Mercer County Library Blog

Growing up, I didn’t spend a lot of time outdoors. I wasn’t a fan of heat, humidity, or sweating, and my parents understood that. I preferred my hobbies indoors with air conditioning and, with the heat of a Texas summer, they knew where I was coming from. However, there was one thing that could pull me from my precious A/C and that was our backyard garden. My mom was a horticulturist and an educator, so she was intent on making sure my sister and I understood the value of plants. Despite my reluctance to embrace the Texan weather I endured it in the face of my determined mom. I would kneel on a yellow butterfly outdoor cushion next to her as she pointed out weeds and how to pull them and not leave the roots behind. I learned to check for bugs hiding on the bottom side of leaves to make sure they didn’t eat the plant. My fingers were in the ground beside hers as I learned to test the dryness of the soil. She showed the pink worms to me, so I would know the difference between them...

The Mercer County Library System Teen Advisory Board consists of passionate young individuals who work to curate social media posts, write zines, and share book reviews - all to engender a love for reading in the community. Meet Mohisha: active TAB member, athlete, violinist, and frequently immersed in realistic fiction novels. Enjoy her latest book review! “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities”: an idea encountered in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. This novel features struggle, humor, and friendship in a story that not only appeals to the reader, but leaves them yearning for more. Seventeen-year-old cancer victim Hazel Grace lives with the constant reminder that her demise is soon to come. As Hazel often says, she has become her cancer - it has consumed her to the point where she waits upon her own death. Having been pulled out of school for quite some time, her social life is limited to the local Support Group she attends to please her parents. There, she meets t...

Here are some of the events and programs from around the Mercer County Library System for the month of July. For a complete list of events at your local branch, visit the MCLS Events Calendar . July Marks America's 250th and Keeps Summer Reading Going This July, MCLS branches celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence with film screenings, history talks, a jazz concert, and patriotic crafts. The 2026 Summer Reading Program: Unearth a Story continues all month, with the discovery of dinosaurs, fossils, archaeology, and ancient cultures. Join us for storytimes, author visits, book clubs, escape rooms, magic shows, and hands-on activities for all ages throughout the month. For Kids America 250 Birthday Bash Thursday, July 2, 3:00 pm Hickory Corner Branch America 250 Patriotic Suncatcher Thursday, July 2, 3:30 pm Ewing Branch Digging for Dinos Wednesday, July 8, 6:30 pm Robbinsville Branch Lenape Pottery Friday, July 10, 1:30 pm Ewing Branch Disney Sing-Along wi...

For as long as I can remember, my parents have been finding ways to give back to their community, from leading food and clothing drives to opening their own home to recently arrived refugees. When we were kids, they made sure to involve me and my brothers in this work whenever possible. My mom helped to start an after-school club at my elementary school called “Roving Readers,” where we would visit nursing homes and read to the seniors there. Each year, we would collect pledges from friends and family to join a CROP Hunger Walk , with the donated money going to fight hunger. Much of our family service work was done through our temple—we would bring tzedakah donations of money and canned goods to religious school each week. We hosted unhoused families at the temple on a rotating basis with other local religious institutions through the Interfaith Hospitality Network (now HOME of Somerset County ), and host families would take turns staying at the temple overnight with the guests and se...

Is something out there? Summer is here and with it comes the time for camping, s’mores, and spooky stories told around a campfire. One of my favorite genres of scary stories to listen to and read about is cryptids. Whether you believe in them or not, it can be fun to speculate. For those who are not familiar with the term, cryptids are creatures that have not been proven to exist, but numerous people claim to have seen them. Cryptid sightings have occurred all around the world and over the centuries, even though the term “cryptid” was only coined in the 1980s. Though cryptozoology is not recognized by mainstream science, cryptozoologists and others define cryptids as being animals that could possibly exist in nature. This means that their biology could align with known animals. This differentiates them from mythological creatures, gods/demons, spirits, and supernatural beings. Think Bigfoot, the chupacabra, and the Yeti. Popular culture and folklore often group these unknown creatures...