Library Collecting Donations for Hurricane-Damaged Library

The Camden County Library System is collecting donations to aid a hurricane-damaged library in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.   A 6/28 article in the Courier-Post describes the drive.

The Westwego Branch lost more than 7500 books and suffered serious flood damage.  Although the library was recently re-opened there is no carpet and little furniture. Large sections of wallboard are missing.  Those who wish to help the library rebuild can make a donation at the Camden County Library:  collection jars have been put up in all branches.  Donations can also be mailed to: Friends of the Jefferson Public Library, P.O. Box 9391, Metairie, La., 70055.

The 6/28 Courier-Post article

More information on the hurricane damage in the Jefferson Parish Library System
 

Join Our Free Online Book Clubs!

Did you know that the library offers nine different online book clubs?  Members receive chapters from popular books in their daily e-mails. Each day, Monday through Friday, the library emails subscribers a portion of a book that takes about 5-minutes to read. By the end of the week, subscribers have read two to three chapters from the book and if they like it, they check it out of the library. New books are featured every week.

 Sign up for one or all of these clubs: Nonfiction, Fiction, Business, Horror, Teen, Mystery, Romance, Good News or Science Fiction.

Subscribe to an Online Book Club
 

Nominee List for the Best Book of the Past Ten Years Grows

We've had a number of write-in votes in our poll for the best book of the past ten years.  Readers from Camden County have nominated these titles:

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Monsoon by Wilbur Smith
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen

There's still time to vote, so cast your ballot for one of the new nominees, one of the original titles, or your own favorite.  Vote for Best Book of the Past Ten Years
 

Shelf Life Closing September 23

Shelf Life, the library annex at the Echelon Mall will be closing permanently on Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 6 p.m. 

The Shelf Life project has been a wonderful success and we encourage all Shelf Life users to continue to visit us across the street at the Vogelson Regional Branch Library and our other branches throughout the county.

Thank you to Mall Management (PREIT), the staff and supervisors of Shelf Life, the Friends of the Camden County Library System, and our customers; all of whom have made this project a great success.
 

Vote for the Best Book of the Past 10 Years

The New York Times Book Review recently asked prominent writers, critics, editors and literary sages this question:  "What is the best work of American fiction of the last 25 years?"   They had a number of responses; more than twenty books received multiple votes.  The number one choice was Beloved by Toni Morrison.  See the NY Times article.

Now we'd like to find out what Camden County Library patrons think. We've polled the library staff for their choice of the best book of the past ten years. Vote for your favorite, or write in your own choice.  We'll add that title to our list.  You can vote online or pick up a voting slip at any branch. Vote for best book.
 

You Tell Us - Take the Library Survey

The library wants to offer collections, programs, and services that fit your needs.  There may be things that you would like to see more of at the library as well as new things that you think we should have.  To find out what you want and need from the library, we have developed an online survey. Let us know what you think!  Go to the Library Survey.
 

Adult Book Chat: "Digging to America" By Anne Tyler 

Join us for a discussion of "Digging to America" by Anne Tyler at the Vogelson Branch (directions) on Wednesday, September 20, at 1 p.m. in the cafe area.  In Tyler's latest book a chance encounter at an airport between two families awaiting the arrival of an adopted daughter from Korea prompts an examination about what it means to be an American.
 

Summer Reading Lists Available on Website

Summer reading lists for most local elementary, middle and high schools are now available on the library website.  You can get to the lists from Kids' World, Teen Zone, and the Reader's Club on the website, or through this link: Summer Reading Lists.

Don't wait for the last minute to check out required books!  Most books are available now, and any that are not can be requested and received well before the end of summer.  Those who wait for the last minute to check out their summer reading often find that few of the titles are on the shelves.
 

Barnes & Noble Library Appreciation Days

Barnes & Noble is partnering with The New Jersey State Library and The New Jersey Library Association for a second year to help fund New Jersey libraries’ 2007 summer reading program. Barnes and Noble will donate a percentage of every sale from every customer who presents a book fair voucher at every Barnes and Noble store in New Jersey for two days- Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9. The funds raised from this two day event will benefit the children and young adults who participate in next year’s summer reading program.  More information
 

Take the Camden County Quality of Life Survey

The County Health Department is conducting a survey of community residents on quality of life in our community. The results will be shared with the community and used for community economic, health and social services planning.  The library system is included in the survey.

The survey can be found at: http://www.camdencounty.com/health/healthserv/qualityoflifesurvey.html
 

Kids' Books Summer Swap 

Clear out those old books that your kids no longer read! Bring in children's books (any books up to Grade 8) that are in good condition  to our Vogelson Branch in July and receive a ticket for each one. Come back in August and swap your tickets for your choice of the books that were brought in. 

Directions to the Vogelson Branch
 

Book Chat at the Vogelson Branch

Join us for a lunchtime discussion of the controversial "Million little pieces" by James Frey.  The meeting will be held in the café area of the Vogelson Branch on Wednesday, August 23, at 1 p.m.

Request the book through our online catalog

Blood Drive at the South County Branch

Donation of DVD Display Rack at Haddon Twp. Branch

The William G. Rohrer Memorial Library-Haddon Township Branch has a new DVD display rack.  It was  purchased through a joint donation from Michelle Yellin, Cliff Hillman and the Friends of the Haddon Township Library in memory of Ms. Yellin and Mr. Hillman's uncle, Larry Yellin.  Mr Yellin, an avid reader of westerns, was a long-time patron of the library system.

Pictured with new DVD Display Rack: Library Staff Members Barbara
Capoferri, Nasreen Ahmed, Pat Mack, Nan Rosenthal, Vita Swartz, and Tess
Disner,Treasurer for the Friends of the Haddon Township Library.

Commemorative plaque on the DVD Display Rack.
 

Kids' Books Summer Swap 

Clear out those old books that your kids no longer read! Bring in children's books (any books up to Grade 8) that are in good condition  to our Vogelson Branch in July and receive a ticket for each one. Come back in August and swap your tickets for your choice of the books that were brought in. 

Directions to the Vogelson Branch
 

Greyhounds at the Library 

See former racing Greyhounds- affectionately called "45 mile-per-hour couch potatoes"- who have been adopted into regular families. The dogs are being brought by the Greyhound Friends of NJ (www.greyhoundfriendsnj.org).

The program will take place on Tuesday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bellmawr Branch (directions) and is for those in 6th grade and older.   

American Red Cross Blood Drive at Vogelson Branch

An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at the Vogelson Branch (directions) on Friday, June 30 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Appointments are preferred.  To make an appointment call 856-772-1636.

Why Give?
Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood.  That's 38,000 people per day.  Blood is needed for emergencies and for people who have cancer, sickle cell disease, anemia, cardiac surgery and other illnesses.  Some people need regular blood transfusions to live.

Who Can Give?
Most healthy people who weigh at least 110 pounds and who are seventeen years of age or older are eligible to give blood.  Federal regulations require whole blood donors to wait 56 days between donations.

Helpful Tips
Please bring some form of ID.
Drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy meals.
Include iron rich foods in your diet.

For more information, visit www.pleasegiveblood.org

New Director of the Cultural & Heritage Commission featured in  Philadelphia Inquirer

Sandra Turner-Barnes has been hired as the new director  of the Camden County Cultural and Heritage Commission, replacing Ruth Bogutz, who retired in April .   Sandra, a published poet and jazz vocalist, has served as the director of development and external affairs for the Walt Whitman Arts Center in Camden since 2003. She also has served as program director for the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation in Atlantic City and as special projects manager for the American Women's Heritage Society at Historic Belmont Mansion in Philadelphia. She is married to Philadelphia jazz artist Robert "Bootsie" Barnes.

Sandra is featured in an interview in the  June 19th Philadelphia Inquirer, where she talks about her new job and what she would like the community to know about the Cultural & Heritage Commission.

See the Philadelphia Inquirer article.

Teen Librarian Named a “Mover & Shaker” by Library Journal

Outstanding work with teens has earned Sophie Brookover Library Journal’s prestigious 2006 “Movers & Shakers” award.

Brookover, a teen librarian at the Vogelson branch of Camden County Library System since 2004, is one of only 50 in the country to receive the honor from this national publication.

Brookover has done extensive work using pop culture to keep teens and older kids interested in what the library has to offer. “They want to see their tastes and interests reflected in our collections and in the programming we deliver,” Brookover has said. “They want to see that we take their interests seriously.”

Christine Borne of the Ocean County Library, who nominated Brookover for the award, said, “Sophie is all over the place with excitement about the intersection of pop culture and libraries.”

In addition to Brookover’s accomplishments at the library, she co-authors a blog called Pop Goes the Library (http://www.popgoesthelibrary.com), where she writes on how public libraries can and should use pop culture to stay relevant and interesting to teens.

New Self-led Book Discussion Group at Haddon Twp. Branch

The Haddon Township-William G. Rohrer Branch is starting what will become a self-led book discussion group.  The idea came from the attendees at the Let's Talk About It Jewish Literature program. Librarian Nan Rosenthal will host the first program on June 22nd at 7:00. The book to be discussed is What You Owe Me by Bebe Moore Campbell. We have copies in hardback, paper, and on CD.

 RSVP 854-2752 for a packet of information on self-led book discussion groups along with questions and reviews on the book.
 

Shelf Life Temporarily Closed 

Shelf Life is temporarily closed due to flooding at the Echelon Mall.  It is expected to reopen on Thursday morning, June 8.
 

Cultural & Heritage Offices Closed June 6

The offices of the Cultural and Heritage Commission will be closed on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 so that the building may be used as a polling place by the Board of Elections.
 

Classical to Classics

The Haddon Township Friends of the Library Group will sponsor a night of music by the Haddonfield Cello Society on Thursday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. Come and enjoy  a free night of classical music and classic melodies at the William G. Rohrer Memorial Library. Directions
 

Has The Library Changed Your Life?
Share Your Story with Woman’s Day Magazine!

Libraries can change lives. They are places of lifelong learning and opportunity that can help people discover the world. If you have a story about how the library has changed your life, send it to Woman’s Day, and it might be one of four chosen to be highlighted in an upcoming issue of the magazine!

Tell your story in 700 words or less and send it to womansday@ala.org by May 10. For more information and for the official rules, visit www.womansday.com/ala.

Put it in Writing @ your library is sponsored by American Library Association and Woman’s Day magazine as part of The Campaign for America’s Libraries The Campaign is a multi-year public awareness and advocacy campaign designed to promote the value of public, school, academic and special libraries and librarians in the 21st century.

Library Catalog Unavailable

The library catalog will be unavailable on Sunday, May 7, from 7 a.m. to 12 noon for system maintenance.  We apologize for any inconvenience.
 

Directions

For more information call (856) 228-0022.

“Shelf Life” at Echelon Mall Now Open

Shelf Life, Camden County Library System's satellite library, opened officially on Monday, Nov. 21 at the Echelon Mall.

The mall location features:

• popular fiction
• children's books
• teen books and graphic novels
• audio/video materials
• email access
• children’s programs
• adult programs
• meeting room space

Shelf Life is located across from The Disney Store on the lower level of the mall.

Visit the Shelf Life website!
 

Family Gift Brings New History DVDs to Library

A generous donation in memory of a longtime Bellmawr resident has significantly increased the Bellmawr Branch Library’s collection of history programs on DVD.

The family of Melvyn Suplee made a donation that allowed the library to purchase 65 titles covering American, ancient and world history. Many of the videos are television programs from The History Channel® and The Biography Channel® that have been reproduced in DVD format.

The family made the donation in memory of Mr. Suplee, who passed away in 2003. Married for 37 years with three daughters and three grandchildren, Mr. Suplee was a contract specialist for Thomas Jefferson University, and at the time of his death was the municipal chairman of the Bellmawr Republican Club.

Family members sought to remember his lifelong love of history and learning with the library gift. The Bellmawr Branch Library will acknowledge the Suplee donation with a plaque in the branch and seals that will be affixed to each DVD.

While the DVDs will reside at the Bellmawr Branch, all members of the Camden County Library System may borrow the materials through the library’s online catalog.
 

Library to Host AARP Tax Counseling Sessions

Camden County Library System will host the AARP’s Tax-Aide Program for senior citizens at five branch locations.

Tax-Aide is a free service offered by The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) that prepares tax returns and answers tax questions. Tax-Aide will be offered at the following library locations:

Shelf Life, Echelon Mall in Voorhees
Tuesdays, Feb. 7-April 11, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(856) 651-0153

William G. Rohrer Memorial Library-Haddon Township Branch
15 MacArthur Blvd., Westmont
Tuesdays, Feb. 7-April 11, 1-4 p.m.
(856) 854-2752

Anthony P. Infanti Bellmawr Branch Library
35 East Browning Rd., Bellmawr
Tuesdays, Feb. 7-April 11, 1-4 p.m.
(856) 931-1400

South County Regional Branch Library
35 Coopers Folly Rd., Winslow Township
Wednesdays, Feb. 8-April 12, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
(856) 753-2537

Gloucester Township-Blackwood Rotary Public Library
15 South Black Horse Pike, Blackwood
Fridays, Feb. 3-April 7, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
(856) 228-0022

Area teens will lead a night of honoring African American history at a free public event on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the South County Regional Branch Library.

Teens from the Winslow Township High School African American Culture Club will reflect on their heritage with readings, dance, poetry and songs.

This year’s celebration will include an appearance by Anita Lovely, a Lumberton resident and author of the historical fiction book Betrayals, which weaves a subplot about the Underground Railroad. Refreshments will be served. Parents, friends, teachers, school administration and the public are all invited to attend.  For more information, call (856) 753-2537.
 

Library Continues Jewish Literature Series Feb. 2

Camden County Library System will continue its series on Jewish literature on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. with the work Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska.

Rowan University Professor Melissa R. Klapper will lead the discussion at William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, located at 15 MacArthur Blvd. in Haddon Township. Bread Givers “tells the story of … the daughter of an Orthodox rabbi, who rebels against her father’s rigid conception of Jewish womanhood.”

Camden County Library System won a grant awarded by the American Library Association (ALA) and NextBooks to host the series. The “Let’s Talk About It” grant aims to expand audiences for Jewish literature nationwide through reading and discussion. The discussion series is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, call (856) 854-2752.
 

Westmont Theatre Memories

Did you go to the movies at the Westmont Theatre? When? What films did you see? What did the theater's interior look like? These memories are important to Rowan University student Brent Donaway who is making a documentary film on the Westmont Theatre. Please share your recollections with him at the next Haddon Township Historical Society meeting.

When:	Saturday, January 28, 10:30 AM
Where:	William G. Rohrer Memorial Library (directions)
Questions?	Contact Brent Donaway, (856) 854-1746.

 This meeting is free and open to the public.
 

Jewish Literature Discussion Series Begins Jan. 5

Camden County Library System will begin the first of a five-part series on Jewish literature with a discussion of a popular character in modern Jewish fiction.

Readers will discuss Tevye the Dairyman on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. at the William G. Rohrer Memorial Library, located at 15 MacArthur Blvd. in Haddon Township.
Dr. Melissa R. Klapper, assistant professor of history at Rowan University, will lead the discussion of author Sholem Aleichem’s tale, which has been immortalized both in print and stage and screen adaptations.
Camden County Library System won a grant awarded by the American Library Association (ALA) and NextBooks to host the series. The “Let’s Talk About It” grant aims to expand audiences for Jewish literature nationwide through reading and discussion. For more information or to register, call (856) 854-2752.
 

Camden County Library System Wins Grant to Host Jewish Literature Series

Camden County Library System has won a "Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature-Identity and Imagination" grant awarded by the American Library Association (ALA) and NextBooks, a national advocate for Jewish literature.

The library system is one of a few select libraries nationwide to receive the $1,500 grant, which will sponsor a series exploring Jewish literature and culture through scholar-led discussions of contemporary and classic books with the theme, "Fathers and Daughters in a Changing World."

The series will run the first Thursdays of the month starting in January 2006 at the William G. Rohrer Memorial Library-Haddon Township Branch.

The books for discussion will be: Tevye the Dairyman by Sholem Aleichem; Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska; 1185 Park Avenue: A Memoir by Anne Roiphe; American Pastoral by Philip Roth; and Bee Season by Myla Goldberg.

The series will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Rhoda Schmulowitz at 772-1636, ext. 3392 or Nan Rosenthal at 854-2752.
 

Downloadable Audiobook Collection Now Available

Camden County Library System is now offering a new way of accessing audiobooks, through a collection of downloadable audiobooks from Recorded Books / netLibrary. The library system's downloadable audiobook service allows patrons to access audiobooks remotely from their home PC and features more than 800 titles, with additional titles being added each month. The collection includes digital versions of the latest best sellers, book club favorites, award winning authors, Pimsleur Language Programs and more. Patrons may download any audiobook at any time they choose -- there are no waiting lists.

Audiobook files can be played on a computer, using Windows Media Player, or transferred to over 500 portable devices for listening on the go.  Up to ten titles are available to download at a time.  Audiobooks can be borrowed for 21 days and then renewed once. The audiobooks can be found through the online catalog, or patrons can search just the downloadable audio collection.  Search our Downloadable Audio Collection.
 

"Project Backpack" Sends 70 County Foster Children
Back to School with New Supplies

Camden County Library System collected and stuffed 70 backpacks for county foster children during a month-long collection this summer called “Project Backpack.”

Coordinated by staff at the South County Regional Branch Library, the collection accepted new backpacks and school supplies and donated them to the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), who will give them to foster children in Camden County in time for the new school year.

Through the generosity of staff and customers, Project Backpack easily exceeded its goal of collecting 50 backpacks.