Di Ionno's talk on Saturday, April 6th, in the Community Room of the library. The book group has just finished reading his new book, The Last Newspaperman, an acclaimed piece of historical fiction set entirely in New Jersey.  Mr. Di Ionno is an award-winning reporter for The Star-Ledger and has a lot to say about the newspaper business.  

The Last Newspaperman recounts the life and journalistic exploits of fictional reporter Fred Haines, now elderly, who reminisces about the years he spent working in tabloid journalism of the 1930's.  Four sensational episodes in New Jersey history serve as the framework upon which Fred comes to judge the nature of journalism and his own lack of scruples therein. Among those episodes were the Morro Castle fire and the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. 

In covering these events, Fred must face a number of moral dilemmas which tear away at his reporter's distance and dispassion.  The reader is left to compare this era of celebrity and disaster-driven journalism with that of today's reporting, be it by newspaper or other medium.  Mr. Di Ionna will sign copies of his book following his talk at 2 p.m.  

Winter Journal

Winter Journal, Paul Auster's 2012 biography, will be the subject of discussion at Memoirs and Coffee on Tuesday, March 26, 10:30 a.m.  Memoirs and Coffee is one of two Bernardsville Public Library book discussion groups, the other being Saturday Samplers; both groups are open to new members.

Paul Auster is a master of metafiction as seen in his so-called "detective novels," The New York Trilogy.  His references to earlier New York authors and his love of Brooklyn stand out in these stories as in his later book, Brooklyn Follies.  Winter Journal, on the other hand, allows Auster the platform to finally look within himself for his own story. 

In reviewing Winter Journal, Publishers Weekly Review notes that "From the vantage point of the winter preceding his 64th birthday, Auster lets his body and its sensations guide his memories...There is no set chronology; time and place bleed from one year to another, between childhood and adulthood...This is the exquisitely wrought catalogue of a man's history through his body, a body that has felt pain and pleasure..."

MakerSpace: A Creator's Dream @ Bernardsville Public Library

 Bernardsville Public Library is pleased to offer MakerSpace, where creativity meets computer.

A new Mac computer with extra-large monitor is available starting today for creators who want to work on photography, music,  illustration and other projects.  Our MakerSpace programs include Apple's iPhoto, Pages, Numbers and Keynote, as well as Photoshop and Garage Band.  Special headphones, mouse and keyboard are part of a check-out kit which entitles Bernardsville Library members to use MakerSpace in four-hour blocks of time.  Please sign up at the circulation desk to reserve a time slot.  For more information about this brand new library feature, please refer here.

Saturday Crafters, 117 Washcloths Later

Saturday Crafters, a monthly craft group organized by Bernardsville Public Library, recently received a letter from the Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center in Morristown thanking the group for its donation of 117 washcloth and soap sets.  Many of the cloths were knitted or crocheted by participating Crafters, who purchased the soaps and wrapped the parcels in colorful ribbons.  Bernardsville Library staff member Evelyn Fischel, who founded Saturday Crafters, delivered the items to the Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center where they will be made available to families and individuals in need.

Saturday Crafters welcomes new members who like to practice handwork such as crochet, knitting, rug hooking, cross stitch, needlepoint and jewelry arts. Please bring a project with you to the next meeting on Saturday, March 16th, at 3 p.m. in the Community Room and enjoy an afternoon of conversation and crafting. Participation in community outreach projects (such as the washcloth sets) is purely voluntary. 

Elsewhere: A Memoir

Richard Russo's latest book, Elsewhere: A Memoir, will be featured at the next meeting of Bernardsville Public Library's book group, Memoirs and Coffee.  The book discussion will take place in the library on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 a.m.

Winner of the Pulitizer Prize for Fiction, Richard Russo wrote Elsewhere to explore his childhood in the dreary upstate New York town of Gloversville and his conflicted, but loving, relationship with his unusual mother.  It is a memoir about about family and relationships, about a town and region, about memory and reality.

Bernardsville Library: A Drum Major For Justice

Bernardsville Library was honored as a "drum major for justice" by Raritan Valley Community College at its annual MLK Community Partner Breakfast on Friday, January 25, 2013.  Madelyn English, Bernardsville Library's Adult Program Manager, represented the library at this occasion and was recognized for providing "service learning opportunities for the students of RVCC."

A "drum major for justice" distinction refers to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assertion that the greatest leaders serve others, putting justice above personal gain.  In the year before he was assassinated, Dr. King stated his hope that he would be remembered as a drum major for justice.  Raritan Valley Community College celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. annually with this recognition breakfast for its community partners.  Thank you, RVCC!

The Good Girls Revolt

Memoirs and Coffee, one of Bernardsville Library's book groups, will discuss Lynn Povich's  The Good Girls Revolt, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 10:30 a.m. in the Community Room.  Copies of the book are now available and new members are invited to attend.

The Good Girls Revolt recounts the story of a movement for female workers' rights at Newsweek in the 1960's when women were deemed suitable only for the mail room and fact checking.  Newsweek's female workforce wanted more, specifically that a third of the reporters and writers be women, and they sued Newsweek twice for a more equitable distribution of jobs.

What seems like a reasonable demand now was revolutionary at the time.  Author Lynn Povich was part of this movement and became the first female senior editor at Newsweek as a result of the "good girls revolt."

Supporting Your Library

Libraries are able to stir the spirit, warm the heart, and enliven all those who enter.  They are a portal for knowledge and a refuge in times of emergency.  As charitable giving approaches the end of the calendar year, please remember your local library's contribution to you and your family's well being.  

Bernardsville Public Library is one of those libraries that has been there for you - open and operating - even in times of crisis.  Most recently, during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Bernardsville Public Library maintained its regular services while functioning as a warming center and community gathering place.  

Throughout the year Bernardsville Public Library schedules a variety of free programming for all ages, provides reference and learning resource assistance, and offers the latest in loanable materials including i-Pads, e-readers, dvds, books, and online databases.  Most important to some visitors, we offer a welcoming smile and a hello.  Please consider a contribution to your local library.  It is an investment with good returns.  To donate to Bernardsville Public Library, please follow this link http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/support/.  We thank you.

Under the Banner of Heaven

Saturday Samplers, a Bernardsville Library book group, will discuss Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer at its next meeting this Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3:30 p.m.  New members are always welcome to attend Saturday Samplers meetings.

Under the Banner of Heaven is an examination of an extremist religion born and bred in America, that of the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints, an outgrowth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise know as the Mormon Church.

Centering on a savage murder by two Fundamentalist brothers in 1984, the narrative of this fascinating nonfiction book follows the Mormon faith from its inception to the splintering off of polygamous sects which have spread throughout the American southwest, Canada and Mexico.  Mormonism as practiced by the modern LDS  is also brought under the glare of Krakauer's far-reaching, well-researched book.  The intertwining of faith, zealotry and delusion makes Under the Banner of Heaven a very compelling and thought-provoking book.

Bernardsville Library Maintains Its 5 Star-Rating

Bernardsville Public Library is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a 5-star rating by Library Journal for the fifth consecutive time.  Over the past five assessments from 2009 to 2012 (two editions having been published in 2009), Library Journal has selected a list of America’s Star Libraries whose performance it rates 5 stars based on criteria such as expenditures to population size.  Five stars is the highest rating used by Library Journal.  

The journal’s rating table includes libraries nationwide that have earned any number of stars from 1-5, but this year Library Journal celebrated the consistent winners of 5 stars over 5 editions.  Bernardsville Library is included in this select group.  Below you will find Library Journal’s thumbnail profile of our library.

E-Readers, Loaded and Ready to Loan

According to Pew Internet, a project of the Pew Research Center, people are eager to try e-book readers and would like to borrow these e-readers from local libraries.  One of Pew Internet's charts (shown) tabulates the level of e-reader interest sorted by age, ranging from 60% positive interest for teenagers to 25% for seniors.  The chart further demonstrates that there is an interest in learning how to use e-readers and how to download books onto them.  It appears that these people may not be aware that their local libraries offer such devices and services.

In all of these cases, Bernardsville Public Library has been at the forefront in e-book technology made available to our library users.  We offer many types of loanable e-readers pre-loaded with numerous book titles, we hold classes to help people learn about these e-tablets, and we provide take-away information on how to download books from our library website. Our users continue to enjoy the e-book experience at Bernardsville Public Library, and we, in turn, have increased our inventory of loanable material to meet their growing demand.

Starting out with a Sony e-reader a number of years ago, we have expanded our e-reader inventory to include the Nook, Kindle, Kindle Fire and iPad.  All these devices are in demand thanks in part to the fact that we have customized them with many popular book titles.  A search of our library catalog for Nook or Kindle will disclose the long list of book titles contained on each device.  There is even a Kindle Fire just for children and teens with appropriate books for that age group.  Further, our website provides many online instruction sheets which will guide the new user easily through the steps for operating e-readers and downloading e-books.  Clearly, public interest in e-readers is there, as Pew Internet's research demonstrates, and libraries like Bernardsville Public Library have responded.

"An Evening with Bill Moyers"

The Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library proudly present an extraordinary benefit for the library,  "An Evening with Bill Moyers," on October 26th, 7 p.m. at Dolce in Basking Ridge.

Famed broadcast journalist and author Bill Moyers currently hosts "Moyers & Company" on PBS, and his website BillMoyers.com addresses topical issues and matters of concern to many.  A resident of Bernardsville, Mr. Moyers will speak on the topic of the media's effect on democracy at this very special benefit on the 26th.  Copies of his numerous books will be available for purchase and signing as well.  Tickets are on sale at the library until October 21st.  For further information, please call 908-766-0118.  

Bernardsville Library is grateful to The Friends who fund important library services such as free English-as-a-Second-Language classes, children's programs, and Sundays at Three concerts.  The Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library also provide additional computers, books and materials for the library, thereby enhancing the services and value we provide to our community.