SPPL Now Open on Sundays

Fall is here- and that means that the Scotch Plains Public Library is now open on Sundays from 12pm to 4pm!  Stop by to read the newspaper, check out one of our many magazines, look for a new movie, or just relax with a favorite novel in one of our comfortable reading chairs.  All of the library’s regular services are available to you.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Fall programming @ SPPL

Fall is fast approaching- Labor Day is this weekend!- and the librarians at the Scotch Plains Public Library have been working hard to schedule a full calendar of events. Pick up a September calendar at the front desk to find out about all of our great fall programs!  You can also download a PDF of the September 2008 calendar.

Some programs of note:
Teen for a Day: Play Wii and make a craft- for grownups only!
Composting: With Master Gardener Dolores Batz-Culp
The Writer Within You: Learn about writing and publishing with author Charles Jacobs

Learn more about these and other programs on our web site, http:/www.scotlib.org.  Click on “Events Calendar” to view all of our upcoming events.

Wii has arrived at SPPL

Our new Wii system is up and running, and all teens entering 7th grade and up in September are invited to come out and play some MarioKart!  Playing Wii on the big screen in the Community Room is a lot of fun- do you think you can beat our librarians?    Snacks will be served- and call us at 908-322-5007 x204 or e-mail library@scotlib.org to let us know that you’re coming!

Tuesday, August 26th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Community Room

2008 Olympics

I’ve been watching hours upon hours of Olympics coverage since Friday, and watching the events on TV just makes me curious for more information. Even Olympics commercials spark questions in my head! There is a plethora of information available on the Internet about the Olympics, both past and present.

http://en.beijing2008.cn/
The official Beijing Olympics web site, in English.

http://www.nbcolympics.com
NBC’s Olympics site, with information on television schedules, videos, and athlete bios.

http://www.olympic.org
The official web site of the International Olympic Committee.

What are some of your favorite web sites for information on the Olympics?

Become a fan of SPPL on Facebook!

Now you can show your love for the Scotch Plains Public Library on Facebook!

Just click on this link, then click “Become a Fan” on the upper right hand part of the page.

You can RSVP for programs, check out event pictures, and ask questions about SPPL, all on one page!

Three Reasons

Why do you love your library?  Watch this YouTube video to find out the reasons these New Jerseyans love their libraries:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjS3iCALjrM

Citizenship Seminar

The Scotch Plains Public Library will host a free seminar on the naturalization process on December 5, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.

Habrá disponible un intérprete inglés/español.

Laurie Woog, Esq., a local immigration attorney, will discuss the current process for obtaining United States citizenship and upcoming changes to the testing requirements. Ms. Woog will also answer questions concerning the advantages of applying for naturalization, eligibility and documentation requirements, grounds of inadmissibility, disability exemptions, and questions about other areas of immigration law.

Advance registration is encouraged. Please call 908-322-5007, x.204 or e-mail library@scotlib.org with your name and phone number to reserve your spot.

Literacy Volunteers of Union County

The Literacy Volunteers often come to the Scotch Plains Public Library for tutoring sessions- and they’re on the lookout for more volunteers.

Literacy Volunteers of Union County is sponsoring free Tutor Training Workshops in January at the Summit YMCA located at 67 Maple Street in Summit. A new daytime training program is being introduced to accommodate volunteers with school age children. The workshops will be held during morning hours from 10 am to 12:30 pm. The classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday on the following dates: January 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 and 24.

Volunteers are needed to tutor adults one hour a week in reading, writing or English as a Second Language. No experience is necessary. Training and certification are free. Ongoing tutor support is provided.

The Literacy Volunteers has a waiting list of over 150 adults waiting for a volunteer tutor. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Literacy Volunteers at 908-755-7998 or email dawn@lvaunion.org.

Events, Programs, and More!

There’s a lot going on at the Scotch Plains Public Library this fall, and we’d love to have you join us for one of our many programs.

New to our program schedule are two e-mail classes, designed to get you started in using web-based, free e-mail services. Learn how to use Yahoo!Mail on November 14 at 2:30pm, and how to use Gmail on December 6 at 8:30am. Both classes require pre-registration- call the Reference Desk at 908-322-5007 x204, or e-mail library@scotlib.org.

Monday Night Scrapbooking will be meeting again on November 19. We’ll start at 6:30pm, and coffee will be provided. Bring your own supplies, and get ready to share great ideas with your fellow scrapbookers! Please sign up at the Reference Desk, or e-mail library@scotlib.org.

Our Lunchtime Foreign Films series is going strong- we still have four Academy Award winning movies to show. Next up is The Sea Inside on October 31, followed by Life is Beautiful on November 14. As always, coffee, tea, and doughnuts will be served.

We recently had a local farmer come to the library to speak about his family’s farm and all of the interesting vegetables and herbs that are grown there. Pictures can be seen on our Flickr page- and some can be viewed on the right hand side of this blog.

Watch this blog for LOTS of new upcoming events and programs…all happening @ your library.

Simon Boyar @ SPPL

Marimba musician Simon Boyar performed at the Scotch Plains Public Library on Monday night to a crowd of 30+ music lovers.  People of all ages enjoyed his energetic performance!  Mr. Boyar also answered many questions from the crowd, explaining how mallets are made and the logistics involved in getting a marimba to play in Taiwan (answer: 70+ e-mails!)

You can find out more about Simon Boyar on his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/simonboyar

Our Flickr page has pictures from the performance.