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January 28, 2005

The Woodbridge Public Library is ready to help students mark Black History Month with a wide array of learning materials.

Through its Friends of the Library association, the main library and its three branches have been a frequent sponsor over the years of Black History Month performances and exhibits, such as the acclaimed 7 Quilts for 7 Sisters display that focused on the role of the African-American woman during slavery.

“The public library is a great learning resource as well as a gathering place for the community,” says Mayor Frank G. Pelzman. “Our library staff does an outstanding job of making sure students and patrons have access to information about this important segment of our history.”

The library has a large collection of African-American materials, along with a special collection of local history, photographs and genealogical information on the Township’s Colonial-era residents. Library Director John Hurley notes that 46% of the 720,000 annual check-outs are for children’s and educational materials.

Woodbridge and Middlesex County have figured frequently in New Jersey’s African-American history. The first anti-slavery meeting held in the United States took place in Woodbridge on July 4, 1783, at the home of Moses Bloomfield, a surgeon in the Continental Army and father of future New Jersey Governor Joseph Bloomfield.

The Underground Railroad network that aided slaves escaping to Canada before the Civil War had numerous stops in Middlesex County, including Woodbridge. After the War, Perth Amboy was the site where the first African-American in the nation voted following the adoption of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibited denial of suffrage based on race, color or previous condition of servitude.

Notable African-American residents of Woodbridge have included major league baseball great Don Newcombe and educator Dr. Blenda J. Wilson, President & CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and former Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

Recent upgrades in the library’s computer system have made it easier for Black History Month researchers to find the information they need. The library offers nearly 100 online databases as part of its connection to the INFOLINK Regional Library Cooperative, a state tax funded service of the New Jersey Library Network.