SPRING 2008 NEWSLETTER
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THE FRIENDS OF THE NEW JERSEY LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND AND HANDICAPPED SPRING 2008 NEWSLETTER |
SAVE THE DATE: The Friends Spring Meeting will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Location of the meeting will be at The NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, 2300 Stuyvesant Avenue, Trenton, NJ. After the meeting, lunch will be served from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Anyone who wishes to stay for lunch is asked to contribute $5.00 towards the cost of the food. Please join the Friends to help accomplish as a group, the opportunity to provide support for Library's services.
Spring is the time for rejuvenation and new beginnings. With our official name in place and the By-Laws ratified, elections for the Executive Board of the Friends are upon us. The Friends are seeking new ideas for fund raising to enhance the Library's ability to furnish services we appreciate and enjoy. A donation can be given for general use or earmarked for a specific service or program. For example, donations can contribute towards the Volunteers, the Children's Summer Reading Program, The Fall Festival, the American Sign Language Story Hour, the Sensory Garden, Large Print Books for Adults, Juveniles or Foreign Languages, and Audio Vision Program. Also in need of support is the new and exciting Digital Program.
The NJLBH uses private and community volunteers for most of its programs and services. They provide valuable assistance to Audiovision by reading newspapers and grocery ads to be broadcasted through a special radio receiver or streaming on the computer. The volunteers are helpful for clerical duties such as repairing and rewinding cassettes for the Talking Book Program. They also assist patrons of the NJLBH to get around the Fall Festival.
The Library and its patrons benefit immensely from their free services. We heartily appreciate all the volunteers. They are an integral part of the Library's functions.
The Children's Summer Reading Program is to inspire children to enjoy reading while on vacation. We encourage parents to contact the Youth Services Librarian for different choices of interest.
The Fall Festival is an event which is held every other year. It
consists of speakers, vendors, updates for the future of the NJLBH. The next Festival will be held in 2009.
The American Sign Language Story Hour is held every month for the children from the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf. The stories are also read through sign language. For the children's pleasure, service therapy dogs come from Kindred Souls Canine Center operated by trainer Pete Campione. The dogs provide warmth, comfort, and friendship for the children who need reassurance.
The National Library Service does not fund the purchase of large print books for the Library. Therefore it is important that the Friends, through fund raising, assist the Library in purchasing the large print books for its patrons. NJLBH needs large print books for all ages, and the Marie Katzenbach School needs children's large print books for their curriculum.
The Sensory Garden is a serene place located in the courtyard at the NJLBH. It's a place to relax and read quietly while art and nature surround you. There is a statue of a woman carrying her child loaned by the artist Seward Johnson. The sculpture is life-like and touchable as if a friend was watching over you and reading with you. One can touch the foliage, feel the different textures, and smell various fragrances. In the center of the Sensory Garden is a sculpture called The Tower of Talking Lights created by Tal Streeter for the NJLBH in 1984. Time has not been kind to the Tower. The artist has agreed to refurbish the Tower to its original state. There is Braille surrounding the entire Tower which tells a story starting at the base of the Tower about the earth and climbs to the peak of the Tower ending with the sky.
The NJLBH has finally entered the digital age. The transition period from cassette books to digital books will be an ongoing process. It will take time to convert most cassette books into digital books. With this new progress comes a price. The Library needs a digital duplicator for the book cartridges for the new digital players. This device will enable NJLBH to circulate more digital books to the Library's patrons.
On Friday evening, April 18th, NJLBH held a special dinner to honor all the wonderful Volunteers who come into the Library on a daily basis. The dinner was funded by the Friends. Marazzo's supplied Fruit Trays, Cairo Cakes supplied all the yummy deserts and Business Bistro Catering supplied the wonderful main course. There were approximately 85 people who attended this fun filled evening dedicated to the amazing support these volunteers provide to the Library.
The following report has been submitted by the Nominating Committee, Lauren Casey, Joan Leonard and James Dougherty:
Election of Officers for The Friends of the New Jersey Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Inc. (Friends) for 2008-2010 term will be held at the Spring Meeting, June 7, 2008. The following are the previously approved Nominating Committee/Election procedures and the Slate of Candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee. We suggest that you review these materials, and be prepared to vote at the June meeting.
The Nominating Committee of the Friends shall consist of three (3) Members appointed by the President at the Fall Meeting of the odd numbered year. One member will be designated as the Chairperson, who will run the Election at the following Spring Meeting of the even numbered year. Those serving on the Nominating Committee are not eligible to run for any Office at this Election.
The responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to select a Slate of Officers meeting the requirements set forth in the Bylaws. This Slate is to be introduced in the Newsletter preceding the Spring Meeting and again at the time of the Election. Nominations from the floor will be permitted at the time of the Election. But, any Member being nominated for an Office must have been approached in advance of this Meeting and have already expressed a willingness to run.
The Election shall be conducted by the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee. Officers shall be elected in the following order: President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. As stated in the Bylaws, a Candidate for President must have previously served as an Officer or Board Member of the Friends for at least one two year term.
Election Process:
The Chairperson will announce the person proposed by the Nominating Committee for President. He/she will then ask three (3) separate times if there are any other Nominations from the floor for President. After the third request, a motion from the floor must be made, followed by a second to close Nominations for President. If there are no Nominations from the floor for President, the motion should also call for one vote from the current Secretary to elect that Candidate by proclamation. If there are Nominations from the floor for President, the names of the Candidates running for President shall then be announced, and a vote taken. A Candidate must receive a majority of the votes from Members present to win the Election. If there is not a majority, there will be a run off vote between the two Candidates receiving the most votes.
This process will then be repeated for the Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
After the Election, the President will appoint two (2) Board Members at large.
All new Officers and Board Members at large will begin their two (2) year term on July 1ST following the Spring Meeting and Election in the even numbered year.
| President: | Elisabeth Dougherty |
| Vice President: | Mary Jo Partyka |
| Secretary | Ottilie Lucas |
| Treasurer | Joyce Sowa |
Please make every attempt to attend this very important meeting.
A membership form is attached to this newsletter for those who have not paid their dues for this year or wish to join the Friends. Please note that the dues for Single Members are $15.00 and Family for $30.00. These dues cover an 18 month period from January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you at the June 7th meeting.
| President | Bob Rindt |
| Vice President | Elisabeth Dougherty |
| Secretary | Ottilie Lucas |
| Treasurer | Joyce Sowa |
Name:__________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:___________________________________________
Telephone (with area code):_________________________________
E-mail address:__________________________________________
Preferred Media Format: LP_____, Tape______ or E-mail______
I am eligible for NJLBH Services: Yes ___, No ___
Individual Member $15.00 ___
Family Membership $30.00 ___
Donation $ _________
Donation in Memory or Honor of:
Name:_______________________________________________
Send acknowledgment for memorial gift to:
Name:__________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________
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I have made a bequest in my will ___
Please return this form together with your membership check payable to:
The Friends of the NJLBH
PO Box 434, Woodbridge, NJ 07095