Did You Know?...

Did you know that with your library card you have access to a Lynda.com subscription? Lynda.com is an amazing website that provides over 42,000 training videos on topics like photography, design, web and interactive design, business, 3D, audio, and much more.

So if your New Year's resolution was to learn something new, then this is the website for you! With Lynda, you can learn how to use anything from Photoshop to Twitter to Excel to Facebook.

To access your library subscription to Lynda, first go to the library homepage at www.bcls.lib.nj.us. Next, hover the mouse over the "Research & Learning" tab, then click on Databases, A-Z from the drop-down menu.

Next, find Lynda.com listed on the right side of the screen and click on it.

 

At this point, you will be prompted to enter your library card number. Enter the full 14-digit number on the back of your library card. Do not include the spaces.
 

Now you are logged on to Lynda.com and have access to over 42,000 tutorial videos. Have fun exploring!

* Please note that only 5 library users can access Lynda at one time. So be sure to log out when you are finished with your session.

If you have any questions about this service, give us a call at (609) 654-6113 and ask for the Reference Desk.

Homeschool Open House for Parents

Homeschool Open House this weekend!

PLEASE NOTE: This program will be held at the Evesham Branch Library.

Parents involved in homeschooling (or those considering homeschooling) are invited to explore the ways that the library can support their home school program! We will join the Evesham staff to present a helpful overview of our services, inlcuding: databases, eBooks, borrow-a-book club, and more! The Open House will also include a tour of the Evesham Library, a question and answer session, and time in the computer lab.

This event will be held at the Evesham Branch this weekend on Saturday, January 7th at 10:30AM. Registration is requested. To register, you can call the Evesham Library at 856-983-1444, or call the Pinelands Library at 609-654-6113, or visit the online calendar. We hope to see you on Saturday!

First Line Friday

KIDS BOOK:
"It says in my baby book that when I was born, my parents couldn’t believe how big and beautiful I was – I weighed nine pounds and five ounces, and I’m convinced that’s why they called me Donahue Penelope Schneider – they wanted a fancy name to match my size.” - No Room for Dessert by Hallie Durand

With virtually no warning, it seems like Dessert’s life story is being written in invisible ink. Nobody in the Schneider house seems to remember she exists. Her school picture hanging on the fridge? Covered. The promise of burritos? Forgotten. And her baby brother doesn’t even know her name. (He calls her “dirt.”) Dessert wants to get back on her family’s radar…but how?

TEEN BOOK:
"The table was sticky, there was a cloudy smudge on my water glass, and we'd been seated for ten minutes with no sign of a waitress." - What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

ADULT BOOK:
"As my daughter Sulfia was explaining that she was pregnant but that she didn't know by whom, I paid extra attention to my posture." - The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky

Rosa Achmetowna is the outrageously nasty and wily narrator of this rollicking family saga. When she discovers that her 17-year-old daughter, “stupid Sulfia,” is pregnant by an unknown man she does everything to thwart the pregnancy. But despite her best efforts the baby, Aminat, is born nine months later at Soviet Birthing Center Number 134. Much to Rosa’s surprise and delight, dark eyed Aminat is a Tartar through and through and instantly becomes the apple of her grandmother’s eye. While her good for nothing husband Kalganow spends his days feeding pigeons at the city park, Rosa wages an epic struggle to wrestle Aminat away from Sulfia, whom she considers a woefully inept mother. When Aminat, now a wild and willful teenager, catches the eye of a sleazy German cookbook writer researching Tartar cuisine, Rosa is quick to broker a deal that will guarantee all three women a passage out of the Soviet Union. But as soon as they are settled in the West, the uproariously dysfunctional ties that bind mother, daughter and grandmother begin to fray.



If you would like to put any of these titles on hold, just click on the title above and you will be re-directed to the library catalog listing for the book. Or give us a call at (609) 654-6113 and we would be happy to put it on hold for you!

Crafting in a Winter Wonderland!

We had lots of snowman fun at the library this week. On Tuesday, we not only made a Snowman Kisses craft, but we also decorated some delicious snowman cupcakes. Check it out:

Snowman Kisses craft

Snowman Kisses Poem

Many of the cupcakes were devoured almost immediately, but we did manage to get a few pictures before they were all gobbled up:

With his Junior Mint hat & Fruit by the Foot scarf,
this snowman is ready for winter!

Ryan gave his snowman a red scarf!

Allie displays her masterpiece!

Did You Know?...

Did you know that you can now put our museum passes on hold for one hour? First of all, have you heard about the new Museum Pass Program at all?!?  It is so amazing and I cannot recommend it enough right now! It is a *free* service that gives you access to several area museums and gardens. You check the passes out the same way that you check out a book or any other library item. However, the museum passes can only be checked out at our Main Library in Westampton. But, we are happy to announce that you can now call ahead and have them reserve the pass for one hour. To see which passes are currently checked in, just visit our website (http://www.bcls.lib.nj.us/), click the Search the Catalog link, which is located under the Books, Movies and Music tab. Then type "museum pass" into the title alphabetical search bar. Voila! You will find a listing for all five museum passes:

Garden State Discovery Museum - pass admits 6 people and entitles you to a 15% discount in their Discovermore Toy Store.

Grounds for Sculpture - pass admits 4 people.

Morris Arboretum - pass admits 2 adults and up to 4 children.

National Liberty Museum - pass admits 6 people and will entitle you to a 10% discount in the museum gift shop.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts - pass admits 2 adults and all children in your household under the age of 18.


If you were looking for a fun and free way to enjoy some quality time with friends and families this holiday season, this is it! If you would like to put any of these passes on hold, call the Main Library at (609) 267-9660 x2.

Best Books of 2011

I don't know about you, but I love lists! And book lists just might be my favorite kind of all. So I love this time of year when all of the "Best Book" lists start to come out. To make sure that you don't miss any of the best books of the year, we have compiled all of the lists right here. Happy reading!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Good Reads

Graphic Novel Reporter

Horn Book

Kirkus Review

Library Journal

New York Times

Publisher's Weekly

School Library Journal


How do you think these lists stack up? What was your favorite book from 2011?

Book Trailer Tuesday

If you were surprised when we introduced you to the world of book trailers, prepare to be amazed. This week, we bring you.... a magazine trailer!

With the worldwide population expected to exceed seven billion in 2011, National Geographic magazine offers a 7-part series examining specific challenges and solutions to the issues we face. The magazine introduces the series with its January cover story “7 Billion,” offering a broad overview of demographic trends that got us to today and will impact us all tomorrow. They also just released a companion app, complete with informative videos, interactive maps, in-depth articles, and stunning photography. For a limited time, the app is available for free. Download the free app here: http://on.natgeo.com/q301cY

Past issues of National Geographic magazine are available to be checked out at the Pinelands Branch Library. Take a look at this intriguing series today!