Current Events: How to Ride the Wave

Laptop, coffee cup, and newspaper arranged on white bedding, creating a work-from-bed or morning routine setup.

Today's news cycle is as changeable as the tides! If you want to monitor the tsunami of events of this turbulent time in history, Mercer County Library System is your trusty place for news.

Print Newspapers. Each year, fewer and fewer newspapers are being printed, and newspaper distributors are limiting delivery to certain residential areas. But, you are in luck: MCLS continues to subscribe to the major papers so that you can sit, relax, and read the paper in your local branch. Feel free to make this ritual part of your daily routine. I read multiple papers each Wednesday morning in preparation for Current Events Chat, held weekly at Hickory Corner Branch. Sometimes you just want to hold the paper in your hands!

Digital Newspapers. You also have the option to read newspapers online. Go to the library's virtual branch and scroll down to select one of multiple online newspapers: Barron's, New York Times, Trenton Times, Trentonian, or Wall Street Journal. Or select PressReader, which offers a choice of hundreds of newspapers in dozens of languages.

We even offer a tool to help you determine the political bias of a certain topic. Ground News is an "innovative platform that empowers readers to compare news coverage, spot media bias and think critically about current events in real time."

Books and More. If you are intrigued by a given news topic and want to dive deeper, read books on the subject. For example, there has been much discussion about the U.S. Constitution generally, and "Originalism versus Living Constitutionalism" specifically. Increase your knowledge on the topic so that you can confidently join a conversation and state your opinions. Here are a few books that can help you shore up your argument:

The headlines involving Israel and Palestine may make you wonder about the history of the two countries. Satisfy your curiosity by reading books such as:

Whether you read your news online or in print, or you listen to and watch it on TV, it is highly likely that you are hearing a lot about AI (artificial intelligence). Do you wonder how AI works? Is it really a threat? Here are some books that will give you a foundation in the science of AI:

"Bitcoin" and "Cryptocurrency" are other words that frequently appear in the headlines. Are they "cryptic" to you? If so, get a primer from one of these books:

MCLS also offers a streaming service that gives you access to many movies and TV shows. Sign on to Kanopy, using your library credentials. The following films will give you background to discuss some of the topics dominating the headlines:

Now that you've read about our vast sea of resources to get you current on current events, which will you take advantage of first?

--Mary at Hickory Corner Branch

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