JACKSON FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
Volume 1 Issue 2
Spring 2016
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Spring –- a time of growth, renewal, and new
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
President’s Message, Featured Group
2
Leadership, Interview, Kid Production, Book Sale
3
NJ Makers Day, Valentine’s Day, Friends’ Donation
Mobile County Connection Van
4
Chocolate Friend-Z, Membership Drive, What’s in the
Attic, Library Info
Featured Weekly Group
Alzheimer’s New Jersey
Family Support Group
2nd & 4th Wednesdays 10:00 – Noon
Recently retired social worker, Linda Lafer,
MA,CSW, possesses specialized training
about Alzheimer's disease and group
facilitation techniques.
Linda leads these library-based support
groups that provide families and caregivers
the emotional support and education needed
to understand Alzheimer's and other forms
of dementia.
Alternate Wednesday meetings are
located on the 2nd floor in the quiet room.
For further information on Alzheimer's
disease or support to individuals, families,
and caregivers who are dealing with the
disease, call our Helpline: 888-280-6055
beginnings. This winter’s activities of Jackson Friends
of the Library have met all of these criteria. What do I
mean? Let’s look at “growth.” Our membership is
significantly more than this time a year ago, directly the
result of two new special events.
One was our personalized membership campaign. Our
enthusiastic and dedicated members reached out to
friends and neighbors, shared the value and importance
of our support for our Jackson Library, and personally
invited them to join. The response in new membership
was beyond our expectations!
The other was our Chocolate Friends-z in February. If
the name didn’t get your attention, your love of
chocolate and love songs performed by our pianist Barry
Rosenzweig did. This successful membership drive
event will now become an annual one.
We’re extremely proud of our next achievement for
our library. We have received approval from the Library
Commission on the construction of a digital electronic
sign, to be erected in place of the traditional one you
now see on the road. It will have the capabilities for the
appropriate library staff member to program and change
messages about library happenings, all from the
convenience of their computers. Next year’s book sale
will be displayed electronically!
I hope these few words give you “a taste” of what
we’re about. We enjoy knowing we play a major role in
meeting the needs of the library and the Jackson
community. I hope, as you read this, you might be
considering attending a Friends meeting and giving us
an opportunity to meet you. We meet the 3rd Thursday of
every month, 7:00 PM, in the community meeting room.
I look forward to meeting you, a Jackson Friend of the
Library. Continue to check your email for information
about future events.
Rochelle Blum
page 2
INTERVIEW
LEADERSHIP
Board Members
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
of TREASURER DIANNE NAFTAL
by Rose Marie Spingler
Rochelle Blum
Linda Lafer
Dianne Naftal
Pat Palanker
Standing Committees:
Membership
Marge Ollinger
Book Sale
David Whelan
Hospitality
Diana Silberberg
Myrna Hochman
Judith Dubow
Newsletter
Rose Marie Spingler
Michele Campbell
Trustees at large: Estelle Berke
Ira Blum,
Roger Friend
Past President
Rose Marie Spingler
Dianne hails from the geographic center of North America,
Rugby, North Dakota. She arrived in Jackson in 1997 after living
in Mt. Holly, New Jersey and became a frequent visitor to the old
Jackson Branch.
When the new building opened, she started her volunteer work
in the new library building. Dianne still volunteers for the Home
Borrower Program, getting books to people at home, and the
Adopt a Shelf Program.
She joined the Friends of the Library and has served as a board
member as well as often providing hospitality throughout the
years and as our treasurer.
A person with many interests, she enjoys the performing arts,
classical music and western music. Dianne is a natural collector
who collects amethyst stone and minerals, miniatures,
kaleidoscopes and she recently gave away her Christmas tree
collection to library patrons and some staff.
Aren’t we lucky to have such a natural collector as the person
who keeps track of collecting and spending our funds for the
Jackson Branch Friends of the Library group? We know we can
depend on her to be efficient and trustworthy.
BOOK SALE
BISHOP’S KID PRODUCTIONS
On the windy, rainy
evening of February 14,
a group of brave souls
attended the Production
of Kenneth Craddox’s
play, The Bridge:
Closing the Generation
Gap.
Hattie May James,
an elderly African
American woman,
notices a very negative
young man waiting to
meet his friends in the
park.
After she recognizes
his family name, a
conversation evolves
comparing her time
with his present life.
They speak of
differences in speech,
dance, music, and
technology. Hattie
May brings him to the
realization that he has
an obligation to his
son’s generation and
his community. Many
actors perform during
this conversation.
The cast of
Dominion Players are
fine actors and the
overall production
used simple, but very
effective stage settings
as well as music
throughout the entire
play.
Children in the
audience enjoyed the
play as well as a few
folks in Hattie’s age
bracket.
Jackson Friends
sponsored this
performance.
Friends of the Jackson Library
held their annual book sale
from Saturday April 30th
through Saturday May 7th.
The Friends sold hardcover and
paperback books audiobooks,
DVD movies and music CD's.
Proceeds from the book sale
are used by the Jackson Branch
for programs and other services
that will benefit library
services.
JACKSON FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
NEW JERSEY MAKERS DAY
Saturday, March 19,
2016, the Jackson
Library participated in
the statewide: Makers
Day, where children and
teens created objects
with a variety of
materials.
The Jackson Friends of
the Library supported
the purchase of the
costlier components
used in the robotic
technology area.
Some of the activities
available for the
participants to explore
were making:
 Light sabers
 Light – up circuits
 Mine-craft paper
sculpture
 Honeybee
seedling plants
 Recycled
technology art
Coach Darrell Gray’s
team of Vex Robotics
gave an interactive
demonstration.
This is a competitive
students team of ages 10
– 17, who build robots
designed to accomplish
specific tasks.
This day, they were
programmed to pick up
a foam ball and throw it
into a net. Amazing to
watch!
The concept of this
day was to provide an
opportunity for students
of all ages to experience
different areas of
science.
What a successful day
for all!
VALENTINE’S DAY
There was a full house the night of the
thirteenth of February when eighty-four music
lovers celebrated Valentine’s Day listening to
the Do- Op program sponsored by Jackson
Friends.
Rhythm !N Sound offered a wonderful show
and our hospitality committee outdid
themselves!
The Friends annual program budget provided
funding
Our book sales are the main source of raising
money.
page 3
FRIENDS’ PURCHASE FOR A
“FRIEND”
Judy Friend moved to Jackson just in time to enjoy and
enhance the new Jackson Branch Library building. She
loved libraries and over the last ten or so years gave time
and talents to raise funds and research ways in which the
Friends could help the staff bring more to the people of
Jackson.
Among the group who revived the Friends non-profit
here, she also served as president for two years. Judy
noticed things that were needed in the building and in
programming and encouraged others to join Jackson
Friends.
She also loved gardening and helped guide a boy
scout with his Eagle project that resulted in the building
of the gazebo and the landscaped area around it.
We lost Judy to illness last February and gathered
donations in her memory to purchase a beautiful sundial
and a granite pedestal.
The granite is polished and unpolished and will hold
a brass plague with a memorial inscription. We are sure
Judy would be pleased that this sundial will also offer an
educational opportunity for children as well. It will be
placed near the gazebo and dedicated later this year.
Mobile County Connection Van
June 2 & July 7 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
The staff from the Mobile County Connection will provide material
and answer questions about programs and services available
through the various departments of County Government.
Visit the "bus" parked outside the library for services including:
 Information: County programs, services, events and tourism
 County Clerk Services: passport applications, passport photos,
notary public applications, vote by mail applications
 Election Board Services: Voter registration applications, party
affiliation forms, board worker appointment applications
 Parks and Recreation: Dog park permits
 Recycling Services: American flags, cell phones, eye glasses,
hearing aids, ink cartridges
page 4
JACKSON FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
LIBRARY INFO
Address:
2 Jackson Drive, Jackson, NJ 08527
Phones:
(732) 928-4400,
(732)349-6200 ext.3600,
(609)971-0514 ext.3600
Fax:(732) 833-0615
Hours:
Monday through Thursday 9-9
Friday & Saturday 9-5
Web site address
http://theoceancountylibrary.org/Friends/JA.htm
This winter, President Rochelle Blum lead our
membership drive. We gained 13 members through our
letter writing campaign plus 18 new and renewed
memberships at our delicious Chocolate Friends-Z.
Thanks to the efforts of Andre Stratowski, attendees
indulged in an assortment of chocolate treats, enjoyed the
music of Barry Rosenzweig, and even won prizes.
Our total membership is 155 members. New Patron
members are: Campbell, Davis, Drucker, Keats, Mack, and
Shaw. Our new Benefactor members are Marie and Thomas
Shuey.
Rochelle welcomes our business members to include:
 Mangia (Brick Oven Pizza)
 Fulton Bank
 New Jersey Monument Company
CHOCOLATE FRIENDS-Z
Who doesn’t
LOVE chocolate?
Jean & Dave
Welcome
Meet & Greet
The Piano Man
Rochelle, Dave,
Berry Rosenweig Andy & Linda
WHAT’S IN THE ATTIC?
During the last six months, our volunteers have spent many hours sorting books on the third floor. When sorting
fiction by popular authors such as Evanovich, Grisham, Kuntz or Clancy, members box them separately for easy access.
Nonfiction may require a puzzling decision at times.
We have many donations of cookbooks, parenting advice, military history, inspirational reading matter, gardening and
crafts. It can get tempting for a sorter to want to grab a seat and start reading or decide to buy another book! The classics
range from Plutarch, Aristotle, Edgar Allen Poe, and Henry David Thoreau to Aldous Huxley.
Then there are book to set aside for little ones and young adults.
I found a World War II series published in 1806 by H.S. Stuttman and a child’s story collection from 1917 by Estes and
Lauriat. We always need people to sort, please do so, but…. beware!
You might fall prey to temptation.