The fall program season at the North Bergen Public Library begins on Sept. 15 and runs until Dec. 12. During that time town residents can choose from a wide assortment of programs, from early childhood games, stories, and tutoring (for ages 2.5 to 5) straight through to movie matinees for seniors, and all varieties of education and entertainment in between.
“My goal is that every person who comes into the building needs to have their own purpose,” said Library Director Sai Rao last week. “It’s not just babysitting. If a grandfather walks in with a child, he should be able to find something that interests him.”
A plethora of programs
In recent years the English as a Second Language (ESL) programs have become increasing popular.
“We run like an eight-week program and we do a graduations at the end of it,” said Rao. “It’s a lot of homework and once they complete it they are able to speak and communicate. They can go out and get a job. I think we’ve graduated 300 to 400 students over the last four years.”
The library also has intermediate and an advanced ESL courses, and runs computer classes in Spanish for basic and intermediate users, as well as Citizenship Exam Training classes to help residents fill out forms and learn what they need to know for the U.S. citizenship exam. Classes typically consist of 15 to 20 people and run twice a week at both library locations – the main branch at 8411 Bergenline Ave. and the Kennedy Branch at 2123 Kennedy Blvd.
Preschool children can participate in morning playtime sessions that engage them with puzzles, crafts, and games, and provide interactive literacy lessons. Also available is an evening music and movement program followed by bedtime stories.
“We love fun at the library, but we’re also very goal oriented.” –Sai Rao
____________
Adult programs run the gamut from exercise techniques to knitting (currently they’re making scarves for the homeless) to senior activities with board games. The library provides books to homebound elderly patrons, bringing them to the town’s senior housing building.
Wellness Wednesdays consist of monthly informational sessions on health topics such as breast cancer or asthma. The next session, on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. is on memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Coming up in early October is a particularly popular event: the library’s “Taste Of” series.
“Every year we host one country,” said Rao. “We have a lot of entertainment and we showcase the culture of that country, the food, and tourist locations. We’ve done India, Spain, Ireland. Last year was China. That was the best.”
During the “Taste of” event the library displays crafts from the country and serves local cuisine, all for free. This year they’re showcasing A Taste of Italy.
A librarian’s journey
“Working in a public library is very rewarding,” said Rao, who has been affiliated with the North Bergen library for 24 years. “I’m sensitive to need, and it motivates me. I call my job a gift because it allows me to do what I love doing.”
She is dedicated to providing socially responsible programs – something she comes by naturally. “I come from a background of social work,” she explained. “Back home in India before I moved to this country my family had a hospital for children affected by polio. They not only treated but they also had a vocational program for them, teaching men and women how to run a printing press or sewing machine. Also I worked a lot with visually impaired or speech impaired.”
Rao helped teach children, educate young mothers, and build stoves for low income families in the slums of Chennai. She also followed in the footsteps of her father, a professor of library science in India. “My first masters was in English literature. I did that in India,” she said. “I did a masters in library science here.”
That was in Detroit, after coming to the U.S. in 1988. Then she got married and settled in her husband’s home state of New Jersey, taking a job as librarian in North Bergen in 1991.
Three years later she was assistant director, and in 1996 she became library director. Focusing on grants, she secured more than $250,000 over six years and built a computer lab with 20 desktop computers and an instructor PC. She also landed a state grant to expand the library, utilizing unused and wasted space.
In 2002 Rao received the New York Times Librarian of the Year Award.
Carnival time
Currently the library has about 35 paid staff, with 10 or 12 of them fulltime. Also contributing are numerous volunteers who help run the various programs.
The Kennedy Branch on the south end of town was one of Rao’s projects to provide additional assistance to North Bergen residents. “I’ve seen a lot of parents come in with their children – on the bus, in a cab – from that end of town,” she said. “And I felt we needed to extend our services, even if it’s not big, to provide them with a link.”
She broached the idea of opening a second branch to the town commissioners, who readily agreed, and the Kennedy Branch opened on Sept. 20, 2013.
“They’re very, very supportive,” she said. “Very accepting of new ideas, very positive, always encouraging me to do more for the community.”
To celebrate the first anniversary of the Kennedy Branch, the town is hosting a carnival from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sept. 20 in the building’s parking lot at 2123 Kennedy Blvd. Games and rides will be available, along with snacks and prizes.
“We love fun at the library,” said Rao. “But we’re also very goal oriented.”
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.