Voorhees Branch Library gearing up for National Library Week April 12–18
This year, the theme for the American Library Association-sponsored National Library Week, April 12–18, is “Unlimited Possibilities.”
The theme is one to which the Vogelson Branch of the Camden County Library System in Voorhees, and all county branches, could say is practiced the other 51 weeks of the year as well.
According to Camden County Library System public relations officer Mark Amorosi, modern libraries are about more than just storing books, which is why the CCLS in particular features more than 1,400 programs offered by the county’s eight branches throughout the year.
Even just glancing at the Vogelson Branch monthly event calendar, library patrons in Voorhees can see a wide breadth of activities, including book clubs, children’s storytimes, baby and toddler playgroups, computer education classes, tutoring programs, senior card groups, sewing and knitting groups, art classes, video games for teens and even yoga classes.
“We’re here,” Amorosi said. “Obviously, we provide a lot of traditional library services, but…we’ve expanded, we’re always offering new things as well.”
However, one program scheduled for all county library branches to celebrate National Library Week is the visit of Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts resident storyteller Kyle Jakubowski.
On April 12, Jakubowski will make his appearance at the Vogelson Branch, where visitors can participate in an interactive story time with Jakubowski as he shares his unique brand of tall tales.
“He’s good with children, he’s popular, he’s very good at what he doe. That’s why we decided to offer this program at all eight branches,” Amorosi said.
Amorosi also said such programs and ones like them most often don’t even require a library card and can be attended by any member of the public with advance registration.
And for those who do have a library card, Amorosi said even more services become available, even outside of the traditional book lending, including e-books, downloadable audio books, DVD rentals, and streaming music and video.
One service in particular Amorosi noted was CCLS’s Museum Pass program that was started last summer. Amorosi said the program lends passes on a family-by-family basis, much like a book rental, with the passes granting free admission to 11 different area museums and educational attractions, including the Academy of Natural Sciences, Camden Children’s Garden, Garden State Discovery Museum, Grounds for Sculpture, Morris Arboretum, Wheaton Arts and Woodford Wildlife Refuge.
In addition, at the Vogelson Branch library, cardholders can also access passes to The Guggenheim, Penn Museum of Archaeology, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Roebling Museum.
“Our museum pass program is something people should really take advantage of, and it’s a great way to take your family to all of the local museums, and not just here in New Jersey,” Amorosi said.
According to Amorosi, the ALA has also designated April 14 as National Library Workers Day, which honors library workers for their work interacting with the public, as well as keeping library collections organized and updated, as well as running programs and other work.
“There are a lot of people who work behind the scenes to put everything together,” Amorosi said. “A librarian’s job is very involved.”
Overall, Amorosi says the Vogelson Branch and other county branches always participate in National Library Week the best they can, while always striving to support the community all year round.
“Libraries are changing. They’re places where the community can gather,” Amorosi said.
