How Do I?

To renew Library items online, follow instructions in the pamphlet "My Account" at http://www.bernardslibrary.org/pdf/myaccount.pdf.

There are no limits on the amount of material that can be borrowed, with the exception of Museum Passes which have a limit of one pass checked out at a time.

Fees are paid with cash or checks made out to "Bernards Township Library".  The Library cannot accept credit cards or debit cards for payment.  Fees for overdue fines can be paid at the Bernards Township Library, or, at any of the 37 M.A.I.N. (Morris Automated Information Network) libraries.

Cannot get to the Library to return your borrowed items?  Return borrowed Library items twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  Return date is backdated to the previous pick-up from remote book drop sites.  Book return locations as follows:

• The Hills - Hansom Rd. Clubhouse. Daily pick up Monday - Friday
• Somerset Hills YMCA - 140 Mt. Airy Rd. Weekly pick up Friday
• Bernards Township Library - After-hours book drops outside upper & lower level entryways.  Daily pick up when Library is open.
• M.A.I.N. Libraries - Drop off Bernards Township Library items at any of the Morris Co. system libraries (NOT Bernardsville Library).  For a list of M.A.I.N. libraries, see http://www.mainlib.org/locations/Hours.pdf
• Ridge Oak Senior Housing (for Ridge Oak residents only) - Weekly pick up Fridays
• Fellowship Village  (for Fellowship Village residents only) - Weekly pick up Thursdays

Remember, return date is backdated to the previous pick-up from remote book drop sites.

Residents of Bernards Township are eligible for a Library card.  Please visit the Circulation desk and bring proof of residency, for example, updated driver's license, utility bill, or lease.

Non-residents of Bernards Township who work in town more than 20 hours/week can get a Library card.  Please visit the Circulation desk and bring proof of employment in town, such as a letter from your employeer, employee ID tag, or pay stub.

Residents of the Veterans Hospital in Lyons are eligible for a Library card.  Please visit the Circulation desk to register.

Non-residents attending school in Bernards Township are eligible for a Library card.  Please visit the Circulation desk and bring proof of school attendance.

Children of any age as well as students attending school in Bernards Township may apply for a library card. For residents, a parent / guardian must have a library card, be in good standing and be present when the child is applying.

Thirty seven libraries that are members of the Morris Automated Information Network (MAIN) [1] as well as those libraries in . . . Bernards Township Library is a member of MUF, a consortium of nine area libraries sharing holdings of over 800,000 books, 50,000 media items, 2,200 magazines & newspapers, and much more. Your card from a MUF Library may be used in all nine libraries. If your own library does not have a book you need: Call or visit any MUF Library. Remember to bring your own up-to-date library card! Ask your librarian to locate a book for you. Pick it up or have it delivered to your own home library. Some restrictions do apply, so ask about loan periods, reserves, fees and delivery schedules. *Each library has a specialty focus within their collection. The member libraries include:* *Library* *Address* *Phone* *Specialty* Berkeley Heights Public Library [2] 290 Plainfield Ave., Berkeley Heights, NJ, 07922 (908) 464-9333 Art Bernards Township Library [3] 32 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge, NJ, 07920 (908) 204-3031 Theater & Performing Arts Bernardsville Public Library [4] 1 Anderson Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924 (908) 766-0118 Travel; Cooking; Crafts Joint Free Public Library of the Chathams [5] 214 Main St., Chatham, NJ, 07928 (201) 635-0603 Psychology; Earth Sciences; Health Long Hill Township Public Library [6] 917 Valley Road, Gillette, NJ 07933 908-647-2088 Autism; Gardening; Parenting Madison Public Library [7] 39 Keep St., Madison, NJ, 07940 (201) 377-0722 American & English Literature; History of Books & Printing Joint Free Public Library of Morristown & Morris Township [8] 1 Miller Rd., Morristown, NJ, 07960 (201) 538-6161 Local & State History; Genealogy; Astronomy New Providence Memorial Library [9] 377 Elkwood Rd., New Providence, NJ, 07974 (908) 665-0311 Education; Mathematics Summit Public Library [10] 75 Maple St., Summit, NJ 07901 (908) 273-0350 Business * * * * * and nine libraries that make up the . . . Bernards Township Library is a member of the Raritan Valley Federation of Municipal Libraries which provides shared access to library materials for residents of Somerset and Middlesex Counties. Residents of Bedminster, Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Bound Brook, Far Hills, Franklin Township, Manville, Middlesex, New Brunswick, Raritan, Somerville and South Bound Brook may use their home library cards at any Federation library. General borrowing privileges are extended to all Federation patrons in good standing. Materials loaned by a library are subject to that library's borrowing rules. Most materials may be returned to any participating library. Patrons are responsible for any fines incurred while materials are in transit.   While not a member of the Federation, the Piscataway Library participates in the reciprocal borrowing agreement with certain stipulations. Library Address Phone Catalog Bernards Township Library [11] 32 South Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 908-204-3031 Bernards Catalog [12] Bernardsville Public Library [13] 1 Anderson Hill Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924 (908) 766-0118 Bernardsville Catalog [14] Clarence Dillon Public Library (Bedminster) [15] 2336 Lamington Road, Bedminster, NJ, 07921 (908) 234-2325 Clarence Dillon Catalog [16] Dunellen Free Public Library [17] New Market Road, Dunellen, NJ 08812 732-968-4585 Dunellen Catalog [18] Franklin Township Free Public Library [19] 485 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ, 08873 (732) 873-8700 Franklin Twp Catalog [20] Manville Public Library [21] 100 South 10th Avenue, Manville, NJ, 08835 (908 722-9722 Link to LMxAC [22] Middlesex Public Library [23] 1300 Mountain Avenue, Middlesex, NJ, 08846 (732) 356-6602 Link to LMxAC [24] New Brunswick Free Public Library [25] 60 Livingston Avenue., New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (732) 745-5108 Link to LMxAC [26] Raritan Public Library [27] 54 East Somerset Street, Raritan, NJ 08869 (908) 725-0413   Somerville Public Library [28] 35 West End Avenue., Somerville, NJ 08901 (908) 725-1336 * * * * * as well as more than 150 public libraries [29] in Northern New Jersey that participate in the "Open Borrowing" [30] program. [1] http://www.mainlib.org/locations/ [2] http://www.bhs.k12.nj.us/bhpl [3] http://www.bernardslibrary.org/ [4] http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/ [5] http://www.chatham-library.org/ [6] http://www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/ [7] http://www.rosenet.org/library [8] http://www.jfpl.org/ [9] http://newprovidencelibrary.org [10] http://www.summitlibrary.org/ [11] ../www.bernardslibrary.org [12] http://catalog.mainlib.org/ [13] http://www.bernardsville.org/ [14] http://catalog.bernardsville.org/polaris [15] http://www.clarencedillonpl.org/ [16] http://207.200.170.82/ [17] ../www.dunellenlibrary.org [18] http://librarycatalog.lmxac.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/x/x/0/57/49?user_id=dunellenweb [19] http://www.franklintwp.org/ [20] http://www.franklintwp.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/x/0/49 [21] ../www.njlibraries.org/manville [22] http://librarycatalog.lmxac.org/ [23] http://www.middlesexlibrarynj.org/ [24] http://librarycatalog.lmxac.org/ [25] http://www.lmxac.org/nbfpl [26] http://librarycatalog.lmxac.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/57/49?user_id=newbrunsweb [27] http://www.raritanlibrary.org/ [28] http://www.lmxac.org/somervillelib [29] http://www.openborrowing.org/participants.shtml [30] http://www.openborrowing.org/intro.shtml

Bernards Township Library materials can be renewed twice if the item has not been requested by another library patron.  However, some items borrowed from other M.A.I.N. (Morris Automated Information Network) libraries have different renewal terms are not all renewable.

• New Adult Books - 2 weeks
• Regular Adult Books - 4 weeks
• Teen Books - 4 weeks
• Magazines - 1 week (current issues do not circulate)
• New Audiobooks - 2 weeks
• Regular Audiobooks - 4 weeks
• Large Print Books - 4 weeks
• VHS/DVDs - 2 weeks
• Rental movies - 2 days (if checked-out Thursday or Friday, due on Monday)
• Music CDs - 2 weeks
• Video Games & Nintendo DS - 1 week
• Children’s Materials - 2 weeks

• Book Discussion Groups — Daytime and Evening
• Books for sale and for free
• PC Workstations with Internet Access and Microsoft Office and other software
• Wireless Internet Access
• Programs for all ages — Adults, Children Teens
• Leisure Learning Programs
• Research and Reference Service
• Display Cases
• Quiet Study Rooms
• Local History Room
• Program rooms available to local not-for-profit groups

• Books for all ages
• Audio Books
• Music CDs
• DVDs, Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray 3D, and VHS Tapes
• Large Type Books
• Magazines
• Book Discussion Kits
• Video Games
• Nintendo DS Game Systems
• English Language Learning (ESL material)
• Materials from the M.A.I.N. (Morris Automated Information Network) , the Raritan Valley Federation libraries, and the Morris Union Federation libraries
• Museum Passes (for Bernards Township Residents only)
• And your Bernards Township Library card allows borrowing from many other libraries in New Jersey!

Library materials accrue fines at the rate of $.10 per day, except the rental VHS and DVD's which are $1.00 per day, and Museum Passes $5.00/day. The maximum fine for Adult materials is $5.00/item, and $3.50/item for Children's materials.  The total fine will never exceed the cost of replacement.

The Library provides wireless access throughout the building to all visitors.  No password is required.

All the Library computers have Office software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Publisher, etc.) loaded on them. Those on the Yellow network have Office 2007; those on the Orange Network have Office 2003. Two non-networked workstations near the study rooms have Microsoft Step by Step Interactive, a tutorial for Office 2000, on them.

Printing is available from all Library computers on either Black & White or Color Laser printers.

Please ask for help at the Reference Center as needed.

• Access to Database Resources
• Access to downloadable audio books
• Library Program/Calendar information and online sign-up
• Library Catalog listing our materials and the 38 Libraries of the Morris area
• Ability to request materials from any NJ library with JerseyCat

Access your library account to:

• View your items checked-out
• Renew items
• Place holds on items

The Library welcomes your donations of: 

• books
• magazines
• DVDs and VHS tapes
• music CDs

 The Library will sort through the donations and make final decisions on the disposition of the material -- add the items to the collection, sell, give to groups in need, give away for free, or discard.
 
Please bring your donations to the Circulation desk on the upper level.  The Library will give you a letter acknowledging your donation for tax purposes.   The Library has limited storage space, so please limit your donations to two boxes or bags per week.  Thank you!

The Library offers free scanning services.  Please visit the Circulation Desk for assistance. 

The Library does not offer faxing service.

The Library has available two quiet study rooms located on the upper level.  Please sign-in to use the quiet study at the Circulation desk.  You may stay up to 3 hours in one day – and you may continue to use it for more than 3 hours in one day if no one is waiting to use the room.  Sign-in for the quiet study rooms is available on a first come, first served basis; no reservations are accepted.
 

The Library has a "Lost and Found" at the Adult Circulation desk for lost papers, eyeglasses, keys, cell phones, flashdrives, etc.  Lost articles of clothing are located on the lower level in a bin under the coat hooks in the hallway.

From our Online Resources page, choose Magazines and Newspapers and click on the resource you desire.  If you need additional help call 908.204.3031 ext.4 or stop at the reference desk and ask for assistance.