Small Business Resource Center

Do you dream about starting your own small business?  If so, did you know the NJ State library has recently purchased a new resource just for you?  Small Business Resource Center was purchased for New Jersey libraries as part of a new statewide campaign called NJ Grows Biz, an initiative to help small businesses get started and succeed.

This powerful online business and marketing tool can be accessed through the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library or from your home 24/7 - all you need is a library card.  The database is a wealth of information that can help you get started with any type of business, whether you want to start a coffee house or open your own daycare facility.  A basic search of your business topic you’ll get full-text information from Business Plans Handbook, including competition, market analysis, financial plans, and much more. Your searching will also yield full-text, up-to-date articles from top industry magazines, and even professional organization and associations you might be interested in joining.

There is a “How To …” section that includes information on How to Start a Small Business, How to Write a Business Plan, and How to Market or Advertise Your Business, just to name a few.  Not sure what type of business you would like to start?  The list of business types will provide plenty of ideas.

Click here to get started or stop by the library and we'll be happy to show you how to use the database!

Freading - a new ebook service!

How many of you have become a little frustrated because of the long wait for ebooks in eLibraryNJ?  It's okay, you can admit it.

The Matawan Aberdeen Public Library is now offering our patrons a new service called Freading.  Freading allows you to download ebooks without having to be put on a wait list!  Because Freading allows simultaneous check outs of the same ebook, you will never have to wait for someone to return the book first. 

What are some of the other benefits of Freading?

• There are over 20,000 titles to choose from in many different genres. 
• It's compatible with with many devices such as the Kindle Fire, the Nook devices, Kobo, iPad, and many more.
• Freading works on Adobe Digital Editions, just like eLibraryNJ, so there is no need to download additional software.

How does Freading work?

You can access the site by clicking the Freading icon located on the homepage of our website, or you can just click here. Once you login with your library card you'll be able to use your tokens to download books.  Tokens?  Each ebook is worth 1, 2 or 4 tokens, assigned by the publisher and clearly displayed on the book cover. You'll receive 4 tokens per week to use to checkout books so you can checkout 1 ebook worth 4 tokens or 2 ebooks worth 2 tokens each, etc. Any unused tokens roll over to the next week, but all tokens expire at the end of every month.  The checkout period is 2 weeks and you are able to renew the ebook one time.

Give Freading a try and let us know what you think!

Getting "Fiscally Fit"

Many thanks to all of you who participated in our Financial Literacy survey throughout December!  The winner of the 2 GB MP3 player with Flash Drive is Sheila K.  Congratulations, Sheila!

The survey asked the question, "Which seminar topics would you like to see offered by The Society for Financial Awareness?" The outcome of the survey showed the majority of you are interested in learning about the following 3 topics:

*Getting "Fiscally Fit"
*Financial Blunders - Lessons We Never Learn
*Legal Lessons for Life

On Wednesday, February 22 at 7:00 pm we are very fortunate to have Bruce Yenk, President of the Greater Central Chapter of the Society Awareness, presenting Getting "Fiscally Fit" at the library.  This program will cover such topics as the basic principles of cash management, accumulating wealth, the importance of having a financial blueprint, and roadblocks to financial success. To register for this valuable seminar please stop by the library, call 732-583-9100, or email Jill at jstafford@lmxac.org.

Look for the other two seminars to be offered later in 2012!

Music - A Year in Review

In July 2011 we launched our Friday night After Hours music program here at the library.  I've had a wonderful time hosting the events and  I hope you've enjoyed them as well.  For those of you who weren't able to attend the programs or are just learning about them now, I would like to offer a quick recap of our 2011 performances.


We opened the series with Craig & the Frenchman.  Craig and Philippe played acoustic guitar and sang folk songs in both English and French.  Here is an interview written about the duo prior to their concert.  In August, Caryn Lin brought her electric violin to the library and filled the space with unique sounds that delighted everyone, especially the children who got the opportunity to create their own sounds on the electric violin in front of the entire audience.

Craig Hoek and Philippe Dardour



Caryn Lin giving violin lesson to young patron

Jazz reigned in September and October.  First, Shenole Latimer educated and entertained us with his program, "What's all that Jazz About?" In October, Nelson Riveros and his band had everyone wishing they knew how to salsa when they played their intoxicating Brazilian Jazz music.

Shenole Latimer

Nelson Riveros and his Brazilian Jazz Band

In November Giovanni Padovano aka, "The Ironbound Crooner", serenaded us with his own original music and the stories behind the lyrics. Our last concert of 2011 got everyone in the holiday spirit as The Festive Flutes played one familiar holiday tune after another.

Giovanni Padovano "The Ironbound Crooner"

The Festive Flutes

We are excited to continue our Friday night After Hours Music program into 2012.  Our first concert will be on Friday, February 10th at 7:00 PM.  We're kicking off the year with a bang as we welcome  our very own Matawan Regional High School Jazz band to the library.  Please join us in supporting these aspiring musicians and I'm sure they're surprise you with their talents! 

Selected Links - a new feature!

Have you ever wanted to find good, quality information on an important topic, yet your search engine keeps turning up commercial sites or useless information?  In order to help you locate high quality results we have created a section on our website called Selected Links.  You can find Selected Links under Helpful Reference on the left-hand side of our homepage, or you can simply click here.

Selected Links is divided into four different categories:

• Health
• Legal Resources
• Business & Finance
• Seniors

If you hover over any of the four categories you’ll see a drop down menu with an assortment of excellent websites on that topic.  For example, since it is tax season you might be looking for information about New Jersey tax forms.  If you hover over Business & Finance you’ll see the State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury.  Click on this link and you’ll be taken directly to the Division of Taxation where you’ll find everything you need to know about filing your New Jersey taxes.

The internet contains tons of outstanding websites on countless different subjects but we have purposely kept Selected Links small to give you a chance to explore the links without feeling overwhelmed.  Let us know if you like this feature and we'll be happy to expand it to include many more topics and websites in an easy to use format.

It's Real on Reel: A Documentary Series

Many of the DVDs that circulate from our library entertain, but we also have a growing collection of instructional and documentary films.  Matawan Aberdeen Public Library is sharing some of these films in a series we are calling “It’s Real on Reel: A Documentary Series”.  Okay, we don’t have the reels, but films often still involve reels for theater display, so I’m sticking with the title.

Documentary is a slippery term. It used to be about depicting things as they are, or in the case of historical events, as they were, in a supposedly truthful or objective manner.  Documentaries were observational, acting as a “fly on the wall”.  Now, more and more documentary filmmaking is all about ethics, politics and an aesthetic approach, and as such it is a highly subjective or personal matter.  The films we have chosen for this series more closely fit this approach.

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (Monday, January 23) chronicles Joe Cross’s journey, figuratively and literally, as he adheres to a strict juice diet, while also traveling across America, speaking with Americans about diet, nutrition and health. Joe is morbidly obese and suffers from an auto-immune disease. While on his trek, he meets Phil who is even more overweight and suffers from the same auto-immune disease. The changes in both men’s lives are amazing to watch.

Inside Job (Monday, January 30) has producer/director Charles Ferguson speaking at length with journalists, politicians, and financial insiders in order to offer a clearer picture of the economic meltdown that hit America starting in 2008. Academy Award winner Matt Damon narrates this unflinching look at the deep-rooted corruption that has left millions of middle-class Americans jobless and homeless as the major corporations get bailed out while paying millions in bonuses.

Page One- Inside the New York Times (Monday, February 13) examines the transformation of the media industry at its time of greatest turmoil. Editors and publishers grapple with challenges like the Internet, small screen computers, and readers' expectations that news online should be free. Page One gives an up-close look at the vibrant cross-cubicle debates and collaborations, tenacious jockeying for on-the-record quotes, and skillful page-one pitching that produce the "daily miracle" of a great news organization.

Gasland (Monday, February 27) documents Josh Fox's cross-country odyssey to find out if the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing - or fracking - is actually safe. Fracking is personal to him since he has been offered large money for fracking rights on his land. Josh learns of things gone horribly wrong, from illness to hair loss to flammable water, and his inquiries lead him ever deeper into a web of secrets, lies, conspiracy, and contamination. Unearthing a shocking story about a practice that is understudied and inadequately regulated, GASLAND races to find answers about fracking before it's far too late.

While these filmmakers’ motivations were personal, they cover topics that impact us all. All films are going to be shown on a Monday at 7:00 pm so please join us as we screen these real reels.

Jeanette Walker- Adult Services Librarian

Financial Literacy in 2012

 The new year will be here before we know it and this means resolutions.  How many of you resolve to get your finances in order year after year?  Are you planning to do this in 2012? Well, we are here to help you. This winter we will be working with the Society for Financial Awareness (SOFA) to bring you financial education seminars on a variety of topics.  SOFA is a non-profit corporation that works with companies, family businesses, and community groups to offer free educational programs to the public. Check out their website for more information about SOFA.

Since there are so many possible seminar topics, we are asking you to choose which ones you would like the experts to present.   You can choose from topics such as Getting "Fiscally Fit", College Planning, Understanding 401k Rollovers, Legal Lessons for Life, and several others.  The library is currently conducting a survey to help decide on the topics for our upcoming seminars. Click here to take the survey and be entered to win a 2.0 GB Flashdrive/MP3 player combo. The deadline to take the survey is December 22nd. Look for the upcoming seminar announcements in late January!