Friends of the Library invite you to a fundraiser at Tiff’s Burger & Ale House (located at 1637 Vauxhall Road, Union) on May 25th from 4:30 PM to 9 PM. 10% of all proceeds go directly to Friends of the Library, take-out included!
Interim Main Library is Open!
We Are Back! The Board of Trustees and staff are excited to announce the re-opening of the interim Main Library, located at 1060 Stuyvesant Avenue. There is a parking lot attached to the building! At the Main Library, you can browse and check out new fiction books, new non-fiction books, new DVDs, magazines, newspapers, and video games. Plus, you can borrow museum passes and Chromebooks with hotspots. The Main Library houses the children’s and young adult collections in their entirety, so be sure to bring the kids! Computers and limited study space are available for all ages, and you can print, copy, and scan, on-site. Adult books and DVDs published more than 6 months ago will be kept off-site, and will be available for pick-up at either the Main Library or the Vauxhall Branch Library in one to two business days. You can request books and other materials digitally through the Library’s online catalog, on the Library’s mobile app, in person, or over the phone. You can return books in the book drop outside or at the circulation desk inside either library. We are thrilled to invite you into the building, but curbside service will continue to be an option if you do not wish to come inside. If you are looking for an item that we do not own, you can request materials through our interlibrary loan service, and we will get it for you. Don’t forget – you can also visit other MURAL libraries and check out materials directly from them. This location will serve as a temporary space until the completion of our brand-new, 21st-century library at the former site on Morris Avenue. Construction is expected to take about two years. The Main Library, at 1060 Stuyvesant Avenue, will be open: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9 am to 8 pm Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm The Vauxhall Branch, at 123 Hilton Avenue, will be open: Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 pm to 8 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 6 pm Fridays Closed Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm We are looking forward to seeing you!
Exciting Changes for the Main Library
Union will break ground on a new Public Library building this spring! The Township along with the Library Board of Trustees recognize the need for a 21st century library that allows our community to connect, explore and discover. The new library will be built at the former Main Library site at 1980 Morris Ave and is expected to be completed in 2024. Preliminary plans for the new building include a black box theater space, an educational center, meeting rooms, and an arts center. The building will serve as a community hub. According to Union Business Administrator Don Travisano, taxpayers will not be impacted by construction costs, as proceeds from the PILOT program put in place for the Vermella project will cover the costs of the new library. View the Library Q&A session from October 28, 2021 During this period of transition, operations and layouts will be altered. However, library staff will continue to provide the services and resources that patrons have come to expect. What to expect: The Vauxhall Branch remains open The Interim Main Library is located at 1060 Stuyvesant Avenue. This interim location includes: Children’s and Young Adult book collections New books and DVDs for Adults Public computers and free Wi-Fi Printing, scanning and copying Newspapers and magazines Reference and Children’s Librarians Holds, pickups and returns All other books and material will be kept off site, but accessible to patrons by placing a hold. To best meet the needs of the community, library staff expect to be able to move material back and forth between locations on a daily basis. Construction on the new Main Library is expected to last for approximately two years. The new facility, to be build on the existing site, will include spacious seating and reading areas, bright displays, quiet study and meeting rooms, bathrooms on every floor, a community performance center, and so much more. We ask residents for patience during this transitional time, and encourage everyone to visit the Library website for the most up-to-date information. For more information please email unionpl@uplnj.org or call the Main Library 908-851-5450.
Video Game Collection
The library now circulates video games for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch! Union Public Library cardholders may checkout up to 2 video games at a time for a loan period of 14 days. Due to the limited supplies, video games cannot be renewed. Please return video games on time, so they can be made available for the next patron. Late fees will be charged at $1/day. This collection was started thanks to the generous donation from the Friends of Union Public Library and the Union Township Education Association. Click here to view our catalog, or see below a current list of our circulating video games. Playstation 5 Demon’s Souls Spider-Man: Miles Morales Sackboy: A Big Adventure (New) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (New) Playstation 4 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy Ghost of Tsushima Gran Turismo Sport The Last of Us Part II NBA 2K21 Ratchet & Clank Spyro Reignited Trilogy Horizon Zero Dawn (New) Grand Theft Auto 5 (New) Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Kirby Star Allies Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Luigi’s Mansion Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition Pikmin 3 Deluxe Pokemon Shield Pokemon Snap Splatoon 2 Super Mario Odyssey Super Smash Bros. Minecraft (New) Xbox Series X FIFA 21 Forza Horizon 4 Madden NFL 21 Control: Ultimate Edition (New) Red Dead Redemption II (New) Shadow of the Tomb Raider (New) Updated on 10/4/21
Union Public Library is Now Fine Free!
In January 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) passed a resolution that asserted overdue fines are a barrier to equitable access and encouraged libraries to eliminate them. The ALA is our largest professional organization and we give serious consideration to their resolutions. The Library Board of Trustees and staff desire to remove this barrier to its resources and to provide more equitable library access to everyone in the community. In going fine free, we are joining the ranks of many other public libraries across the nation. In the lead up to this decision, we carefully reviewed studies and articles about eliminating fines. Libraries that have adopted fine-free policies found that: Library card registrations increased. Borrowing of materials increased. More library items were returned. Students returned to the library to use homework resources. Staff time was redirected from fines-handling to patron-focused services. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What Is Fine Free? Fine free means that there will be no late charges on most materials.* The Union Public Library wants to ensure that ALL of our town has access to our resources in the most equitable way possible. Fines tend to penalize the most vulnerable individuals or families who can’t afford them. *Due to a limited supply, late charges will still accrue on Video Games and Museum Passes Why Eliminate Fines? Research shows that overdue fines are not effective in encouraging the return of library materials. Instead, fines can quickly become a barrier to using the library. Our hope is that by going fine free we will encourage prior users to come back to the library and attract new users to experience everything our library has to offer. Won’t This Prevent People from Ever Returning Their Items? Late fines are not effective. Studies show that small fines have no impact on return rates and that those with late fines are less likely to visit the library again. Libraries who have removed late fees report few adverse effects on material return rates. The public library model is based upon a trusting relationship between borrowers and a valued community resource. Union Public Library trusts that borrowers will return items on time, so that others may use them. Will There Be Due Dates? Every item checked out will still have a due date. Please remember that someone else may be waiting for an item, so bring it back on time. What Happens If I Have Overdue Books? […]
Library Resources:Tutorials
Using our digital resources for the first time? Niche Academy is for you! Learn how to use library e-Resources like eBooks, research databases, and language learning tools. Access simple guided instructions on how to get started with Hoopla, Overdrive, Tutor.com, Freegal and more. You can also find tutorials on Microsoft Office, Google apps, social media, and more. Niche Academy tutorials are continuously updated when any changes are made to products, and you can always go back in to see what’s new. Find our tutorials on our website under Books & More.
Let Us Find Your Next Read!
Need some great books for yourself, but don’t know what to get? Union Public Library now offers personalized reading suggestions with our Shelf Help service. Simply fill out the form, and our librarians will create a personalized list of titles based on your feedback. You can also find the form under the Books & More tab.
House Call Delivery
Union Public Library offers delivery service to library patrons who are unable to leave their homes due to health-related issues. This service is staffed by volunteers who can both pick up items from the library and bring them directly to a patron’s house, and return them to the library as well. If you wish to apply, or know someone who would like to apply, please call the Reference Desk at (908) 851-5450 x3 to arrange for services.
Automatic Renewal
We are excited to announce that we will automatically renew eligible library materials you have checked out. Automatic Renewal will give you peace of mind as well as more time to enjoy your material. *Please note that only material checked out after February 15 will be automatically renewed. Items will not be renewed when: The item is on hold for someone else You have reached the maximum number of renewals allowed Renewals are not allowed on specific types of material (e.g., DVD’s, Chromebooks, Museum Passes) About auto renewal: When your item is automatically renewed, you will see the new due date when you log into your account. The Renew Loan button will no longer display when the number of remaining renewals is zero A notice will be sent to your email (if enabled) advising you of the new due date
Digital Magazines now available on Overdrive/Libby
Log into your Overdrive or Libby app using your Union Public Library card, to find over 3,000 magazines to checkout and download to your mobile device. Libby App From the home screen: Explore What’s New? New in Magazines Overdrive App From the menu button on the home screen: Subjects Magazines