New Jersey Association of School Librarians President Pat Massey testified in Trenton earlier this year and reminded legislators that "School libraries are cost effective. Every resource in a school library that includes books, media, computers, and other learning tools is available to every student and teacher in the school." Mount Prospect Library circulated more than 32,000 items to both teachers and students last year. Our resources are used over and over again. We are the original "green" enterprise.
Although our collections won't expand this year or be as current as we would like, your librarians still like nothing better than to match a child or a teacher with a book. We love the thrill of the chase to track down the best materials for a particular need. We are pleased to see students empowered to used the library look-up and other computer resources. We'll keep the doors open as much as possible and maintain as much access by students and staff as can be managed. The library isn't a warehouse for printed matter; it's a service organization with a mission in the school to bring kids and teachers together with literature and information. Closings can't keep us from our mission, although some delays in service will be inevitable.
