Expand Your Career Options

Are you looking for a job or considering a career change? Have you been thinking about starting a new business? Are you seeking professional licensing or certification? Taking any of these actions could potentially change your life for the better, and Bernardsville Public Library is prepared to help you along that pathway. Visit the library's newly updated Career Center which is filled with information for career guidance, continuing education, job search skills, exam and test preparation, and self-employment resources. 

In addition to the many paper resources located in the Career Center, the library has dedicated several computer stations to career and business development.  These computers offer excellent databases which may help you to write a winning cover letter, sharpen your skills or find that perfect job.  If you are unable to visit the library, simply use our online databases. Click on the "Business & Consumer" link to find a number of valuable e-resources.

Library Volunteers Keiko Matsuura and Bob Baker Honored Today

Bernardsville residents, Bob Baker and Keiko Matsuura, were recognized for their outstanding volunteer service to Bernardsville Public Library at a reception held on the library's patio this afternoon. 

The Board of Trustees organized this event which included refreshments, speeches and awards. Board members, staff and friends were in attendance to show their appreciation.

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Bob has given many hours of service to the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program he manages at the library. VITA provides free assistance with income tax preparation for people with low or moderate incomes.  He also provides free computer instruction at the library.  Keiko has brightened the library with her artistic talents over the last four years. As a Youth Services volunteer, she has given origami classes and programs on Japanese culture to our patrons.  Keiko is also the creator of our wonderful summer reading displays including this year's creative pigs and last year's summer reading bugs.  We truly appreciate all the dedication and time that Bob, Keiko and our many other wonderful volunteers have offered to the library.

Bring Home The Bacon

Our "Be Creative" summer reading pigs are closing up the circus tent and looking for good homes to go to after a wildly successful summer appearance at Bernardsville Public Library.  These papier mache piggies have charmed and delighted us with their various talents, including juggling, painting, singing, and dancing. They have inspired the children to test out their own creative interests under the guidance of the Youth Services staff as well. Now it is time for them to retire to happy homes, and so the library has set up a silent auction this week where you can bid on each of the available pigs.

Come into the library, enter your bid on the clipboard of the pig you want, and check regularly to see if someone has outbid you.  Then return the favor and outbid them! It's for a good cause, as all the proceeds go to fund the childrens' programs here. You have until 11 a.m. Saturday, September 12th, to clinch the bidding on your favorite porker. Winners will be announced that afternoon at 2 p.m. We want to thank library volunteer, Keiko Matsuura, once again for creating these wonderful, creative pigs.

Get the School Year Off to a Good Start with a Library Card

A library card should be at the top of your list for back-to-school supplies, and Bernardsville Public Library is ready to sign you up for one.  The American Library Association has designated September as Library Card Sign-up Month, but we encourage area employees, residents, and students to get their cards at any time the library is open.  A Bernardsville Library card provides you with access to all the library's programs, online resources, materials, and services.  Children who use their Bernardsville Library cards in September are eligible for prizes, too, and students can jumpstart a great academic year ahead with the help of all our resources. For young or old, a library card could prove to be the most valuable piece of plastic in your wallet.

A Perfect Place To Disappear

Lake of the Woods, the 950,400 acre lake which straddles the border between Minnesota and Canada, is not a locale where you want to get lost, but it is THE perfect place in which to disappear. With over 14,000 islands and extensive forests, this remote area could easily swallow up a lost person. It is also a great place to stage one's disappearance if so desired. In addition, the massive lake affords a wonderful opportunity to dispose of a body without detection. What if someone suddenly vanished here? Who would know which possible scenario had really happened? That's the premise of Tim O'Brien's excellent book, In the Lake of the Woods.


The lake proves to be the ideal setting for O'Brien to examine the idea of inexplicable loss with all its myriad, painful angles. In this 1994 book the author creates a fascinating human drama centered on a troubled couple seeking solace and/or escape on a remote section of the lakefront. The husband is trying to blot out the disappointment and disgrace of his political downfall, and it is clear that he has become figuratively lost. His wife's story, on the other hand, is revealed mostly through her husband's reflections and the must-read footnotes. For early in the plot, it is the wife who becomes physically lost, vanishing suddenly in the night. From this point on, the story expands into both a mesmerizing mystery story and a somber reflection on self-knowledge. In fact, the idea of being lost to oneself becomes paramount as the story unfolds.

In true Tim O'Brien style, a traumatic episode from the Vietnam War plays a significant role as do the recalled experiences from the man's youth. There are a minimum of characters, but they are well drawn, and additional character input comes from the truly engrossing footnotes. While there are no comforting resolutions or easy answers, In the Lake of the Woods is a fabulous book right to the ending.
Book review by Evelyn Fischel