July 24, 2016

Mr. William V. Engel, President

The Hyde and Watson Foundation
31-F Mountain Boulevard
Warren, NJ 07059

Dear Mr. Engel,

I am so pleased to submit our grant proposal from the Long Hill Township Public Library to
the Hyde and Watson Foundation in order to provide our senior community residents with
Red Carpet services. The purpose of our grant project, Library Senior Services: Meeting
Their Unique Needs, is to provide senior residents with a comfortable location near to the
services they use frequently within the Library and to help empower them to get the most out
of their retirement years.
The Library has a mission to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge and foster
community spirit in a welcoming environment. It hopes to be the communitys best source for
inspiration, knowledge, and ideas and is viewed as a community center. The Long Hill
Township Public Library services a community of just over 8,500 residents. Over 15% of these
residents are over the age of 65 and over 29% are over the age of 55. We have been partnering
with our townships Long Hill Senior Center to survey our communitys senior residents on
what they need from their library. The results of the survey have lead to our desire to create
special Library Senior Services. We hope to increase our senior residents knowledge in the
specific areas they indicated, expand library services to meet their specific needs and enhance
their experience while using the Library.
Charitable donations are minimal and the Library has attempted to increase fundraising in
many ways including a recent book sale which raised over $3,000. For the Red Carpet Senior
Services project we are requesting $19,540.00 in funding from the Hyde and Watson
Foundation to purchase the furniture, technology and equipment and to help with the costs
associated with developing and teaching classes for our Library Senior Services project.
Our enclosed proposal will detail the specifics of the project. Should you have any questions
or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,

Lyn Begraft
Library Director

Long Hill Township Public Library

Library Senior Services Grant

Table of Contents
Proposal Summary
Narrative
a. Organization Background
b. Purpose of the Appeal
c. Project Total Cost and Amount Requested
d. Time Frame
e. How Will This Project Benefit the Library
Timeline
Budget

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Library Senior Services Grant

Proposal Summary
Long Hill Township Public Library
917 Valley Rd.
Gillette, NJ 07933
908-647-2088
Lyn Begraft
Library Director
908-647-2088 x411
Suzanne Kosempel
Grant Coordinator
908-580-9405
The Long Hill Township Public Library is used as a community center for four towns and has
evolved beyond the traditional view of a library. It has a strong commitment to serving all of
its residents and it is diverse in its resources and offerings for children, young adults, parents,
and mature adults or seniors. The Library has formed a partnership with the Long Hill Senior
Center and wishes to offer Library Senior Services: Meeting Their Unique Needs as a program
that offers a designated library space for seniors with assistive technology and other equipment
that will facilitate access to multiple resources in addition to providing a series of classes that
address expressed needs by the senior residents in the community. In order to accomplish these
goals, the Library is requesting $19,540 to help purchase the furniture and equipment. The
Library will be contributing $18,780.30 in salary, shelving and furniture. This project will be
implemented and evaluated over a period of 12 months. We will monitor usage of the new area
and equipment and the circulation statistics for the materials in the area plus we will survey
those using the area and taking the classes. Finally, we will perform a second survey of senior
residents at the Senior Center and the Library to reassess their needs and determine their
satisfaction with the program.

Long Hill Township Public Library

Library Senior Services Grant

Narrative
Background of the Long Hill Township Public Library
The Long Hill Township Librarys mission to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge and
foster community spirit in a welcoming environment. It hopes to be the communitys best
source for inspiration, knowledge, and ideas and is viewed as a community center. The Library
serves a suburban community of 4 towns with a population of 8,769 as of the 2010 - 2014
American Community Survey. Over 15% of these residents are over the age of 65 and over
29% are over the age of 55. The Library is governed by a nine member Board of Trustees
appointed by the Mayor. The majority of its funding (95.5%) comes from the state and
although the state funding has been reduced significantly, the Library continues to search for
innovative ways to meet the needs of its community residents. There are four full-time staff
members, 10 part-time staff and a part-time bookkeeper who is responsible for paying the
Librarys bills and maintaining necessary financial reports. There is also a highly dedicated
group of volunteers. The Library is able to draw on the Morris Automated Information
Network which provides access for its patrons to the materials at 36 other libraries across
northern and northwest NJ through a robust interlibrary loan system. The library offers a
program for patrons to sponsor books as well as local businesses to sponsor movie nights. The
library sells used books and other media and recently raised over $3000 in a large scale book
sale.
The Library is housed in a bright and open facility with separate areas for children, teens,
adults. It offers free internet access and wifi plus we have a generator as the Library is used as
a crisis center in case of power outages. The Library offers digital ebooks, audio books and
digital magazines. The Library is heavily invested in providing services to all its patrons. We
offer programs for children and adults, genealogy software, databases, book clubs, a knitting
group, a beading group, movie showings, museum passes and health care screenings through a
partnering with one of the local hospitals. We already began a partnership with the Long Hill
Senior Center and started a Senior Book Club held by our Circulation Supervisor once a month
at the Center. In our excitement about the Library Senior Services project, we created a survey
for the Senior Center to attain their valuable input and suggestions on what services are needed
at the Library.
Purpose of the Appeal
We want to provide red carpet services to our senior population. The goals for the Library
Senior Services: Meeting Their Unique Needs project are to respond to the changing
information needs of the senior community residents; to promote lifelong learning
opportunities to senior community residents; to provide unbiased answers to questions on
health and financial issues, especially those related to end of life planning; to facilitate access
to the librarys resources and services to seniors.
After reviewing the results of the survey, we discovered that our senior patrons would like to
learn how to master a computer and the internet, how to master the use of a smart phone, how
to use the e-readers offered at the library and how to download the digital materials we market
to all as if everyone knows how to use them. They also expressed interest in knowing about
the functions of a power of attorney, knowing how to find sound medical information online,
how to manage their finances and how to plan their legacy. They would like to have access to
vision enhancing technology as well as an improved projector that allows for brighter viewing
of movies and the convenience of a drive up book drop.
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Library Senior Services Grant

To take this service a step further, we would like to create a designated area for mature adults
that will house the large print collection in a book store style display, provide a comfortable
place to sit while choosing a book or watching the current news and financial updates on a
closed captioned television with the addition of an electric fireplace for optional warmth. This
area will be positioned near to the reference desk, the computer with the electronic video
magnifier attachment and the audio book collection. It will also be near the room which
provides access to the local history club materials. We would like to install the lamp style
magnifiers on tables in this area as well.
The Library realizes that the concept of a library as a traditional physical location of print
materials is in the past. The library itself has evolved into a community center for socialization
and information sharing beyond materials provided by the Library. Building on this
community center identity, the Library will continue the book club meetings held at the Senior
Center and will endeavor to teach a class every quarter to address the needs indicated in the
survey. We also recognize the shift in focus from digital to print based on generation so we
will print a one page newsletter quarterly and distribute it at the circulation desk and at the
Senior Center. We want to continue to build upon our outreach services and continuously
evaluate future needs.
This project requires initial grant funding to set up the space and acquire the equipment and
technology however, once it runs through its first 12 months, the Library Senior Services
project will become an essential part of the Library, organic to its mission. We already have
plans for future classes. Objectives and goals will be measured not just through usage but also
with further surveys. We want to obtain input on the effectiveness of the services and
programs, establish how the services and programs have impacted the lives of the senior
patrons, and continue to monitor their needs. The next survey will be after the project has been
running for 9 months and three classes have been taught. We also see this project, although
focused on seniors, as a community building project. There are opportunities for crossgeneration interaction on which we wish to capitalize. We hope to have teen volunteers work
with seniors during the computer and smart phone classes, providing seniors with experts
and providing teens with community service opportunities that can help them with personal
development. We also hope that a memoir writing class will lead to information and story
sharing with other members of the community.
Project Total Cost and Amount Requested
The majority of the upfront costs for the Library Senior Services surround the purchase of the
drive-up book drop, the furniture and the electronic magnifiers. The ongoing costs for this
project include salaries of the librarians who will be researching, designing and teaching the
classes. We foresee the total cost for the project being just over $38,300. We are requesting a
grant for $19,540 of assistance to make the Long Hill Township Library Senior Services
project come to life. The Library will be contributing $18,780.30 in salary, shelving and
furniture. The grant assistance will cover the costs of the equipment, furniture, marketing and
the salary for 2 library assistants.
Time Frame (1/2017 through 12/2017)
We envision the Library Senior Services project becoming a permanent part of the Long Hill
Township Library. The set up, announcement and marketing phase, initial introduction, and
ongoing monitoring will take place over a 12 month period.
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Library Senior Services Grant

Beginning the Process

(January February)
Librarians will order and purchase the furniture and equipment, begin designing lesson plans
for classes, create the quarterly newsletter for the Senior Center, begin installing new shelves,
prepare the new area for the furniture and begin marketing the new Library Senior Services
project.
Establish the Library Senior Services: Meeting Their Unique Needs Project
(March September)
There will be a Grand Opening for the new designated senior space and the project will be
marketed extensively throughout the community. During this period, four classes will be
taught and brief surveys will be given out at the end of each class. Comments on the new
space will also be collected from postcard surveys provided.
Evaluation of the Project
(October December)
Classes will continue and a new survey will be given to the Senior Center and will be available
to all seniors who enter the Library for evaluation and comments on the Library Senior
Services project. Results of the surveys will be tabulated and usage statistics will be analyzed.
How the Library Senior Services Project Will Benefit the Library
The Library will benefit by having equipment that will better serve its community. This
equipment will allow our senior patrons, especially those with physical disabilities, to get more
from their experience at the Library. There are separate areas designated just for children and
for teens that already exist within the Library. We believe we are one of the few libraries who
will actually designate a separate area for seniors. We have established the following goals to
be achieved by the end of the ninth month:
We will increase the use of the large print collection by 10% demonstrating more awareness of
the collection amongst the senior patrons. This will be measured with circulation statistics.
We will find that 90% of senior patrons will find library services and programs valuable and
applicable to their lives. This will be measured using the survey given after the project has
been established for nine months.
At least 25% of the senior patrons will proclaim that they are be able to research their questions
using information technology in the library or at home to make informed choices. This will
again be measured with the survey.
At least 10 senior residents per day will make use of the new dedicated space for seniors within
the Library and 3 senior patrons per week will make use of the electronic video magnifier.
This will be measured by the Adult Services Librarian over a 2 month period by taking a count
of seniors using the space at 3 different times per day.
We will provide six classes within the first year of the project that will be focused on the
concerns and needs of the senior community residents as indicated by their responses from the
initial survey given in July 2016.

Long Hill Township Public Library

Library Senior Services Grant

Timeline
The launch of the Library Senior Services: Meeting Their Unique Needs project will take place
over a 12 month period. This will allow for the set up of the designated area, the purchase and
set up of equipment and technology, as well as the design of lesson plans for the first six
classes.
January

Order and purchase equipment and furniture.

Design the first class How to Master the Use of a Computer
and the Internet.
Create the first quarterly print newsletter for the Senior Center
marketing the new designated library section for Seniors, drive up book drop
and schedule of classes.
Design a quick survey to use at the end of each class.
Design a postcard survey to leave in the new senior area for feedback.

February

Move the reference materials currently shelved in the space to be used.

Market the new class and new designated area for seniors on the
Library website, in the local churches, in the local paper, on the local
cable news billboard with Saturday, April 1st as the date of the Grand
Opening.
Create a Library research guide online for seniors to pair with the
computer class.
Install new shelving and move the large print book collection.
Distribute first quarterly newsletter to Senior Center.

March

Install television, fireplace and drive up book drop.

Set up area with new rug, furniture, and library tables.
Install new technology.
Teach first class.

April

Hold grand opening of the new senior area of the library on Saturday,
April 1, 2017.
Begin designing the next two classes to be taught;
How to Master Your Smart Phone and
What is a Power of Attorney.
Begin recording the number of people in new area, three times every
day (April 1 to May 31 at 10:30am, 1:30pm and 5pm).
Market next class in second quarterly Senior Center newsletter and
other resources mentioned above.

May

Teach second class.

Continue monitoring usage of the new senior area.
Begin tabulating results from post card and class surveys.

June

Begin researching and designing lesson plans for the next two classes
to be taught; How to Use an eReader and
How to Find Reliable Medical Information on the Internet.

Long Hill Township Public Library

Library Senior Services Grant

July

Teach third Class.

Distribute 3rd newsletter to the Senior Center.

August

Market next class.

September

Teach fourth class.

Market next class.

October

Begin design of next class; How to Write a Memoir.

Distribute survey to Senior Center.
Distribute the 4th newsletter to the Senior Center.
Teach fifth class.

November

Market next class.

Tabulate results of all surveys and usage statistics for report to
Hyde and Watson.
Re-evaluate project goals and determine if changes are necessary.
Establish class schedule for next year and determine if any classes
need to be offered again.

December

Teach sixth class.

Long Hill Township Public Library

Library Senior Services Grant

Project Budget
Funds
Needed
Staff
Library Director
Adult Services Librarian
Circulation Supervisor
Library Assistant
Library Assistant

Library
Cost Share

Total

$6,680.40
$6,568.50
$2,050.80
$3,322.80
$2,442.20

Marketing/Promotion
Office Materials for Senior Center Newsletter/
Class Handouts/Flyers/Mailings

$880.60

$750

Furniture
Chairs (2)
Footrests (2)
End Tables (2)
Electric Fireplace
Throw rug
Narrow wood display shelves
Library Table

$700
$260
$400
$600
$300
$2,000
$600

Assistive Technology
Computer Screen Electronic Video Magnifier
Portable Electronic Video Magnifier
Digital Video Projector (4400 lumens)
Table mounted lamp magnifiers (2)
Handheld Reading Magnifiers (3)
Hands-free Magnifiers (2)

$2,500
$600
$1,500
$200
$75
$50

Equipment
Drive-Up Book Return
Flat screen television with closed captioning

$6,000
$200

TOTALS

$19,540

$18,780.30

$38,320.30