Book Reviews and Selection: Behind the Scenes at BHPL

The very best thing about reading book reviews is the reviewers.  I read one weekly source and constantly wonder at the titles chosen.  I’m not sure if the titles are eclectic or if the reviewer is eccentric.  My favorite is conflicting reviews.  Today I read in one source that a particular book has exquisitely rendered characters.  A different reviewer, reviewing the same book, stated the characters just aren’t that interesting.  I can’t decide if I should order the book or, if ordered, if I should read the book.  My choice may be influenced by how popular the author is.

Reading reviews to select titles for the library has become more complicated and time consuming over the years.  The number of reviews is only a percentage of the number of books published and both numbers just keep growing.  To read reviews of upcoming titles, I start with Library Journal, PW, and Booklist. Then, on weekends, I check reviews in the New York Times and the Star Ledger.  Since BHPL has both People magazine and O, the Oprah Magazine as downloads, I try to glance at them.  Another source, popular with those who drink their coffee with the morning news shows, is the morning news shows.

Ordering is the next step. The library uses Ingram for most of our book and audiobook orders, the exception being audiobook titles available only from the publisher. As I am reading reviews, I am checking the Ingram site which frequently contains abbreviated reviews from several sources for the more popular mainstream titles. Sometimes the quantity of copies stocked by Ingram, or lack thereof, is a good indication of anticipated demand, or lack thereof.

If a title is selected for purchase, the next decision is the variety of formats needed. Will the title attract the audiobook audience, or is the author popular in large print?  If we order the title as a download, do we need both the e-book and e-audio? With downloads from OverDrive, the vendor behind eLibraryNJ, we expect the purchasing consortium (a group of public libraries in central NJ) to order multiple copies of the most popular titles. Some publishers do not allow the consortium to order their titles, but individual libraries may order the title for their patrons' use only.

Many e-book titles disappear after a certain amount of time or a certain number of checkouts.  At the same time, e-book and e-audio titles from the large publishing companies continue to increase in price.  In the not too distant past, popular e-books were in the $40 range.  Then the price jumped to $60 and now a few titles are $81.  They skipped right past the $50 and $70 ranges.

I won’t even address the rapid growth of self-publishing.  Not many of these titles are reviewed so they can be difficult to purchase.

Oh well, back to reading reviews.

 -Stephanie Bakos

Book Art at the Morris Museum

Remember the turkey made out of a book that the library had on display around Thanksgiving? Or the recycled-book hedgehog at the circulation desk? If you'd like to see book art while the library is closed, the Morris Museum has an exhibition, Book Art: A Novel Idea. If you can't make it in person, News 12 New Jersey covered the exhibit, which is in its last week, ending March 4.

Detail from The Interchangeable Dictionary by Doug Beube, 2014.

James Allen's book excavations are on display. He wrote that "Carving into a book takes away the original linear format so that instead of looking at one page at a time we can contemplate many of the images and words within a book in a single relief sculpture." 

Church of Our Fathers by James Allen

The exhibit features Julie Dodd's Fungal Spores. Check out her website for better photographs than I could take.

Works by Julie Dodd, including Fungal Spores

Brian Dettmer, the Book Surgeon, has carved book sculptures on display, including a huge artwork made from a recycled encyclopedia. You may have seen his TED Talk, Old Books Reborn as Art.

More Library News

Construction

Construction began on February 20 and is estimated to take 30 days.  Planned renovations include improved lighting in public areas, widening interior windows, and opening the circulation room to the hallway. ADA required renovations include a new bathroom, wider door openings and making the entrance at 110 Roosevelt Ave. accessible to wheelchairs.




As the library is under construction, please call (908) 464-9333 on weekdays between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm before you pick up your holds. Staff will meet you at the door - please do not enter the library.

Returning library items

On Saturday, Feb. 24th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., BHPL staff will be at Town Hall in the Court Room/Council Chambers to collect returns. Please enter through the glass doors leading to the Police Department at 29 Park Ave.

New Providence Library is also accepting BHPL items that you wish to return. BHPL staff stops in twice each week at NPL to pick up any returns.

Late fines have not been accumulating since the library closed, and will not begin to accumulate again until the library opens to the public.

Saturday hold pickup on Feb. 24 at Town Hall

You may pick up items reserved through the online catalog on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Town Hall in the court room/ council chambers. Enter through the glass doors leading to the police department at 29 Park Ave. Please reserve your items by 2 p.m. on February 23.

Interlibrary Loans

If you can't find the item you need in the online catalog, you may contact the library to submit an interlibrary loan request. Please keep in mind the pickup hours (above) before placing a request.

Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot

The tradition of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot will continue this summer. This year will not be a typical play, but an hour-long selection "Something Shakespeare This Way Comes" on Friday, July 27th at 7 p.m. Please bring your lawn chairs.

Library News

Holds on Books

Although the library is still closed, holds may once again be placed on books in the online catalog.

Once you have received an email that your book is available, you may pick up your hold on Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except Feb. 19, which is President's Day.) The library is operating with a skeleton staff while closed, hence the reduced hours.

BHPL is the second building in the large parking lot at 110 Roosevelt Ave., the smaller building with the blue door. Since the library does not have a certificate of occupancy yet, you will need to ring the doorbell and a staff member will bring your library books.

No Holds on DVDs and Audiobooks

Unfortunately, Holds on DVDs and audiobooks are not allowed at this time. The hallway where DVDs and CDs will be shelved will be covered in dust once construction begins, so they've been kept boxed.

Late Fines

Late fines were suspended beginning Dec. 5 and will not begin to accumulate again until March 1.  Overdue notices are still being emailed, which you may ignore.

Consumer Reports

The library web site now has a direct link to Consumer Reports on its Databases page.  You have to click "Search within this publication" to get to a search box, but that is really minor given the labyrinth that everyone used to click and type their way through.



Book Group

The evening book group is meeting on Tuesday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Dunkin' Donuts on Springfield Ave. to discuss Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.

Accidental Libraries

From the library director, Stephanie Bakos:

Before I start this post let me state that no, I do not know when we will be reopening.

As many of you know, BHPL is in the process of relocating to a temporary location for approximately two years while the new municipal complex is being built.  Our current home, a former convent/rectory, is proving as challenging as we expected.  We are dividing the collection (books, AV materials, internet computers) throughout the rooms and scattering tables and chairs wherever something will fit.  It will be a cozy two years.

110 Roosevelt Ave, where the library will temporarily be located.

This entire adventure has made me realize that I have spent the majority of my professional career in buildings that were never intended to be libraries.  East Windsor Library in Mercer County was my first job.  The library was originally the sales office for a housing development.  We joked about having 1.5 bathrooms.  The library was two rooms divided by a utility closet in the center.  The space for children’s materials was a tiny area separated from the main room by a counter holding a fish tank and hamster cage.  At some point the Mercer County Library system upgraded  – East Windsor moved down the street from the sales office and West Windsor moved out of an old church.

Stained glass inside the temporary library

My next job was in an old barracks on Kilmer Campus (aka Camp Kilmer) in Piscataway.  The Center for Urban Policy Research had no insulation and limited heating.  The Center taught me the importance of rehabbing and reusing existing buildings.  However, I am pleased to report that the Center is now located near the State Theater in the middle of New Brunswick.

Finally, I arrived at Plainfield Public – designed and built to be a library. I felt lucky to work in such a lovely, but totally impractical building.  The pool and fountain court on the lower level absorbed noise and provided a soothing background, but added way too many steps to retrieve anything on the opposite side.  One time I had actually had a live otter program in the pool.  It also served as the perfect receptacle for the water leaking through the large skylight.  Also, think twice about designing a predominantly glass building on a main street with truck traffic.

BHPL came next.  The front half of the building dated to 1928 as Mt. Carmel Hall.  A large addition was added to both levels in 1965 and numerous small additions were added over the years.  My office had an interior cinder block wall and closed over window left from moving the entrance.    A stairway to nowhere is hidden behind a door in the Meeting room.  Building codes changed over the years as more attention was given to barrier free access and ADA regulations.

What will be the children's room (photo taken right after the move)

Once again, at some point in the foreseeable future, I will be moving again.  This time it will be to a beautiful, bright, compliant, inviting, user-friendly, and functional new space.  I could use more adjectives, but you get the idea.  It will be an adventure.