Mercer County Library Blog

Growing up as I did in the 1970s, it was nearly impossible to escape the blockbuster album Rumours , songs from which got played into the ground on FM radio for years after the album’s release—especially the Stevie Nicks songs. Consequently, I was never that big a Fleetwood Mac fan. And even though Stevie’s songs are proving to be really good for selling cranberry juice , I never particularly cared for her voice. Or most of her songs. (Just my opinion!! Don’t @ me, Gossamer Spinners! (Which I assume is what Stevie Nicks fans are called since spinning in gossamer dresses seems to be her jam.)) via GIPHY I always liked Lindsey Buckingham's songs, though. Even more than his songs, I like his style(s) of guitar-playing. I think he's one of the most underrated guitarists in rock. Few seem to acknowledge his guitar-playing chops, despite his skill and virtuosity. For example, he, for some reason, did not make the original Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists and he’s...

It’s that time of year again! No, not that time. It’s Pumpkin Time! If people aren’t eating or drinking pumpkins, they’re decorating with them. Half of your neighbors probably already have pumpkins on their front steps, whether they’re carved or painted jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween, or just some nice seasonal décor for fall. But have you ever wondered how this squash came to be associated with fall and why we’ve decided to carve faces into it? Seems kind of random, doesn’t it? Well, it might surprise you to know that the original jack-o’-lanterns weren’t made from pumpkins at all! They were carved turnips and potatoes. Irish immigrants brought the practice to America with them, and started to use pumpkins instead because they were more readily available and happened to be perfect for carving faces. But why do we carve faces into them in the first place? THE LEGEND OF STINGY JACK It turns out a story started it all (more or less)! The name “Jack-o’-Lantern” came from an Irish folk...

I am in the process of receiving my master's degree in Library Science through Rutgers University. During my summer session, one class that stood out for me was my  Young Adults, Reading, and Literacy class.  As someone who works in the Youth Services Department at West Windsor as the Young Adult Librarian, taking this class has opened my eyes to the possibilities I have when designing book displays, the type of books I should order for the Young Adult collection, how these books can impact some readers, and the variety of book awards that Young Adult authors have won. In the eight-week course, my peers and I had to select a book award from a list my professor provided, and read three books that either won or were nominated for that award in 2021/2022. This was exciting, and I read some fantastic Young Adult books this summer. This further opened my eyes to what is happening worldwide and changed my viewpoints on some topics.  So, if you are interested in reading Young ...

Did you know that September is National Honey Month? National Honey Month was created by the National Honey Board to celebrate honey, the honey bees who make it, and the beekeeping industry. Honey bees do a lot more than create delicious honey; they play an essential role in crop pollination. According to the NHB , “one-third of the U.S. diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants and honey bees are responsible for an impressive 80 percent of that process.” Due to Colony Collapse Disorder and other factors such as pests, poor nutrition, pesticides, and lack of genetic diversity, bee populations are on the decline, making it as important as ever to learn about their role in our ecosystem and what we can do to promote their survival! So, what can we do to help? How about planting a pollinator garden without using pesticides? (To learn what plants are beneficial, Click here. ) Or buying local organic honey to support beekeepers? Take time this ...

In the great green room There was a telephone And a red balloon And a picture of – Does that sound familiar? Many of us fondly remember these lines from our childhood or from reading to the children in our lives (or the children at work if you’re a librarian like me!). These are the opening lines to the beloved children’s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and this year marks the 75 th anniversary of the book’s publication. This book is so special to so many people that NASA even commemorated the anniversary by hosting a “Read along, draw along” from the International Space Station in May. Goodnight Moon has probably been read aloud millions of times, but this is the first time is was read aloud from space! Goodnight Moon , written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by her friend Clement Hurd, was published on September 3 rd , 1947. Since then more than 48 million copies have been sold and it’s been translated into at least 12 languages. Millions of readers have been ...

Dear Tech Guru, My friends and I like our Zoom meetings so much we are going to keep having them. I want to get creative. One friend has a video of a coral reef with fish swimming around him as if he is underwater. How do I import a library, wine cellar background, or video background to Zoom? Signed: Hide My Home Hi Hide My Home, I understand your desire to hide what’s behind you! There are a few different ways you can do this, and one is using fun backgrounds through your video conference software like Zoom, GoTo, and Microsoft Teams. These services allow you to change your background, come with default images or videos, or ask you to use secondary software like ChromaCam. To access these features, you need to create a free account, which may be limited to uploading your own images. To find out what your virtual meeting software uses, you can look under settings or search the support topics for Virtual Backgrounds. At the Mercer County Library System, we use GoTo for all our vir...

Doylestown, P A With summer winding down and the upcoming fall holidays fast approaching, be sure to take advantage of the Mercer County Library System free Museum Pass program  with friends and family. Passes can be reserved 45 days in advance with a loan period of 3 days, and must be returned to the library that issued them. They include passes to the Academy of Natural Sciences, Eastern State Penitentiary, Elmwood Park Zoo, the National Constitution Center, Morven Museum and Garden, and Fonthill Castle and Mercer Museum . On a recent visit with friends to Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I discovered the hidden gem of Fonthill Castle and the Mercer Museum. These two museums contain artifacts that will interest visitors of all ages and provide a wide variety of special events. Be sure to check the museums’ website for current hours and programs. Henry Chapman Mercer, archeologist, tile maker, collector and world traveler, was born on July 24 th , 1856 in Doylestown. He attended Harv...

“Oh, how I love fairy tales.” So begins Kate Bernheimer’s “Fairy Tale is Form, Form is Fairy Tale.” The Rule of Three reading group at the West Windsor Branch read and discussed this essay in July, along with the story “Baba Iaga and the Pelican Child” by Joy Williams, and the poem “Little Red Riding Hood” by Matthew Zapruder. I adore fairy tales, but not everyone who participated in the discussion did. Of course, one of the things I enjoy in reading groups is when people disagree - it makes for an engaging conversation and challenges us all to articulate our ideas. “What is the point of fairy tales?” someone in the group asked. “What are fairy tales for?” As a fairy tale lover, I can think of so many answers to that question: fun, mischief, soothing a child to sleep, something to share while working with your hands, moral warnings, and hope. In the moment, I said: “Fairy tales are like folk songs. They are something shared and something familia...

I am very interested in old psychiatric hospitals. Often otherwise known by the archaic term “insane asylums.” Prior to deciding to become a librarian, I was going to go into the field of psychology. Knowing about how those with mental illness were treated in the past made learning present therapies even more meaningful. Now, couple that interest with the advent of the publication Weird NJ… In one of Weird NJ’s first issues (issue #9), there was an article on “Abandoned Mental Hospitals.” One of the places covered in the article was the Essex Mountain Sanatorium. (I should also mention here that I like abandoned places, too.) The Sanatorium wasn’t actually a “mental hospital,” but a place for tuberculosis patients, although it qualified for the article as the Overbrook psychiatric facility was very close by and some of its patients were in the wards of the Sanatorium. Needless to say, I had to see this place and so began my even greater interest in these old buildings. Although I can’...