Profile
BELS is a organization that provides library services and support to librarians and their school communities in 33 schools in 15 North Jersey districts. The consortium works directly with librarians to train staff and implement library automation software, overseeing the library collection, loans, reports, and catalog records. All 33 schools are able to share materials and supplement each other’s collections using our inter-library loan service with twice weekly delivery. Purchasing of library materials is streamlined through the BELS office, making ordering and subscribing to research databases, magazines, newspapers, and books easier – and it comes with a significant cost savings. Librarians are encouraged to partake in additional BELS services including professional development sessions, borrowing of Mobile MakerSpace Kits and Book Club collections, coordination of author visits, and participation in our eBook collection. Our goal is to make New Jersey school libraries productive and robust, supporting Library Media Specialists in the vital task of educating successful 21st century learners.
Mission Statement
The BELS Consortium for School Library Media Centers strives to provide all the necessary services for a fully functional school library in the 21st century. In order to facilitate this mission, BELS is committed to the sharing of its diverse resources, the professional development of school library staff, and the integration of Core Content State Standards (CCSS) and American Association of School Librarians 21st Century Learning Standards into the classroom.
Vision Statement
BELS views the library as a school’s learning center: a place where students can develop academically and personally. It is BELS’s vision to expand its resource-sharing membership. This growing partnership will foster a powerful integrated library system, public access catalog, interlibrary loan program, and dynamic website.
Organizational History
Founded in the early 1990’s through the auspices of the Bergen County Technical School District (BCTS), BELS once stood for Bergen Electronic Library for Schools. It was at this time that BELS helped dozens of school libraries automate their collections and offer their students online catalogs capable of searching schools’ holdings for the very first time. Due to budgetary constraints at BCTS, BELS became an independent entity in the summer of 2009, and was approved for 501 (c) (3) status on April 18, 2010. The BELS Consortium is now composed of schools calling four different counties home, and now simply refers to itself as “bells.”
Structure
The BELS Consortium Council is comprised of each school librarian working in a BELS school. Each year the Consortium Council elects a five-person Executive Board, who then in turn elect a President. The President then appoints a fellow Executive Board member to Vice President. Among other tasks, the Executive Board is responsible for hiring and supervising the Consortium Coordinator, who manages the day-to-day operations of BELS.
Bylaws
BELS operates in accordance with its set of bylaws and conflict of interest policy, which were adopted by the Consortium Council and Executive Board upon formation of an independent entity, and are updated as necessary.
How to Join
Interested in world-class services and resource sharing in a consortium environment? Have a school library? Have a professional librarian working at least 20 hours per week in your school district? If you answered, “yes” to each of the last three questions, then you are eligible for membership!
Geographic Limitations
Please note that due to the location of our current membership, it would be difficult (albeit not impossible) to accept members from outside the immediate northeastern New Jersey area. Public school districts and private schools calling Bergen, Essex, Hudson, or Passaic counties home are strongly encouraged to contact the Consortium Coordinator to discuss pricing.
BELS unfortunately cannot accept membership from out of state public or private schools at this time due to the current designation we possess from the Internal Revenue Service.
Benefits of Membership
Listing every benefit to joining BELS would be just about impossible. However, check out some of our highlights:
- No hidden fees– everything BELS has to offer is included in your annual membership fees
- Follett Destiny integrated library system and online public access catalog
- Transfer your district’s own Destiny system to BELS’s Destiny system at no charge
- Bulk Purchasing Program reduces costs for Destiny and its add-on products, databases, print magazines, and other subscription-based products (print books and eBooks coming soon!)
- Inter-library borrowing between all BELS locations and each BCCLS public library
- Personalized tech support five days a week; no 800 numbers or robots
- In-person or electronic-based training for the entire school library staff
- Professional development programming
- A consortium atmosphere: ask other members through individual communication or by utilizing private message boards and listservs, coordinate programs and coursework between different school districts
- Think something can be improved or more efficient in BELS? Members let us know and we take action
- The BELS website is packed with information and content is constantly being added. Hosting for wikis, message boards, and other web 2.0 technology is on its way.
Executive Board
The Executive Board is selected at the beginning of each new school year from among the BELS member librarians.
BELS Executive Board 2019-2020
Sabina Albirt, Northern Valley Regional High School – Demarest
Janice Cooper, President, Northern Valley Regional High School – Old Tappan
Michelle McGreivey, Hoboken High School
Courtney Reinfried, Northern Valley Regional High School – Old Tappan
Andrea Romano, Cliffside Park High School
Committees
BELS Committees are comprised of volunteer members from the BELS Consortium Council, and make recommendations to the BELS Executive Board to support new initiatives, create new policies, or address BELS services.
Website Committee
The Website Committee’s scope includes but is not limited to such specific tasks as:
1.) Suggesting improvements for website layout and content
2.) Soliciting contributions from the membership to include in the website
Current Committee Chair:
Kim Diaz, Wood-Ridge Doyle and Intermediate Schools
Current Committee Members:
Angela Lee, Leonia MS
Krista Welz, North Bergen HS
Pat Gordon, Paterson Eastside HS
Ann Hazley, Saddle Brook MS/HS
Peter Richter, Westwood Reg. Jr./Sr. HS
PAC & eBook Committee
The PAC/Bulk Purchasing/eBook Committee’s scope includes but is not limited to such specific tasks as:
1.) Suggesting improvement for reports’ structure and function
2.) Aid the consortium in understanding and familiarity with the layout and features of the catalog
3.) Requesting guides and manuals for catalog functions
4.) Enhanicing ebook marketing efforts and advising with ebook collection development
5.) Investigating new discounts for bulk ordering
6.) Coordinating presentations for bulk service providers
7.) Communicating with BELS members about trials and evaluation
Current Committee Chair:
Andrea Romano, Cliffside Park HS
Current Committee Members:
Jolie Kurz, Dumont ESs
Janice Cooper, Northern Vallery Regional HS – Old Tappan
Karen Giblin, Paterson JFK HS
Eileen Laymen, Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr HS
Outreach/Inreach Committee
The Outreach/Inreach Committee’s scope includes but is not limited to such specific tasks as:
1.) Fostering further collaboration between BELS members
2.) Making BELS more attractive to prospective members
Current Committee Chair:
Veronica Alfonso, Elmwood Park MS/HS
Current Committee Members:
Courtney Reinfried, Northern Valley Regional HS- Demarest
Laurel Hanczaryk, Rochelle Park Midland School
Honor Society Committee
The Honor Society Committee’s scope includes but is not limited to such specific tasks as:
1.) Investigating the setup of a national honor society
2.) Deciding on implementation methods
3.) Establishing criteria for inclusion and components of society membership
Current Committee Chair:
Susan Grover, Leonia HS
Current Committee Members:
Kara Jonson, Dumont HS
Michel Madden, Montclair HS
Renee Graham, Montclir Hillside School
Katie Nellen, Park Ridge Jr/Sr HS
Affiliates
The BELS Consortium is a proud supporter and/or member of the following organizations:
Bergen/Passiac affiliate of New Jersey Association of School Librarians (BPASL)
We advocate for high standards for librarianship and library media programs in the public, private and parochial schools in New Jersey to inspire excellence in school librarianship and learning.
LibraryLinkNJ
The New Jersey Library Cooperative has over 1,100 voting representatives from over 2,000 public and private school, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences, and special libraries and library-related agencies. A member-elected Executive Board meets regularly to oversee the programs and services of the organization.
New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative (NJECC)
NJECC’s mission is to promote and support the integration of technology in education as it applies to student learning, professional development, and instructional planning.
New Jersey State Library
The State Library has been offering the highest quality service to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government for more than 200 years. The State Library’s mission has expanded since its establishment in 1796 to lead in the provision, promotion and support of high quality library and information services to all the people of New Jersey. The State Library’s mission is filled through the efforts of the State Library Information Center, the Library Development Bureau and the Talking Book and Braille Center.
New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL)
NJASL advocates high standards for librarianship and library media programs in the public, private and parochial schools in New Jersey to ensure that students and staff become effective users of information. Discover information about the annual NJASL Conference here.
American Library Association (ALA)
Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, ALA was created to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. Information about the New Jersey chapter of ALA, NJLA, can be found here.
New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA)
Today’s NJSBA consists of nine departments, plus the Executive Office. The staff provides direct services, training and representation for boards of education across the state. The core of NJSB’s mission remains the “advancement of public education.”
New Jersey Education Association (NJEA)
The mission of NJEA is to advance and protect the rights, benefits, and interests of members, and promote a quality system of public education for all students.
New Jersey Parent-Teacher Association (NJPTA)
The PTA organization is a volunteer organization of adults and students whose sole purpose is to advocate for children and youth. The NJPTA has nearly 750 local PTAs in all 21 counties of New Jersey and a total membership of approximately 175,000 members.
Contact Info
Via email:
belsnj@belsnj.org
Via phone:
(201) 265-4242
Via mail:
BELS Consortium
P.O. Box 450
Lodi, NJ 07644
