Stephanie Vaccaro

By: centraljersey.com
ROCKY HILL – Mary Jacobs Memorial Library supporters surpassed their goal of raising $100,000 for 2010, said Wendy Rayner, president of the Friends of the Mary Jacobs Library.
For the first time in 36 years, money for operating costs had to be sought from the Rocky Hill community, she said.
Tax revenue from Somerset County covers staff, collection and computer expenses, but it doesn’t pay for any expenses related to the building itself, which total $200,000 per year, including insurance, heat, air conditioning, replacement of furniture, electricity, maintenance and grounds, Ms. Rayner said.
The Friends of the Mary Jacobs Library have been engaged in fundraisers and initiatives designed to raise awareness among the community to meet the 2011 goal of $200,000, including a T-shirt design contest, a wine and food event and the creation of the website savemaryjacobslibrary.com.
"The endowment really needs the community’s help now," said Ms. Rayner.
If the $200,000 is raised, no money will have to come out of the endowment, therefore allowing it to grow, she said.
With the expansions and the economy, the endowment has been reduced. In the past, Montgomery Township gave the library a five-year grant of $85,000 each year. That amount was cut in half last year. We really believe the town has some impact on their reduction, and we’re looking for support from the community, she said.
In the interim period, the endowment has been used to keep the library going. But if it continues to be used to support the operating costs, it will run out in a number of years, said Ms. Rayner. "It is a vital resource and very much used by the town," she said of the library. People use it for all kinds of resources in the downed economy, including children’s programs and the use of computers, because everything is free, she said.
"It’s real that the library would close if we don’t have the support from the community to support the operating budget for the building," she said.
The T-shirt contest resulted in 144 submissions, all of which are on display in the lobby of the library until Feb. 10, said Karen Dentler. The top 10 and the honorable mentions can be seen online at: savemaryjacobslibrary.com and click on the link to its Facebook page. The winner will be announced in early February.
"Many people are coming forward who want to help," Ms. Rayner said. "We welcome their full support."
One such resident is local photographer Michelle Wasden. On Jan. 29, Ms. Wasden will offer mini photo sessions for individuals at the library. The best image will be selected for use in one of 10 valentine designs. It will be printed on 4-by-4.5 art watercolor paper and paired with parchment envelopes from her professional labs.
A base price of $60 includes 25 valentines and one 4-by-6 of the same pose, as well as a low-resolution digital version that can be sent to friends and family on the web. Additional prints can also be ordered at the same time, with all proceeds benefiting the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation.
"The library has been there for us," said Ms. Wasden, a seven-year resident of Montgomery, "so I wanted to show with my time and support that the library is important to our family."
"In these tough financial times, when we donate to the library we don’t just help the library, but we also help the hundreds of families that rely on it for its programs and services," Ms. Wasden said. "I have a friend that couldn’t afford the Internet, so she goes to the library to check her e-mail. Another friend uses the programs at the library to help give variety to her children’s education as her husband is working on his PhD."
When her husband was laid off from his consulting job two years ago, they had to watch their budget very carefully, she said.
"The library was an especially bright retreat for us during that tough time. While movie theaters, restaurants and other entertainment were temporarily suspended, the library helped us feel connected and a part of the community."
"My girls read hundreds of books a year, and I know it is because we can be on the library’s doorstep in five minutes," Ms. Wasden said. "My husband has had long commutes for work and he has appreciated how accessible the Teaching Company classes on CD are through the library’s website. A few years back, not one, but two of my daughters had to have outpatient surgery. I checked out a stack movies to help distract them during the recovery period."
The valentines will be delivered to the library about a week after the sessions. All of the designs can be viewed at iloveMWP.com under the tab MJL Benefit. There are about 20 time slots available. Walk-in appointments will be accepted time permitting.
All proceeds beyond taxes and lab costs for each individual will go to the library, Ms. Wasden said. The fundraiser could raise approximately $800 to $1,000, depending on how many bonus offers people select and if additional prints are ordered.
"I understand that even if we fill every session and I’m able to write a four digit check to the library, it won’t be enough alone to help the library continue on," Ms. Wasden said. "But, I will know that I voted with my money and time that our library should thrive. Hopefully others will feel inspired to use what they have to help the cause as well, because the things that will persist through this financial challenge are the things that people are willing to stand up and sacrifice for to not let fade away."