Seriously!

Seriously, you thought your digital devices and smartphones were supposed to make you smart or at least make life easier for you. Somewhere along the way, things got complicated, and now you find yourself lost in a tangle of apps and phone features you don't even know how to use. And can you even find half of them when you want them? It's time to become smartphone savvy, and we have just the help for you at our Serious Fun classes taught jointly by Bernardsville Public Library and Bernards Township Library.

These classes are designed to bring you up to date with the latest in the digital world. Our topics will teach you to identify reliable travel apps; find cooking websites and apps featuring the newest culinary techniques; use video chat and LinkedIn to improve personal or professional networking; and apply organizational tricks to help you manage your photo albums and your smartphone itself. Best of all, these classes are free!

Beginning in March, two of these six topics will be taught at both library locations. You can choose between an evening or a daytime class. Two more topics will be offered in April, with the last two topics scheduled for May. For more information about these seriously fun classes, please refer to: http://seriousfun2017.wixsite.com/libraries.

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.

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.

Bernardsville Library Mobile App

Connect with us on the go! 

Check your account, search the catalog, access library information, download e-books and much more, all from our new Mobile app. Simply go to our Web site and download the app right onto your Android, iPhone or iPad.

Starting April 9th, the first 500 Bernardsville Library cardholders to download the library’s mobile app and show it to us on their mobile devices will get a free Driinn Mobile Phone Holder at the library (one per person).  Funding is provided by LibraryLinkNJ and the Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library.

e-Books to iPad

Learn how to download books and music to iPad at Bernardsville Library's program on January 31st at 7 p.m.  The procedure and apps you need will be demonstrated by Cranbury Public Library's Doug Baldwin, librarian and IT expert.  Feel free to bring your iPad with you.

If you don't own an iPad, why not try out Bernardsville Public Library's iPad which may be borrowed with a Bernardsville Library card?  For more information or to sign up for this program, call 908-766-0118 or go online @ http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DX8SSJ6.

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.

Bernardsville Tweets And So Can You

Check out Bernardsville Public Library's colorful and informative Twitter page, Bville Tweets, for the latest library news. Become a follower @ http://twitter.com/BvilleTweets to get the library's feed directly - just click "follow" on our Twitter page. You can also read our updates on this blog, Book News and More, and on our library MySpace page. These updates are posted in the small blue Twitter box on both sites.

To learn how Twitter works, attend a presentation by Amy Kearns, tweeter extraordinaire and Program Coordinator from the Central Jersey Regional Library Cooperative, being given tomorrow evening, July 29th, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of Bernardsville Public Library. Microblog your thoughts with brevity and speed the Twitter way. Amy will show you how - it's easy and fun.

Set Your Sights On Bernardsville Public Library's Low Vision Station

Bernardsville Public Library has installed a new "Low Vision Station" among the public computers. This Low Vision computer is specifically dedicated for use by people with low vision or no vision.

The station includes an extra-wide monitor and Zoom Text software capable of magnifying screen images up to 36X. For those with no vision, there is an audio feature which reads the computer pages out loud, and headphones are provided for privacy. Users may even select from a female or male voice (even one with a British accent!) to read aloud Web sites, email or Word files.

The Low Vision Station may be customized to the user's preference in terms of color background, cursor and pointer styles, and focus tools. The default setting is 2X magnification, but the photos above show a few different magnifications. Please let friends or family members with low vision or no vision know about this new library feature.

Click Away

"So, just what are those links on the sidebar of the Book News and More blog and where will they take me?" Well, they certainly will not take you to creepyville or spam territory or the dreaded crash zone. These links are here to provide you with great reading and reference resources. They will help you find such varied information as the ratings of popular movies or a list of books in a particular series. There's even a link that lets you bypass the usual long phone menu when you dial a company's 800 number - instead you speak directly with a live human being. That's pretty powerful information, isn't it? To get linked in, all you have to do is scroll down the sidebar of our blog and click away.

Go Ahead...Push That Button!

As more and more people have recently discovered, local and state libraries are among the best places to go for help in addressing today's challenging economic problems. Numerous postings on the Book News and More blog have educated you about some of the ways Bernardsville Public Library can help you weather these financial storms. Simply click on the word "economy" on this blog's labels to find these postings. Now the New Jersey State Library has stepped in to offer a well organized Web site which pulls together a wealth of information and links addressing today's areas of economic concern. Whether seeking food stamps, dealing with a possible home foreclosure, finding employment or locating family assistance organizations, New Jersey citizens (and anybody else) can now click their way to authoritative online information. This site provides helpful tools in the categories of work, finance, housing, health, parenting and senior issues. Veterans seeking job assistance will find a link for this, seniors in need of help with utility bills may gather information, and families dealing with the emotional fall-out from stress can find answers to mental health questions as well. Click on the button above or http://gethelp.njlibraries.org/ to get help!

As Seen From The Front Desk

The other day a mother and her young child returned some books at the circulation desk. The parting between the child and his books was sorrowful, and he politely pleaded with his mother to keep them longer. But mother prevailed, and so the child stepped down off our stool dejectedly. A quick recovery was made, however, when he spotted a shiny, aerodynamic motorcycle helmet placed next to one of the public computers. A man in a riding jumpsuit had biked over to the library to use the computer and noticed the boy's eyes widen at the sight of this alluring piece of space-age equipment. He allowed the boy to put on his helmet (twice the size of the child's head,) and with the mother's permission the three of them walked out of the library together so that he could show the boy his motorcycle in the parking lot. It took just a few minutes from the man's day to do this, but the little boy will surely remember it for a long time. Those of us who noticed this kind act were left beaming for the day. And, no doubt, we will see the boy back in the library soon looking for books about motorcycles!

Do You Need To Update Your Business/Computer Skills?

Are you thinking about getting back into the workplace or perhaps upgrading to a more challenging job? If so, you are undoubtedly aware that technology changes quickly, and job seekers must adapt their skills to meet the times.

Why not go to that interview reassured that your computer skills are up-to-date? Bernardsville Public Library has your needs in mind. We have been offering free computer classes for a number of years and want to encourage you to attend them. The classes are taught on laptops in the library's Community Room by staff member Karen Vaias, and you will get the attention you deserve because class sizes are small.

Karen's classes fall into two categories: Build Up Your Computer Skills, which provides basic computer instruction, and Polish Your Microsoft Office Skills, which covers programs such as Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher. Please consult the library's Web site for more information. Once there, click on the picure of the computer mouse and the words "Help for New Computer Users." To reserve your spot at one of these classes, come to the circulation desk to sign up and please be prepared to leave a deposit of $5 for each class. Your deposit will be returned to you once you attend the class.

You may also sign up for free, individual computer classes with volunteer instructors who will walk you through your particular area of need or interest. These classes are held in the library as well and require a sign-up, too. Stop by the circulation desk to make an appointment. Classes run one hour in length. Best of all, you do NOT need to have a library card to take advantage of these wonderful career and life-enhancing classes.