Mercer County Library Blog

Many of our patrons have been using the eLibraryNJ website to download eBooks and audiobooks for over a decade, but if you are used to the old OverDrive Media Console and App, now is the time to make the switch to Libby. Libby is the newest app from OverDrive and replaces the older OverDrive branded apps that will be fully retired this April. Whether you are new to the app or a long-time user, there are some recently added features that will help you make the most of your reading and listening - so read on for some tips!  First, note that the eLibraryNJ website and the online version of Libby also let you access the same content without needing a device or downloading software to your computer – just go to the websites to get started. For eLibraryNJ , you will need your library card number to log on (select Mercer County Library System from the library drop-down) and then it is as easy as finding something to read or listen to. Once you click “borrow” for the title you are interes...

On January 31, 2023, the Lawrence Headquarters Branch of the Mercer County Library System celebrates the retirement of Ann Kerr, a treasured reference librarian for 47 years. Ann has proven to be an invaluable friend and mentor to her colleagues and peers, dedicating her time, energy, and expertise to encouraging everyone to utilize their talents while promoting the welfare and lifelong learning of the patrons visiting the library. When Ann first started, she was the only reference librarian in the entire library system. In the following passages, she reminisces about having a phone at each ear simultaneously: I began working here [Mercer County Library System] after 6 months at the Trenton Public Library, and was immediately swamped with questions that had been held unanswered for weeks while I was being hired. I was the only reference librarian for all the branches and what I couldn't answer, I called in to the Trenton Public Library, which was the regional reference center in...

It might be a while since you have travelled to a big city, and you’re anxious to discover something new in the places you’ve seen before, like Paris, London, Rome, San Francisco, or New York. If you’re getting ready to travel to Paris, for example, you may have checked out some of the popular guidebooks like Fodor’s Paris or visited the Frommer’s travel website, or maybe you’ve read the travel reviews at Tripadvisor . But what will you miss if you just know about the “must-see” tourist sites? I recently went to Paris, my first trip abroad in several years. Paris is one of the best walking cities in the world. It is now thronged with tourists again, most hurrying to see the major sites. But what about the hidden, out-of-the-way places, the smaller museums, and the forgotten historic sites that most tourists don’t see? The best way I’ve always found to encounter such places is by walking the streets of the city. In French, a person who strolls the streets of a city is known as a “fla...

National Bootlegger’s Day is January 17. I doubt you knew that. I certainly didn’t know it. The last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in moonshine, Prohibition, and the resulting legal penalties. When I think of bootlegging, I think of a copper still hidden way back in the woods, a fast car with a trunk filled with liquor (small barrels with XXX on them), and a car chase. All as if I’m seeing a black and white movie. Anyone who has watched the Discovery Channel is familiar with Tim Smith and his sidekick, Steven Ray Tickle, on the show Moonshiners (and its spin-offs, Tickle , Moonshiners: Whiskey Business , and Moonshiners: Master Distiller ). In the original show, Tim and Tickle get into many humorous scenarios as Tim distills his moonshine and hides from the revenue men. Beyond the silliness, it was interesting to learn what a “still” actually is, how moonshine is made (and, likewise, how alcohol is made), and some of the history behind bootlegging. This leads us direc...

When I was a kid, I used to read voraciously. I’d tear through eight-hundred-page books in just a few days, and my to-be-read shelf didn’t exist; I’d read books as soon as I got them. I am not that speedy of a reader anymore. I see eight-hundred-page books and skip right over them, because a book that long will take me two, maybe three months to read, if I finish it at all. So, what happened? Why is it so much harder to read through books now than it ever was as a kid? For one, there are a thousand more distractions. I didn’t have a smart phone as a kid, and there was no such thing as social media. The only access to TV I had was a television I shared with the rest of my family - and my parents usually controlled the remote after dinner. I had significantly fewer chores when I was too short to reach the sink, and no expectation to cook my own dinner. Amazing how chores and meal planning eat up your day. I still love reading, and I’ve been struggling to get back into the habits I h...

There are some things that just go really well together, like salty and sweet, a hot day and a cool breeze, and peanut butter and jelly. While I have always been an eclectic reader, I have found there to be times in my life where I read a couple books in succession that just go really well together. This kind of pairing can really heighten my appreciation of each book by allowing me to sink my teeth into the subject matter. Literary pairing is just as effective for children as it is for adults and, in my experience, children have such a deep curiosity about what they are reading that they are hungry for more. Often times, this is where staff recommendations come in. We find out the books kids have been loving, and help them find their next amazing read by looking for something that pairs well with their last read. Sometimes it’s a similar author who writes in a similar tone. Sometimes we recommend books that compliment in another way, such as a similar time period, or setting (often w...

The turkey has been carved, the presents wrapped and subsequently unwrapped, the champagne bottles popped, and the ball dropped. A new year is here and finally we can all relax. Or can we? With a new year brings a New Year’s resolution. A source of anxiety until said resolution is chosen ( Will I eat healthier this year or will I reduce my carbon footprint? Surely, I cannot do both! ) and a bothersome challenge to face day after day until you reach some arbitrary point we label as success, or fail and decide “there’s always next year.” Well not this year. I refuse to start off the new year with a brainstorming session on my numerous flaws and then assigning myself additional work to change them! Instead I will take part in another, albeit lesser known, January tradition – National Hobby Month. Each year in January, National Hobby Month is the perfect time to share your passion with others, rekindle your love for a neglected hobby, or try out something new. Here are just some of th...

It’s hard to believe it’s already January! While many may not share my opinion, I’ve always looked forward to the cold weather, with visions of being inside with a warm drink, a book, and maybe a candle and blanket or two. I like to bake in the winter, and love smelling the warm spices coming from the oven. It brings me back to times spent with my grandmother baking her “famous” cookies. These were not just any cookies, these were cookies derived out of necessity from having eleven children during the Depression. They consisted of flour, sugar, eggs, lots of cinnamon, and not much else. My grandmother would throw the batter on a big kitchen table, and cut tons of cookies out using an upside-down drinking glass. Honestly, they were not the best flavor or consistency I have ever had, but they were my grandmother’s, and hold a very special place in the hearts of my whole family. There is not a recipe for these cookies that we can find anywhere, and some of us in my family have tried to ...

2022 was a hard year for queer books and voices in libraries and schools: from attacks on Drag Queen Story Hours to the call for banning books with even a mention of homosexuality and the trans experience. To honor the voices and stories that need to be told, I wanted to highlight three queer novels released in 2022 that I read and enjoyed. This is by no means an exhaustive list nor a best-of; however, they are novels that captivated me, told a good story, and that I recommended at least 10 times after reading. Husband Material (London Calling Book 2) by Alexis Hall (he/him) This novel is the second in the London Calling series, the first one being Boyfriend Material , and was released Aug 02, 2022. Reading the first one is a must in order to fully enjoy this sequel and understand the dynamics between the two main characters: Luc and Oliver. The story is structured similar to Four Weddings and a Funeral - a British romcom released in 1994 starring Hugh Grant - and even without ha...