Friends of the Library Executive Board Members
Become a Friend of the Library
or Renew Your Membership Today!
Friends membership is always encouraged and appreciated! You can join or renew your membership and pay online or with Apple Pay using our new online membership form.
Donate
Make a tax-deductible donation via PayPal.
Contact Us
To contact the Friends, email us at secaucuslibraryfriends@gmail.com.
Our Next Meeting
Wednesday, June 3rd. 4pm. Main Library- NBA Room.
All adults are welcome to attend our monthly Friends of the Library planning meetings, where we discuss ongoing business and coordinate plans for upcoming Friends events, fundraisers and other initiatives. To make sure we have plenty of seating and refreshments, please email the Friends directly at secaucuslibraryfriends@gmail.com or email Jenifer May at may@secaucus.bccls.org to RSVP.
Our Next Event
Wednesday, June 17th. 6:30pm. General Membership Meeting and Concert featuring “Bach 2 Rock: 200 Years of Musical Transformation”
Author, historian, and musician Alex Prizgintas of Orange County has made a career of blending harmonies with the rich histories of composers and songwriters from decades past, while also pushing the classical cello into realms that are unique and unexpected. The Poughkeepsie Journal recently wrote that Alex’s work both “inspires and amazes,” while the Times Herald-Record states that “he pushes the limits.” They also wrote that he “brings his knowledge and interest in history and music together.”
The unique sound of Alex Prizgintas and his amplified cello will be shown at the Secaucus Public Library on Wednesday, June 17th at 6:30 PM. According to Alex, “Most often, cellists play concerts. I’m a little different in that I try to give a show.” Alex works to give a “show” that offers more give-and-take with the audience while delivering bits of information revealing some of the background behind the melodies and the melody makers. “Some of my favorite selections in the Bach to Rock program include the Baroque cello suites of J.S. Bach, Latin tangos such as Astor Piazzolla’s ‘Libertango,’ and opera selections like Donizetti’s ‘Una Furtiva Lagrima’ and Verdi’s ‘La Donna Mobile” says Alex. “I enjoy the lyricism of opera, especially when contrasted by the counterpoint of jazz by masters like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dave Brubeck. And then, there are times where I stray towards the rebellion of the mid-to-late 60’s British Invasion with groups like Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Procol Harum, The Kinks, and The Zombies—to name just a few.”
With each performance, Alex strives to communicate — both with the cello and with the backstories that reveal interesting facts about each selection. “I have three rock selections with personal ties to Jimi Hendrix, an explanation about Bach’s Preludes to each cello suite, and where Dave Brubeck found inspiration for ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk,’ just to name a few. Along with the tunes, my goal is to build a better understanding and a deeper relationship with my audiences.” To learn more and see other video samples of his music and lectures, please visit alexprizgintas.com.io interview recorded with his parents in 1980, Jerry dedicated over six years to extensive research, piecing together the details of their remarkable Holocaust survival story.
Please register via our event calendar: https://bccls.libcal.com/event/16815419
All library and Friends of the Library programs are ADA accessible. Accommodations are available upon request by calling Jenifer at 201-330-2083 x4011 or emailing her at may@secaucus.bccls.org
Who are the Friends of the Library?
The Friends of the Secaucus Public Library is a non-profit organization benefiting the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center. Its membership consists of students, parents, alumni, patrons, business and professional groups, and all persons interested in promoting and supporting local library services.
Our Mission
To stimulate awareness of the Secaucus Public Library as an informational, educational and cultural center for people of all ages in the community. To focus attention towards activities, to encourage gifts, endowments and bequests to support the “Freedom to Read” statement as expressed in the American Library Association Bill of Rights.
These are just a sample of the activities, support and programs the Friends provide:
- Extended Story Hour End of the Year Program
- Annual and Seasonal Book Sales
- Annual Lunar New Year Celebration, St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, Salsa Dance Night for Hispanic Heritage Month and other Multicultural Celebrations
- Library Nights in the Park and other offsite or outdoor events
- Visits by local authors, speakers, performers and musicians
- Local History Digitization Projects, including the Secaucus Home News digitization and our 2015 History of the Secaucus Public Library Documentary (Available to view on our YouTube channel and the local history page on this website)
- Upgrades to the library’s technology equipment, including the library’s mobile makerspace and a new 82″ QLED TV for the library’s meeting room
- Independent Film Discussion Series
- Youth Summer Reading Programs and Children’s Art Month
- Museum Pass Lending
- Creation of the Children’s Reading Garden and the Frank A. Pinto Butterfly Garden
- Excel High School Program. The Friends provide full tuition each year for eligible adult students to earn their high school diploma online through a partnership with the Secaucus Public Library and Cengage Learning.
- Annual scholarships for local students starting their undergraduate studies or attending an ALA-accredited graduate program for library studies.
How to Join
Membership forms are available at both library locations or click the link below to download and print the application.
You can also join or renew your membership and pay online or with Apple Pay using our new online membership form.
How can I make a donation to support the Friends of the Library?
Donations to the Friends of the Secaucus Public Library are tax-deductible and are used to support cultural and educational programming at the library, museum pass and WiFi hotspot lending, local library outreach, makerspace initiatives, technology upgrades at the Secaucus Public Library, and annual scholarships to Secaucus residents graduating from high school as well as students pursuing a masters in Library Science and other ALA-accredited graduate programs.
Donations can be made by check payable to the “Friends of the Secaucus Public Library” and mailed to:
The Friends of the Secaucus Public Library
1379 Paterson Plank Road
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Donations of items and services are accepted at the discretion of the Friends of the Library Board. To make an in-kind donation or for any additional information regarding commemorative heritage wall or book donations, please contact Library Director Jenifer May at 201-330-2083 x 4011 or email may@secaucus.bccls.org
Heritage Wall Name Plates and Giving Tree Donations
Join the hundreds of family names & messages already included on the Heritage Wall located in the first floor reading room. Three-line nameplates with a maximum 16 characters start at $100, with a variety of larger commemorative plaques available.
NEW! Be a part of The Giving Tree, on display at our Katherine Steffens Annex at XChange. Have your name or other special message (up to three lines; 25 characters per line) inscribed on one of the copper leaves adoring this permanent installation in the new branch library’s adult reading room.
Friends of the Secaucus Public Library Scholarships for Graduating High School Seniors
In order to assist our residents with the costs of college education, the Friends of the Secaucus Public Library are pleased to grant scholarships each year to local high school seniors. Applicants may attend any high school, but must reside in Secaucus.
The Friends are also honored to announce that they will be awarding a second scholarship in 2026, endowed through a generous donation made by the former congregation of the First Reformed Church of Secaucus and administered on their behalf.
The deadline for 2026 submissions has passed, but information regarding next year’s applications will be posted in February 2027. Scholarships awarded in 2026 will be announced in early June.
Friends of the Secaucus Public Library Scholarships for Graduate Students in Library Science-related programs
Secaucus residents who are enrolled in or plan to enroll in a Masters in Library and Information Science or other ALA-accredited graduate program should email secaucuslibraryfriends@gmail.com for information about upcoming scholarship opportunities. Scholarships for students pursuing library-related degrees at the graduate level are granted on a rolling basis.
