Mercer County Library Blog

Here are some of the events and programs from around the Mercer County Library System for the month of January. For a complete list of events at your local branch, visit the MCLS Events Calendar . Start the new year with MCLS! This January features winter-themed crafts and activities, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service programs supporting Meals on Wheels , New Jersey Muslim Heritage Month celebrations, and opportunities for personal growth through our "New Year, New You" programming. For Kids Hot Chocolate Slime Saturday, January 3, 2:30 pm Hickory Corner Branch Movie: March of the Penguins Sunday, January 4, 2:00 pm West Windsor Branch Winter Crafternoons Thursday, January 8, 4:30 pm Thursday, January 15, 4:30 pm Thursday, January 22, 4:30 pm Thursday, January 29, 4:30 pm Hickory Corner Branch Big STEAMers: States of Matter Thursday, January 8, 4:45 pm West Windsor Branch MLK, Jr. Card Decoration Station Monday, January 12, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Hollowbrook Branch ...

In May 2025, my youngest (adult) child graduated from college. After living with us for the summer, she moved into her first apartment in September. Our older daughter went to school in Washington, D.C., and has been living down there for the three years since she graduated. My spouse and I are now officially empty nesters! Although apparently, some people are now calling this situation “free bird” instead of “empty nest” https://www.shelovpsychologygroup.com/blog/free-bird . This newer term is intended to emphasize the positive aspects of having more freedom, and to avoid some of the negative associations with being an empty nester. Our younger daughter lives about twenty minutes away from us, and one of her jobs is in our town, so she has been stopping by our house regularly. Honestly, right now we see her more often than we did when she was in school! But it is probably just a matter of time before she moves further away and my husband and I will see her less. Of course, technology ...

As a librarian, I often get asked the question, “What do you like to read?” Generally, this is a loaded question in itself, as I like to read anything that sounds remotely interesting to me. I’ll read historical fiction (my favorite is East Asian history), literary fiction (I majored in English Lit…what can I say?), or non-fiction (a rare choice, but sometimes it calls to me). No matter what I read and given free will, I always come back to my comfort genres: Science Fiction and Fantasy, or SFF for short. Growing up, these imaginary worlds expanded my creativity, cultivated my interests, encouraged me to critically think about real life, and wonder about their impact on fiction as a whole. At the Robbinsville Branch, one could say that I’m the curator of the SFF collection. My input is valued when ordering new science fiction and fantasy books and I adapt the collection based on what’s popular with our patrons or out in the world. I also run a book club called Imaginary Universes ,...

With 2025 coming to an end, it’s time to look toward the future of the silver screen. In anticipation of the new year in film, the following is a list of 10 movies releasing in 2026: 1. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 3rd, 2026) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) “is an animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., and follows The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023 and earned more than $1.3 billion worldwide. Both the 2023 film and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo.” Moviegoers should expect to see Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad embark on a new adventure across the galaxy in a loose adaptation of the 2007 video game Super Mario Galaxy . [ Synopsis . (n.d.). The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Retrieved December 15 th , 2025, from  https://www.thesupermariogalaxymovie.com/synopsis/ ] 2. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22 nd , 2026) “The evil Em...

A list of books. This is the time of year that everyone produces their annual Best of… book lists. Given that there are at least 500,000 books published in a year (not counting self-published titles), it has to be assumed that these lists are just the tip of the iceberg! I have my own lists. The first is my book club’s list of everything we have read – affectionately called the Big List. I hand it out at the club’s December meeting. It’s fun to see what we have read and gives new (and old) members a chance to see what they have missed. I also have my own personal book log. This started years ago as an attempt to keep track of what was the last book I read by a particular author – very necessary for someone who cannot read a series book out of order. I began with just a list (title, author and series). Finish a book – write it down. Very bare bones. Then I started jotting down a note or two – never very much – since it’s just for me. Sometimes the note is just that I am not readin...

Here we are in the month of December, also known as “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”! Or is it the most exhausting and busiest time of the year? And now I have the nerve to ask you to add one more thing to your to do list. WAIT! Before you reject my suggestion, please hear me out. It is time for the Winter Reading Program which runs December 15th to January 24th. We try to make participating both fun and easy and what better way to spend the cold winter months then curled up with a good book?!  To participate, stop into any Mercer County Library Branch and pick up a Winter Reading Bingo Card or visit our website to print one . Do five activities in a row – up, down, across, or diagonal to complete a bingo card. Then return the bingo card to your local branch where kids and teens will automatically receive a prize and adults will be entered into a raffle for a prize. Each branch may also have additional incentives to keep you reading! As the mom of adult children, I can tell ...