Mercer County Library Blog

Books are magical, aren’t they?  There is nothing like opening a book and being transported to a different place or stepping into someone else’s shoes.  I’ve always found it exciting to go on the journey the author has created.  But have you ever read a book and wish you could change the ending?  As a kid, I was a big fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure books.  It was so cool to be able to pick the path of the story and actually have a say in what happens.  (I will admit, sometimes I peeked to see if the outcome of my choice was what I wanted!  I was also determined to read as many “complete” stories as I could and would go through as many times as needed to read every page). These types of interactive books are still really popular at the library and we have them for all ages in the children’s section!  For younger children, I love using interactive picture books during story time and watching a child’s face in amazement as something magical hap...

"I am not a number! I am a free man!" Thus, the iconic phrase from Patrick McGoohan's late 1960s television classic The Prisoner   (1967) made its way into the individualist lexicon and TV history. The eccentric allegory about an individual who resigns from a top secret job and wakes to find he has been mysteriously abducted to a prison called The Village is a thematic counterpoint to our own times.  While being interrogated in various ways by a succession of Number 2's - the question of Number 1 remains cloaked in mystery - McGoohan's character, called only Number 6 in the series, continues to plot ways of escape from The Village just as Number 2, and those who are part of the Village apparatus, continue their attempts to extract information from him - information of extreme value to which the audience is never privy.  Wanting to watch each episode without commercials or rental and streaming fees makes checking out the show from the library ideal.  Prior to The P...

There’s nothing quite like escaping into a good book. A good cup of tea under a cozy blanket with my latest read is the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday morning and, in my humble opinion, the best way to live through hundreds of dangerous adventures happening between the pages. You know, without all the actual life-threatening parts. Or mosquitos. I’m always happy to skip mosquitos.  Here’s some of my favorite adventures to read: Legends and Lattes - Part of the Cozy Fantasy trend, Legends and Lattes is about an orc who decides to retire from her adventures and open a coffee shop instead. She has a lot to learn about running a business, and will have to figure out how to deal with the local gang who wants a cut of her profits.  The Invisible Library   - A library that exists between all worlds, and librarians tasked with retrieving one-of-a-kind books from every world. This is book one of a completed seven book series, and it will have you racing through Victorian...

Dear Tech Guru,  I’m traveling out of the country this summer. Can I still use the library’s online services like Libby and Kanopy? Abroad Library User Hi Abroad,  Depending on where you travel, you may be able to use some of the digital services the Mercer County Library System provides abroad, but you also may run into issues based on the geolocation of your IP address.  Let me explain.   Every device that is connected to the Internet is assigned a unique IP address. The IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider. The IP address’s geolocation is commonly based on the geographical location of your Internet Service Provider.  Using a smartphone as an example, if I am using my cellular connection, the IP address of my phone has been assigned by my cellular service provider. This limits my geolocation to the range my cellular service provider covers based on cell towers near my physical location.  If I am on wi-fi, then the IP address my ph...

Did you know that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote poetry? While nearly everyone knows The Scarlet Letter , some readers might be less familiar with his other writings. Hawthorne was actually quite accomplished in a variety of genres. In addition to his novels, which he designated as romances due to their mix of historical, folkloric, and gothic elements, he also produced multiple volumes of short stories, essays, children’s literature (a fairly new genre back in the nineteenth century) and even a biography of his friend, president Franklin Pierce. I’ve admired his short stories for a long time, ever since a teacher assigned reading the story “Young Goodman Brown.” But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered Hawthorne’s poetry. When I did, it felt like uncovering a well-kept secret. I had never heard anyone talk about it, even among poets and librarians. In that spirit, here is a short exploratory reading of Hawthorne’s poem The Ocean, in time, conveniently, for National Oceans Month. Rea...

The passenger seated next to me on the train asked what I was reading: The Long Form The Long Form by Kate Briggs. It’s a novel about a young mother whose baby is not sleeping, who begins reading Tom Jones , which then imposes itself and enters the discussion of their day. It’s a novel with essays (like Tom Jones ), a novel about time, about novels, and of course about motherhood. “Oh,” said my seatmate on the train. “I’m reading the business book that everyone in my office is reading.” I think we both felt a bit let down. We’re both readers, but our books don’t have much in common besides being written in English. Our tastes don’t match, but we’re still hungry to talk about books, and to connect over them. My seatmate on the train was reading that business book because everyone else in her office was, and she wanted to be part of the conversation. All this was on my mind as my reading group, Rule of Three , discussed artificial intelligence a few months ago. Every third Thursday, ...

In our fast paced world many of us don’t have the time – or the inclination – to read long books. Maybe we once aspired to them. Maybe we did not. But they’re titles that keep coming up over and over in conversation. I am not ready to give up and I encourage you to never give up! Here’s a brief list of the books I am gearing up for this winter. Crime and Punishment  by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 19 th  Century Russian Lit can be very fulfilling. Like all great literature, it explores the depths of the human soul and has inspired generations.  Crime and Punishment  has been on my list for many years. And, sometimes, I think it’s a crime I haven’t read it yet. Les Misérables  by Victor Hugo I first saw the musical version of this when I was in the high school choir – and it was an existential inspiration. The questions it brings up range from: What is freedom? What is the role of the individual in society? And the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law – among...

I don’t know about you, but as soon as I feel the first warm breeze of the year, my windows fly open, my outdoor chairs and cushions are put in place, and I immediately immerse myself in the sounds, smells, and feels of the great outdoors! There is nothing quite like listening to birds chirping, feeling the sun hit your skin, and surrounding yourself with all of the beauty of nature—and what better way to embrace nature than to venture outside? June is National Great Outdoors Month and the perfect time to explore nature, local parks, trails, and outdoor attractions. The Mercer County Library System offers patrons access to many great museum passes, hiking and biking trail books, travel guides, and fun outdoor programming for the whole family to enjoy. Mercer County also has a vast array of beautiful parks, lakes, and outdoor spaces to enjoy. I’m sharing more details about each below, so be sure you set aside plenty of time to get outdoors this summer! Hiking, Biking, and More! – MCLS...

Did you know that 114.6 million people visited New Jersey in 2022, or that Newark’s airport set a record number of travelers in 2023 with 49.1 million passengers? It's summertime in the Garden State and for many, including this writer, that means vacation and relaxation. Whether you're planning to travel locally, abroad, participate in some of NJ's community events this summer, go for a swim at the public pool , or want to capture the allure of the shore in the comfort of your own home, this collection of MCLS titles offers fun and exciting ways to compliment your summer. Here’s six different ways to get started! The Jersey Shore Cookbook: Fresh Summer Flavors from the Boardwalk and Beyond ISBN : 9781594748721 Call Number : 641.5974 SMI 2016 Catalog : Quick Link With this photo-packed title covering New Jersey towns from Keyport to Cape May Point, you can capture the taste of “summer all year long with 50 recipes contributed by well-loved shore town restaurants, baker...