The committee is composed of volunteers who carry out the tasks involved in the organization, development, and functioning of the temple library. It is chaired by the temple librarian, who is also a volunteer.
New books and electronic media are selected and purchased by the committee with input from the rabbis, cantor, director of education, members of the education staff, and interested congregants. Committee members then ready new acquisitions for shelving by assigning call numbers, creating computer records, labeling, making protective covers, and inserting bookplates. They also carry out the day-to-day operations of the library, which include checking materials in and out, shelving returned items, repairing damaged books, sending out overdue notices, and showing congregants and religious school students how to use the catalog computer.
To suggest new materials, donate a book or disc, or discuss becoming a library volunteer, please contact the Librarian.
The computerized Haskell N. Bernat Library at Temple Isaiah is one of the largest and most active synagogue libraries in New England. The quality of the collection of books, periodicals, and electronic media (audio and video tapes, CDs, and now DVDs) would do credit to a much larger congregation. The library contains more than 9000 items and is continually upgraded and expanded. With its variety of holdings, from children’s books and adult fiction to encyclopedias and Torah commentaries, it can be enjoyed by everyone from preschoolers to teachers and rabbis; topics include history, the Holocaust, religion, Jewish life and culture, biography, and much more.
All books and electronic media are cataloged in a state-of-the-art computer system that allows easy searching. The database contains a brief description of every item so that users can browse the library without leaving the terminal.
The library is open whenever the Temple is open, and it is free to anyone with an interest in Jewish learning.
For more information, contact the Librarian.