Mercer County Library Blog

Dear Tech Guru, The mobile app has been out of service for months. Is there any timeline for when this will be resolved? From, App-less in Mercer County Hi App-less (and all our patrons), I understand your frustration with the MyMCLSNJ app being unusable. As we have shared, there is a contract conflict between our main vendor and the software vendor. They contracted to initially create the software called BLUEcloud Mobile. This software is what our app, as well as many other apps used by libraries around the world, is built on. The contract between these two companies was not renewed and the software vendor said they would continue to allow our main vendor to use the one piece of software they provided for a set period of time. This piece of software is what connected our library information to the software that runs the app.  In November of 2023, the software vendor stopped access to their software. This made all the apps that run on BLUEcloud Mobile stop working. At this t...

I have many great memories, and a lot of them involve finding a comfortable spot in a library at various point in my life and getting lost in a book. Libraries mean a lot of things to different people, but we can all agree on their importance as community centers that provide access to information. Things might seem tough at times, but we’re not alone in our love for libraries. Many famous and successful people appreciate them, too. Here is a list of some of them and what they’ve said and done for libraries. Neil Gaiman “ We have an obligation to support libraries. To use libraries, to encourage others to use libraries, to protest the closure of libraries. If you do not value libraries then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future.” – Neil Gaiman in The Guardian Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman Jay-Z “Jay-Z reflected on the exhibit at the library, which was kept a secret from him. ‘I thoug...

A fun way to ring in the new year is to try something you’ve never tried before. Here's several books, magazines, and resources to start fresh! New Jersey Off The Beaten Path ISBN : 9781493070503 Call Number: NJ 917.49 NEW 2023 Catalog:  Quick Link Covering the entirety of New Jersey and doling out its sights and sounds in sizable portions, this up-to-date series offers "new perspectives on timeless destinations and introduce(s) you to those you never knew existed". From The Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of NJ (pg 20) up in Teteboro all the way to the recently renovated Lucy the Elephant (pg 118) in Margate. Certain locations MCLS offers museum passes for are also covered by this title such as Morven Museum and Garden (pg 78) and Battleship New Jersey (pg 154). Speaking of, you can find our Museum Passes via our website under Services. Each branch offers their own unique set of passes: MCLS Museum Passes Pass Name Branches where Available Aca...

It’s a couple of weeks into the new year and you may be pondering the resolutions you’ve already made, or trying to come up with some for 2024. If reading more is a resolution you’re mulling, the Mercer County Library System has a great way to get you motivated - the 2024 Reading Challenge ! A reading challenge is “a way to discover books outside your normal reading habits.” There are 24 prompts to give you ideas and 1 bonus prompt to read a book written by an author featured on the MCLS podcast, Behind the Books . The 2024 prompts are: Read a book.... 1...With an animal in the title 2...That was translated 3...That's a memoir 4...That focuses on mental health 5...That is 150 pages or less 6... That has the name of a place in the title 7...Written by two authors 8...About business or finance 9...Everyone is talking about 10...About history 11...That you own but have not read yet 12...You know nothing about but like the cover 13...A cozy mystery 14...Won an award in...

As we bring another year to a close, we thought it would be fun to see what were the top circulating books taken out by you, our Mercer County Library patrons, in 2023. As you will see you all have wonderful taste! Adult Books Adult Fiction Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus This title has been on the New York Times Fiction Bestsellers List for 38 weeks! The book has been in our system since April of 2022 and it’s still going strong. Set in 1960s California, this blockbuster debut is the hilarious, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is constantly derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home, only to find herself starring as the host of America's most beloved TV cooking show. Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and, despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very unscientific when ...

National Science Fiction Day is celebrated every January 2, and commemorates the birthday of prolific science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. One might ask, what constitutes a true science-fiction read?  There have been debates over the definition of science fiction. I explain to patrons that “sci-fi books are set in the near future or distant future, and explore change through technological innovations or discoveries.”* Sci-fi stories deal with topics like artificial intelligence (AI), genetic engineering, post-apocalyptic times, aliens, ahead-of-their-time inventions, dystopias, space travel, and time travel. Science-fiction stories written in the past include elements that are present in today’s technology. Consider that a type of technology prevalent now existed in comic strips and books written in the early 20 th century. A smartphone wrist watch resembles a watch worn by Dick Tracy in the comic strip that bears his name. Also, 3D holograms were inspired by the robot R2D2 fr...

Hiking in the Pines a treat. I didn’t start hiking there regularly until, when the pandemic forced us all into more outdoor pastimes, I wanted to branch out into new walking destinations. The Pinelands are quiet, unlike the big popular hiking destinations of North Jersey (I’m looking at you, Mt. Tammany.) The landscape is unique too; sugar-sand soils and heavy pine foresting make one of the more rare ecosystems in the East Coast. We used to call it the “Pine Barrens” but barren it is absolutely not-- lots of plants you won’t see anywhere else! Birders love the area’s diversity. The area also has some of the lowest light pollution we have in New Jersey; it’s a great place for stargazing. Winter is the ideal time to hike in the Pinelands of South Jersey. Trails are quite flat and less treacherous in snow, the air smells beautiful-- what those tree-shaped car air fresheners only wish they could replicate! -- and the threat of finding ticks, always a concern when hiking in New Jersey, i...

Recently, while doing some shopping, I suddenly caught a whiff of someone’s cologne, and BAM. I was back in college, laying on the grass with my boyfriend in City Hall Park in Burlington, Vermont. Most of us have had similar experiences. We catch a scent of vanilla and we’re back in our grandmother’s kitchen at the holidays or just suddenly feel very warm, cozy, and cared for. A hint of cow manure on the road can bring back happy childhood memories of visiting a local farm to see baby calves or take pony rides. The smell of institutional cleanser brings back reminders of a loved one’s stay in hospital. Memory and scent are inextricably linked. Frequently, we don’t realize the powerful role scent plays in our lives until we are smacked in the nose (and heart) by it. Research has shown that our sense of smell plays a strong role in memory. We often go through our days somewhat passively, experiencing scents without really thinking about them, enjoying beautiful smells that we notice, an...

This time of year is usually filled with lots of old family traditions. Maybe your family drives around to see the Christmas lights, or you always take a trip this month, or you visit a local holiday market. Whatever it is, there’s usually some kind of tradition you look forward to. For my family, it’s baking cookies. We all spend about two weeks baking a variety of cookies, and then when we get together to celebrate, we bring what’s managed to survive that long to the holiday dinner. My mom likes to make lemon drops and snickerdoodles, my aunt makes Russian tea balls, and my uncle makes chocolate chip and peanut butter. My grandmother used to make these butterscotch cookies, called Grandma’s Golden cookies. Without fail, every year, my cousins and I would devour these delicious treats first. They’d be scattered amongst all the cookie platters, and we would hunt them down until there were none left. Sadly, my grandmother hasn’t been able to make them for several years now, and she p...