Mercer County Library Blog

Join us on Fridays at 8:00pm on Facebook to discuss TRPGs Running the game is one of those things that, on paper, is very easy. In practice however, it has a lot more nuance. In essence, the GM sets the scene based on their preparations, and the players interact with the scene as if they were their characters. It can be likened to making a movie, with the GM as the Writer/Director working up a set and using extras, with the players as the main actors being told to improvise based on what they see/encounter/find. One thing to keep in mind is that due to the nature of the dice, or the whim of the players, situations can change quickly. Be prepared to improvise. The nature of play doesn't translate to the written word all that well. I will forgo examples of play and direct you instead to games broadcast online with archives found on YouTube. These will give you a better idea of how a game should roughly go, and may give you some inspiration as well. The first is Critical Role, a homeb...

I like to play many games; any kind. Board games, riddles, jigsaw puzzles, card games, games that involve numbers, outside games, quiz games, the list goes on and on. Mostly I enjoy the traditional group of people in-person board games and sometimes play word games via texts to friends. Unfortunately, sometimes no one wants to play with me. Looking to create my own game I decided to make up a library Dewey Decimal System number hunt and see what I could find. The Dewey Decimal System is the library’s method for organizing its contents based on the division of all knowledge areas into 10 groups, with each group assigned 100 numbers. Using a number that my family or friends gave me, I would explore the library catalog and see what my search would yield. The first person I asked was my daughter who took me to the 413 section. The Dewey decimal 413's are used for dictionaries. I searched and found 413 STA 2017: Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. The subject...

Although the Mercer County Library System has been closed for more than two months now, you can still stay connected with library happenings by checking out the online content on the Mercer County Library System website! Even if you don’t have a library card, you can apply for a temporary card through our eCard Registration . Check out the databases at MCLS for help with your schoolwork. There are several outstanding tutorials on the library’s YouTube channel  created by our IT staff to guide you through the various databases. Also check out the library’s blog  for posts about our databases. LearningExpress Library  is a great database for preparing for the ACT, SAT, PSAT, AP® Exam and NMSQT. If you’re preparing for an upcoming test, be sure to visit your official test administrator’s website to see if there are any important changes related to COVID-19. LearningExpress Library is also an outstanding resource to help build your algebra, geometry, statistics and other math...

Join us on Fridays at 8:00pm on Facebook to discuss TRPGs As stated last week, being a GM is time consuming. This is because all the “heavy lifting” is done by you. As daunting as it sounds, being a GM is much easier than you would think, but I'll get to that in a moment. So, let’s get to prepping. First things first, regardless of what length or style of game you are running, they all consist of three main parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Due to the collaborative nature of TRPGs, writing the plot like a novel is not really possible as the other players will often derail things purely by accident. Speaking from experience, I find it best to work backwards. Come up with two or three endgame scenarios - boss enemies, locations, interesting mechanics - but don't set them in stone. Midpoint, come up with a specific event and a few clues that will point the players to an endgame, but don't set a trigger for these events just yet. Now the beginning, here is where you nee...

The weather is getting warmer and dreams of beach vacations are sure to come to mind. If you can’t make it to the beach, why not bring the beach to your home! And what beach escape is complete without a good beach read? What constitutes a true “beach read” is up to your own interpretation but I have found titles that are sure to grab your attention while complementing your virtual getaway. The best part? All are available as eBooks or audiobooks through our Virtual Branch resources. Use your library card to borrow these titles with the hoopla or Libby app (you can also view these titles in your browser!) Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras (hoopla eBook) The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (eLibraryNJ eBook/audiobook) The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary (eLibraryNJ audiobook) The Other Child by Charlotte Link (hoopla eBook) Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner (eLibraryNJ audiobook and eBook) Pretty Things by Janelle Brown (eLibraryNJ eBook) Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton (Overdrive eBook...

Recipes paper the tiled countertop, ingredients having been banished to the kitchen table hours ago. “Best Ever Vegan Quinoa Chili,” “Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili,” “One Pot Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili.” I had already dissected each prescription several times, yet I choose to examine them once more because I have convinced myself that I must know—I must know the exact recipe before I begin. Never mind the fact that I had already discounted each for one reason or another. Nonetheless, I sift through the wrinkled pages one last time, hoping for my light bulb moment, but my fingers simply cannot find that dangling chain in the darkness. Growing weary, I finally succumb to the lack of certainty and begin. Setting the recipes aside and restoring the ingredients to their rightful place, I carefully pare and dice the sweet potatoes, skillfully mince a few cloves of garlic—in my food processor, and quickly chop a single onion before it can render me blind. Into my four-quart p...

Join us on Fridays at 8:00pm on Facebook to discuss TRPGs Sometimes, despite one’s best efforts, you just might not be able to play in a game. There can be any number of reasons for this, but there is one solution that is guaranteed to solve the problem. Start your own game as the GM. This is much easier than it sounds, however it is a lot more time consuming. First things first, what does it mean to be a GM? Well, being a GM consists of three parts: being a player, being a storyteller, and being a referee. While TRPGs are a collaborative effort, the GM is the driving force behind the game, as well as the person who keeps things running smoothly. The GM plays the game alongside the players, but being the storyteller, must switch between adversarial and sympathetic roles as needed. As the storyteller, the GM must come up with the overall plot as well as the encounters that will challenge the group - with all the prep work that implies. As the referee, the GM should know the rules of the...

April marks the 11th Annual TrashedArt Contest at the Lawrence Headquarters Branch - Remake, Reuse and Renew the items you would recycle or throw in the trash into something unique and beautiful and rethink the usefulness of garbage. This year is our first virtual contest - the artwork is displayed from April 29 through May 15 on the Mercer County Library System website where everyone can vote for their favorite. For more information, please visit the TrashedArt page . For our second series of interviews of former TrashedArt winners, the library has spoken with Michele Ben-Asher and Connie Cruser . Hello Ms. Ben-Asher. Thank you for speaking with us today about your TrashedArt experiences. The library and many of our patrons are very excited about the contest, and we are thrilled to have you back to participate. How did you come to learn about TrashedArt? I first saw TrashedArt when I went to the Lawrence Library to teach a Literacy class. Since then, I have participate...

Join us on Fridays at 8:00pm on Facebook to discuss TRPGs This, week we'll go over some etiquette and advice. I don't think I need to go into basic etiquette, it's just common sense - don't do anything you wouldn't do at a friend’s house and don't be a jerk (or “That Guy” as the community says). I'll be giving you a few bits of etiquette specific to gaming and some of the more important advice. Etiquette: Rule Disputes - Inevitably it will happen that a rule is either forgotten, or perhaps the wording is vague - regardless, play has come to a halt while the ruling is resolved. If the rule in question specifically pertains to your character or is one that will come up often, have it open in a new tab, or bookmarked in the PDF or actual rule book. This will save a lot of time for everyone. However, as can be the case with vague wording, it will require additional research. In this case, the GM will likely make a judgment call to get the game flowing again....

Do you ever wonder about the secret lives of the animals that live in your backyard? Rabbits, squirrels, foxes, and chipmunks all live in our neighborhoods, yet most of us know very little about them. Like almost everyone else who lives in the suburbs, my backyard is frequently visited by squirrels. I naturally became curious about them and found 11 Bushy-Tailed Facts About Eastern Gray Squirrels which explains some interesting aspects of their behavior, how long they live (up to 12 years in the wild), how they communicate (like wagging their tails), how they make nests, etc. In addition to squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks have been long-time visitors to my backyard. I will usually see rabbits only at dawn and dusk. Chipmunks seem to pop up at all times of day, but they don't stay visible long. I try to be very still while watching, for at even the slightest movement they will bolt back to their holes. All about the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit and 10 Things You Don't Know ab...