Blogs
Your 24/7 Library
Did you know that there is a digital branch of our library where you have access to a vast array of information after hours? It is all accessible through our many subscription databases. Whether it's research for homework, browsing digitized magazines, downloading legal forms or electrical diagrams for your car, checking stock information or learning a language, one of our databases will surely meet your information needs. Click Blog Title for details!!!
Your 24/7 Library
Over 100 electronic databases from reputable, award-winning publishers offering diverse subject matter ranging from Art to Science. Access is easy from our website. Click on Do Research.
New databases just added: Art Museum Image, Columbia Grangers World of Poetry, Educator’s Reference, Chilton’s (auto repair), Footnotes (genealogy), Global Issues in Context, Grzimek’s (animals), Legal Forms, Morningstar, Powerspeak Languages, Testing & Education Reference Center, Value Line, and World Book Encyclopedia.
Value Line – Independent provider of investment-related information with a reputation for high-quality, cost effective research and data used by securities analysts, portfolio managers, corporate, academic and municipal institutions.
Your 24/7 Library
Did you know that there is a digital branch of our library where you have access to a vast array of information after hours? It is all accessible through our many subscription databases. Whether it's research for homework, browsing digitized magazines, downloading legal forms or electrical diagrams for your car, checking stock information or learning a language, one of our databases will surely meet your information needs. Click Blog Title for details!!!
Cold Weather D.E.A.R. Days
This winter's harsh weather makes it a perfect time to organize a special family D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time. Click on the blog title for more information on this fun family activity.
PENNIES FOR PEACE
Throughout February and March 2010, the Middletown Library, in conjunction with the New Jersey State Library, along with many other public libraries and schools plan to honor the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln firmly believed in education, equality, opportunity and peace. To help continue his legacy, we will be participating in the Lincoln Pennies for Peace Campaign. All funds collected will be donated to Pennies for Peace which collects funds for the Central Asia Institute co-founded by Greg Mortenson, the subject of the bestselling biography, “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School At A Time.”
The program is designed to educate children about the world beyond their experience and show them that they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time.
There are donation jars on all of the public service desks if you wish to contribute.
Celebrate Black History Month
In the Display Case this month - see fascinating items related to the history of the Moses D. Heath Farm on Peace Lane in Middletown. This farm was the home of Clinton and Mary Heath, freed slaves who settled in Middletown after the Civil War and raised 13 children, including Bertha Heath, pictured to the left with portraits of her parents.
http://heathfarm.tripod.com/peacelane/
The Middletown Library website includes much useful historical information for Black History Month. Click on "Do Research" above then go to "African American History Online--Facts on File". for additional Black History Month information and links, click on the blog title
Fight Cabin Fever
It can be hard to keep children busy and happy this time of year--it's cold outside and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over. Click on the blog title for some suggestions to get you started, but remember the library has many similar titles on our shelves.
Haiti - How to Help
Organizations providing relief efforts in Haiti:
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/
Check out January's Illustrated Fiction Display
Click on the blog title to get a definition of "Illustrated Fiction."
Frequently Asked Koha Questions
We updated our library catalog system in October, and since then we have been working out some of the bugs. For some frequently asked questions about Koha, please click on the blog title.
DELAYED OPENING AT NAVESINK BRANCH 12/21/09
The Navesink branch will have a delayed opening this afternoon. Opening time to be determined. Please check back for updates!
Enjoy Holiday "Book Specials"
Many of us have fond childhood memories of watching "holiday specials" on television. Parents can enrich their children's lives by offering "book specials" in addition to television specials. The basic concept is the same, but (Please click on blog title to read more)
"A Child Becomes a Reader"
"A Child Becomes a Reader- Proven Ideas from Research for Parents"
Free brochures available. "Learning to read and write starts at home, long before children go to school. Very early, children begin to learn about the sounds of spoken language when they hear their family members talking, laughing, and singing, and when they respond to all of the sounds that fill their world. They begin to understand written language when they hear adults read stories to them and see adults reading newspapers, magazines, and books for themselves." Click on blog title for more information.
Paul McCartney to be Honoured by US Library of Congress
Paul McCartney is to be awarded the Gershwin Prize For Popular Music in Washington in spring 2010. The former Beatle will be the third musician – and the first non-American – to receive the prize, which is awarded by the US Library Of Congress.
Koha is Down!
Our system is down for the time being. You will not be able to access Koha from home or within the library. We are working on the problem and hope to have it fixed as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Author Charlaine Harris
Do you like mysteries and science fiction? Try the witty and imaginative vampire mysteries featuring Sookie Stackhouse, waitress, sleuth and peace maker. Click on link for more information.
FOR LYNNE
It is with our deepest sorrow we mourn the passing or our colleague Lynne Lavigne. After a long and courageous fight against cancer, she passed away October 27th in the morning at home surrounded by her loving family.
Lynne Takami Lavigne worked for the Middletown library since 1995, and previously at the Woodbridge Public Library. She was a graduate of Rutgers for her MLS, and the University of Illinois, Urbana, with a BA in History/Asian Studies . In NJ, she was a member of the Jr League, active in scouting, and a winner of the Life Magazine “Faces of the Decade”
3 comments - Last on 10/29/2009
Thoughts about Lynne: What a GREAT librarian she was! Smart and organized, her productivity was outstanding. She loved book selection, especially the 600's - as she said to me, "The library collection lives or dies by the 600's," and then set right to work to make it a great collection. Her work ethic was remarkable - she was always right on top of her ordering, even if that meant doing it from home. But the love of selection dominated and she never made a complaint about doing that. She created our first blog and was always pushing the rest of us to try the new technologies. Service, service, service - she lived and breathed it- lucky was the person who was helped by Lynne at the Reference Desk. If I could clone Lynne Lavigne as the model for librarianship, I would do it in a second.
And then there's the personal side. We talked about raising sons, haircuts and always shoes! Plus a little gossip! She shared her apprehension and fear about her illness,the decision making process and drew us in even further with blogging the personal, sometimes funny, sometimes wistful, sometimes painful details. Lynne had many loving families because of the special person she was. I was moved greatly by her observations on Tim and Grace as they moved into adulthood and tended to her needs.
I have lost several library colleagues throughout my career, and each had a place in my heart, but the loss of Lynne is, well, huge. She may be gone, but her spirit will live on. I'll never forget her. May she be finally without pain and in the loving care of her Father in heaven. Godspeed my friend! Susan
Poetry at the Library
Thursday, October 29th is the Last Thursday - and there is a poetry reading and open mic at the library. We've been hosting poetry readings since 2007, in a respected series hosted by Gloria Rovder Healy. Come to the library this week to meet poets Diane Lockward and David Tucker, and to share your own poetry at the open mic if you like.
ATTENTION!! ATTENTION!!
The library will migrate to a new catalog system KOHA . Expect the catalog to look different starting October 15th. The librarians are here to assist you, please ask.
October is Parent Involvement Month-
Recognizing the benefits of inviting parents as partners in their child's education in New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine issued a proclamation declaring October as Parent Involvement Month. (Please click on the blog title for more information.)
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"MEMORIES BUILD A SPECIAL BRIDGE"
Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part
To help us feel we're with them still and soothe a grieving heart.
Our memories span the years we've shared, preserving ties that bind.
They build a special bridge of love and bring us piece of mind.
Emily Matthews
Lynne Lavigne was a special friend and colleague of mine for 14 years at the Middletown Library. She was the ultimate professional, with a strong sense of detection to find the perfect answer to the not-so-perfect question. Her sense of humor had me almost literally falling off my chair many times. I especially enjoyed her stories dealing with her lack of a sense of direction while driving. I could give her the most detailed directions and find out that she headed west instead of east and ended up far away from her destination. She was not the one to give directions to prospective patrons - that's for sure. We also shared a love of the television show The Gilmore Girls and discussed episodes with great enthusiasm. We totally immersed ourselves in the fictional town of Stars Hollow as if it really existed.
I have been praying for her since her initial diagnosis and kept hoping that she'd find just the right cure or in the later months, a miracle. God needed a special angel in Heaven and Lynne was needed. She was a special person and will always be remembered with love and fond memories. Lynne - we love you and will always remember the good times. You were so brave dealing with your illness.
Love,
Pam