Transitioning?

Summer ends, children return to school, and it might just be time for a change in your life.  Maybe you’re ready to transition into or out of a career.  Perhaps you are looking for some fulfilling way to spend a few hours a week outside the home. Let Bernardsville Library assist you in finding opportunities for full and part-time employment.  There are numerous online resources accessible from our website which may prove very useful to you.  For New Jersey residents you'll find a special menu, NJ Work Tools, offering information and links for job seekers including veterans.  Bernardsville Library's website also offers many business resources which are searchable online, such as Reference USA, Ferguson Career Guidance, and EBSCO BusinessSource Premier.  Don't forget The Job and Career Accelerator tool and its test preparation platform, both of which are designed to get you on the fast track.  For those able to come into our library, we also make available the Foundation Directory Online, which a librarian will access for you.  In fact, our librarians are eager to help you in your career search, so please seek out our guidance.  We'd love to work with you!

Bernardsville is a 5 Star-Rated Library

Bernardsville Public Library has just been accorded a Five Star rating by Library Journal .  Please refer to the Library Journal article for specifics about this rating and to see the very short list of  libraries nationwide that  earned five stars in our expenditure category, $400,000 to $999,999.  These ratings are based on data gathered in 2008 after the recession had started.  Bernardsville Public Library director, Karen Brodsky, is quoted in the article as noting that high usage levels were "partly because numerous people were using the library to find employment and to hone computer skills toward that effort."  The library's electronic databases, Career Center, free computer classes, and the many programs dedicated to helping job seekers all contributed to attracting a large number of visitors. In addition, we are fortunate to have a loyal community of library users who make a visit to Bernardsville Library part of their daily routine.

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.

Global Statistics on Women

Newly published, The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World, fourth edition, is a great go-to resource for statistics on women's issues. The book is divided into eight parts - Women in the World, Families, Birthrights, Body Politics, Work, To Have and To Have Not, The Vote, and Demography and Health. Each of these sections is subdivided to cover specific topics. For example, in Part Six - To Have and To Have Not - subcategories include Water, Literacy, School, Higher Education, Wired Women, Property, Poverty, and Debt.

The statistical data for each topic are presented with a summary page of information and two pages of colorful charts, graphs, and maps. The book is designed with visual impact in mind, and you may find yourself suddenly fascinated by pie charts and bar graphs!

Pick up this highly useful atlas in the New Books area of Bernardsville Public Library. It is not a reference book and can circulate for the regular loan period. I recommend this book for research as well as personal edification.

Display Your Home Improvement Skills

photo source: Bernardsville Public Library

We know a thing or two about turning a house into a home - a cardboard home, that is. Now you, too, can bolster your home improvement skills with the help of the books in our new display.

photo source: Bernardsville Public Library

This display, located in the nonfiction wing of Bernardsville Public Library, showcases books that will help you spruce up your home inside and out. Do you want to learn how to build a deck? Could your home use some "curb appeal" before you try to sell it?

Pop on over to our display for some great ideas and projects, including how to build a greenhouse and how to apply new painting techniques to your interior walls. What's best of all, if you do it yourself this spring, you'll save yourself a wheelbarrowful of money.

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!

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.

How Do You Value Your Library?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Today’s front page article in The Wall Street Journal, “Folks Are Flocking to the Library, A Cozy Place to Look for a Job,” is just one of many news articles reporting an up-tick in library usage during this deep economic downturn. The MSNBC video above further elaborates on the increasing number of people returning to their local libraries for services which will aid them in finding a job. People are also using libraries more often for the free materials (books, wireless access, computers, and videos) they may have overlooked in the past.

The Wall Street Journal states that career resources provided by libraries are in high demand right now. In fact, library computer usage has risen dramatically due to people checking job listings and updating their resumes.

Our own patrons and surrounding communities should know that Bernardsville Public Library offers a Career Center dedicated to career planning and job searches. Two computers are specifically loaded with programs and databases to assist you as you target your career move. Included among these online career resources are programs to help you with interviewing and resume writing, links for continuing education, and employer contact information. A large collection of career advisement books is available as well.

While library usage is rising, The Wall Street Journal reports that public funding for libraries is facing dramatic reductions due to the economy, and library services across the nation are jeopardized by budget cuts. Some libraries have shortened hours, closed branches or trimmed staffing, and all public libraries today are carefully managing their expenses while looking for the most cost-efficient ways to provide valuable services to their patrons. The American Library Association has provided a link for patrons who value their local libraries and want to advocate for them.

Contact your local library director to find other ways you can show just how much you value your library.

Don't Let Stress Suck You In

Dare I say we live in stressful times? Between illiquid markets, tanking investments, and contentious presidential campaigning, you may be feeling a wee bit stressed right about now. While you can't do much about these global and national issues, you might want to visit Bernardsville Public Library for a friendly greeting and a few books on stress relief. There's a new display in the nonfiction wing (by the oversize books) which will point the way to peaceful thinking in difficult times. Our Turn Over a New Leaf display showcases books on health, meditation, and coping skills. We hope you'll find contentment at the turn of a page.

Bernardsville Goes Green

The Bernardsville Environmental Commission has instituted the Bernardsville Green Initiative (BGI) to advance energy efficiency based on the State of New Jersey's strategic plan. The initiative hopes to reduce operating costs of public buildings by promoting the environmentally responsible and efficient use of energy, water and building materials. In addition, BGI will provide local residents and businesses with helpful information on this matter. Bernardsville Public Library offers a number of excellent resources, as well. Look for the bright green BGI informational brochures at the circulation desk along with an extensive book list of suggested reading material on how to "go green."