New Jersey Works!

Did you know there are job preparation and computer skills workshops being offered at public libraries throughout New Jersey ... and you are welcome to participate in them?  NJWorks@yourlibrary is a campaign developed by the The New Jersey State Library to provide resources to the unemployed and underemployed people in New Jersey in order to help with the economic recovery.  NJWorks@yourlibrary publishes a bi-weekly newsletter filled with FREE workshops and career tips!  You can subscribe to the newsletter or view a recent copy by clicking here.  You can also check out all the training opportunities available during the month of October by clicking here.

In addition, Susie has compiled lots of job searching websites into a single document called Job Resources on the Internet. Check it out and best of luck!

"Matawan/Aberdeen @ Night" photography contest winners

Congratulations to our winners!

The "Matawan/Aberdeen @ Night" photography contest was part of our 2012 Summer Reading Program which focused on the nighttime. We asked our patrons to submit photos taken at nighttime in either Matawan Borough or Aberdeen Township, and they delivered with some wonderful photos.  Our panel of judges had a very difficult task when selecting the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners who  each received a gift card from Best Buy.  The winning photos are displayed below, but all the submitted photos can be viewed by clicking here. Thank you to everyone who participated!!

1st place - Lake Lefferts by Kevin U

2nd place - by Katarina S

3rd place - Shadow Walker on Aberdeen Rd by Chris M

Popular ebooks just for you

Late last year the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library began purchasing popular ebooks just for our patrons.  These ebooks can be checked out through the eLibraryNJ website and are usually available to you with little or no wait time.  It can be difficult to figure out which ebooks we own as part of the OverDrive Advantage plan so below is a list of all the titles we've purchased since last year.  These ebooks were purchased based on the the number of Matawan Aberdeen patrons waiting to read each title.  If several of our patrons were waiting to read the ebook, we bought a an additional copy.  So the next time you're looking for something to read on eLibraryNJ, but you think the wait list is too long, go ahead and place a hold on the ebook so we'll know you are interested. If we see numerous people are waiting to read a particular ebook, we'll consider purchasing an extra copy.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
The English Assassin by Daniel Silva
Glory in Death by J.D. Robb and Nora Roberts
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Shelter by Harlan Coben
True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo
The Litigators by John Grisham
Then Again by Diane Keaton
The Thomas Berryman Number by James Patterson
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
Bio-Strike by Tom Clancy, Martin H. Greenberg, and Jerome Preisler
Call to Treason by Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik, and Jeff Rovin
Death Magic by Eileen Wilks
Eternal Lover by Hannah Howell
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Jack Kennedy by Chuck Wills
Lessons Learned by Nora Roberts
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Soldier from the War Returning by Thomas Childers
Against the Law by Kat Martin
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Rules of Engagement by Stephanie Laurens

There's Still Time to Win Prizes!

NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight TM

It's hard to believe we are less than a week away from wrapping up the 2012 Summer Reading program at the library!  We'll be celebrating the end of Summer Reading with a special "Beatles & Bubblegum" music concert this Friday, August 10.  The doors will open at 6:30 pm and the concert will begin at 7:00 pm.  There will be raffle prizes for children, teens, and adults!

The final weekly raffle prize and the grand prize winners for the adult and teen programs will be drawn on Monday, August 13 at 1:00 pm.  This means there is still plenty of time to finish and return a book for one last raffle ticket for the drawings. Remember, it only takes one ticket to win a prize!  The grand prize for both the adults and teens will be the new NOOK Simple TouchTM with GlowLightTM.

There is also time to enter the "Matawan/Aberdeen @ Night!" photography contest.  Submit your digital photos by midnight on Friday, August 10 so they can be judged by our panel.  The winners will be announced on Monday, August 13. Click here for contest rules and click here to see the submitted photos on flickr.  We have some very talented patrons!  

Good luck everyone!

Apps, apps, everywhere!

Let’s face it. Apps are everywhere. They’re on our smartphones, our tablets, and our televisions. Soon, they might even be loaded on our coffee pots and refrigerators.  Apps have the unique potential to make our lives more convenient and enjoyable. Some of us enjoy using our smartphones or tablets to peruse a digital download on the morning commute, yet would rather not endure the hassle of disclosing credit card information to the eBook distributor. But what if there was a way to download a book from the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library directly onto our smartphone or tablet without having to set foot in the library?   With the Freading app and the OverDrive Media Console app, consider your problems solved. Both of these apps empower you to borrow your favorite eBooks from our library - with no credit cards or fees of any kind. The only card you'll need is your library card.

OverDrive Media Console app

Freading app

The apps are enhanced for the high resolution displays already built in to your smartphones and tablets, making text appear more crisp than print. The Freading and OverDrive apps are available for free on the Apple App Store and the Android Market. To make it even easier for you we've put the links to these apps on the homepage of our website.

For the members of our library who are music enthusiasts, we have an app for you, too. Freegal is the perfect solution for music fanatics trying to stay within a budget. The application, also free on the Apple App Store and the Android Market, allows users to download three songs per week FOR FREE. The selection is truly remarkable, including the likes of popular artists such as Adele, John Mayer, The Fray, and The Script. The best part is that the mp3 files are yours to keep forever!

Freegal app

So what are you waiting for? Begin downloading eBooks and free music to your smartphones and tablets today! 

More good news! If you want to learn more about iPads and apps, we will be offering a class called Tips Tricks & Apps for iPad Users on Wednesday, July 25 @ 7 PM in the library.  To register for this engaging program, stop by the library, call Jill at 732-583-9100, or email Jill at jstafford@lmxac.org.

This post was written by Skyler Lutz and Jill Stafford.

Between the Covers!

Summer Reading Club officially began on Saturday, June 16^th and runs through Friday, August 10^th.  All Matawan and Aberdeen adults are eligible to register for the club and be entered to win weekly raffle prizes.  If you’ve never taken part in 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 a few minutes to be issued a new card; you just need to bring proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill, lease, etc.) for Matawan or Aberdeen (including Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach). When you sign up for the reading club you will be assigned a number and you’ll receive a new tote bag (courtesy of the Friends of the Library) to carry 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 in the jar, and every Monday we will draw a ticket and the winner will receive a fun prize.  At the end of summer all the tickets will be put back in the jar for a chance to win the Grand Prize!

The Summer Reading Club theme for adults is Between the Covers (of books!) with a focus on nighttime.  In celebration of this year’s theme we will feature presentations by a couple of New Jersey authors who will discuss their publications and other inspiring topics. Helen Henderson will talk about the path to publication as well as her book, Windmaster.  Louis Coppola will give an anecdotal look at his years of service to a major television network while discussing his publication, CBS: The Chucklehead Broadcasting System, Celebrating 44 Years of Glorified Insignificance. There will also be a program introducing the genres of graphic novels and manga books.  In keeping with the theme we will host the program, Film Noir: The Stuff that Dreams Are Made Of, presented by Chris Messineo from the NJ Film School.  In addition, look for our monthly After Hours Music program, educational programs, and much more!  All events are free of charge but registration is required.

Finally, the library is hosting a digital photography contest, Matawan or Aberdeen @ Night. Check out our website for details.

GED® Online

Are you thinking about getting your GED but you don’t think you have the time?  Are you concerned that you don’t know where to start or how to prepare?  Matawan Aberdeen Public Library is proud to offer a free, comprehensive online GED test preparation course called GED^® Online.

This program offers 118 interactive lessons in all of the subjects that are covered on the GED test (writing, social studies, science, reading and mathematics).  User-friendly lessons cover all aspects of test preparation, from pre-assessment and skill-building to pre- and post-testing.   Pre-tests identify your individual strengths and weaknesses. Then lessons are tailored to meet your individual needs and allow you to develop study plans to help you address areas where you need additional practice. 

Just stop in at the Information Desk at the library, or contact an Adult Services Librarian or Computer Technician at 732-583-9100, to create a “student” account for you.  Once your account is created, you will be able to access the resource from any location (https://www.wgcontemporary.com/login.html), and you’ll be on your way.

Take advantage of this amazing free program and start working towards getting your GED today!

This post was created by Susie Benanti.