Wednesday, December 14, 2016

What Tells Time Without Saying A Word?


Although its chimes are now silenced for library purposes, our magnificent 19th century German wall clock keeps perfect time. It was donated in 1916 to the old Bernardsville Library on Morristown Road by Mr. Francis G. Lloyd and stood in the front reading room of that pre-Revolutionary War building. Over the years, the clock acquired a deep layer of soot from the wood-burning fireplace and needed a thorough cleaning before it could be moved to our new library building at the beginning of the 21st century. 
First, the clockworks were removed so that the walnut cabinetry could be sent out to be refinished. Then a clock maker attended to the cleaning and overhaul of the timing mechanism. This included a proper handling of the pendulum's mercury, which was weighed, safely disposed of, and replaced in the pendulum with an appropriate metal substitute. 
Standing 14'5" tall, this distinctive clock now has a place of honor in front of the library's Local History Room. As you pass it, please notice the lovely carvings on the cabinet and pause to watch the graceful swing and pull of the long pendulum. Believe it or not, time will seem to stand still for a while.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Books for Kids: A Holiday Giving Opportunity


Imagine the consequences if you were to put the gift of a new book in the hands of a child with little access to reading material. You'd be right to envision the immediate joyous scene as the child smiled, laughed, or jumped with the thrill of book ownership. But think of the benefits that could accrue to that child over time just from being exposed to new reading opportunities.
Early literacy opens a young mind to unimagined possibilities and choices. Books introduce new ideas and spark flights of fancy; they instill curiosity about the world and allow children to imagine their future roles in our world. In truth, literacy provides the access to knowledge needed to build strong character and success in life. But books also befriend and comfort children in difficult times. Sometimes they simply entertain and enthrall their readers - how wonderful is that?!
If you would like to give a world of opportunity to a child, please donate to our holiday cause, Books for Kids, being run in tandem with the New Jersey Library Association. We ask that you place one or more new books appropriate for children ages infant to teen in the donation box atop our Books for Kids display located in the library lobby. We are collecting your gifts through December 15, when they will be distributed to children in New Jersey who have limited or no access to books in their lives. Thank you.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Learn With Lynda

What a busy fall this has been for us! 
First we added Rosetta Stone, the language immersion program, to our roster of important resources that are free to Bernardsville Library members. Rosetta Stone enables you to learn up to 30 languages online in self-paced sessions that cater to your needs. Do you want to learn enough vocabulary to get by on a trip abroad? Maybe you want to improve grammar and conversation skills in a language you previously learned? You can do all that with ease and totally for free with Rosetta Stone and your library membership.
How about going to the head of the line every time you want to borrow a popular item from the library? With hoopla, the digital lending service we added in October, you no longer have to wait on a reserve list for the newest book, movie or music album to become available. Hoopla membership entitles you to borrow a number of audiobooks, ebooks, comics, music, and movies per month without the wait or hassle. Simply sign up on our website and begin downloading right away.
Now that November is here, we're topping off this fabulous fall with the exciting addition to our website of the online tutorial service, Lynda.com. Lynda provides you with over 3,000 courses taught by industry experts in the areas of technology, business, and creativity. You can tune up your skills in web design, software development, or business management. With more than 100,000 instructional videos, Lynda will teach you how to photoshop your images, how to build an app, and many, many other creative skills. 
These three resources would cost you a significant amount of money to subscribe to on your own, but through your library membership with us, it's all free. Yes, free. All you have to do is click on the Rosetta Stone, hoopla, and Lynda icons on our website, sign up with your library card number, and expand your world of knowledge and entertainment. We hope you do.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

It Will Boo Spooktacular!

Halloween lurks around the corner to wrap up a spooky month during which we've celebrated several famous ghosts! A literary ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville, has haunted us this October while we've enjoyed the communal reading of Oscar Wilde's short story, "The Canterville Ghost," chosen as our One Book Bernardsville selection. In addition, there's also our very own library ghost, Phyllis, to whom we must pay homage. Said to haunt the old library building, Phyllis has her own extended history of paranormal activity! Both ghosts have been featured in a number of fascinating library programs this month. We hope you've attended a few of them.
To cap off October, we invite you to attend the Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library fundraiser, Dinner with Author L'Aura Hladik. Spirits will be raised for sure with so many exciting evening events planned for you! Paranormal investigator L’Aura Hladik Hoffman, author of “Ghosthunting New Jersey,” will discuss - what else? - ghosts and will sign her book for you. Following a delicious fall dinner, enjoy dancing to music from local celebrity DJ Charlie Zavalic, participate in a 50/50 and silent auction, and experience some shivery goosebumps as ghost stories are told! The kids can have their trick or treat; we've got this spooktacular event! Please link here for information about ticket options, the purchase of which enables the Friends to continue their ongoing support of our library.  

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Hoopla, A Lending Service Worthy Of Its Name


This month we're making a big hoopla about offering Bernardsville Library members free access to an exciting digital lending service called hoopla. Hoopla enables you to instantly borrow digital media which you can stream or download to a computer, tablet, or smartphone using the hoopla app. This product is also compatible with Chromecast and viewable on Apple TV.
One of the most exciting features of hoopla is that it allows you to borrow music, movies, audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and TV episodes without a waiting period. There are no holds lists with long waiting times. YOU are always first in line! Listen to more than 270,000 albums, watch thousands of TV episodes and movies, and take your pick from over 100,000 audiobooks, comics, and ebooks. And it's so convenient for you because your items will be automatically returned at the end of your loan period.
To begin your new adventure with hoopla, simply visit our website http://bernardsvillelibrary.org, click on the hoopla link, and sign up using your library card number. While you're on our website, please take advantage of our many other resources that will add value to your life. Among them are the Cloud Library for ebooks and audiobooks, Rosetta Stone for language learning, digital magazine lending through Zinio and Flipster, and our many research and collection resources.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Broaden Your Horizons With Rosetta Stone


Here's a unique opportunity for you to broaden your world by learning another language. You'll feel more confident when you travel internationally if you can be understood by people in their native language. Shopping, sightseeing, dining, conducting business, and seeking assistance will all become easier if you're multi-lingual, so we invite you to take this opportunity to learn one of thirty languages available to Bernardsville Library members through Rosetta Stone Library Solution's online-learning program. Learn at home, on the go with the app, or in the library.


Of course, you can't become conversant in just one lesson, so advance yourself incrementally with Rosetta Stone's well-paced lessons. Follow their tips below to help you achieve your goals. To sign up for Rosetta Stone, visit our website, click on the Rosetta Stone image, enter your library card number, and start the adventure!

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Say It In 30 Languages With Rosetta Stone!

Ajabu! Incroyable! Fantastiskt! 

Whether you say it in Swahili, French or Swedish, you'll think it's amazing, too, once you try Rosetta Stone, the leading language-learning software which is now free to Bernardsville Library members. 
Would you like to try your tongue at Pashto, Portuguese, Irish, Arabic or Mandarin? Rosetta Stone will lead you through an interactive series of online lessons in these languages with attention to pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and basic travel phrases. In fact, you can select from 30 languages on the Rosetta Stone platform.


All you need to do is visit our website at http://bernardsvillelibrary.org and click on the Rosetta Stone image. Enter your Bernardsville Library card number, then set up an account. By the way, Rosetta Stone works well on mobile devices, too. Try it, and you'll soon be on your way to fluency in another language!

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

We're Outspoken for You

We're outspoken because we want you to know that Outspoken Library offers free services through the New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center to state residents of all ages with a physical or vision impairment or a reading disability that makes it difficult to read. Services include audiobooks and downloadable audio magazines as well as audiobook players with large, easy to use buttons. The wide selection of book titles will appeal to children, teens, and adults, and users can specify their reading preferences. 
The Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC) also provides several news reading services for those who enjoy newspapers or who want to know what ads are in the circulars. In addition, items in Braille may be requested. All these materials are provided free of charge and mailed directly to your home postage-free. All you need do to qualify is complete and have certified the TBBC application found here: http://www.njstatelib.org/talking-book-braille-center/apply_for_service/. To learn more, please explore http://outspokenlibrary.org/about. If someone in your family or circle of friends could benefit from these outstanding services, please be outspoken for them by sharing this information. 

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Summer Reading Fitness, It's A Thing

This year's summer reading campaign - "On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!" -  challenges us to exercise our minds and bodies for improved overall fitness. And it's not just for kids anymore!

Adults and youngsters are encouraged to step up their literary habits, pump up their healthy living practices, and exercise their right to claim fun prizes and rewards. Parents may sign up their children at the library beginning the week of June 20th. The kids will receive reading logs and flyers about the summer programs ahead and be eligible to participate in exciting activities such as the upcoming Bouncy House event.  And there will be great prizes! Refer to this website page for ongoing information about upcoming events for children.

In addition, we're doing the heavy lifting for adults who are encouraged to beef up their reading habits during the summer months. Adults will be offered a chance to enter a drawing for prizes each time they check out three or more books or book CDs. This year, three fabulous prizes will be awarded to adult participants at the end of the summer, with the top prize being a Fitbit. Need reading ideas? Look for our book displays throughout the library promoting the theme of reading fitness and get inspired. Now, on your mark!

Monday, May 16, 2016

Reach for the Top


The pinnacle of success in life is built upon a foundation of hard work; it's nearly impossible to achieve goals without it. Whether you're a student writing a research paper, an adult seeking career advancement, a foreign-language speaker learning English, or a curious mind expanding your knowledge base, the public library provides you with the tools and inspiration necessary to get to the top. Best of all, these resources are abundant and free to you. 
We think the first step on your way to success should be the acquisition of a library card. To become a member of Bernardsville Public Library, you must live, work, go to school or pay taxes in the Borough of Bernardsville or qualify through joint memberships with certain library associations. You also have the option of purchasing a nonresident card. Your Bernardsville library card accords you full access to what would otherwise be a very costly set of books, resources, subscriptions, and online services if you had to purchase them on your own. 
To further help you meet your goals, a good library website loaded with reference and research databases makes working from home possible when a library visit is not feasible. At Bernardsville Public Library, these databases are open to you 24 hours a day with the simple input of your library card number. Make yourself familiar with our website, bernardsvillelibrary.org, find out whether you qualify for a library card, and start laying the foundation for your next success in life. We're here to help.

Sunday, April 24, 2016

We're Accepting Liquid Donations!

Honestly, it's for a good cause! The Bernardsville Library Foundation is adding a "wine pull" to the festivities at its 2016 Homes of Distinction fundraiser to be held at the Faircourt estate on May 15th. But in order to "pull" this one off, we need to take in a quantity of wine varietals donated from your personal cellars or purchased from local merchants. Red, white, rosé - we'll gratefully accept them all for a limited time; kindly bring your wine donations to the library by May 12th. These bottles will be showcased in the grand foyer of Faircourt on May 15th, and ticket holders will be able to purchase them as a fundraiser for the library. If you'd like to see Faircourt and to participate in an evening of cocktails, catered hors d'oeuvres, silent auction, and yes, a wine pull, please stop by the library to purchase your tickets now!

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Our 2016 Homes of Distinction as Seen in Architectural Digest

You are cordially invited to attend an early evening reception and silent auction to be held on Sunday, May 15, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Faircourt, an exquisite Bernardsville estate once owned by the first in-laws of philanthropist Brooke Astor. Faircourt will be the setting for the 2016 Homes of Distinction event organized by our Bernardsville Library Foundation to raise vital funds for the library. 


This Tuscan-style villa was built in 1897 for millionaire Colonel Anthony R. Kuser. The estate comprises 15 lovely acres that were landscaped by the son of Frederick Law Olmstead. As can be seen in the photo below, the first owner favored Victorian accessories and potted palms for his home's furnishings. 
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Under its current owners, this home has undergone a gorgeous transformation that was featured in the November 2015 issue of Architectural Digest. Interior designer Matthew Frederick and architect Annabelle Selldorf updated the 30,000 square foot space into a stylish home suitable for a modern family. Wouldn't you love to see this marvelous transformation in person? Your opportunity begins in April when tickets to 2016 Homes of Distinction go on sale. We expect tickets to sell out, so please refer here for further information.
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Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Make a Date for NJ Makers Day

We're happy to announce that we will once again celebrate the growing Maker Movement by participating in the statewide NJ Makers Day event in March.  Please reserve time on Saturday, March 19, to bring your family and friends to Bernardsville Public Library for an exciting and varied program of displays, demonstrations, and hands-on exploration. Our NJ Makers Day presenters will keep young and adult intrigued by new innovations in technology, including robotics and creative circuitry. You'll have a chance to try out a MakeyMakey piano, play with microcontrollers, 3D pens, and button maker, and see a Finch Robot demonstration. Artists and crafters will demonstrate their skills including hand embroidery, finger knitting, and miniature book production. In addition, there will be a display of altered books to enjoy. For a full schedule of events at our NJ Makers Day event, please refer here: http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/nj-makers-day-2016/

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

VITA Proves Vital in Tax Season

Bernardsville Public Library is once again offering free tax preparation assistance for residents of the Somerset Hills. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance is spearheaded locally by a group of dedicated volunteers who are trained annually by the IRS and the State of New Jersey to be able to handle a wide range of tax situations. They can assist you with the filling out of federal and New Jersey State tax returns, as well as Property Tax Reimbursement forms, PTR-1 or 2. Our VITA volunteers will also provide Spanish forms for Spanish speakers. Please call the library, 766-0118, to book an appointment in the library for free, confidential assistance with your tax preparation. This service is also available to home-bound area residents by appointment. Don't fear tax season, but don't delay getting vital assistance, either. Call today!