It's Still About Books

Last Friday, Leah Wagner and I gave dictionaries to third graders under a Rotary initiative.
Many years we've been sitting at social services in New Brunswick giving out books to children through the Books to Keep project. The good feeling you get when a child lights up in response to a book that is theirs to keep never gets old.
We often hear, as we go about the business of our profession, that books are a thing of the past. Who needs books when we have the Internet? For one, not every child has access to the Internet at home. For two, there is a mystique about the printed word on a page. There is a connectedness as a child replicates reading a book, even before the words make sense, that an adult has read to them time and time again. Why else do parents tote ten picture books home every week, just to have something new to read. And how wonderful it is to see children selecting books from countless titles to choose from. And for three, the Internet cannot substitute for the feelings this activity evokes.
It's not just children who value their books. We know adults who would rather own a book than borrow it from the library. We know others who just want a good read, and are happier to return the book when done. For every book discussion group we form, there is a need for another. Today, we're not just in the book business, but it is still the major component of what we do. We're an organization of readers, who are only too happy to help connect our public with just the right good read. The return we get is that feeling of sharing that joy that comes with the written word.

NextReads

Sometimes you have read through every book written by your favorite authors and are eager to find something new. What could be better than a newsletter e-mailed to you on a regular basis listing new books in your favorite reading area, as well as some older favorites you may have missed? These newsletters link directly into the Library’s on-line catalog, so subscribers may place a hold or request a title immediately. Newsletter topics include Biography, Fantasy, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Nature, Audiobooks and more.

Interested? Visit the Library’s web site at www.monroetwplibrary.org, click on Booklovers and follow the directions to subscribe.

Progress on Expansion

The steel structure is complete. With the “bones” of the building in place, it is much clearer how this expansion will look. Looking at an architectural drawing is not as awe inspiring as looking at the three dimensional outline of the additional space.

The Youth Services area is almost fully enclosed. Inside areas are obvious now, and the new program room rises dramatically on the left as you face the building.
Insulation is going on, to be followed by brick, which will match the brick on the existing building. We expect inside walls soon. All of this work can be seen by looking out the windows of the current Youth Service space.

On the Adult side, the steel is almost completed. Looking at the outline from the parking lot, you can see the circular roof of the Fine Arts Gallery. With some effort, peering through the construction fence, the drive-thru window overhang can be seen.

It is exciting for the Library staff to be on-sire as the work progresses. We are able to monitor the progress on a daily basis.

Expanding Service

For a long time we have provided home delivery of materials to people who are unable to come to the Library and have no family member or friend who can help. In the beginning we used a small but willing core of volunteers. Then we began to use our bookmobile staff. Requests have grown to the point that our staff is unable to cover all the home deliveries. We've begun to use a new group of volunteers. The volunteer is matched one-on-one with a homebound person. Together they set a time for the visit, and discuss the materials for the volunteer to bring. For as little as one hour a month, a volunteer brings a welcome diversion and a new wealth of material to a shut-in person. Here's a feel good opportunity with the added benefit of sharing the love of reading with another person.

Moving Along

The winter weather has been most kind to our construction project. The floors on both the north and south sides have been successfully poured. The steel for the south side will arrive next week. When completed, the true skeleton of the youth services expansion will emerge. North side steel is a few weeks behind. And so on it goes.