New Year’s Resolutions (a few days early)

Welcome Somerville!  As of January 1st, Somerville Library will become a branch of the Somerset County Library System and Somerville residents will be able to partake of all the materials, services, and programs provided by our nine libraries.  We’re very happy to have you!

A Reminder: The Bridgewater Library will be closed  Saturday and Sunday January 1-2.

As the new year approaches, we wanted to share our New Year’s Resolutions with you – and hope that you, our readers, will share your comments with us as well!   Email us at bwljuv@sclsnj.org with your ideas… what you like about what we do, and what you don’t!   What your family is looking for in a library – materials, services, programs, outreach…  Are we meeting your expectations?  Are the ages appropriate?  Are the times convenient?   We are all ears!


As for us, the Bridgewater Library Youth Services Department’s goal for 2010-2011 is for every student in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District to have a library card in order to have access to the materials we own and services we offer as well as 24/7 access to the many information databases we subscribe to (the “Online Resources” tab at the top of our Home Page.)  In this era of budget cuts to  schools, this will increase informational and recreational reading options for all our students.
To this end, we have started hosting classes to come into the library for a visit.
The Courier-News wrote up one of these visits this Fall:

Somerset County Library System to share services with Bridgewater-Raritan students  BY KARA L. RICHARDSON 

Youth Services Librarian Carol Levin reads to first-graders from Bradley Gardens Primary School on Friday at the Bridgewater branch of the Somerset County Library. The young students from the Bridgewater-Raritan School District all were given library cards.

The lesson of sharing is taking on a whole new meaning in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District.

No longer just a lesson for youngsters to grasp, the Somerset County Library System is taking the concept of sharing to a new level. As the district continues dealing with the fallout of budget cuts that cut some library personnel, the county library system — which has also sustained budget cuts — is giving every child in the district a library card so they can use the county's resources to aid their education.

The sharing concept came about when Marna Elliott, the Bridgewater library's branch director, had to figure out ways around budget cuts, which will amount to about $70,000 in the Somerset County Library System's 2011 budget. In doing so, she checked with the schools and the county library branches, first to make sure they weren't duplicating efforts and then to find places where they could share.

One step, she said, was to give every Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District student a Somerset County Library System card.

A busload of Bradley Gardens School students Friday were the first batch of children to get library cards. Eventually, all students in the district will get them. Raritan Borough students wouldn't ordinarily have access to the county library because the Raritan Public Library isn't part of the system but they will get cards, too, said Brian Auger, Somerset County Library System director. The move to encourage students to visit the Somerset County Library System is about creating a “culture of sharing.”  Elliott said the library card will give students “equal access to programs and services.”

For example, Elliot said the Somerset County Library System has 2 million items in circulation. It provides programs from story time to adult education. Her library has online resources such as the Lumos, a test prep program, and World Book, an online encyclopedia, that students can access from their home computers by using their library cards.

Bradley Gardens school librarian Jennifer Minnichelli said the past two years have been difficult for school district librarians. In 2007, Minnichelli lost her library aide, one of eight library positions amounting to $200,000, including benefits cut from the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District budget.
In 2009, when the district eliminated several enrichment teachers from the budget, she was also required to teach language literacy enrichment classes.“There are piles of work to be done in my office. I am just not getting to things that need to be processed, and books that are falling apart,” Minnichelli said. “I am swamped.”

Minnichelli said the funding cuts mean that her fourth grade students may only borrow four books at a time. The limit used to be seven, but now she doesn't have time or the help to process that many books.  The Somerset County Library System allows patrons to borrow 100 items at a time, Elliott said. She said the library offers a mixture of books and other media such as DVDs.

Also, the school library is only open when schools are open, Minnichelli said. The county library's schedule includes the weekends, evenings and the summer.  “It gets them excited about going to the library with their parents,” Minnichelli said.

Anne Marie Derogatis, who has two children at Bradley Gardens School, volunteers in the library two hours a week to help check out and reshelve books.  She welcomes the idea of opening the Somerset County Library System to the Bridgewater-Raritan District students, who have lost a number of programs such as Spanish language instruction in lower grades.
“Everyone is making sacrifices but we have to make it work for the kids,” Derogatis said.  Reprinted with the permission of the Courier News, originally published on Oct. 25, 2010.


@ the Library: Displays & Materials:

Perhaps your New Year’s Resolution is to learn a new language (or polish an old one) – the library has the perfect tool: MANGO LANGUAGES.  Mango is the place to go to learn foreign languages at your own pace and in a fun and engaging way.  Available languages include: Arabic (Levantine), Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean,Pashto, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American),Tagalog, Tamil, Thai,Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, English, English for Arabic Speakers, English for Chinese (Cantonese) Speakers, English for Chinese (Mandarin) Speakers, English for French Speakers, English for German Speakers, English for Greek Speakers, English for Italian Speakers, English for Japanese Speakers, English for Korean Speakers, English for Polish Speakers, English for Portuguese (Brazilian) Speakers, English for Russian Speakers, English for Spanish (Latin American) Speakers, English for Turkish Speakers, and English for Vietnamese Speakers.

Also, the last day to vote for your favorite titles for the Children’s Garden State Book Award is Friday December 31st.  Come check out the options on display on the bulletin board near the big snowman (and color a little snowman of your own for our display!) 


By the way, if your new books are making your old bookshelves over-crowded, the Friends of the Library will be collecting books and media for their Winter Book sale January 6th-8th in the lobby. 


@ the Library: Programs:

Ramona and Beezus (Rated G) (Recommended for families with children 5 and up) Wednesday December 29 at 1:00 pm. Join Ramona Quimby and her older sister Beatrice (unfortunately nicknamed Beezus) as Ramona embarks on a quest to find a new job for her father. Of course like in any Beverly Cleary book, things do not work out as planned!  No registration required.



Celebrate New Year’s Eve, Eve! (For ages 3 and up) Thursday, December 30 from 11:00 am - 12:15 pm.  That’s right! We’re having a New Year’s Eve party on December 30, one day before the big night, complete with a countdown to NOON! Join us for crafts, stories, and New Year’s Eve Eve revelry!  Registration Required.




WHOOO’s Out there on a Winter’s Night? Owls from the Raptor Trust! (For grades K-5) Wednesday January 5 from 4:30 till 5:30pmWhoooo’s flying and hunting while you’re tucked in your bed? Join the Raptor Trust and learn about owls and their incredible nocturnal activity! Registration Required.








Despicable Me (Rated PG) (Suggested for children 6 and up) Saturday, January 8 at 10:30 am Gru, an aging super-villain, thinks that by adopting three young girls, his falling popularity at the hands of his nemesis, Vector, will be saved and what unfolds is an unexpected shift in attitude that will forever change the lives of Gru, Vector, and all three girls. No registration required.








Lego Club K-2 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm session limited to grades K-2  
Lego Club gr. 3-6  3:00-4:00pm session limited to grades 3-6
Saturday January 15, 2011.  Get together with other Lego-maniacs, share ideas and tips on building, and have a great time! Library Legos will be available for building. Registration begins January 3rd.


Toddler Time resumes Wednesday January 12th at 10 & 11 a.m. and Thursday January 13th at 10:30 a.m.  Baby Lap Sit resumes Thursday January 13th at 9:30.  Family Story Time resumes Tuesday January 18th at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (NOT at 1 p.m. – there is an error in our printed calendar.)  For full details on this and other programs, see the Bridgewater Library Online Calendar.



News for Teens:


The application for the second session of our School Year Volunteer Program is now available!  If you are in 7th to 12th grade, you can help out with children's programs, join our Teen Advisory Board, and much more! Visit the Youth Services desk for an application, or you can download one here: http://www.somerset.lib.nj.us/middleschoolers/PDFs/bwteenvolappwinter11.pdf.
Applications are due by 5 PM on Friday, January 21, 2011. The application for our Summer Volunteer Program will be available in April.
If you have any questions, please contact Lynn Mazur at: lmazur@sclsnj.org or (908) 526-4016 x197.

Teens, there is also a Teen Garden State Book Award election going on in the Teen Room – and one winning entry will get a $50 gift certificate!  The teen deadline is January 6th.
 

On display in January:

Past Caldecott, Newbery, and Siebert Award-Winning Books will be display on the bookcase near the big snowman bulletin board all month long.  Tune into your TV or radio station on Monday January 10th to hear this year’s winners!

And we make it easy to follow up your New Year’s Resolutions with books on nutrition and health available atop our magazine shelves.

Around the Community:

Video Games Live (With NJSO)
The first and highly successful video game concert in the world with music performed by SCH and NJSO. This immersive event combines synchronized lighting, video, live action and audience interactivity.
WHEN: Wednesday, Dec, 29, Thursday, Dec. 30, at 7:30 PM
WHERE: NJPAC, Prudential Hall, 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ
For tickets, visit www.njpac.org or call 888.GO.NJPAC

EXPLORE EXPRESSIVE FACES @ PRINCETON ART MUSEUM

If you are looking for arty things to do with your family (kids), head on down to the Princeton Art Museum on the campus of Princeton University:
Faces and Feelings
WHEN: December 24, 2010, through January 2, 2011
WHERE:  Princeton Art Museum, Princeton
609.258.3788
HOURS: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Thursday, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM. In celebration of the winter holidays, the Art Museum will be closed December 24, 25, 31, 2010; and January 1, 2011.

Looking for an indoor activity the whole family can do together? Faces and Feelings is a self-guided tour exploring expressive faces throughout the Museum and the artists who created them, from fierce Asian tomb guardians to smiling Remojadas ceramic figures. Like all of our family programming, this activity will provoke thoughtful discussion and help families of all ages interact with the art and each other.

 

continues at the Environmental Education Center in Basking Ridge

190 Lord Stirling Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ • 908 766-2489
The Environmental Education Center has lots of programs for kids.   Plan ahead for the new year – check out their January classes as well!  Note: a link to the EEC schedule of events is located in the “Useful Links for Families” at the top right side of our blog (along with many other calendars for local events from other local organizations.)


The Children's Museum has lots of programs planned this winter & spring.  Each program has interactive activities suitable for children ages 3 to 9.  Get reminders on Facebook – search: Children’s Museum of Somerset County.  You can also find a copy of the schedule in the useful websites section of this blog. http://bwlibys.blogspot.com

DATE	TOPIC
Sunday January 9, 2011 1-4PM	Ahoy, Mate! A voyage to our Oceans
Saturday January 22, 2011 1-4PM	Journey Back in Time: Rocks, Minerals, and Dinosaurs
Sunday February 6, 2011 1-4PM	Science/ Experiment Day
Saturday February 26, 2011 1-4PM	Westward Ho!: A Train Extravaganza
Sunday March 13, 2011 1-4PM	Animals around the World
Saturday March 26, 2011 1-4PM	Blast Off! A Journey into Space
Sunday April 10, 2011 1-4PM	Kites, Airplanes and Boomerangs - Our annual Flight program
Saturday April 30, 2011 1-4 PM	Earth Day Celebration
Wed August 10 – Friday August 12, 2011	Somerset County 4H Fair (find us in the Prep Tent from 10AM to 10PM every day!)

All programs (except 4H Fair) are at the PeopleCare center run from 1PM to 4PM on either Saturday or Sunday Afternoons. Families can arrive and leave at any time. Parents and/or caregivers are expected to stay with children during the museum visit.
Main Location: The PeopleCare Center, 120 Finderne Avenue, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 (parking and entrance are in the rear of the building).
Cost: There is no charge for those in need, but a $3/ per child donation for those who can afford it is suggested. For more information, please call 908-595-0001 or email us at: info@childrensmuseumnj.org .
Youth (and youth organizations) interested in helping with programs to obtain service hours should contact Tom Davidson at 908-725-4677 to reserve a program date.

PLAYRIGHT’S THEATER RUNS SPRING THEATER CLASSES FOR KIDS, TEENS AND ADULTS

Creative Play (Pre-K & K, ages 4 & 5)
Thurs. 3:30-4:45 PM • 10 classes • Feb. 24 - April 25
Registration deadline: February 18 • Tuition $225
Playmakers (Grades 1 - 3)
Sat. 10:30 AM-12:00 PM • 10 classes • Feb. 26 - May 7 • No Class 4/23
Registration deadline: February 18 • Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students)
Musical Performance (Grades 4 - 6)
Thurs. 4:30-6:00 PM • 10 classes • Feb. 24 - April 25
Registration deadline: February 18 • Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students)
Acting Lab (Grades 4 - 6)
Tues. 4:30-6:00 PM • 10 classes • Mar. 1 - May 3
Registration deadline: February 18 • Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students)
Musical Performance (Grades 7-9)
Tues. 4:30-6:00 PM • 10 classes • Mar. 1 - May 3
Registration deadline: February 18 • Tuition $275 ($250 for returning students)
Visit their website to register or call the Education Department at 973.514.1787 X21.
Playwrights Theatre  33 Green Village Road  Madison, NJ 07940

Looking for more things to do? – check out our previous postings and access our links to area activities and interesting websites on the Bridgewater Library Youth Services blog at bwlibys.BlogSpot.com.