Programs galore!

Last week we were very fortunate to have two dynamic speakers present at the library. On Monday, June 27th Dr. Michael Rothman of MD Wellness & Spa lectured about The Power of Nutrition: How the Foods You Are Eating Are Making You Sick. Dr. Rothman spoke to the crowd for over an hour and then fielded questions from the audience as they tried to digest the information about the dangers of processed foods. On Thursday, June 30th, Judith Krall-Russo entertained us with Tea Traditions from Around the World. As she spoke, the audience left New Jersey and traveled the world, learning about all the various accoutrements (see top photo above) used by different cultures in their tea ceremonies. Both presenters are incredibly knowledgeable on their respective topics and we hope to have them back at the library in the near future.

This week on Wednesday, July 6th at 7 PM we will be hosting Dick Handschuch and Sal Marino, co-authors of the book The Beach Bum’s Guide to the Boardwalks of New Jersey. These two gentlemen have strolled all the legendary boardwalks in New Jersey, several times in fact! Check out their story in this Asbury Park Press article from June 27th.

The photo of Dr. Rothman is courtesy of Joesph Lisnow, a freelancer for the new Matawan Aberdeen Patch website

Summer Reading week 2

Summer Reading is in full swing here at the library. There are already over 500 adults signed up to win raffle prizes just for reading books or listening to audiobooks! Above you’ll see the photo of the raffle prize for week 2. This week we are giving away a basket full of gardening supplies. Among the goodies are gardening tools and gloves, flower seeds, a book on gardening in small spaces, and a gift card for Morganville Flower Farm. The gift card does not expire so it can be used next year if you have already finished your planting for this year. Please note that the drawing will be held on Tuesday, July 5th since we are closed for the holiday on Monday, July 4th.
As part of our Novel Destinations Film Series, we will be showing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Wednesday July 6th at 3 PM. This breathtaking film won four Oscars in 2001, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography. Crouching Tiger was filmed in Mandarin and has English subtitles.
Also on July 6th at 7 PM Dick Handschuch and Sal Marino, co-authors of “The Beach Bum’s Guide to the BOARDWALKS of NEW JERSEY”, will be at the library to entertain us with history, statistics, and facts about the wonderful boardwalks in our state. I hope to see you there!

Novel Destinations

Summer is officially underway and so is the Summer Reading Club at the library! The theme for the adults this year is Novel Destinations, so in celebration of this year’s theme we are showing travel destination movies every Wednesday afternoon at 3 PM. The movies will be a combination of English speaking films and non-English, subtitled films. On June 29th we will be showing Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. This film was shot entirely in Rome and shows all the highlights of the city so you’ll leave the movie feeling like you’ve just returned from an adventurous vacation.
If you’ve never taken part in our Summer Reading Club, here’s how it works. First, you’ll need to sign up for the club with your library card at the circulation desk. Don’t have a library card? No problem. It only takes minutes to be issued a new card; you just need to bring proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill, etc.) for Aberdeen or Matawan. When you sign up for the reading club you will be assigned a number and you’ll receive a colorful book bag to tote around your library books. Each time you return a book or audiobook you will be given a ticket for the weekly raffle. Write your assigned number on the ticket, drop it into the jar, and every Monday we will draw a ticket and the winner will receive a fun prize. Above is a picture of this week’s prize which will be drawn on June 27th. Traditionally we begin Summer Reading by giving away a camping chair and pail filled with beach books. There is also a travel mug and gift certificate to Shop and Shop so you can stock up on your way to the beach.
Enjoy your summer and check the blog each week to see the next raffle prize!

ListenNJ!

How many of you own e-readers or are thinking of purchasing one? Or perhaps you enjoy having an e-book handy on your computer to read or an audiobook on your mp3 device to listen to during a long walk? Did you know you could download free audiobooks and e-books from ListenNJ using your Matawan Aberdeen library card? ListenNJ currently offers over 6000 audiobooks and 2000 e-books! There is something for everyone – adult fiction (including drama, horror, mysteries, science fiction) and non-fiction (including health & fitness, biographies, current events), as well as books for teens. You can checkout up to five books at one time and keep them for up to two weeks, just like regular library books.

Downloading audio and e-books is very easy once you get the hang of it. You simply need to install software found on the ListenNJ website onto your computer, OverDrive Media Console (for audiobooks) or Adobe Digital Editions (for e-books), choose your book, and then follow the steps through to the checkout. Be sure to choose “Libraries of Middlesex County Consortium” as your library since the Matawan Aberdeen Library is part of this consortium and is not listed separately. Our computer technician, Curtis, wrote a very helpful guide for using ListenNJ which can be found on the homepage of our website.

Last week Curtis hosted an e-reader workshop where he showed patrons how to download audiobooks and e-books onto their computers and then demonstrated transferring the books to the e-reader using the Barnes and Noble Nook color. E-books can also be transferred to the Apple iPad, Sony Reader, Border’s Kobo, or the newest Amazon Kindle, or simply left to read on your computer. I attended the workshop since this was new territory for me, too. After practicing with the Nook for a little while, I felt like a pro and wondered why I had waited so long to try ListenNJ. Try it for yourself!

Clubs, movies, and special events ... oh my!

Most people are aware the Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library offers story hours for children, but are you aware we also host a variety of clubs, movies, and special programs for our adult patrons that you are welcome to attend? Our various monthly clubs include a lively Mahjong club, a fun and informative genealogy club, and, of course, a very popular book club. In addition, we are beginning a new Pinochle club this June at the request of one of our patrons who is willing to teach others how to play. Every Monday afternoon, and occasionally on Sundays, we show an assortment of movies ranging from the classics to popular new releases. This summer, in honor of the NJ Summer Reading Program “Novel Destinations,” we will also be showing foreign films one afternoon a week. Look for these to begin in mid-June!

Are you currently working on your resume or searching for a job? On Thursday afternoons in May we are offering a series of webinars by Tutor.com that will help you answer tough interview question and polish your resume. If you can’t make it to the webinar, Lynne, one our own staff members who has years of experience helping people polish their resumes, will be conducting a program titled Writing an Effective Resume. Do you own a Kindle, Nook, or Sony Reader? Or are you thinking of purchasing one? Another staff member, Curtis, will demonstrate how to download ebooks from ListenNJ onto the e-readers during the E-Reader workshop. He will use a Nook for the class but he can answer questions about all the e-readers. Check out our Event Calendar for all the details.

One of my first tasks as the new Adult Services Librarian is to add to our current schedule of programming for adults. Over the summer we are beginning a new series called After Hours at the Library on Friday nights, offering different types of live music after the library closes. Stay tuned for information about our first concert in July! As I continue to develop new programs for the library, I’m reaching out to ask you what types of programs would you like to see us offer. Are you a history buff who would like to hear a lecture about a particular period in history? Do you want to brush up on your computer skills for work or learn how to join your friends on the social networking sites? Let me know! Also, if you have a talent or skill you would share with others, contact me at the library and we can discuss your ideas. I’d love to hear from you!

Hello from the new Adult Services Librarian!

Hello! My name is Jill and I am the new Adult Services Librarian at the Matawan-Aberdeen Library. I joined the MAPL team in March, but my history with the library goes back almost seven years when I initially moved to Aberdeen. One of the first things I did after moving here was to get a library card. I remember how welcoming and friendly the staff was to me on that day. When I began the Master's program in Library and Information Science at Rutgers in 2007, I used the Matawan-Aberdeen Library extensively to find books for both my Children's and Young Adult literature courses. Any books they did not have at the library they were able to locate for me using the inter-library loan (ILL) system. The staff was a tremendous assistance to me during that time!

Prior to and during my time in library school I worked as a scientist for one of the major pharmaceutical companies. While there were many benefits to that position, I missed having a job that made me feel like I was part of a community. This position at the library is a perfect fit for me because not only does it allow me to feel like a part of a community, it allows me to do it in my own town ... and the commute is awesome! In my first few weeks on the job I have met many of the library's patrons and I look forward to meeting many more in the coming months. Please feel free to stop by the reference desk to ask questions, make a suggestion for a program you'd like to see at the library, or just to say "hello."

Have You Met Our New Director?

Stop by Kimberly's office anytime on Friday, October 22nd to introduce yourself, have a cup of coffee and a snack, and share your thoughts on the library, the community, or your favorite book!