Mercer County Library Blog

Several years ago, the Mercer County Library System launched a community poetry donation project. As I reviewed the donated books, I noticed a recurring theme in the publication notes: many poets expressed heartfelt gratitude to a particular mentor who had inspired and guided their poetic journeys. The name stood out to me—not just for its frequency, but for its familiarity: Professor Alicia Ostriker, an acclaimed poet and scholar. Her influence and generosity come as no surprise. Years ago, I had the privilege of studying Bible literature under her at Rutgers, where she was a beloved professor of English and Creative Writing for forty years. The class was small and intimate, enriched by lively weekly discussions. She invited us to join her for poetry readings and open mic nights at a local coffee shop, cultivating a warm and welcoming space for budding voices. On the final day of class, she brought wine to celebrate our journey together. It was then that I truly began to pay attentio...

In preparation for celebrating Constitution Day and Citizenship Day at the West Windsor branch, I’ve been reading up on the history of American political thought. The West Windsor branch will host lawyer, professor, and NJ local government expert Dennis Galvin on September 17th at 7 pm. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day was established by law in 2004, following modifications from a law celebrating Citizenship Day enacted by President Harry Truman in 1955. Promoting civic engagement and encouraging education about the Constitution, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is a time to explore our Americanness. The Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787 by 39 of the 55 delegates sent by twelve states. Rhode Island, preferring the Articles of Confederation, feared too strong a federal government and did not send delegates. The Constitution was ratified on June 21st, 1788, with the required nine of thirteen states agreeing to adopt it. All thirteen states had ratified the Constitutio...

Here are some of the events and programs from around the Mercer County Library System for the month of September. For a complete list of events at your local branch, visit the MCLS Events Calendar , and check out the flyers in this post! Fall into September: Celebrating Culture and Community September brings a vibrant mix of cultural celebrations and seasonal activities to MCLS! This month, we're honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with special programs including movie screenings, crafts, book, and short story discussions. We're also celebrating Rosh Hashanah with special storytimes and welcoming autumn with themed crafts and activities. For Kids Story & Snack: Apples Friday, September 5, 10:30 am Hickory Corner Branch Celebrate Hispanic Heritage: Storytime & Craft Monday, September 15, 4:30 pm Ewing Branch Rosh Hashanah Storytime Wednesday, September 17, 5:00 pm Hickory Corner Branch Rosh Hashanah Storytime Thursday, September 18, 5:00 pm Robbinsville Branc...

Noir storytelling has an interesting history. The term “noir” is a French word that translates to “dark” or “black” and was, as a storytelling genre, first paired with the word “film” by French film critics in the 1950’s to describe a style of Hollywood filmmaking in the 1940’s and 1950’s of crime films that focused on the seamier (dark) side of life. The classic film noirs include The Maltese Falcon (widely considered the first film noir), Double Indemnity , Strangers on a Train and The Postman Always Rings Twice . The term noir was then retrograded to include the novels and fiction that were the basis for the films made in the classic film noir period. They included the works of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Noir fiction than became a subgenre of crime fiction that focused on dark, cynical and pessimistic tones, and gritty urban settings. These novels featured morally flawed characters, usually fighting against societal corruptio...

Children often don’t encounter standard-sized fonts (like Times New Roman 12-point) until third or fourth grade, since early elementary books usually use larger print. I was a student at the top of my class, but something had happened to me as soon as the fonts became smaller. Some of my issues midway through elementary school included:      ■  Falling asleep after 15 minutes of reading, particularly if I did not find the book meaningful, fun, or interesting;      ■  Taking too long to read due to a combination of re-reading the same lines, eye strain, and headaches;     ■  Never finishing any books as an elementary school kid except for Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and The Giver by Lois Lowry;     ■  Feeling sad when adults said to me, “You’re really smart; you must read a lot!” because my options seemed like I could lie and nod my head at their belief, or explain...

You know what’s a really fun thing to do? Vote! In what other way can you put your opinions, values, and beliefs out there, but in private, and no one can tell you that your choices are wrong? Pretty cool, right? Speaking of rights, many societies don’t enjoy this one. And we Americans have certainly struggled to expand it to more of our fellow citizens. But our right to vote is enshrined in several Constitutional amendments and legislative acts. Those worried about election integrity can keep in mind that even federal elections are managed by individual states and municipalities. Though Congress and states set the rules, there is, by design, no national administration of elections in the United States. The hard truth about voting is that after an election is over, you may find the results aren’t what you hoped for. But you know what? They definitely will not reflect your choices if you and others sit it out. It’s that simple. Now that I have you excited about voting, did you know...