The BCCLS Friends' Breakfast raised money for the BCCLS Scholarship Fund.

Today BCCLS was joined by Dennis McNerney, County Executive, Freeholders Julie O'Brien and Vernon C. Walton, Dan Harmatz, President, New Milford Board of Trustees, and Tina De Lucia, New Milford Council President and Mayor's Alternate Trustee to celebrate 30 years of cooperative library service.

Read all about it at www.northjersey.com

Today, on the BCCLS homepage, to highlight BCCLS' thirty years of service to libraries, we begin 'The BCCLS Chronicles' wherein for each of the thirty days of September, we will post a writing by a BCCLS director, an author, or a member of the public with some thoughts about BCCLS and libraries.

And, by the way, it's not too late to send me yours.

We begin with a posting from our Executive Director, Robert White, who, for thirty years has placed immeasurable value on each of our member libraries and every single patron.

Check the homepage to see each day's posting.

Dear Friends,

We certainly hope many of you will be able to join us, rain or shine, at the Paramus Public Library this Sunday, June 14 from 1pm to 5pm, for BooksNJ2009, when over 90 authors will be on hand to talk about the world of books. The weather forecast looks promising. Take a look at the website for a list of participating authors and details about the amazing array of events we have planned: www.booksnj2009.org

This morning's Record also features a story on Joshua Tiprigan, a junior at Northern Valley High School who was a national winner in Target's essay contest, with an award to the public library of his choice -- Northvale -- for $10,000!

www.northjersey.com/education/47273197.html

Congratulations to Joshua, Northvale, Target and to our readers and supporters everywhere.

Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)
810 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
robert@bccls.org

Friends and Library Champions,

I am pleased to inform you that thanks to your efforts and the specific work of the Hoboken Public Library Board of Trustees (JoAnne Serrano, President), the Friends of the Hoboken Library, and Library Director Lina Podles, Senator Stack has withdrawn S. 2775, which would have cut the minimum funding for public libraries in half. More than 2,200 messages were sent in specific opposition to S. 2775. The field work of the New Jersey Library Association and the New Jersey State Library in providing support and communications are integral elements in keeping both the citizens and the legislature informed.

Our Library Champions now represent all 75 BCCLS member libraries, and more than 900 of you have signed up. We are well on our way to our 2009 goal of 2,000 champions from BCCLS libraries. Thank you for your past support, which was invaluable in stopping the Assembly Bill, and now stopping the Senate version. We are grateful to the many library boards and town councils who have passed resolutions opposing any change in the current minimum funding law and of course to you in your continuing support for public libraries.

If you are seeing this letter on the BCCLS web page and have not yet joined the champions for your town, please visit this link and consider becoming a Library Champion : www.bccls.org/champions

Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!

Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)
810 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
robert@bccls.org

There's a new link in The Library Catalog. It's on the left under the cover/link to reviews, summaries, etc. (if there is any) and reads "Write a Review." After a title is reviewed a "Readers' Reviews" link will appear above the "Write a Review" link. A subject search for "Readers' Reviews" will find titles w/reviews broken down by the relevant month or you could do a keyword search, su readers reviews, to find all that have been written so far.

Welcome to National Library Week, a celebration of all types of libraries.

Besides the programs that are part of each library's calendar, many of our libraries are taking particular note of National Library Week with additional programs for adults, teens, and children...Read More

The Teaneck Public Library was featured in an article in the Sunday New York Times. Read all about it : "Times Are Tough, and Libraries Are Thriving" by Joseph Berger.

Your Library Card now includes information regarding the overdue fine policies of the items that are checked out to you. To look at your Your Library Card page log-in with your library card number and PIN. If you do not have a PIN ask for one the next time you visit any BCCLS library.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your strong response to the New Jersey League of Municipalities' attempt to cut the minimum funding for New Jersey libraries in half. Our letter on January 14 was one of a number of efforts in the New Jersey Library community to inform people of the issues and what was at stake. The response from Library Boards of Trustees has been overwhelming and in the six weeks since the League called on towns to support their resolution, 53 Library Boards in BCCLS communities have voted NO, and these trustees have also been busily educating elected officials and citizens in their town about the potential impact of such shortsighted cuts. I also want to thank the people who wrote BCCLS directly. We now have an advocacy archive here on the BCCLS website.

Assemblyman Prieto (District 32) introduced legislation incorporating the League's resolution on February 9 (A. 3753). We don't have a count on telephone calls, but based on anecdotal reaction from legislative offices, the reaction from the library community has had an impact. On Tuesday, February 17th, NJLA representatives met with Assemblyman Gerald Green, Chair of the Housing and Local Government Committee which would be scheduled to hear A. 3753. After assurances from Chairmann Green that the bill would not leave his Committee in its current form, NJLA asked all to stop the communications to legislative offices for the moment. I want to single out Assembly members Thomas Giblin (District 34), Gary Schaer (District 36), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (District 37) Charlotte Vandervalk (District 39) for their public comments and/or letters opposing such legislation. As we receive other definitive communications, we will add them to our list.

We don't know if a Senate bill will be introduced, or if there will be another push to amend and move A. 3753. To be better prepared the next time, the BCCLS membership is launching a Library Champions initiative. The Boards of Trustees and Friends of the Library do outstanding work for their local libraries, but we also want to organize people in town who are willing to write an official, call a legislative office, or simply promote the value and importance of libraries. More details on the Library Champions program will be available on the BCCLS' website in the next few days.

In closing, let us thank you for YOUR effort, which clearly has slowed, if not yet stopped the League's challenge. Many letters included wonderful stories about the importance of libraries in their lives. Your message got through and counted. We hope the Library Champions initiative will build on that foundation.

Robert W. White
Executive Director
email : robert@bccls.org
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

Dear Friends,

The New Jersey League of Municipalities passed a resolution at their November 2008 meeting calling for the reduction in minimum funding for libraries from 1/3rd to 1/6 of a mil-- a 50% reduction in minimum funding level. The League is now urging its members to pass such a model resolution locally. Were such a law to be implemented many BCCLS' libraries would cease to exist, or be so severely crippled that library services - which are at record levels in these harsh economic times - would disappear.

Here is the full text of its resolution from their webpage: www.njslom.org/ml010809-library.html

Let me repeat the FINAL "whereas" for you

"WHEREAS, the amount each municipality is required to contribute under the current statute far exceeds the reasonable needs and requirements of the free public libraries in the municipalities governed by this law."

The League is composed of municipal officials (Mayors, Councilmen, Administrators, Municipal officials). Encouraging its members to pass such a resolution locally is a sign of simplistic analysis taken to disastrous public policy. The average per capita support for public libraries across the BCCLS system is $63.31 for 2007 (latest data currently available) or $1.22 a week. As a percentage of your total local property tax bill your library receives less than 1.95%. The League has been on the wrong side of public libraries since at least 1991 and it is trying to use the current economic situation to critically weaken one of the most important institutions a locality has.

What can you do? Make sure your Mayor and Council are on the side of your library. Do NOT pass this resolution. Help keep your local library strong with the current law that has worked well since its 1894 passage and last amended in 1986.

If you want to know more, go to the web page of the New Jersey Library Association at www.njla.org.

BCCLS is working with its member libraries to keep library funding as stable as possible, while we work through this economic mess. Look at those figures again and you see that libraries are not the reason for the current distress. If you need help in protecting YOUR library, check with your local library, or feel free to email us. Thanks for your support.

Robert W. White
Executive Director
email : robert@bccls.org
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

For the first time in its thirty year history, BCCLS libraries will circulate more than 10 million items in 2008. And the 10 millionth circulation happened on Black Friday!

Dear Friends,

For all of you who are iPod/Mac users and audiobook listeners, the change you have been waiting for is here!

BCCLS is delighted to announce that a number of titles at ListenNJnw.org are now compatible with iPods, iPhones, and Macs with more titles being added on a consistent basis.

The ListenNJnw website has been redesigned with a few new features to make your visits easier. You can create a wish list in your shopping cart, use full-text searching, and search through lists of awards (in Advanced Search) for the perfect title.

A reminder that the loan period for all downloadable audiobooks is now ten days.

Please take a look and download titles from our growing list of MP3 compatible audiobooks or search through the more than one thousand titles available in WMA format.

And let us hear from you. Please send comments, questions, and suggestions to eaudio@bccls.org.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Listening to all of you!

Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

Dear Friends,

Please join us this Thursday evening, October 23rd at 7pm at www.bccls.org for One Book BCCLS, our online discussion of the title voted on by you! This year's selection is Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

Just click on www.bccls.org/OneBookBCCLS for more information.

One Book BCCLS which is now in its third year continues to generate interest (more than 1700 ballots this year) in choosing a title, and the previous discussions on Pride and Prejudice, and The Kite Runner brought a diverse readership to our online chat. We hope you can join us, and if you can't be sure to read the transcript which will be on the website.

Historically, when the economy experiences a downward spiral, library use rises dramatically. This is certainly true for our BCCLS libraries. We are seeing circulation use rise, Internet use at libraries rise, and we are on track to circulate over 10,000,000 items in 2008, our highest circulation ever!

Many people are dropping their Internet subscriptions, buying fewer books, and renting fewer dvds. Here is where your public library becomes your place for one-stop shopping! Bestsellers and classics, the newest dvds and audiobooks, and free Internet use are all available with your library card.

And don't forget that the BCCLS website, www.bccls.org, is open 24/7/365 for you to 'shop' the catalog and place requests for materials, search our databases for information on health, finance, consumer information, homework assignments, and much more. The BCCLS website is also a treasure trove of information on books with BCCLS Book of the Day and BCCLSVisor. See what's new at YOUR home library by clicking on 'What's new @'. And be sure to use "Your Library Card" to manage your account online.

Thanks for being a part of BCCLS and for making your public libraries a vital part of your lives!

Warmest regards,
Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

Dear Friends,

Just wanted to let you know about a change to ListenNJNW and your Overdrive accounts.

We know from the lecture/demos that BCCLS staffers conducted when we first introduced downloadable audiobooks that listeners are passionate about their audiobooks. We value and appreciate all that we learned from our 'road trips'. Our goal is to bring you the best selections with the shortest wait time that is possible within our budget.

One thing we hear over and over from you in our eaudio@bccls.org mailbox is that you feel you have to wait too long for the 'hot' titles. Our goal is to reduce the amount of time you have to wait and in addition to buying additional copies of popular titles, shortening the loan period is one change that will definitely help in this area.

To that end, ListenNJNW's loan period has changed from 14 days to 10 days. We hope you view this as a positive change. All ListenNJNW listeners should experience a shorter wait period for the titles for which they are on hold.

As always, please send any comments, questions, and suggestions to eaudio@bccls.org.

Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

Read transcripts of the most recent BCCLSChats. If you couldn't be there and have questions or comments please use the Feedback link on the homepage or write to feedback@bccls.org!

Dear Friends,

Today at 2PM and tomorrow at 7 PM, BCCLS will hold one of its regular online public forums : BCCLSChat. You can ask questions, comment on any aspect of public library service.

We do these online one hour meetings regularly with library staff in BCCLS libraries, but we also want to make sure we include as many of our users as possible. Circulation is up markedly this year across our system, and we look for ways to make our services even better. We think people need libraries more than ever, but we need to make sure the services we provide are what you need now.

One of the benefits of the online chat is a transcript we put up so that people can read what is said, even if they couldn't join us live. The forum is moderated, and it is just chat, no video. Our feedback@bccls.org mailbox is always open as well.

Hope to hear from any and all of you today, tomorrow, or whenever you want to communicate with us.

rww

--
Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

The option to highlight or limit in The Library Catalog is now accomplished with two drop-down boxes: one for the two choices (highlight or limit) and one for the libraries.

GLOM is a new Display Option in The Library Catalog. It groups the results of your search into the following categories:

Books, Large Print Books, and Audiobooks (Downloadable, CDs, MP3s, Playaways, Cassettes),
Abridged Books, Large Print Books, and Audiobooks (Downloadable, CDs, MP3s, Playaways, Cassettes),
Periodicals, Serials, Videos (DVD and VHS), Music CDs, Musical Scores, Maps, CD-ROMs. When your search finds several editions of the same title go to the bottom of the page and select "GLOM" from the Display Options drop-down box and click "GO".

• You can choose to display items belonging to just one or to any combination of BCCLS libraries. If you do not select any libraries all libraries' copies will display. Click on one or more checkboxes to select individual libraries. Click on the name of a community to select its library and surrounding libraries.
• If you wish you may choose to view only copies that are currently "Available"

Click on the green "OK - Go ahead and GLOM!" button at the bottom of the page. If it is red and says "Please wait..." your search probably found a lot of editions. Give it a minute and it will turn green.

Once you have GLOMed your search you can change your mind about what libraries to display and/or whether or not to display only "Available" copies. To view more information and/or place a request click on a Call Number. If you want to GLOM a different author/title click on the "New Search" link in the top-left corner of the page.

The 8th Annual Friends Breakfast will be served on Tuesday, October 21, at Washington Township's Seasons Restaurant. Sign up today!

How to Request Items from the BCCLS Catalog is an 8 minute video that shows you how to request items from the BCCLS catalog.

Dear Friends,

BCCLS' libraries are busier than ever this summer with our busiest June EVER, and 2008 as a whole will also be our busiest. Roseland Public Library, celebrating its 40th year as a library and the town's centennial, began BCCLS' circulation on January 8th. Just a few weeks ago, Bloomfield Public Library began circulation with us. Now we are on a glide path for Montclair, our 8th Essex County member and 75th member, to begin circulation in early January 2009. Here's the timeline for our coming months:

June 2008. Montclair begins to re-register patrons in BCCLS, and to sticker resident cards for Open Borrowing rights at more than 75 libraries beyond the 74 fellow BCCLS' members. Montclair residents, as soon as you are registered in BCCLS, you can borrow in person at any of the more than 150 libraries participating in Open Borrowing (www.openborrowing.org or just type "open borrowing" (no quotes) in Google-- we're still #1 there.) Except for Essex County ReBL users, all other Open Borrowing users, save your Montclair visit until January.

All of the BCCLS' databases are now open for Montclair cardholders.

August 2008. Montclair residents can begin placing online requests for material which will be delivered from the other 74 BCCLS libraries to Montclair. Online requesting in BCCLS totals more than 75,000 a month and brings a wealth of books, music and video to your hometown library with just a few easy clicks.

September 2008. National Library Card Sign-Up Month is a good time for all of you who have been meaning to have a library card to go to your local library and sign up for one. BCCLS has more than 655,000 registered cardholders, and almost 200,000 of you have checked out one or more items in the last 6 months. Active library cards average more than $700 in materials checked out annually. Montclair items will become more and more visible in the BCCLS catalog through the summer and fall, but the status on all of them will show AVAILABLE which will not be accurate until January.

September 2008 also marks the beginning of our 30th year of providing library resource sharing at its best. There will be a number of events through 2009 to celebrate libraries, books, and community activity focused on libraries. Spend a few minutes here on the BCCLS' webpage with its great resource of Booklists for suggested reading -- BCCLSVisor

Your best source of information is your local library, but the BCCLS feedback mailbox is always open as is our New Title suggestion box which is distributed to all BCCLS' libraries.

Whether it's sun, sand, a book, a CD, or a movie, have a great summer.

rww
Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

Gas prices too high and vacation plans have changed? Take a trip to another world via books. Using Flights of Fantasy created by avid fantasy reader Latricia Markle, Children's Librarian at the Tenafly Public Library, take a flight into fantasy land. (Not the Walt Disney version)

The Harry Potter saga has concluded, but for everyone who likes fantasy there's still plenty to read. Try some old favorites, as well as newcomers. And check out those subgenres--noir mystery in a fantastic world. Even if you don't think you're the fantasy "type", you're sure to find something that appeals!

Television icon Barbara Walters, now a celebrated author, will sit for a public conversation with Bergen Community College president Dr. G Jeremiah Ryan on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the Colleges gymnasium, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, N.J. The pair will discuss Walters' No. 1 bestseller, Audition: A Memoir. Project Literacy U.S. of Bergen County has partnered with the College to arrange this unique dialogue. Tickets are $45 for upfront seating and an autographed copy of Audition: A Memoir or $20 for standard seating. To order tickets, call (201) 447-7428 or visit tickets.bergen.edu For more information...

Dear Friends,

As you can see from the catalog this morning, the browse indexes and hyperlinks have been restored. We want to thank you for your patience over the past few weeks where they have not been available.

BCCLS' staff worked through last night with our software vendor to finally resolve the indexing problem -- it turned out to be a combination hardware (which was not showing up on diagnostics) as well as the software.

We want to encourage you to take some time to walk through the Help screens in the catalog. There is an expanded explanation of Stop words, and clear explanations of the various choices you have in searching the catalog. We intend to improve the information there over the coming weeks. We will use what we have learned as we develop our next generation catalog (due in 24-30 months) Our plan is to lose NONE of the functionality, but to improve the flexibility, indexing depth, and precision. We want the best catalog possible, because we have one of the richest public library collections in the United States. Even for the current New York Times #1 best seller-- The host by Stephenie (that's her spelling) Meyer, we are the deepest in copies per capita as well as range of formats. The BCCLS catalog is one of the best representations of "long tail" phenomena out there-- do a Google search if you want to know more. We think our patrons are the best, and that is the collection and catalog we want to deliver.

Whether you are reading, listening, viewing, playing or relaxing, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

Warmest regards,

Robert W. White
Executive Director
Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS)

Dear Friends,

We are sorry for the difficulties that have made our catalog not accessible by "card catalog style" (left justified browse) indexes for author (e.g. King, Stephen), title (e.g. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), or subject (Dinosaurs). These indexes also power hyperlinks so that you can with one click move from one book by Stephen King to all books by Stephen King.

On Tuesday evening May 20th we loaded the latest repair attempt by our software vendor; this was not successful, and we continue to work with them to get the indexes back. We expect to have a revised patch for loading Thursday evening, May 22, after the libraries have closed.

In the meantime, the keyword indexes are operating normally and account for more than 98% of searches. They behave like Amazon or Google searches EXCEPT that they do not include "relevancy" that makes Stephen King's It go to the top of the list. Authors, titles, and subjects are in the keyword indexes (as well as ISBNs, publisher names and other access points) so you can find most items, but a little extra skill and sometimes effort is required. There are 14 stop words that are NOT indexed in Keyword, and are ignored in searching, so that " (au Shakespeare) and (ti as you like it) yields no different results than (au Shakespeare) and (ti you like). The list of Stop words is now in the Catalog help, and also appears on the catalog search form.

We continue to work with the vendor to resolve this problem, and are glad that circulation operations and 98% of searching is not impacted. If you are looking for an item that you cannot easily locate, please check with your library for assistance, or write to feedback@bccls.org or use the "Feedback" link on the website. We want these browse indexes back as soon as possible.

Again, my apologies, and hoping all is resolved before we begin the Memorial Day weekend.

Robert W. White
Executive Director

The Author, Title, Series, and Subject indexes are broken. When they are repaired those options will be returned to the search form. In the meantime you can use Keyword searching to find all of the above.

To find authors use the au qualifier: au bernard cornwell

To find titles use the ti qualifier: ti sword song

To find subjects use the su qualifier: su historical fiction

Sometimes it is best to use both author and title words without qualifiers: bernard cornwell sword song

For more detailed help re Keyword searching just scroll down the catalog's main search page.

The new Magazines, Newspapers, and Reference Resources page will make it even easier for you to use the many resources that are available to you with your BCCLS library card! If you are already familiar with the many and various databases that are available from EBSCO (including Novelist), INFOTRAC (including Informé), and PROQUEST (including The Historical New York Times) you will be able to search them without having to enter your library card number every time.

The tabs near the top of the page will show you some of the details regarding what is inside each of the databases.

• 'all resources' lists each of the databases that are available from each of the three providers.
• 'for students' lists resources that are geared towards students of all ages.
• 'general reference' includes an encyclopedia and other general reference databases.
• 'newspapers' shows which newspapers are indexed in which databases.
• 'subjects' sorts the databases by topical subjects including biography, business / law, education, health, history / international / military, humanities, literature, & science.
• with 'titles' you can either...
  • see what publications are indexed in a given database
  • search for a publication's title (or partial title) to find out which, if any, database indexes that title
  • or both.

Selected Shorts is crossing the Hudson for its third return engagement to BCCLS!

On Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30PM the Franklin Lakes Public Library will come alive with the voices of New York's finest actors reading great short stories as Symphony Space's acclaimed program Selected Shorts comes to BCCLS.

Admission is free but reservations are required. Email arlene@bccls.org or call 201-489-1904.

Read the transcripts of the most recent BCCLSChats!

Read the transcripts of the most recent BCCLSChats!

Students enrolled at an ALA accredited library school are welcome to apply for the 2008 BCCLS Scholarship. Applications must be mailed to the BCCLS office and postmarked no later than March 17, 2008

Dear Friends,

On December 31, 2007, our contract with NetLibrary will come to an end.

Many factors contributed to this difficult decision. The cost of the service and the uncertain future of the partnership between NetLibrary and Recorded Books were chief among them.

As of January 1, 2008, BCCLS will continue providing downloadable audiobooks to you via Overdrive at www.listennjnw.org

As of that date, BCCLS patrons with accounts at NetLibrary will no longer have access to NetLibrary's collection.

For those of you who may be disappointed by our decision to continue only with Overdrive, we encourage you to take the time to explore the wealth of its content. We think you will be pleasantly surprised by the currency, diversity, and breadth of its collection.

We continue in our enthusiastic support for the downloadable audiobook format and hope that your enthusiasm for the format will continue with Overdrive.

Please don't hesitate to contact us at eaudio@bccls.org with your comments.

Warmest regards,
Robert White

Read the transcript of One Book BCCLS's discussion of The Kite Runner

ONE BOOK BCCLS 2007 - And the winner is...

The software that makes Your Book Bag work is new and improved. If you have used Your Book Bag in the past and gave up on it because it was too slow please try it again. If you've never used Your Book Bag please try it and let us know what you think.

Tonight or tomorrow afternnon would be a good time to let us know what you think. Join us of for BCCLSChat!

1. Welcome Bloomfield Public Library and Roseland Public Library patrons.
2. There will be two sessions of BCCLSChat, one at 7pm on Monday evening, September 24, and a second one at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon, September 25. Read more about BCCLSChat here.

7th Annual Friends' Breakfast

Thursday, September 27, 2007
10:00 - 12:00
Seasons Restaurant, Washington Township

Please RSVP to your library no later than September 14, 2007.

ONE BOOK BCCLS 2007 - LET THE VOTING BEGIN!
The polls are open at www.bccls.org/OneBookBCCLS! Vote early and often.

If you've already read everything on your summer reading list you'll be gald to know about three new bibliographies:

• The Best Authors You Aren't Reading!
• geeks, nerds, and brainiacs
• presenting...Sonya Sones

Dear Friends,

Passaic Public Library has now completed its transition from BCCLS to PalsPlus. There should no longer be any records in the BCCLS online catalog for Passaic. For those of you with items from Passaic, they should still show up in Your Library Card.

Coverage for the New York TImes has changed. Under the auspices of the New Jersey State Library, you still have access from 1989 to date in the Ebsco Host File, and from 1995 to date in the Infotrac Custom Newspapers. The Historical New York Times from 1851 is no longer provided remotely.

Your Passaic Public Library card is still welcome at the 72 BCCLS libraries for walk-in borrowing under the auspices of the Open Borrowing Program as well as at more than 80 other libraries. You have always needed either an "HRLC" or an "Open Borrowing" sticker on your library card for the libraries beyond BCCLS, but beginning August 1, you will need that sticker at any BCCLS Library.

If you have any other questions about Passaic's move to PALSPlus please contact the Passaic Public Library at (973) 779-0474.

Robert W. White
Executive Director
BCCLS

Photos from the 2007 Mary Joyce Doyle Scholarship Awards include recipients, directors, donors, and honorees.

The Book Club Books page has a new look. Find out what book clubs are reading and when and where they are meeting.

BCCLS' Most Wanted List can now be found in the drop-down box on the right side of the home page under "BCCLSVisor: May we suggest..." It lists the week's most popular titles.

A World Language Materials & Culture Fair will take place at Bergen Community College from 9am to 3pm on Thursday, March 15, 2007.

• See and hear about the best ways to reach out to the diverse populations in your community!
• Experts in outreach to immigrant populations will tell you about many of the cultural differences you need to recognize to best serve these customers.
• Vendors who specialize in helping libraries develop their world language collections will be there to meet with you and show you how they can make it easy for you to select and organize materials.
• This fun and informative day will include lunch, entertainment, and prizes!

For more information view and/or print the program flyer.

BCCLS NYTimes Best Sellers List--NEW AND IMPROVED FOR 2007!

You already know that all you have to do is click on the cover or title to search The Library Catalog and place your requests. Now you can download audio books with just a click on the list! All titles on the New York Times Best Sellers list that are available in downloadable format are identified by the NetLibrary or OverDrive icons. Click on the icon and you can download the title or place a request (NetLibrary titles are always available for download; OverDrive titles can either be downloaded or requested.) BCCLS is proud to offer our patrons this new level of customer service!

The Kids page has a new look and feel. It features a new cover which has been randomly selected from those that fuel the "What's New @ [your library]" search engine.

"Programs @..." lists libraries that have posted relevant info on their web sites.

Suggestions for links to add to the "Web sites for Kids!" section are welcome.

Stumped for holiday gift suggestions for the younger crowd? Take a look at December's BCCLSVisor, "Makin. a List." You've got a ready-made list of popular reading suggestions for pre-schoolers to young adults thanks to the Youth Services Committee, and Carlie Webber, BCCLS Young Adult Services Librarian.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Photos from the recent Chusok Festival may be viewed by surfing to
BCCLS : Buckles? : Photo Albums : Chusok Festival 2006

Photos from yesterday's BCCLS Friends' Breakfast, a fundraiser which supports the BCCLS Scholarship Fund, may be viewed by surfing to
BCCLS : Buckles? : Photo Albums : Friends' Breakfasts 2006

Dave Franz was presented with an Honorary Library Card by the staff of the BCCLS office while he was raising more than $10,000 for the Hillsdale Library and the BCCLS Scholarship fund by running an Ultra-Marathon. He ran 50.2 miles in 10 hours, 54 minutes, and 39 seconds. WOW!

Thanks, Dave!

The Library Catalog now includes links to patron reviews in BCCLSBlog! The link appears on both the hitlist and the full record pages. The easiest way to see an example is to go into BCCLSBlog and click on a cover. Submit your reviews to BCCLSBlog today!

On Saturday, September 30, 2006, The Library Director of the Hillsdale Library will run as far as he can throughout Hillsdale and Bergen County to raise funds for the Hillsdale Library and the Bergen County Cooperative Library System Scholarship fund for future librarians. Thanks, Dave! Read all about it @ www.readersrun.org

Literary Noir : "The term was coined by postwar French film critics as film noir (black film) to describe the sort of movie characterized by dark photography and a despairing, doom-laden sense of life. Scholars of the mystery story found it convenient to use the term for work that shared the same attitude... Typical themes in noir work include obsessive love (or hate, or both), amnesia, illness, betrayal, and man-as-the-plaything of fate" DeAndrea, William L. Encyclopedia Mysteriosa

ListenNJNW debuts today!

ListenNJNW is a downloadable audiobooks project of the Highlands Regional Library Cooperative. BCCLS has partnered with the Region and is joined by Bernardsville PL, Centenary College, Hunterdon County Library, PALS Plus, Parsippany-Troy Hills Library System, Phillipsburg PL, and the Sussex County Library System to offer additional downloadable audiobooks to our public.

When you visit ListenNJNW you’ll see that there are authors who add real depth to our downloadable offerings.

Read more about ListenNJNW, Naxos, and RecordedBooks/NetLibrary

The following languages have been added to the All Languages drop-down box in The Library Catalog so that you can limit your Keyword search accordingly:

Bambara
Bengali
Faroese
Greek, Modern
Gujarati
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Icelandic
Indonesian
Japanese
Kurdish
Latin
Malayalam
Newari
Panjabi
Persian
Swahili
Thai
Turkish
Urdu
Yiddish
Zulu

A "What's New" form has been added to the lower-right corner of the BCCLS home page. Find out what's new @ your library.

Please take a look at our newly reorganized and expanded BCCLSVisor.

As always, you’ll find lists of recommended titles submitted by library specialists. But now, we’ve added links to websites leading you to more detailed information on genres, book awards, authors, and so much more.

June's offering, created by Luca Manna, Bibliographic Specialist at BCCLS, focuses on the 2005-06 Broadway season : The Season-ed Playgoer

Coming in July will be a BCCLSVisor list on graphic novels, and if you want to know what books Oprah has read, or what year they appeared on her show check out: Oprah's Book Club Selections

We invite you to visit BCCLSVisor regularly and see what we have to offer.

Photos from yesterday's BCCLS Scholarship Awards are now online.

By popular demand a link to Your Book Bag can now be found alongside the link to Your Library Card on the BCCLS home page.

You've tuned in for years...now see it in person! Mark your calendars for Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 at 7:30 PM at the Millburn Free Public Library.

Seeking Book Donations
The New Orleans Public Library (New Orleans LA)

The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books for people of all ages in an effort to restock the shelves after Katrina. The staff will assess which titles will be designated for its collections. The rest will be distributed to destitute families or sold for library fundraising. Please send your books to:

Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

If you tell the post office that they are for the library in New Orleans, they will give you the library rate which is slightly less than the book rate.

The Library Catalog's newest feature is called Your Book Bag and the link for it is at the top of every page in the catalog. Your Book Bag lets you save your own list of books and other library materials as well as searches. Please try it and let us know what you think. Relevant "Help" info is here.

Downloadable Audiobooks (DABs) are now in The Library Catalog. To find all of them do a Keyword search for "downloadable audiobook." To limit your Keyword search to DABs select Downloadable Audiobooks from the All Collections drop-down box. Please note that "CD-ROMs" has been removed from the All Materials drop-down box since CD-ROMs and DABs share a material type which would have caused confusing results. To find CD-ROMs include "CD-ROM" as one of your "keywords."

"What's New" is what's new! Find out what's new @ your library.

Students enrolled at an ALA accredited library school are welcome to apply for the 2006 BCCLS Scholarship. Applications must be mailed to the BCCLS office and postmarked no later than March 17, 2006

Dear Friends:

2006 will be BCCLS Year of the Spoken Word and we are pleased to be adding a new format to our libraries’ collections – downloadable audiobooks...Although our introductory video indicates that Downloadable Audio is coming in January, it is available now. You’re invited to set up an account, download audiobooks, and share your experiences today.

BCCLS wishes you a happy holiday season filled with good books in many formats.

Robert White
Executive Director, BCCLS

Photos from BCCLS' most recent Friends Breakfast are available for your viewing pleasure.

The online Naxos Spoken Word Library is now available to BCCLS patrons for both in-library and remote use. Naxos AudioBooks is a leading spoken word label, producing some 30 new titles a year and concentrating largely on literary classics and educational themes. The library offers Naxos AudioBooks' full range of recordings, many of which can also be followed with the texts on screen. Also included are Naxos Educational products, focusing closely on the background to operas and the lives of great composers. Almost all the recordings are illustrated with music from the unrivalled Naxos catalogue. While listening, users can also access informative notes about the work and the recording. Naxos AudioBooks new releases (currently around 30 CDs per year) are continually added to ensure that the library is always complete and up-to-date. Look for the link on the BCCLS home page.

It is now even easier to submit your reviews to BCCLSBlog. Just find the book that you want to review in The Library Catalog and look for the "Submit your review to BCCLSBlog" link just above the Place Request form on the left. You can also simply send your review via email to BCCLSBlog@bccls.org. Be sure to include your name and library (reviews will only be identified by initials and library) as well as the title and author that you are reviewing.

Photos from BCCLS' trip to the 2005 National Book Festival include some of our favorite authors with their BCCLS library cards as well as links to their books in our catalog.

Banned Books Week is being celebrated from September 24 to October 1, 2005. During the month of September BCCLSVisor is featuring “Celebrating Your Freedom to Read” which includes the most frequently challenged books of 2004, the most frequently challenged authors of 2004, the top ten challenged authors from 1990 to 2004, and the 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990 to 2000.

BCCLSBlog is an online collection of book reviews by and for BCCLS patrons. Please submit your reviews via email to BCCLSBlog@bccls.org. Be sure to include your name and library card number (reviews will only be identified by initials and home library) as well as the title and author that you are reviewing.

The is now available to BCCLS patrons. Log-on with your BCCLS library card number to enjoy "the most comprehensive collection of classical music available online. It includes the complete Naxos, Marco Polo and Dacapo catalogues of over 85,000 tracks, including Classical music, Jazz, World, Folk and Chinese music."

<teens' top ten>

"Each year during Teen Read Week, teens are invited to vote for their Top 10 favorite books. The nominated books are selected by teen book groups from all over the country. Read as many as you can now! The online ballot will go live during Teen Read Week, October 16 - 22, 2005."

The contents of Books, Books, Books... have been moved to BCCLSVisor which you can get to via the drop-down box under the Book of the Day on the BCCLS home page.

CountryWatch is no longer among the databases that you'll find at Magazines, Newspapers, and more since the subscription, which was provided by HRLC, has expired and has not been renewed by HRLC.

Series Sleuths: Enjoy a summer of suspense with these series sleuths. Click on a Character / Author link to search for the whole series. Click on a cover to search for an individual title.

View, print, or download the new Quick Guide to Searching the Library Catalog!

The web pages featuring Talk It Up! are now live. Talk It Up!, our summer book discussion program for teens, is now in its fifth year and will be hosted by 29 BCCLS libraries.

The BCCLS <teens> page features the books that will be discussed at TIU libraries this summer and provides links to individual library flyers promoting the program. Teens will have the opportunity to submit and read online reviews.

Please visit: www.bccls.org/teens/TalkItUp2005/

The Place Request program will be moved to a new computer tomorrow morning at about 9am and will be unavailable during that time. We hope that it will not be down for more than just a few minutes and apologize for any inconvenience.

It is now possible to email, as well as print without covers, Your Bibliography and it is also possible to place requests from within Your Bibliography (though you can't request everything at once.)

Some of the late Brian DeSantis' art may be viewed at Brian's Art Gallery.

Author, Title, and Subject searching will not be available for part of the day on Thursday, May 5. Please use Keyword searching instead. Follow this link for more about Qualified Keyword searching. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If you forget your PIN you can have it sent to your email address if your email address is already in your Your Library Card record in the BCCLS database. Just look for the "Forgot Your PIN?" link on the Your Library Card log-in page. No foolin!

You can now add your email address to the information that is associated with your library card by logging-in to Your Library Card with your library card number and PIN and clicking on the "Add your email address and set your email notice preference" link. Once your email address is there you'll be able to receive overdue and/or pre-overdue notices via email and your email address will automatically be filled in whenever you place a request.

The Library Catalog no longer shows question marks in the Status column of the Holdings Table since so few items are still checked out in our old database.

There's a new BCCLSVisor page, finally. It's called Doggie Detectives & Crime-Solving Kitties and can be found via the Books, Books, Books... page or the link near the top of The Library Catalog.

When searching The Library Catalog you'll find that the "?" in the Status column of the Holdings Table is now a link that lets you check the status of an individual item. Use this link when there are a lot of items for an individual title.

The next time you search The Library Catalog you'll find the following at the top of the holdings table:

Items marked with ?s are identified as Available in our new database but that status will not be reliable for the first few weeks. Follow this link to determine the status of items marked with ?s. This link will check the status of each item against both the new (dark blue text) and the old (black text) databases. The page might load very slowly, especially if there are many copies of this title.

The switch to our new Unicorn software is complete and Place Request is back. Thanks to all who helped to test drive the new Library Catalog. Please keep sending in your comments and suggestions via the web site's Feedback form.

While we make the switch to our new software it will be not be possible to place requests. So, the following message has been put under the Place Request button in The Library Catalog:

Place Request will not be available between 9pm on December 14 and 8am on December 15. We apologize for any inconcvenience.

The logo that Brian designed has gone back up on the home page but the link to the Condolence Book will remain for a while longer. That link has also been added to the "BUCKLES?" page.

Gift Books is a new BCCLSVisor list which combines the previous years' lists into one and also includes "Coffee Table" books.

fab 'o 2004 is a new book bonanza list that's, well, fab!

To mark the passing of Brian DeSantis a web page with a Condolence Book has been set up at www.bccls.org/brian and a photo of Brian has been put on the home page in place of the BCCLS logo which he created.

The opportunity to test drive a demo of our New Library Catalog can be found on the home page.

"BCCLSLetters" and "Read some of the feedback that we have received" have been combined to form a new FAQ page.

Now that our 25th anniversary year is over the link to our Celebrating 25 Years page has moved to the Buckles? page.

Today our new logo...
...makes its debut on our home page.

View the photos from our 4th Annual Friends Breakfast.

On Saturday, October 9, 2004, BCCLS hosted a bus trip to the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Visit our Celebrating 25 years : National Book Festival page to view photos from the trip.Click on the poster to visit the National Book Festival web site. A number of authors were given honorary BCCLS library cards. Click on a photo to get a better view and/or search the BCCLS catalog for that author's books!