newjerseynewsroom.com

(OPAC), the Online Public Access Catalog. The few libraries that maintain card catalogs use them only as a secondary resource and they are seldom updated.

Today's libraries offer a wide spectrum of media beyond books and periodicals for children and adults, which includes DVDs, books on CDs, music CDs, E-books and video games. Through the advancement of online services, most libraries are also now offering free public computer, internet access and interlibrary loans. This has dramatically driven up attendance figures, especially in certain rural and urban areas of the state where people cannot always afford home computers and utilize library searches to perform job searches and complete mandatory online employment applications.

The New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, promotes and supports high quality library and information services to all the people of New Jersey. It subscribes to a large number of licensed data bases that are made available to every card holder in the state's 304 libraries. Depending on the available funding of their operating budget, some local libraries have purchased additional databases for their residents.

Ridgewood's Public Library Director, Nancy Greene considers today's public library both a community and education center. She reports 50,000 sign-ups per year for usage of its library computers. Besides its mainstream events, the Ridgewood library offers a diverse variety of cultural activities for its community residents. For example, volunteers from The Genealogical Society of Bergen County provide assistance for those wishing to trace their genealogy. The library offers a foreign film discussion group which is conducted by Ms. Greene.

The Newark Public Library is an active participant within the community. The library has seen an increase in attendance in the past year which is attributable in part to patrons using the computers to perform job searches in this difficult economy. Many employers will only accept online applications. The library also offers many programs which include free computer classes, outreach programs and ongoing exhibitions which encompass a variety of subjects and themes.

The current Irvington Library Director is Joan Whittaker. She advises the library provides a number of community programs which include musical concerts, movies and poetry readings. Free computer classes and assistance in performing job searches is provided. Reference Librarian, Daphne Bishop-Brown emphasized that library funding is a necessary ingredient needed to provide educational services. She stressed the need for local government to recognize the library's important role in the community at large when budget time comes around.

Reference Librarians Madeline Roese of Bernards Township and Louise Yan of Belleville believe that patron assistance remains a core component of every library. Ms. Roese used internet searches as an example, commenting that "some people are able to navigate successfully through a particular website until a certain point, but eventually they require hands on direction."

Library Director, Colleen Byrne of New Providence noted a "considerable increase in both attendance and circulation in 2009 from the previous year." Similar comments were provided by Directors Stephanie Burke of North Arlington, Kimberly Matthews of Trenton, Bob Belvin of New Brunswick and the aforementioned Nancy Greene and Joan Whittaker. Most cited these increases were due in part to the sluggish economy and less new books being purchased, online job searches, free internet access use and database downloads.

The increases are even more impressive considering 2008 produced even better results than in 2007. With attendance and circulation continuing to rise each year, it is especially good news given flat funding or decreases in funding have affected most New Jersey public libraries in recent years. Libraries are supported by tax monies from municipal and state governments. The major funding is based on Equalized Valuation, which equates to the equalized valuation of the municipality, as certified by the Director of the State Division of Taxation for the year preceding that in which the calculation of State aid is made. As real estate values increase, so will library funding and conversely, when prices go down, so does funding appropriation for libraries. Some have foundations to support them with additional capital. Libraries also receive funding from user generated fees by charging fines for overdue, lost or damaged books.

The New Jersey State Library collects statistical data and surveys from the public libraries throughout the state. This information can be reviewed on their extensive website at www.njstatelib.org. The local libraries will report their individual 2009 results in March and April. The State Library compiles these findings for release in its official report expected in May 2010. The results are expected to be very positive, similar to the findings in the informal polling. According to State Library Analyst Trend Specialist, Alka Bhatnagar, the 2008 results verified an average increase in attendance of 5% from the prior year. During this same calendar year, circulation increased by 7%. The most dramatic, but not surprising increase from 2007 was a 15% increase in free usage of the library's personal computers. Funding increased for only a few libraries in 2008 while basically remaining flat or experiencing slight decreases. On average, state aid accounts for only 1% of funding with 95% being received from municipalities. Ms. Bhatnager opines that when the 2009 statistics are tabulated, the results will show the upward trend in attendance, circulation and computer usage has continued with even higher percentage increases across the board than in 2008.

Nancy Dowd is the Marketing Director at the New Jersey State Library. She is an avid cheerleader for public libraries and with good reason, based upon recent statistics and future projections. Libraries are reinventing themselves by taking on more expansive roles. Ms. Dowd clearly envisions the public library serving as full fledged community centers of the future. She considers the ongoing goal of the library to provide the community with the best possible programs and activities and will someday take on more expanded roles as senior centers, teen centers and even day care centers. The possibilities are abundant.

An epilogue to my youth and that very first library card is in order. There is no cause for concern about the future of books on our library shelves. Our cherished institution will not lose sight of books, nor of newspapers and magazines and their indelible role. There is no mistaking that they will remain with us forever, no matter what medium delivers the words. Books are at the core of our learning, research and education process and will continue as a library mainstay. There is magic in words. Reading is an active endeavor. It requires us to think, to explore and to use our imagination. Conversely, television is passive and promotes very little of the above. This has been aided, in part, by the remote control, a plastic comfort invention which the writer, Pete Hamill, considers as addictive as any drug to come along in the past century. It permits a flood of images, from hard core news stories about the earthquake tragedy in Haiti, to the secret life of Tiger Woods, to Viagra commercials and the latest American Idol to permeate our brain. If nothing grabs us, we simply CLICK-CLICK-CLICK and turn to something else. There is no time to process and interpret. These images amount to a seamless, visual blur that can distort the difference between truth and falsity, reality and entertainment. Books, however, do require effort on the part of the individual. They make us use our brain and promote learning. The British philosopher, Sir Francis Bacon, said it best, "knowledge is power."

We need only to be willing patrons at the friendly public library in our local town, borough or city to benefit. It's a special gift to all of us, courtesy of our cherished institution. It simply needs opening. The keys to learning through books and so much more can be found there — and they are offered for free.

(An informal poll of 14 New Jersey public libraries, across 10 counties, was conducted for this article.)