Mercer County Library Blog

Pete the Cat is a beloved children’s book character created by artist and illustrator James Dean, and a personal favorite of mine.  As I sit here writing, Pete is watching over me, quite literally; there is a Pete the Cat poster hanging in the children’s department across from my desk, and a Pete the Cat stuffie is on the shelves behind me.   Pete is featured in over 100 children’s books. It all started in 2008 with Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes . Initially self-published by James Dean and author Eric Litwin, it was later picked up and widely distributed by HarperCollins publishing. I clearly remember reading this book for the first time.  Back then I was a young youth services librarian at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch.  I was going through the new picture books and Pete stood out to me.  There was something about that quirky cat in the white high tops on the cover that caught my attention and I absolutely loved the moral of the story, “No matter...

 A few months ago, my family and I were looking for a long weekend getaway. Our requirements were: it could be no more than a five-hours’ drive from our home; it had to be a place that we had never been before; it had to be near water. We settled on the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. For those of you who are not familiar with the Finger Lakes, it consists of eleven long, narrow lakes (of various sizes) that resemble human fingers (hence its name). Based on the books I had read, I knew that this scenic destination catered to outdoor enthusiasts, wine lovers, and history buffs alike. It seemed right up our alley!  So, on a Friday morning this past July, we headed out for a 4.5-hour car ride to our base of operations (an Airbnb) in Lansing, New York.  Nature takes center stage in the Finger Lakes with dramatic geological formations, and we spent most of our time exploring the state parks near Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Watkins Glen State Park was our first hiking destinatio...

Come one, come all to the second Mercer County Library System Book Festival! Held Saturday, September 26 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch, readers and authors of all ages will come together to celebrate books, stories, and creativity.  Enjoy lively programs, crafts and activities, family-friendly performances, and opportunities to talk with the authors behind the books.  Featured programs include a panel discussion on writing and publishing with authors Mickey Flagg (paranormal fiction), Maria Imbalzano (romance and women’s fiction), Delia Pitts (crime fiction), and Tom Tracy (children’s books). Other guest speakers include young adult author Colby Cedar Smith; writer and New York Times editor Ken Jaworoski on Boxing as Craft: What Getting Punched in the Face Taught Ken Jaworowski about Writing; and Cartooning Lessons with illustrator Mike Dawson. Tim Hoh Music for Kids will hold two concerts to round out the event. You won’t want to miss it!  ...

 It is widely discussed that the rise of short-form content is associated with reduced attention spans. Before the death of Vine, videos on the platform were only 7 seconds long. 7 seconds to be funny, then on to the next thing. Even after Vine was shut down, people migrated to Instagram, YouTube, and eventually TikTok, but the sentiment still stood. Videos got longer, but not by much. 7 seconds became 30.  But the videos needed to be obviously interesting right at the beginning, or they got passed over. The terms “doomscrolling” and “brainrot” started cropping up. Doomscrolling refers to the excessive consumption of negative content, usually news.  Brainrot refers to the short, low-quality content that has overrun short-form platforms.  It’s the perfect storm: some comedy, some depressing news. Short, low-quality, easily digestible. Keep scrolling, more, more, more. Sure, some of these videos are only 30 seconds long, but if you scroll through enough of them, you ca...

My father infected me with watching the FIFA World Cup matches when I was a teenager. It was the year 1982 and his excitement in front of the TV screen was contagious. I joined his company and while he was explaining the rules to me, words such as “corner”, “fault”, “out”, and “goal” were among the first to enter my English language vocabulary. It was the year when even if Argentina didn’t become a champion, the star of Diego Maradona (October 30, 1960 – November 25, 2020) came to shine. Fast forward to 1994 when even if Bulgaria didn’t become a champion (but made it to the semi-finals!), the star of Hristo Stoichkov (February 8, 1966 -) came to shine on the USA stadiums. Final exams were in full swing and our heads were buried in textbooks and notes, but for the games we would gather in a room with a TV screen (we knew the dorm rooms that had a TV!) for yet another exhilarating experience. New friendships were built and Bulgarian city streets turned into party scenes during that memo...

Book clubs are the ideal combination of solitary pursuit and social activity! First read the book on your own—at your own pace, in your favorite places, and in your preferred format (print, ebook, or audiobook). Then attend the book discussion to share your viewpoints and to hear others’ perspectives. Usually, a moderator leads the discussion, keeping the participants on track and making sure everyone has an opportunity to speak. At Mercer County Library System, we offer a variety of staff-led book discussion groups to pique your interest.  NONFICTION If you enjoy reading nonfiction, you’ll find a good fit at Ewing, Hickory Corner, or Twin Rivers Branch. At my branch (Hickory Corner), the nonfiction titles that we read are typically selected by the group members. We recently discussed The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness , by Michelle Alexander. Originally written in 2010, the book was updated in 2020 with a Preface to the Tenth Anniversary Edition. The...

 Many of us tend to think of history as separate from the present, but in reality, the two almost completely overlap. We can stand in the same places where other people stood centuries ago, inhabiting the exact same space: we touch the same ground, and we breathe the same air. Even the time that lies between us and historic people is not so great a gulf as we might imagine. I once shook hands with an older person who had, when she was younger, shaken hands with a living person who had once been a enslaved in America. This was mind-boggling to me at the time, but ultimately I realized that while the 1860s might feel like a long time ago, the truth is that the turning points of history happen so quickly that we tend to forget how recent the past really is. Less than two human lifespans separate us from the Civil War. Less than one lifespan separates us from World War II. And the spaces where those historic events happened are all still there--buildings and landscapes may change, but ...

September welcomes the arrival of autumn with programs that celebrate culture, wellness, community, and connection. Don’t miss the MCLS Book Festival on September 26 and remember that entries for the 2026 Amateur Photo Contest are due by September 14. Explore programs related to Healthy Aging Month, Rosh Hashanah, and Hispanic Heritage Month (beginning September 15), and join us in honoring the 25th anniversary of September 11. As we continue commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence , there are many ways to learn, connect, celebrate, and discover something new at your library. Below are selected events and programs taking place throughout the Mercer County Library System in September. For a complete list of events at your local branch, visit the MCLS Events Calendar. For Kids Crafternoon: Apple Collage Craft    Tuesday, September 8, 4:00pm Hopewell Branch Patriotic Jar Lantern Wednesday, September 9, 3:00 - 4:00pm Wednesday, September 9, 5:00 - 5:30pm Ewin...

 The minute I stumbled upon the fun holiday, Be Late for Something Day, I knew I was in for a deep dive down the rabbit hole. This holiday is celebrated every year on September 5th and has been around since 1956. Observers of Be Late for Something Day celebrate it by intentionally slowing down and avoiding the rush that is part of so many of our weekly grinds. I enjoyed learning about this holiday’s comical origin, and about a man called Les Waas, whose life was what legends are made of.   Though you may have never heard of Les Waas, the creator of Be Late for Something Day, you may have heard of Mister Softee, the ice cream truck company. Les was the composer of the “Jingles and Chimes” tune that played on the trucks, as well as over 950 other jingles for advertisements during his lifetime. That alone impressed me; but, when I realized he was the founder and long-serving president of The Procrastinators’ Club of America, I belly laughed. “Half a million members in the US...

 I’m an adult and I still enjoy reading young adult (YA) books. Young adult books target readers ages 12-18. I'm sure many of us have heard of some of the most popular YA titles like the Hunger Games , The Maze Runner , and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder . These books are rarely found sitting on the shelf at the Robbinsville Branch where I work as a children’s librarian. When reading a YA novel, I like the raw emotions, young protagonists, tough topics, and quick pace - I find them a bit nostalgic, too. Some of the world building in the fantasy and dystopian books, like The Cruel Prince and Caraval, is excellent. The stakes can feel high in YA, but it also may offer a hopeful outlook on life.  Some authors that I grew up with are now writing YA for the younger generation and I've seen their writing evolve. Melissa de La Cruz once had a vampire series - they were very trendy for a moment - and now writes a variety of thrillers and adapts the popular Disney “Descendants” films i...