New Online Newsletter

We've been looking for ways to get our information out to you, our readers. We've decided to start publishing a newsletter.

With an online newsletter, we don't have to worry about printing or mailing costs, and we can use software we own. No start-up costs, no hassle!

Our first effort, for the Fall of 2012, is available now. We will link the newsletter on our website and on our facebook page.  Take a look and let us know what you think:

The Caldwell Public Library Fall 2012 Newsletter

Fall Events for Adults at the Caldwell Public Library

Now that school is back in session, it's time to turn our attention to our Fall programming. We hope you'll come out and enjoy these great events!

From September through December, the Library will display the works of Gene Collerd, whose Then and Now and Fire Department photos give us a glimpse into mid-20th Century Caldwell. These photo displays will be available for public viewing during normal library hours.

Feel Good Friday: Positive Thinking for Healthy Aging
Friday, September 21, 10:30 AM
Presented by Nancy Herron, LCSW

Coach Mike Tully Presents: Thank God You're Lazy: The Instant Cure for What's Holding You Back.
Wednesday, October 3, 6:30 PM
Learn the mental skills of a winner from motivational speaker and author Mike Tully. Coach Tully has studied peak performance for three decades, first as an international sports writer then as a championship coach. He covered Olympic Games in Lake Placid, Los Angeles, Sarajevo and Seoul, as well as more than 100 consecutive World Series games. Tully has identified those specific traits that make someone a success on the playing field and will share with you how they can be applied in business, school athletic departments and everyday situations. Author of The Improvement Factor: How Winners Turn Practice into Success, Mike Tully will discuss his newest book Thank God You’re Lazy: The Instant Cure for What’s Holding You Back. Register for this free program by calling the Library at 973-226-2837.

Brown Bag Book Group
Tuesday, October, 9, 6:00 PM
Join facilitator Deborah Abrams for our new book club. Meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month. This will be the inaugural meeting, so join in and help shape this group with your suggestions on what to read. Register for this free program by calling the Library at 973-226-2837.

Pizza and a Movie: Dark Shadows
Wednesday, October 10, 6:00 PM
Enjoy the spirit of Halloween and join us for a showing of the new version of the camp classic soap opera Dark Shadows. Come in a mask or costume and be entered into a drawing for a door prize. Registration for this free program is required. Call 973-226-2837.

Caldwell College's Lifelong Learning Series: Knitting Class

Mondays: October 15, 22, 29 & November 5, 10:00 AM

The Lifelong Learning Institute at Caldwell College will be holding Knitting Classes at the Caldwell Public Library on 4 Mondays this Fall. Participants must register by calling the Lifelong Learning Institute at 973-618-3543.

Caldwell College's Poetry Service Learning Project
Under the guidance of Dr. Mary Ann Miller, Associate Professor, three students from the Intro To Poetry Class will present their original compositions:
Lauren Schmidt, October 18, 6:30 PM
Madeline Tiger, Nov. 1, 6:30 PM
George White, Nov. 8, 6:30 PM

Understanding the Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education
Presented by Michelle Puzio of Family Link NJ
Tuesday, October 23, 10:00 AM

This free workshop for families will focus on understanding the transition process from Early Intervention to Preschool, and will offer comparisons of the two. We'll discuss components of the IDEA law, provide transition materials and resources, and give guidance on parental rights. If you wish to attend you must register with Family Link at 908-964-5303 or email Michellep@njeis.org.

The Olmsted Historic Landscape Legacy in New Jersey
Presented by Kathleen Galop, Historic Preservation Consultant, NJ Council on the Humanities
Wednesday, November 28, 6:30 PM

As early as 1867, Frederick Law Olmsted came to Newark, NJ to select a site for Branch Brook Park, America’s First County Park. Through this lecture you will become more familiar with the Olmsted philosophy of landscape design and the legacy as it exists today throughout New Jersey. Landscapes designed by Olmsted and the Olmsted Brothers Firm include: Cadwalader Park, the Lawrenceville School, the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University, and our own Grover Cleveland Park. A slide presentation will accompany the lecture. This event is free and open to the public. This program is funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information about any of these programs, please visit the Caldwell Library or call 973-226-2837. We hope to see you there!

Welcome to September!

Welcome, September! It's that time of year when the kids head back to school, the weather turns crisp and clear, and our thoughts turn away from Summer Reading.

We had a very successful Summer Reading Program thanks to the wonderful efforts of Mrs. Deborah Khost, who put together a slate of great activities for children, and Mrs. Fran Larkey, who spearheaded all the adult programming. Our first ever Summer Concert Series was a delight.

We kick off September with a Library Card Sign-Up Month. Come in during September to get a new card and you'll be ready for the rest of the school year! What can you do with your card? We all know you can borrow books, but you can also borrow DVDs, audio books, and e-books. You can use your card throughout most of New Jersey thanks to reciprocal borrowing, and you can order books to be sent here for you via Interlibrary Loan. Your card gives you access to our public computers so that you can keep in touch with friends and family, search for a job, do some online research and obtain a voter registration application. Come in and get your card today!

National Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 - October 15

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

Come in and Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with a good book!

Dominican turned New Jerseyan author Junot Díaz will be out with a new work this month entitled This is How You Lose Her, a collection of short stories that examine the “haunting, impossible power of love” from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey and Boston. In a Booklist starred review, Díaz’s writing is described as “fast paced, unflinching, complexly funny, street-talking tough, perfectly made, and deeply sensitive.” Díaz’s first book, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, is a very popular book club selection and won many awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

For more information about the history of Hispanic Heritage Month, visit: http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

New Jersey's Angels: With and Without Wings

Local residents filled the Caldwell Public Library last night to honor nature photographer Janet Markman, whose work is on exhibit in the Library during the month of June. New Jersey’s Angels: With & Without Wings is her latest collection of stunning photographs.Mrs. Markman is the official photographer for the Borough of Caldwell, but her passion is her nature photography.

Though raised in New York City, Markman has been a resident of Caldwell for more than 17 years. She says she has always been fascinated with nature, and relatively recently realized her true creative passion: observing and photographing birds. Since then, her art has expanded to include other flying creatures, notably butterflies and moths, as well as trees, flowers, landscapes and other animals.

We like to say that the Caldwell Library is the heart of our town, but that heart can't beat without the participation of our patrons. We appreciate the generous spirit of people like Mrs. Markman, who give their time and talents to the Library, so that we can continue to bring people quality exhibits and programming.It was truly gratifying to see the number of people who turned out for this event: area residents, Mayor Dassing and our council members, local businesspeople, and many others who came to show their appreciation for Mrs. Markman and our Library. Mr. & Mrs. Markman are known for their philanthropic spirit and their support of many local causes.

Please stop by this month, take a look at this beautiful exhibit, and plan to return for some of our upcoming summer programs.  When you stop by, make sure to sign Mrs. Markman's guest book.

Mr. & Mrs. Markman

The Amazing Kreskin offers his congratulations to Janet Markman

The Amazing Kreskin and Diego from Terzako's Furs.

Book Expo

Every year the publishing industry sponsors Book Expo America at the Javits Center in NYC. The show started out as a way for book sellers to connect with the publishing industry, but publishers soon realized that networking with librarians was a great way to get their information out to the public.

Book Expo is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. In the past, it's been held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC, but has found a permanent home in NYC. The publishing industry wants librarians to attend Book Expo, not just to sell us books, but to help us disseminate current information and future trends to our patrons. In this year's Day of Dialog, both Library Journal and School Library Journal provided librarian attendees with workshops designed to provide continuing education credits.

Librarians were able to participate in topics on ebooks, upcoming book buzz, author breakfasts, and collection development. Of course, all conference attendees are able to meet and greet various authors who are on hand to autograph their books.  This year a number of authors signed books for the Caldwell Public Library, including: Kate Workman (The Mom 100 Cookbook), Kate Hopper (Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers), Lisa Morrone (Sleep Well Again), Carmine Gallo (The Apple Experience), and Terry Baker Mulligan (Sugar Hill - Where the Sun Rose Over Harlem).  The Children's Room received a copy of It's a Big World, Little Pig! signed by Kristi Yamaguchi. Young Adult authors Rachel Vincent and Michael Dahl also signed copies of their books for our patrons. Robin Roberts signed an audio book copy of  My Story, My Song, the book written with her Mother, Lucimarian Roberts.

One theme came up time and again when talking with the authors I met: all of them had fond memories of the local public libraries. As soon as I asked them to sign the books to the Caldwell Public Library, they would light up and speak about what it was like to go to the library when they were a child, or tell a story about how a reference librarian helped them with research.

It's great to know that the publishing industry is supportive of a continued dialog with librarians, and I am looking forward to providing our patrons with a wide variety of new materials and ideas.

Library Director Adele Puccio with Michael Dahl, author of Troll Hunters

Carmine Gallo, signing The Apple Experience

Kristi Yamaguchi, with her book It's a Big World, Little Pig!

Caldwell Live: How Collaborative Aging in Place Programs Change Organizations and Transform Communities

Caldwell LIVE, Lifelong Involvement for Vital Elders,  was designed to create an elder-friendly community where older residents can age in place with social supports, access to services, and meaningful activities that promote civic engagement, encourage independence, and help people stay safe and active in their own homes. With that goal in mind, Caldwell LIVE launched in the fall of 2008 to serve the borough’s nearly 1,000 residents over the age of 65. Caldwell, where 40 percent of the town’s 3,300 households included a resident 55 or older when the program began, offers easy walkability, a wide range of public and private services, and public transportation for seniors.
The program began as a federally funded NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) project modeled on the earlier successful Parsippany LIVE program. Both were implemented by UJC MetroWest. Support is provided by the US Administration on Aging and United Jewish Appeal and funded in part through a grant from the Mountainside Health Foundation.

Many different public, civic, and faith-based groups were invited to join in this collaborative project. The Caldwell roster includes: United Jewish Communities of MetroWest; Mountainside Hospital; JCC of MetroWest; Crane’s Mills CCRC; NJ TIP Travel Training; Jewish Family Service; Jewish Vocational Service; Metro Transport – Daughters of Israel; Caldwell Public Library; Caldwell Human Services; Essex County Division on Aging; Kiwanis Club; Rotary Club; Caldwell College; DOROT; Congregation Agudath Israel; First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell; St. Aloysius Catholic Church; St. Peter’s Episcopal Church; & the United Methodist Church.

The Caldwell Free Public Library was an obvious choice for participation. The Library is centrally located on Bloomfield Avenue, is easily reached via public transportation, and is right near the Caldwell Community Center. The Caldwell Live Coordinators, Karen Alexander, UJC MetroWest’s Director of Eldercare Services and Roberta Schoenberg, an expert on the elderly at Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, contacted Library Director Karen Kleppe-Lembo, who attended the presentation with Library Assistant Frances Larkey. Already in charge of adult programming, Larkey was a natural choice to spearhead the Library’s involvement with Caldwell LIVE.  Mrs. Larkey is a Caldwell resident with a BA in Art and a BN in Psychiatric Nursing. She has many connections within the town and had been looking for ways to involve seniors in Library programs.

So what does the Library have to offer to Caldwell LIVE and what has Caldwell LIVE given to the Library?

·         We host the monthly Feel Good Fridays programs for seniors. Representatives from Mountainside Hospital present timely topics on heart health, back pain, exercise, diabetes management, and other health and wellness topics.

·         Caldwell College presents some of their Lifelong Learning programs in our Library. We have hosted poetry workshops, knitting classes, art lectures and music appreciation classes.

·         The monthly Marian Manor Book Club came about as a way to bring the Library to a senior residence where residents might not be able to attend an in-library event. 

Some of the challenges presented to the Library were time management, staff allotment, competing priorities, and space. Our facilities aren’t large, but when a program is scheduled, we rearrange furniture and provide seating for 30+ patrons. With our dwindling budget (we are the lowest-funded library in Essex County) we saw a slight decrease in hours during the last year. Retiring staff members haven’t been replaced, putting a strain on coverage during programs and outreach. We always have to consider the needs of the community as a whole while ministering to a specific population group. When we present a program in the reading room, the room isn’t accessible to the rest of the community. If we schedule 4 senior-based programs a month, will we have the staff to cover other areas? Will we be able to run children’s programs concurrently? So far Mrs. Larkey has been able to do all this and more with the help of some very dedicated staff members and community partners.

We, as an institution, have received some positive benefits from our continued participation in Caldwell Live. The Caldwell Public Library’s visibility has been enhanced, and we are seen as a community player, always willing to enter into collaborative partnerships. Our staff members have learned of many opportunities for seniors which we then disseminate to the public. We feel that seniors have been able to connect with the library in positive ways, and we’ve received targeted staff development training. Feedback from the public has been very positive, and we feel that this has contributed to our budget remaining stable for FY 2012.

During the past four years, the program has worked to provide a wide range of community services for older adults, including Feel Good Friday health and wellness classes and talks at the Caldwell Library, participation in Caldwell College’s Lifelong Learning Institute, social work support, transportation assistance, home safety assessments, volunteer opportunities and spiritual caring programs. Each month the Caldwell LIVE calendar listing a variety of programs is mailed to older adults in the community, and is distributed through partner organizations. In addition to the programs offered by the library, the calendar includes health and educational programs including Move Today, a gentle exercise class; Caldwell College Lifelong Learning lectures; and Workshops on Using Public Transportation

In December, 2011, the program’s federal funding came to a close, but the program has already proven to be a sustainable model. The Caldwell LIVE calendar is still created by the borough’s Dept. of Human Services. The Caldwell Public Library continues to host the  Feel Good Friday health education programs with Mountainside Hospital, and will continue to develop more senior-friendly and intergenerational programming. We currently have a year’s worth of Feel Good Fridays on the calendar, and other programs include Lunch and Learn, Pizza and A Movie, and we are in talks to host another book club for seniors at the Caldwell Senior Center.  Students from Caldwell College have donated their time to teach seniors how to use the computer.  We also host the Caldwell Live partner meetings, where participants can come together and brainstorm joint offerings for the future.  Congregation Agudath Israel has continued to host the Wednesday Walking Club with a JCC of MetroWest volunteer coordinator. In addition, the West Essex Ministerial Association has continued the efforts of the Spiritual Caring Committee and partner agencies will still make and accept referrals for services from Caldwell residents. Caldwell LIVE partners continue to offer a variety of services including social work counseling, home maintenance, employment assistance and limited non-emergency medical transportation. Monetary donations have come from the Mountainside Health Foundation, the Kiwanis Club and the Rotary Club.  Sadly, federal earmarks for future NORC projects have been canceled.

Karen Alexander, director of eldercare services for Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, created the Caldwell LIVE model. Alexander explained that the aging in place program started in 2004 in Parsippany with a federal grant. The program expanded to Caldwell and Verona when additional funding was acquired through a federal earmark thanks to U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.).

Caldwell was chosen because there was a strong sense of community, the right demographics and it was well-served by public transit, among other reasons, Alexander said. She said the program has been used as a model at the American Society on Aging’s National Conference.

But the numbers speak for themselves. A survey of Caldwell LIVE participants revealed that 65% of survey respondents felt more confident in their ability to age in place, 87% said they were more knowledgeable of community resources and 87% said they have new friends.

It is our hope that all residents of Caldwell will make use of our library, but we're especially grateful that as people age and stay in place, we can continue to serve their needs. For more information please call the Library at 973-226-2837.

National Library Week April 8 - 14, 2012

During the second week of April, schools, campuses and communities across the country celebrate National Library Week, a time to remind the public about the contributions libraries, librarians and library workers make to their communities every day.

Libraries have historically served as our nation’s great equalizers of knowledge, providing free access to information for all people. Libraries help level the playing field by making both print and digital information affordable, available and accessible to all people. This includes job seeking resources, materials in a variety of print and electronic formats, cultural heritage and genealogical collections, English as second language and citizenship classes and many other resourceful and creative programs.

Today diversity applies to more than different races and ethnicities, but varying physical disabilities, sexual orientations, ages, languages and social classes. Libraries and librarians throughout the country are working to design their collections and services to meet the diverse needs and interests of their communities.

Here are just a few of the things you can do this week at the Caldwell Public Library:

For All:

Food for Fines - Bring in a non-perishable food item (canned or boxed) for the Caldwell Food Pantry and we'll waive your fines. Please bring in one item per overdue book, and check the expiration dates! No expired food will be accepted. Food for Fines will be accepted from April 9 - 14.

For Children:

Tuesday, April 10: American Girl Party, 2PM in the Children's Room. Call for reservations 973-226-1636

Wednesday, April 11: Lego Club, 6:45PM, in the Children's Room.

Thursday, April 12: The Muppet Movie Matinee, 2:00PM, in the Children's Room.

Friday, April 13: Drop-in Craft. Don't let Friday the 13th get you down! Drop in between 10 and 4 and make one of our lucky crafts.

Saturday, April 14: Join Miss Nicole for a great Springtime Craft! 10:00 am - 11:30 am.

For Adults:

Wednesday, April 11: Memoir Writing After a Loss, 6:30PM. Meet the Authors Arlene McCarren and Nancy Taiani, who have each written memoirs following painful losses and have found the writing process itself to be healing. Join them as they read excerpts from their books and discuss their writing.

Art Displays:

During the month of April we'll be highlighting some great artwork! Colonial Dioramas by the Students of Lincoln School are on display in our display cases, and on our walls is the Art of Donna Ellis.

National Library Week is the perfect time to remember that the place you, your family and everyone you know belong is @ your library. We hope you'll visit the Caldwell Public Library and join us as we celebrate!