“Whatever the cost of our libraries, it is cheap compared to the cost of an ignorant nation.”

– Walter Cronkite, American Broadcast Journalist

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Dear Bernardsville Library Patrons and Supporters, 

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What is a typical day like at the Bernardsville Library? Come, take a journey with us to the heart and soul of our community …. the Bernardsville Public Library. Where the past, present and future come together to provide explorations, experiences and information…

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It is morning and the library is already buzzing with activity. Several patrons are online, taking advantage of our many computers. Some are reading the daily newspapers, while others are pursuing career development. Young children and their caregivers are reading, singing, and learning in Storytime; and seniors are receiving help via the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. 

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As the day progresses, activities continue… older children are engaged in reading and creative projects; middle school and high school students are coming into the library to work together on projects and reports, while others come to volunteer; and tutors are working with their students in a safe, well-lit environment.

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It is now evening, and adults are meeting friends at the library to learn how to play games like Mah Jong and Bridge, attend English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, engage in local volunteer groups’ meetings, while book clubs are gathering to exchange ideas and thoughts on a great novel, a memoir, or a work of nonfiction.  

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On any given day you can attend a concert or hear a lecture at our library. You can exercise your body or learn a new craft. You can enter the library’s Local History Room and uncover the history of your family, your home, or of Bernardsville and surrounding towns, or you might stop at the circulation desk to pick up a museum pass or to check out the latest mystery novel. Did you know that the library also provides shelter in times of crisis? You can come to the  library to warm up, to cool down, to recharge your devices, to work and read in comfort, and to ignite your imagination! 

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"A great library provides. It is enmeshed in the life of the community in a way that makes it indispensable.” – Vicki Myron, American Author and Librarian

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The mission of the Bernardsville Library Foundation is to be a source of funding to enable our outstanding Bernardsville Public Library to continue to operate at a level of excellence, regardless of variations in public funding.

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The Foundation has two goals. Our first goal is to bridge the gap between municipal funding and actual operating expenses each year. Since 2011, your donations to the Foundation have provided $852,910 in grants to the Bernardsville Public Library for that purpose.

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Our second goal is to continue to build an Endowment for the Bernardsville Library, to be able to provide financial stability for future library operations. The Endowment is carefully monitored by the Library Foundation’s Investment Committee, to ensure that as the Bernardsville Public Library moves toward the future, it can continue to provide all the excellent programs and services you have come to love, expect, and enjoy.

The Bernardsville Library Foundation needs your help to continue to provide financial resources for our wonderful Bernardsville Library. Please donate to the Library Foundation by clicking the link below to make a secure online donation:

 

With heartfelt thanks for your support of our wonderful Bernardsville Library,

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Patrice O’Regan Cummings, Chair                Debbie Heimerl, Chair

Bernardsville Library Foundation             2025 Annual Appeal Committee