Support our Public Library
By Albert B. Kelly
There is an old piece of
wisdom that says “knowledge is power”. If you want earning power and you want
to make money, then you need to have knowledge to command that type of salary.
If you want respect, which is different from fear, then you need to have
knowledge. The prophet Hosea said; “my people are destroyed from lack of
knowledge”. Ignorance and poverty go hand in hand. How much needless pain and
suffering happens because of ignorance?
But in order to get
knowledge, you need to seek it out. And in order to do that, you need to know
where to go. One great source of knowledge is our very own public library; or
more specifically the thousands of books that line the shelves of our library.
If there is one thing I would tell everyone to do…it is to develop a love of
books and reading and learning.
While none of us seeks to
cause harm to children; one of the greatest harms we can do to children is to
fail them when it comes to reading, literacy and learning. Fail there when they
are young, and chances are they will live lives on the margins, in the shadows,
or worse.
If there is one single
gift you can give to a child that will last them an entire lifetime with untold
benefits; it is a love of books and reading and learning. If we want the best
future possible for our children, then we need to build this love of books and
learning into them at the earliest age.
The good news is that this
is available to everyone, regardless of income, age, race or ethnicity. Right
here in our own community, the Bridgeton Public Library has just about any book
you could want and all you need is a library card and it just so happens that September
is National Library Card Sign-Up month.
Our library offers great
stuff including: Audio and video rentals, activity room for rent, pre-school
story time, book clubs, collection of local history, copier services, daily
newspapers including the NY Times, downloadable eBooks and audiobooks, and faxing
services.
In addition, the library
has free WiFi, interlibrary loans, Lego program, subscription data bases, Music
CD’s, books on CD, notary service, 30 plus magazines, proctoring services, reference
services, Spanish language materials, Teen programs, internet access and
computers with Microsoft Word and Excel, and the Woodruff Museum.
So there’s no excuse;
everything is right at your fingertips and it is essentially free. All you need
is a library card and it’s yours. That said, I also encourage everyone to
support our library and that includes monetary donations you might be inclined
to give.
While the library offers
so much to the community and while it’s basically free for the asking, it
doesn’t come without cost. As we speak, I am hoping that the NJ State Library
will reconsider their decision to deny Bridgeton $9,000 in funds simply because
we don’t have a “fully credentialed” second librarian-meaning with a Master’s
Degree- as they require.
While we requested some
latitude, explaining that one of our long-serving staff members is completing
graduate classes to get the required credential, we need time. But more than
that, as low-moderate income community, we need funding to keep the library
going.
If the State denies our
request, the $9,000 will go to some community that already has the second fully
credentialed librarian; meaning a community that doesn’t need the funds as we
do. To them who have, shall more be given…and so it goes.
Our library needs all the
financial support it can get. They do their fundraising, but you know how that
goes. The library is a great resource and they work hard at keeping it free, but
it costs money to staff, keep the lights on, the doors open, and everything
else. While communities with a larger tax base have those resources baked into
the cake; we’re fighting to get there; every penny counts.
That said, please take
advantage of September as “Library Card Sign-Up Month” and develop a hunger for
learning and knowledge. If you won’t do it for yourself, then please build that
into any children in your life; the gift that keeps on giving.