SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE

SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE

A special meeting of the Somerset County Library Commission will be held on Tuesday, November 29th at

9:30 am in the Administration Conference Room of the

Bridgewater Library, 1 Vogt Drive, Bridgewater, New

Jersey. The Commission will discuss changing health

contract with the alternative carrier.insurance carriers and take action on whether to sign a

Bridgewater Library invites you to share in the "Warmth of the Season"

Share in the Warmth of the Season at the Bridgewater Library by helping needy families and shelter animals.

During the holiday season, the Bridgewater Library has set up a drop off area next to the customer service desk, for animal shelter donations.  The Somerset Regional Animal Shelter depends on volunteers and public donations.  Items include cat, kitten and dog food, pet toys, non-clumping clay litter, dog leashes, collars, cotton towels, paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent and store gift cards.  The Bridgewater library will be collecting animal shelter donations until December 16.

Donate canned or boxed food, personal-care items on ‘BOBO Friday’.  “Buy One, Bring One” (BOBO) collection of food and personal-care items are for needy families in Somerset County.  Personal-care items, including bath soap, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo and toilet paper, also are collected since these items are not covered by food stamps.  The bins are available every day, not just on the third Friday, so donations may be dropped off at any time during regular library hours.

Bridgewater Library presents "Books for Kids!"

Bridgewater Library presents "Books for Kids!"
"This Holiday Season, Open Up a World of Possibilities..."

Beginning November 1st, the Bridgewater Library will be accepting donations of new books for children (all ages).  Reading material will be distributed to children and teens throughout New Jersey who have limited access to books.

Book donations can be placed in the container at the enterance to the Youth Services room of the Bridgewater Library.  Donations must be dropped off by December 11th.

We thank you for taking the time to help give New Jersey's children a chance to explore the world of books.

You can make a difference in a child's life.  Donate a new book to Books for Kids!
 
This program is sponsored by the Children's Services Section of the New Jersey Library Association.
 
Bridgewater Library
1 Vogt Drive
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
908-526-4016 ext. 126

Holiday Card Craft - Bound Brook Library

Holiday Card Craft
Saturday, November 19 at 10:00 am
Bound Brook Library
402 E. High St.
Bound Brook, NJ 08805
 
Directions: http://www.somerset.lib.nj.us/boundbrook.htm
 
Do you have leftover holiday cards that you can’t bear to throw away?  Join Nancy Leary as she shows you how to craft a holiday tree out of those old cards, recycling them into a keepsake to enjoy for years to come.  
ADVANCED REGISTRATON REQUIRED  
Limited to 25 people  
Cards will be provided.  But we ask you to provide some of your own cards to personalize the craft. 
 
This program is free and open to the public.  Registration is requested.  Call (732) 356-0043 to sign up or click on  http://www.libraryinsight.net/EventSignUp.asp?t=722963229&jx=jbp&lmx=217044 to register online.

Hitchcock: 'The Master of Suspense' Program

Hitchcock: 'The Master of Suspense' 
Saturday, November 19 at 2:00 p.m. 
Bound Brook Library
402 E. High Street
Bound Brook, NJ 08805
 
Directions: http://www.somerset.lib.nj.us/boundbrook.htm
 
Sir Alfred Hitchcock directed over 60 films spanning more than half a century. With a distinctive style, both in front and behind the camera, his movies have influenced generations of filmmakers. Watching classic scenes from 'Rear Window', 'North by Northwest', 'Psycho', and 'The Birds', we will discover what made Hitchcock 'the master of suspense'.  
Presented by Chris Messineo, Director of the New Jersey Film School
 
This program is free and open to the public.  Registration is requested.  Call (732) 356-0043 or click on http://www.libraryinsight.net/eventdetails.asp?jx=jbp&lmx=226070&v=3 to register online.

Library & Schools Consortium Provides Shared Online Resources

News from the Somerset County Board of Chosen FreeholdersP.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876-1262Contacts:  Linda Van Zandt / Joanne Vuoso / Lisa Krueger908-231-7020 / publicinfo@co.somerset.nj.us

 A new shared-service initiative, launched with the support of the Somerset County Board of Freeholders, is providing online resources to students throughout the county in libraries and in schools.            

The Somerset County Library System and the Somerset County Superintendent of Schools, along with most school districts and municipal libraries in the county, have joined forces to provide a set of common online databases that are accessible to all students in the county.  

Following a planning meeting with school media specialists and public librarians in October 2010, a purchasing cooperative was formed for Somerset County to procure a set of common online databases to be shared and accessible to all Somerset County students. 

In addition to being available in schools, the electronic reference tools will be accessible through almost every library in the county, including independent municipal libraries that are not part of the county system. 

“Through economies of scale, each participant will pay significantly less than if they purchased the services individually,” said Freeholder Patrick Scaglione, liaison to the county Library Commission.  “More importantly, every student in Somerset County will have access to a common suite of online resources.”  

Based on a survey of school media specialists throughout the county, the consortium included resources most frequently requested and for which the most cost effective pricing was available: World Book Encyclopedia, Facts on File and Grolier.  The shared-service consortium was able to lower the per-pupil cost for these key reference tools. 

“Last year’s threatened state cuts to library services were the impetus to link common needs for libraries and public schools,” said Somerset County Library Director Brian Auger.  “Previously, database vendors sold identical products to different organizations which collectively serve the same clientele.  With budget caps in place, all public entities must scrutinize expenditures. Libraries and school districts reached out across the agencies within the county to reduce costs to Somerset County taxpayers, while expanding the level of service for all students.”

For more information, contact Somerset County Library Director Brian Auger at 908-526-4016, ext. 129, or Beverly Hetrick in the Superintendent of Schools’ Office at 908-541-5738.

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