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Cranbury Press
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 Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 4:44 pm EDT Post subject: Cranbury Library |
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District to limit public library's hours
Thursday, September 25, 2008 11:32 AM EDT
By Davy James, Staff Writer
CRANBURY — The Board of Education voted Tuesday to reduce the number of hours the Cranbury Public Library will be open to the public during school hours.
Beginning Oct. 13, the public library will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday, the library will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The change in hours was decided upon to benefit the students at the Cranbury School. The public library is located in the same space as the Cranbury School Library.
”The library is a shared library between the public and the school and we need to make that distinction,” said Chief School Administrator John Haney. “The public library doesn’t pay rent or utilities. Unfortunately, we’re not able to meet the goals we have for our students under the present arrangement. We don’t mind sharing the library at all, but we need to meet our central mission as well.”
The change in hours allows the school to have improved security and gives students and teachers improved access to the facilities, Mr. Haney said.
”This will benefit our security because the school has tighter security procedures than the library does,” he said. “It’s certainly not the library’s fault, but the school can define who comes in and out. Plus this allows teachers to go in, lecture and have their students read aloud. Plus, I’m sure the patrons think the students make too much noise during school hours.”
The move will also allow the school to focus on one of its major curriculum goals for the students, literature.
”We think it’s important for the students to be able to be in the library to enjoy literature,” Mr. Haney said. “We want them to be able to develop a love of literature that will last a lifetime. It can be hard for them when you have other people in the library.”
The change in hours isn’t permanent, however, as the board will examine the policy at the end of the school year.
”The modified hours will run to the end of the year and will be revisited before next year begins,” Mr. Haney said. “We also plan on hiring a library consultant to work with the public and school ends of the library and help us meet our mission to better meet the needs of the students and the public as well.”
http://www.packetonline.com/articles/2008/09/25/cranbury_press/news/doc48dbabcb48b2f308909553.txt |
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| Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 5:19 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| Why do we have to keep paying outside consultants? Here's a novel idea. One membe of the BOE and one member of the Trustees get together for an hour and agree on a solution. Stop the insanity of hiring consultants. Every single time I turn around another person pops up. Mr. Haney you're paid a lot of money figure it out without costing me more. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 5:37 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| Cranbury Press wrote: | | ”The modified hours will run to the end of the year and will be revisited before next year begins,” Mr. Haney said. “We also plan on hiring a library consultant to work with the public and school ends of the library and help us meet our mission to better meet the needs of the students and the public as well.” |
For the last 2 consecutive years, the school has asked for approx and extra 1 million PER YEAR from the taxpayers. In these economic times the school and library needs to find a way to work out the problem and should use the TC if an agreement cannot be met. I cannot see paying for consultants to act as the negotiator. IF the school asks for an increase in funding in this coming year - I would have to take a very close look - and at this time say "Absolutely NOT!". The library and school are acting like children - be adults and work it out. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 6:33 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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The PNC library idea never dies.
The tax will keep increasing.
The new COAH will destroy Cranbury.
Time to sell your home! |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 8:00 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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I get the impression the Township and the School / Board of Ed are in a tit-for-tat cold war of sorts. There's no denying relations are ridiculously frosty for such a small town in which the school is the most significant institution. First the Township Committee completely slights the Board of Ed by ignoring their recommendations and refusing to even engage in a serious dialogue before unilaterally voting to preserve the land previously expected to be partially used for school expansion. Now the Board of Ed exerts unilateral control over the library hours. Both parties had sketchy, overly generalistic reasons for their actions that they never fully justified or for which they provided concrete examples.
There seem to be a lot of personal egos and agendas involved and not a lot of concern for the citizens of the Township at large.
Shame on them all. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 9:00 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| I agree the timing is suspect. Neither the re-zoning of the land or the change in library hours was urgent. None of the reasons they stated were new and we made it this far and could have taken the time for more public discussion and negotiations (without consultants) between the various parties involved. |
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Jersey Dad
Joined: Tue, May 20 2008, 11:02 pm EDT
Posts: 179
Location: Cranbury Estates
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| Posted: Thu, Sep 25 2008, 10:46 pm EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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Hey! Don't knock the need for a library consultant! I was going to apply for that job!
Seriously, is there really such a job?. Talk about your specialized professions?! I'll bet "library consultant" gives new meaning to the term "book worm".
I can see it now, after years of study and hundreds of thousands of dollars, Cranbury's library consultant files his report which draws the following radical conclusion...
"Buy more books." |
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ed k
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 12:03 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| Jersey Dad wrote: | Hey! Don't knock the need for a library consultant! I was going to apply for that job!...his report which draws the following radical conclusion...
"Buy more books." |
JD I agree with you and I bet a $1000 bucks that he will also recommend that Cranbury needs to build a new library building also 
What else is a library consultant going to say, right ?
Would he advise the Public Library that they should clean up all the old books that have never been checkedout? Cleanup those wasted spaces, and old dusty stacked books, and make more room in the current space because you should be using the space better - I doubt it.
Will he educate the Library management about this wonderful new invention called the Internet, Digital Books, and Videos, and iPod audio books? Dont thinks so - he'll recommend we buy more physical books I'm sure. And more Shelves, and then we should build a new building because the Library is already cluttered with mostly dusty forgotten books.
Will he show how Cranbury Library should be using the same exact library space and enhance the PC and Laptops, so we now have access to millions of more books online - a far greater selection then any single physical book library can provide so Cranbury will not need to have all those wasted book shelves and books that might never be read sitting collecting dust? Or how about how easy it is to get a book on demand - either digitally or delivered to the library? or Video or Audio book or Game or Music? Popular books can still be ordered online and stocked and even sold back to Amazon. Are they doing that with the old book stock that is not requested anymore?
I'm sorry to tell you but the Cranbury Library of the future is not full of dusty books sitting on hundreds of shelves in a very large new building. The digital age of Media is here and our Cranbury library is no longer limited to the 4 physical walls and small spaces.
Hey, why dont I go onto the Cranbury Library right now from my house and get a Video streamed from MyLibraryDV service. Yea Cranbury Library doors are closed now, but I can still go onto the digital one, its always open.
http://www.cranburypubliclibrary.org/
I am a proponent of our current Cranbury Public Library, but I want the management to be more realistic to the current Digital trends and optimize its fiscal, spacial, desires for a new building. Its not needed in the short term.
Audio Books Library
http://www.netlibrary.com/
Google Books
http://books.google.com/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Libraries/
Biggest Free Encyclopedia and a list of hundreds of libraries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_library
Another great list of digital online Archives
http://www.dmoz.org/Reference/Libraries/Digital/
Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/
More than 119 million items are shelved at 101 Independence Ave. in Washington D.C., but the treasures of the Library of Congress extend beyond its walls. Begin your online tour at the library's American Memory Historical Collections, which include everything from the African-American Pamphlet Collection to Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election. Kids will enjoy America's Story from America's Library, a history site featuring digitized letters, records, tapes, films and other media. If you're in a museum mood, stroll over to the library's Exhibitions. The Library of Congress also maintains Thomas, a legislative information clearinghouse. Visitors will find the Congressional Record and the full text of legislation from 1989 (101st Congress) to the present. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 8:22 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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Agree with "ed k".
The opinions of *paid/hired* consultant(s) will not be as objective as they want people to believe.
It will be sad to see a brand new library that is full of books and stuff, but empty without patrons most of the time.
The current setup is more "lively" for a small town library. I feel more comfortable walking in to a library with patrons big and small than to one that is big and without souls. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 8:46 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| I agree. By it's name alone a library consultant has one objective and they will take what their hearing from the library and school and formulate a plan according to what they hear are the concerns and wishes. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 9:22 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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Even if you could find a cosultant that wouldn't automatically try to justify the new library, that person wouldn't be hired. Think about who's hiring the person -- the same group that has not only made it clear they want a new library but who has so far relentlessly tried to manipulate the public process to force one though at the taxpayers expense. Why would they suddenly demonstrate integrity and not pre-vet the disposition of the consultant to assure it matches their end-result expectations.
Let's be realistic. They are not hiring someone to help "us" make the decision, they are hiring someone to help them justify the already determined result they have deemed on our collective behalf, as our expense. |
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Cranbury Conservative
Joined: Tue, Apr 29 2008, 9:26 am EDT
Posts: 287
Location: Old Cranbury Road
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 9:39 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| Save the money on a consultant and pay an arbitrator to resolve the “Dispute” between the Library and School. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 10:39 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| Cranbury Conservative wrote: | | Save the money on a consultant and pay an arbitrator to resolve the “Dispute” between the Library and School. |
I disagree, we should not pay anyone to help them get along. These administrators were not elected to the position, get payed good money (they receive a pay check probably larger that many people in this town), and this is part of their job description. The community link between the library and the school has been there long before they took their jobs. This is what the community wants and they need to respect and accept it. If they cannot work on this relationship without paid outside negotiators then perhaps Cranbury needs to make some employment changes. |
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??
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 10:46 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| What's going on with this town?? It was a good town not long ago. Now, we have school vs. library, TC vs. disgruntle residents, a ballfield that we don't own and can't use without permission but need to pay for its upkeep! |
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Cranbury Conservative
Joined: Tue, Apr 29 2008, 9:26 am EDT
Posts: 287
Location: Old Cranbury Road
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 10:47 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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| Guest wrote: | | Cranbury Conservative wrote: | | Save the money on a consultant and pay an arbitrator to resolve the “Dispute” between the Library and School. |
I disagree, we should not pay anyone to help them get along. These administrators were not elected to the position, get payed good money (they receive a pay check probably larger that many people in this town), and this is part of their job description. The community link between the library and the school has been there long before they took their jobs. This is what the community wants and they need to respect and accept it. If they cannot work on this relationship without paid outside negotiators then perhaps Cranbury needs to make some employment changes. |
From a fiscal perspective I agree with you and further since we are a small town it should not come to the point that we need to pay anyone to solve an issue as minor as this. However it first appears the TC is unwilling to get involved and from what I hear it may be time for an arbitrator since both sides are not talking and the Library in particular is taking an antagonistic approach to the situation. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri, Sep 26 2008, 11:03 am EDT Post subject: Re: Cranbury Library |
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This is always what concerns me in terms of our school. We have a great k-8 program. When Charlie Argento was here the school was run perfectly and he recognized the school for what it was a small town k-8 elementary school where the focus was on kids and teacher relationships.
Bartoletti came in and suddenly it was not good enough it had to be bigger, grander, more sports programs, etc...
Then we get Haney from another big school system and things become grander... |
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