Take advantage of Overdrive Advantage!

By now most people are aware that you can checkout and download free ebooks and audiobooks from the library through ListenNJ. (Please see my post from May 31, 2011 if you would like a summary of ListenNJ). Listen NJ is a program we share with many other libraries throughout New Jersey and because the program is shared with so many, there is often a wait period for new releases and other popular titles. To decrease this wait period, the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library is purchasing additional copies of popular ebooks through a program called Overdrive Advantage. These additional copies are available only to the patrons at the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library so your wait time for these titles will be significantly reduced or nonexistant. At the same time, you also have access to all of the books available to everyone in the Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium.

To take advantage of the program you'll need to sign into ListenNJ with your library card as soon as you see the above yellow and orange sunburst icon. This icon lets you know which titles are part of the Advantage program, and while we don't own every title that is part of the Advantage program, we are constantly adding new titles just as we are always getting new books into the library. Hopefully you will now notice a decrease in the wait time for that ebook you've been dying to read!

Do you Mango?

Did you know we have a fun, fast and easy language learning program called Mango Languages? The best part is it's free for Matawan Aberdeen Public Library patrons and you can use it with you library card anywhere there is internet access.

Mango is the easiest and most effective way to learn to speak a foreign language. Mango is available in two versions:

Mango Basic:
Perfect for a foreign language beginner, Mango Basic teaches everyday greetings and helpful phrases in a short period of time. The courses, which require only two to five hours of time to complete, are currently available in 34 foreign languages and 15 English as a Second
Language (ESL) courses.

Mango Complete:
Mango Complete offers a 100-lesson course that digs much deeper and is designed to provide a more complete understanding of the entire language and culture. It is available in 31 foreign language and 14 ESL courses. Foreign language courses include Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. ESL courses include Polish, Spanish and Portuguese.

To learn more about Mango and get a short preview of what the program has to offer, you can visit the company's website at www.mangolanguages.com. Click here to get started on the courses themselves!

Class is in session!

It's back to school time again! Have you thought about enrolling in classes to update your job skills or simply to learn a new hobby? What's holding you back? Money? Class times that don't work for you? The campus is too far away? Well now you can enroll in classes and it won't cost a dime, you don't need to leave your house, and you can attend anytime that is convenient for you ... 24/7!

The library has just begun subscribing to Universal Class. Through Universal Class you can chose from over 500 non-credit on-line courses and take up to 5 of these courses at one time. You'll have real live instructors (many are PhDs) and you'll be able to interact with your classmates. You can choose from professional development classes such as Business Management 101, Quicken Deluxe 2010, or Legal Terminology 101 - just to name a few. You can also take personal enrichment classes such as Digital Scrapbooking, Fashion Design 101, or Introduction to Music Appreciation.


All you need to get started is a Matawan Aberdeen Public Library card and a valid email address. Click here to register for Universal Class and get ready to learn something new!

Financial Rating Series Online

Find the Safest Bank or Credit Union in Your Area

Avoid the Weakest Insurance Companies ... and Find the Best Ones

Pick the Best-Performing Stocks

Find the Best Mutual Funds ... to Make Sure Your Retirement Funds are Safe.

With all the talk about bank failures and the stock market these days, our new database couldn’t come at a better time. The user friendly interface allows you to easily research the financial strength ratings for more than 21,000 banks, credit unions, or insurance companies. Each company is given a grade from A+ through F (they even give out an E, a very weak rating). This information come from Weiss Ratings, a provider of independent ratings on the nation’s life and annuity insurers, property and casualty insurers, and health insurers, including HMOs. You can also find ratings for over 6,000 stocks and 16,000 mutual funds. The stock and mutual information come from TheStreet Ratings, a leading provider of investment ratings and analysis covering thousands of Bond & Money Market Mutual Funds, Stock Mutual Funds, Exchanged-Traded Funds and Common Stocks.

The database provides users with more than just ratings. There are helpful worksheets and other free financial planning tools. You'll also find a comprehensive glossary of banking and investment terms.

Library Journal wrote a wonderful review about the new database. Click here to read the article and then go here to check out the database.

Showcasing local talent

Last Wednesday night the library hosted Cheryl Syminink, a young glass artist who demonstrated how to create gorgeous glass beads that could be combined together to make unique pieces of jewelry. Cheryl showed us how she turned jewel toned glass rods into multicolored beads using not much more than a high temperature propane torch. We all sat mesmerized as she painstakingly created a frit bead and then a stringer bead. As she patiently heated the glass to a molten state, she took the time to explain how each tool was used, she answered questions, and even told us a little about herself. Her energy and passion for glass art was so contagious, patrons were discussing their plans to take lessons from Cheryl as they walked out the door.

It turns out Cheryl is a Monmouth County resident. As I watched her manipulate the glass into a bead the size of a cheerio, I started to wonder how many other talented artists reside locally. In September one of our reference librarians (an Aberdeen resident) will be teaching a hands-on class on how to assemble beaded earrings. I love the idea of local residents sharing their talents with other residents. Are you an artist or a hobbist who would like to demonstrate your skills to others? Or do you know someone who might like to share their talent? If so, please call Jill at the library or email me at jstafford@lmxac.org. We would love to learn from you!

Summer Reading week 5

The raffle prize this week doesn't have much to do with our summer reading theme, Novel Destinations, but it has everything to do with summer. Summer is the perfect time to tackle those home projects and repairs so this week we are making that easier by giving away a portable tool kit, a home repair book titled Better Homes and Gardens Big Book of Home How-To, and to help get you started with those repairs we've included a gift card to Home Depot! The drawing for this prize is on Monday, July 25 so keep reading to earn those raffle tickets.

The Novel Destinations Wednesday movie this week is Under the Same Moon, a touching story of a young Mexican boy trying to locate his mother who is working illegally in the United States. The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles. Join us Wednesday, July 20 at 3 PM to watch the film.

Summer Reading - week 4

In the spirit of our summer reading theme, Novel Destinations, the raffle prize this week transports us directly to Italy. Who hasn't dreamed of traveling to Rome or Florence or Naples to dine on Italy's famous pasta? The gift basket this week includes an Italian cookbook, Italian pasta, Vincent's pasta sauce (straight from Little Italy), and a $20 gift card to Livoti's Old World Market in Aberdeen. Everything is bundled together in a colander lined with a pretty white tablecloth. So keep reading to receive those raffle tickets. The more you read, the more tickets you receive, the better your chances of winning! Buon appetito!