Mercer County Library Blog

As we are in the midst of the holiday season – and shopping has been on the minds of many – I wanted to share my experience behind the scenes on a tour of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Edison, New Jersey. I wasn’t much of a fan of the idea of going. What would I see? A warehouse with boxes? I was very ready to be bored. Instead, I was fascinated. Working in a library, I have an appreciation of inventory control and knowing exactly where a specific item may be found, as well as delivering the right book to the right branch and right patron. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about how each section in the warehouse worked together for maximum efficiency. Stowers empty items from bins and boxes delivered to the facility into larger, tall sets of bins, sorted by size. Devices scan everything so the computer knows exactly which spot on which bin an item is placed. Pickers are the people who find the items you order. The correct larger set of bins is brought right to the picker by a...

It’s almost the end of the year, so it’s time to check in on your Mercer County Library System Reading Challenges! Have you already read a book from all twenty-five categories? Are you finishing up the last few now? The Reading Challenge is a list of categories that readers choose from throughout the year. The goal is to pick a book from every single category. This year, Mercer County Library System had twenty-four categories, with a bonus twenty-fifth category for the bookworms who can never stop reading. It averages out to about two books a month. But the year is quickly winding down, and time waits for no bookworm. The last books I always leave behind on a Reading Challenge tend to be the categories outside my usual reading genre. I’m big into fantasy books, so anything nonfiction typically gets pushed back. They’re never my favorite reads, but I’m always glad I did. They act as a sort of palate cleanser from all the fantasy books. After a while, I tend to notice a lot of repeat...

Most families have a holiday tradition they keep and cherish every December. For me, that holiday is Hanukkah. I can close my eyes and smell the latkes (potato pancakes) sizzling in the frying pan. When I was growing up, our family exchanged inexpensive gifts and we all were happy to get a present! Besides the aroma, seeing and playing with my cousins, who we hadn’t seen in a long time, was a treat all by itself. Over the years, I became proficient at a traditional Hanukkah game called dreidel (spinning top). All players must add money or an item (like candy) into a kitty to begin the game. When the dreidel lands on its side, the player had to add, subtract, get what’s in the kitty, or do nothing and wait for the next turn. After a fun game of dreidel, it would be dark outside and we would light the candles. The candelabra is called a menorah and it holds nine candles, one for each night of Hanukkah, and one called the shamash. I just finished reading a wonderful picture book called ...

The end of the year is a good opportunity to reflect on the books we've read during 2024 and, perhaps, even books that changed our lives this year. While some may be pleasant or, even, disturbing reads, some may make you look at the world in new and different ways. For me, this came down to two books. A short list, to be certain. But, to me, a meaningful one. What's on your list? An Immense World by Ed Yong My wife has been reading Ed Yong since his early days as a blogger, straight through to his days at The Atlantic and beyond. In my first Ed Yong experience with the book Immense World , this pre-eminent science writer explores the topic of animal senses. Not the "what" do animals think, but the "how" they think and, likely, perceive the world based on their biology - be it echo-location of bats or the vast world that a dog experiences through its sense of smell. While not at all a book that is trying, in any way, to persuade someone to become a vegetar...

I have a confession: I am a librarian who, for a long while, wasn’t reading much. Now, is the library just about books? Of course not. As public libraries continue to evolve and offer all sorts of services to their patrons, like arts and crafts activities, computer classes, and job help, librarians still hold reading (or listening to audiobooks!) in the highest regard. Do any basic search on your preferred search engine about the benefits of reading and you’ll find many, including reducing stress, improving brain function, and building empathy. For me, the question was simple: how do I read more? I was looking through past Mercer County Library System blog posts to see if any of my colleagues had written about this before. One such post, written by my colleague Lydia, particularly resonated with me. She discusses the distractions that often get in the way of reading, and the methods she used to start reading more (an interesting one is due dates). After this I looked to find more te...

If you’ve been keeping a close eye, you’ll know our website has changed recently in regards to how we list the programs and events hosted at each branch of the library. We have a new system for registering for these events called LibCal. Located at https://mercercounty.libcal.com or via the navigation menu at https://mcl.org (“ Events ” dropdown → “ Event Calendar ”), you can find a list and monthly calendar of all the programs and events we offer at all the branches of the library (including virtual programs and computer classes)! The header includes links to major recurring events like book clubs and discussion groups, as well as a subscription link for our newsletters, which includes monthly updates from each branch and their featured programs. On this homepage you will find the details of all upcoming programs, with new ones added a month in advance on or around the 15 th of each month. If you select (click on or tap) on the “ Browse by Calendar ” dropdown, you can select a ca...

Historical fiction can take many forms, but perhaps the most intriguing recent examples are two novels by author Phillip DePoy: A Prisoner in Malta and The English Agent , the first entries in The Christopher Marlowe Mysteries. They combine historical personages and locations, with both fictitious inventions, real incidents and accurate biographical details. The two novels are filled with vivid dialog and swashbuckling adventures, creating something like Shakespeare in Love 1998 meets Mission Impossible 1996 – with touches of Indiana Jones, yet utilizing the world during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Phillip DePoy is the winner of an Edgar Award for Mystery Fiction. He is the author of 21 novels and 43 plays, and is also a poet, scholar and performance artist. He has been married to playwright Lee Nowell for over 22 years and to whom both books are lovingly dedicated. A Prisoner in Malta begins in 1583, with nineteen-year-old Cambridge University student, Christopher Marlowe - ...

As we approach the end of the year, we readers are bombarded with best-of and must-read lists. There are even “round-ups” of the best best-of lists. I enjoy them at first, but eventually find the deluge exhausting. I’m here to offer you alternatives when you are looking for your next book. Librarians are trained in “readers’ advisory,” aka book recommendations, and it is one of my favorite things to do. If you ask a librarian for a book recommendation (please do!), we’ll ask you about what you’re looking for, your favorite authors, your dislikes, and maybe even what your favorite movies and TV shows are. Based on all that, we’ll do a little research and find books to suggest. Sometimes I might recommend a book that I loved, but only if it matches what a reader is looking for. If you’d like to look for books yourself, I recommend two related resources that Mercer County Library System offers our patrons for free: NoveList Plus and NoveList K-8 Plus . You can access both from home by ...

I would not call myself a foodie but I do enjoy reading books with a food theme. From cozy mysteries to rom-com fiction, I love a story that includes recipes and cooking. As a children’s librarian, I am especially fond of picture books that feature foods from other cultures. Reading picture books with recipes from around the globe helps children engage with the world and learn about other people through the kinds of food they eat. Food is something that we all have in common. From holidays and celebrations to the family dinner, food is the glue that binds us together. It defines our daily life and can bring such joy. It is the tastes, smells and sounds that define who we are. Many family traditions are passed down through recipes and cooking. For me it was the apple pie my mother made during the holidays. Each year I try to recreate the recipe for my children. I’ve listed some of my favorite books by authors who were inspired by the cooking traditions from their backgrounds. I hope y...