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Success Story Series

Success story: Cheryl Nash
May/June 2023 edition of library newsletter Discovery

Cheryl NashSince suffering a stroke in March 2021, Cheryl Nash admitted that her self esteem has been low.

“I felt shut down,” she said. “Hadn’t done anything (since the stroke). Wasn’t motivated. I didn’t think I was capable of doing anything.”

Things began to improve after seeing a flyer for the Atlantic City Free Public Library’s BEST (Building Employment Skills Training) Program.

She registered for ServSafe, one of the library’s BEST classes. Participants learn about safe food handling and can earn an industry-recognized certification that is good for three years. In her most recent job, Nash was a cook for the clubs and suites at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Nash, who recently moved to Atlantic City, took the ServSafe class in April 2023 at the Main Library.

“It pushed me,” she said. “I was intimidated because of my illness and age. I saw young people and wondered what I was doing here. The instructor was amazing. I felt right at home. There were no stupid questions. They wouldn’t move along until everyone understood.”

The experience left her feeling “much better” about herself.

“(I’m) more encouraged,” she said. “I’m waiting to see if there’s a managerial ServSafe class. I wouldn’t have done that before.”

Nash said she would like to start a program that provides hot meals to the underprivileged.

What would she tell people who are considering taking a training class at the library?

“I’d encourage them to do it,” she said. “You never know what you can do until you try. Don’t let a handicap, disability or age stop you.”

For more information about BEST and other library programs, please visit our Help Desk or call (609) 345-2269.


Success story: Mark Anthony Mitchell
July/August 2023 edition of library newsletter Discovery

Mark Anthony MitchellWhen Mark Anthony Mitchell comes to the Atlantic City Free Public Library, good things happen to him.

Born and raised in Atlantic City, Mitchell is a longtime library member. Early this year, library staff helped him with an online Casino Reinvestment Development Authority job application. Mitchell says roughly a weekly later he got a call from the CRDA, where he is now employed as a general maintenance worker.

“Every time I’ve come (to the library), I’ve gotten a job,” says Mitchell, who listed the former Revel Casino Hotel and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino as other places he has been offered jobs after receiving assistance from library staff.

Mitchell credits the library with helping him develop computer skills as a result of classes he has taken over the years, and appreciates several staff members who have assisted him with different tasks.

“The Atlantic City Library has helped with all of my needs, employment, socialization and housing,” he says.






Success story: Arthur Hopson
November/December 2023 edition of library newsletter Discovery

Arthur HopsonArthur Hopson was looking for a job.

So, he took a training class to improve his job skills, applied for a job online and later received a call to interview for that position – and all of that happened while at the Atlantic City Free Public Library.

After learning that Hopson hoped to find a job, staff suggested free classes he could sign up for at the library. He registered for a computer class and ServSafe Food Handling — offered through the library’s BEST (Building Employment Skills Training) Program. ServSafe participants learn about food safety to protect the public from foodborne illness and can earn a certificate recognized by the restaurant industry.

Coincidentally, while at the library taking the SafeServ class to better his chances of landing a job, Ocean Casino Resort called him to set up an interview for a steward position. Hopson wound up getting the job and says “I love it.”

That was a job that Hopson applied for at the library, with the assistance of a staff member.

After being locked out of his old email and unable to reset his password, library staff helped Hopson create a new one because he needed it for his Ocean application.

“(Staff) explained the importance of emails to me because I wasn’t understanding the ramifications of not having an email address in today’s day and age. Without reliable access to an email it’s hard to complete job applications.”

Any final words about the library?

“I would tell them to come here if they have any problems with anything,” Hopson said. “Come to the Atlantic City Library because they will help you.”

To learn more about the library’s classes and BEST Program, please stop by the Main Library Help Desk, call (609) 345-2269 or visit www.acfpl.org.

Success story: Alissa Barrow
January/February 2024 edition of library newsletter Discovery

Alissa BarrowAlissa Barrow knows from personal experience the impact a library, in particular the Atlantic City Free Public Library, can have on a person.

Alissa joined the library staff in 2021 as a Senior Digital Navigator — but their experiences at the library date back to their early childhood.

A lifelong lover of reading, they frequently visited the library as a child with their parents to borrow books. As soon as they turned 13, Alissa began coming to the library every day — describing it as “the spot” to be.

They immediately joined the library’s volunteer Teen Advisory Group (TAG) and were excited about being allowed in the Teen Lounge. Alissa participated in many library activities, including the Summer Reading Program — where they were recognized by City Council as a top reader, Makers Day, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Read-in and National Night Out.

With encouragement from the library Youth Services staff, they began to explore their passions, such as music creation (using Ableton in the library's Makerspace) and pop culture (anime and manga).

“I think the biggest parts was the social environment,” Alissa said when describing the library’s impact on them. “When I became a teenager and started coming to the library on my own, I met all types of people I would call my friends that I still remain in contact with today.”

When Alissa was looking for a job while attending Atlantic Cape Community College, they thought of the library — knowing they would be helping the community.

They have taught basic computer classes and provided 1-on-1 computer training. Currently, they coordinate the library's BEST (Building Employment Skills Training) Program and help the public understand what a valuable resource the library is and all the essential services it has to offer.
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Library joins NJCH Community History Program

NJCH CommunityHistoryThe Atlantic City Free Public Library is one of nine organizations — each from a different New Jersey county — to have been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Community History Program.
In the program, the organizations will receive free, expert training on public history practices and develop projects in collaboration with their local communities to learn about and share their untold stories. In addition to the training, each organization will receive $5,000 in funding from NJCH to develop and launch projects that showcase their work.
“I believe the Community History Program will benefit our organization by getting historical information out to our community that did not know we existed or knows little about Atlantic City and the history that surrounds them,” Atlantic City Free Public Library archivist Jacqueline Silver-Morillo said. “It would be beneficial in working with a part of the community we have never worked with before, getting to know their place in the City’s history. We are also interested in expanding the reach of our A.C. Heritage Collections archive, getting more people from the community interested in the history of Atlantic City and their place in it.”
In addition to the library, the new cohort includes:
• Glen Rock Historical and Preservation Society – Glen Rock, Bergen County
• Bloomingdale Free Public Library – Bloomingdale, Passaic County
• Avon-by-the-Sea Historical Society – Avon-by-the-Sea, Monmouth County
• South Jersey Artist Collective – Woodbury, Gloucester County
• Lawnside Historical Society – Lawnside, Camden County
• Montclair Public Library – Montclair, Essex County
• Southern Ocean Chamber Association – Ship Bottom, Ocean County
• MUYU – Jersey City, Hudson County

Now in its fourth year, the Community History program has helped 20 New Jersey organizations capture, preserve and present untold stories of their communities. This year saw a record high number of applications for spots in the program.
“More than ever, people are interested in exploring the history of their own communities, and they have a desire to learn the skills to both do historical research and share what they find,” said Gigi Naglak, NJCH director of programs. “I think people are really, really interested in knowing more about where they came from.”
To learn more about the Community History Program and view profiles of prior participants, visit https://njhumanities.org/programs/community-history/.

NEH Preferred Seal820 NJCH wordmark B
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Work on new Main Library HVAC system begins March 11

taken11.29.23Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, March 11, to replace the HVAC system at the Main Library – located at 1 North Tennessee Ave. The project is expected to take approximately two months to complete.
The library asks for the public’s patience. It is anticipated there will be increased noise inside the Main Library at times due to the ongoing work, and certain phases of the construction might require closing the Main Library temporarily. The work will be performed by Gaudelli Bros., Inc., of Millville.
The library received grant funding for this HVAC project as part of the second round of the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act (LCBA). The LCBA is funding 50 percent of the project cost.
The LCBA was approved by voters in 2017 and authorized $125 million in state bonds for technology updates, building improvements and other library projects across the state. According to the state, the second round of funding allocated $37 million to 36 library projects from 13 counties across New Jersey. All projects require a 50 percent local funding match.
This is the second LCBA-funded project at the Main Library. As part of the LCBA’s first round, the library received funding for its Tennessee Avenue Improvement Project. That project, which was completed in 2023, included cleaning the Main Library’s exterior limestone façade, demolition and replacement of the concrete stairs and sidewalk, improved lighting and remodeling of the public bathrooms.
These repairs and upgrades to the Main Library building, which opened in 1985, were planned to ensure the continued provision of critically needed training, educational and informational services to the Atlantic City community.
Both projects have been supported by funds from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, administered by the New Jersey State Library.
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Atlantic City Library celebrates Black History Month

Big banner2Those who visit the Main Library – located at 1 North Tennessee Ave. – this month will see some new additions in celebration of Black History Month.
The exterior of the building features a new Black History Month banner, measuring 10 feet wide by 22.5 feet high. The banner highlights three prominent African Americans in Atlantic City history: Sara Spencer Washington, William K. Cheatham and Dr. Amaza Lockett.
Inside the library, there are 20 posters on display with photos and text of local African-American individuals or organizations that have impacted Atlantic City. Some of featured posters include: Club Harlem, JoAnna LaSane, John Henry “Pop” Lloyd and Mayor James L. Usry. For those who want to look for all 20 posters, stop by the Help Desk for a checklist.
The library also has posters at its Richmond Branch (4115 Ventnor Ave.) and, as of later this week, at City Hall. The poster photos and text are from the library’s Atlantic City Heritage Collections. In addition to viewing the posters at one of the library locations or City Hall, they will be available on the Heritage Collections’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
The library staff has also created special displays with books and movies related to Black History Month – and there many more resources available to the public online.
The library’s Atlantic City Heritage Collections Digital Repository includes a wide variety of materials documenting African-American history from the city’s inception in 1854 to present day. The collections feature dissertations, oral histories, photographs and biographies that capture the voices of African Americans who grew up, lived and worked here. The digital repository allows individuals seeking greater detail about the city’s history to access these materials 24/7 on the internet, improving accessibility for residents, students, teachers, authors, archivists and researchers throughout the world.
The library has scheduled a Black History Month program – Betcha Can’t East Just One – on Friday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. in the Main Library Youth Services Department. Children and teens ages 9-18 are invited to a special potato chip taste testing to honor the African-American inventor of the potato chip, George Crum. Participants will taste a variety of chips and vote for the best following a reading of “George Crum and the Saratoga Chip” by Gaylia Taylor.
The library will hold another of its Black Stories Matter: Virtual Book Club programs in February. The club will meet via Zoom on Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. Please call (609) 345-2269, ext. 3075, to register for the program and receive a free copy of that month’s featured book, while supplies last. Or, check the library's Programs page for an online registration link.
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Welcome to our new librarian

Dani SinaiThe Atlantic City Free Public Library is pleased to announce Dani Sinai as its new Adult Services Librarian. Dani joined the staff in October. They will fill the position formerly held by Melissa McGeary, who was promoted to Assistant Director earlier this year.

In this role, Dani’s responsibilities will include supervising the library's Circulation Department, planning adult programs, and helping with collection development of adult materials and outreach efforts.

Dani’s professional experience includes more than eight years working in the Camden County Library System. They worked for nearly seven years as a Senior Librarian at the M. Allan Vogelson Regional Library Branch in Voorhees, where their responsibilities included coordinating multiple programs across various locations in the system. Since April 2022, Dani served as Interim Head of Youth Services at the Vogelson Branch. They led and supervised Youth Services staff, ensured a diverse array of programming for ages 0-18 and worked with staff to develop a diverse collection.

Dani graduated from Clarion University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Library Sciences. They received their Master of Library and Information Science degree from Rutgers University.