Search Results

In Memory Many generous donations have been made to the Bernardsville Library Foundation to honor the memory of a beloved family member, colleague, respected friend, or community member. Dorothy Baier Michael Bordius Ellyn and Saul Dennison Mary Ann Donaghy Edward English Eugene Kalkin Hilda and Kenneth Poole George H. and Patricia A. St. Onge Terry A. Thompson

Our Foundation Financials The Bernardsville Library Foundation has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that all donations and gifts to the Foundation are used for the purposes intended by the donor(s). We take this responsibility seriously. To ensure the efficient use of private funding, the Foundation has established a Financial Committee and an Investment Committee to: Provide financial oversight for the accounting, management and investment of all funds. Establish an internal management control system. Review and approve an annual operating and budget before presenting it to the Foundation Board of Trustees for adoption. Monitor the use of restricted funds and establish spending policies for all resources. 2026 Bernardsville Library Foundation Finance & Investment Committee: Jamie Bertoni, Treasurer, Committee Chair Mimi Brown, Library Bookkeeper Debbie Heimerl Michael Myers Since 2011, the Bernardsville Library Foundation has granted $877,910 to the Bernardsville Public Library to close the gap between public funding and the cost of Library operations. In the same time period, the Bernardsville Library Foundation has increased in value to $1,105,305 (as of 04/30/2026) in Endowment. The Foundation Board of Trustees is grateful to the citizens of Bernardsville and to all our generous donors for their continued support of the Bernardsville Library Foundation. The Bernardsville Library Foundation IRS 990 Forms: IRS 990 Form 2025 IRS 990 Form 2024 IRS 990 Form 2023 IRS 990 Form 2022 IRS 990 Form 2021 IRS 990 Form 2020 IRS 990 Form 2019 IRS 990 Form 2018 IRS 990 Form 2017 IRS 990 Form 2016 IRS 990 Form 2015 IRS 990 Form 2014 IRS 990 Form 2013 IRS 990 Form 2012 IRS 990 Form 2011 The Bernardsville Library Foundation Financial Statements: Financial Statement 2025 Financial Statement 2024 Financial Statement 2023

Building Community Resources Library Resources Membership in MAIN Library Alliance , a cooperative of 60+ public libraries in New Jersey offering our library patrons access to over 3 million items to discover. Books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, movies, and tv programs available to borrow Downloadable books, audiobooks, Craftsy, Crafts en Espanol, Indieflix, Quello Concerts, and The Great Courses Library collection, are available to borrow online via LIBBY . Downloadable books, audiobooks, music, movies and TV shows are available to borrow via Hoopla Computers, laptops and Chromebooks are available at the library for patron usage Access to printers.

In Memory of Hilda and Kenneth Poole Hilda (1929-2002) and Kenneth Poole (1927-2006) Hilda (Mander) and Kenneth Poole were born and grew up in the West Midlands of England. He was a graduate of Wadham College, Oxford University, and they immigrated to the United States in 1953. They moved to Bernardsville with their two daughters in 1961 and lived there until their move to Basking Ridge in 2000. Mr. Poole worked for Bell Laboratories in their Murray Hill location as a research physicist for his entire career. Mrs. Poole volunteered for many years in the Spinning Room/Local History Room of the Bernardsville Public Library, enjoying the work and the friendships she forged there. She was also a Brownie leader, served on the Bernardsville schools’ Home and School Association/Parent Teacher Association, delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, and was a constant advocate for music programs in the Bernardsville schools. She was honored in 1983 for service to the library by the Bernardsville Library Association. She died January 30, 2002. Mr. Poole was a Trustee and Treasurer of the Bernardsville Library Association and volunteered to help community members with tax preparation under the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. He also served as President of the Bernardsville Civic Association, Treasurer of the Bernardsville Kiwanis Club, and Chairman of the Borough of Bernardsville Administrative Study Panel. He delivered meals for Meals on Wheels and assisted in the library wherever he was needed for many years. The library presented Mr. Poole with its Volunteer Service Award in 2004. Mr. and Mrs. Poole both received the Bernardsville Outstanding Community Volunteer Award in 1994. He died November 18, 2006.

Join Us The Bernardsville Library Foundation is made up of residents of Bernardsville and surrounding towns, who support the Bernardsville Public Library and believe strongly in the mission of the Foundation. Our volunteer Board of Trustees meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6:30 PM in the Quiet Room of the Bernardsville Public Library. We are always looking for new members who can help us raise funds for the library, as well as those who have a legal background, a financial background, experience in grant writing, public relations, or photography. To find out more about membership in the Bernardsville Library Foundation or to volunteer to help us in any of the areas mentioned, please complete the form below or send us an email: Foundation@BernardsvilleLibrary.org Thank you for supporting the Bernardsville Public Library by supporting our Foundation. First Name Last Name Email Subject: Please select Type Your Message Here Send Thank you for submitting!

In Memory of Eugene Kalkin The Bernardsville Library Foundation mourns the loss of one of its Honorary Trustees, Eugene Kalkin, who passed away on November 14, 2023. Eugene Kalkin, a resident of Bernardsville for more than 40 years, was a trailblazer in the retail industry. He founded Linens ‘n Things in 1975 which started as a chain of 8 stores. By the time Mr. Kalkin sold the company in 1983, Linens ‘n Things had grown to 55 stores becoming one of the largest specialty retailers of home textiles, housewares, and decorative home accessories in the country. Mr. Kalkin was a graduate of the University of Vermont School of Business Administration. He spearheaded the campaign to construct a new home for what is now known as the Grossman School of Business, giving one of the largest donations every received by UVM at the time. Kalkin Hall at UVM was named in honor of Mr. Kalkin’s philanthropic efforts for the university. Eugene and his late wife Joan were also supporters of the Bernardsville Library Foundation. We are grateful to Eugene Kalkin for his years of service to this organization as an honorary trustee and we send our deepest condolences to his family.

Building Community The Bernardsville Library Foundation helps build our community through many aspects. Here are some of the many wonderful programs that your donations to the Foundation help the library provide: Building/ location Resources programs LIBRARY events

Our Foundation Board Members Michael Myers Chair Shikha Mayer Vice Chair Jamie Bertoni Treasurer Madelyn English Secretary Foundation Trustees: Patrice Cummings Debbie Heimerl Joanne Kavanaugh Veronica (Roni) Larini Justin Lynch Susan Miller Anne Reilly Foundation Liaisons: Robert (Rob) Re Bernardsville Library Board of Trustees Mary “Fran” Daley, Director Bernardsville Public Library Carolyn C. Duff Friends of the Library Foundation Honorary Trustees: Donna Baier Stein Dr. Eva Bostek-Brady Leslie Brown-Witt Joan Contess Richard Deignan Dr. Julia Johnson Dr. Neill Johnson Ed Landis Kathleen Palmer Peter Palmer Judith Sutton The Bernardsville Library Foundation is made up of residents of Bernardsville and surrounding towns, who support the Bernardsville Public Library and believe strongly in the mission of the Foundation. We are always looking for new members who can help us raise funds for the library. To find out more about membership in the Bernardsville Library Foundation, please contact us at foundation@bernardsvillelibrary.org . Thank you for supporting the Bernardsville Public Library. Thank you to Blackstock Photography for these images.

Our Foundation Mission and Vision Board Members Meeting Dates Financials

Our Foundation Mission The mission of the Bernardsville Library Foundation is to be a source of private funding to enable the outstanding Bernardsville Public Library to continue to operate at a level of excellence without regard to variations in public funding. Vision The vision of the Bernardsville Library Foundation is to raise enough funds in Endowment to be able to close the gap each year between the Borough of Bernardsville funding and the Bernardsville Public Library operations budget, while continuing to offer outstanding products, programming and services to the citizens of Bernardsville.

Annual Appeal The Bernardsville Library Foundation was formed in 2011, with the purpose of raising private funding for the town's public library. Each spring the Bernardsville Library Foundation sends an Annual Appeal a letter to every household in Bernardsville, requesting support of the General Fund or the Endowment. A donation to the General Fund this year will help the Foundation raise $25,000, the amount needed to close the gap between public funding and actual library operations in 2026. You may choose to support our Endowment, which is currently valued at $ 1,105,305 (as of 04/30/2026) . The Foundation has a goal of building a $2.5 Million dollar endowment by 2028. Donate The Bernardsville Library Foundation is a 501 (C) 3 charitable organization whose Tax ID# (EIN) is 27-4485942.

In Memory of Edward English After retiring, Ed became a super volunteer in Bernardsville. He was an active volunteer for the Bernardsville Library, the Bernardsville Library Foundation, and the Friends of the Bernardsville Library, using his filmmaking background and photographic skills to help publicize library events with short videos and photos. He also documented library events, such as the library’s role in the community during Superstorm Sanday, and created beautiful photographic albums of the Homes of Distinction fundraisers hosted by the Foundation. In addition, Ed served on the Board of Adjustment, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Green Team, the Shade Tree Committee, and the Open Space Advisory Committee, as well as managing, marketing, and significantly expanding the Bernardsville Farmers' Market, now a fixture and destination in Bernardsville. He was awarded The Bernardsville Environmental Commission Stewardship Award in 2014; the Bernardsville Service Award in 2017; and the Bernardsville Outstanding Volunteer Service Award in 2022.