Library News
Last Day to Register to Vote Before the Primary: Register at The Library Today
The East Brunswick Public Library is holding a voter registration drive January 8-15. All eligible New Jerseyans who are as yet unregistered are encouraged to visit The Library that week to sign up, especially if they wish to participate in the state’s primary election.
Now that the New Jersey legislature has moved the state’s presidential primary from June to February, the deadline to register to vote in the primary is January 15.
During the week of January 8-15, tables will be set up near the Library entrance to facilitate quick and easy registration. Once they are registered, voters may choose a party affiliation. Only those who have specified a party affiliation can vote in that party’s primary. Newly registered voters, unaffiliated voters, or voters who have never voted in a primary election, can affiliate with the Democratic or Repulican Party on the day of the primary. The primary elections are slated for February 5.
The Library will continue to offer voter registration throughout the year, as well, for the general presidential election.
For general election information please go to the NJ Division of Elections, or NJ VoterInfo.org from the Eagleton Institute of Politics of Rutgers University, or The Library's Politics and Goverment page in our Best of the Web section.
FAQ -- Party Affiliations:
Can I declare my party affiliation at the pols?
You can declare your party affiliation at the polls when you go to vote in your first Primary Election. After that, you may change your party affiliation 50 days before a primary election.
Puppetry Festival Tickets on Sale Now
The East Brunswick Friends of The Library’s eighth annual Phyllis Noar Puppetry Festival is sponsoring two professional puppet shows for families in February, puppetry month at the East Brunswick Public Library.
The Segal Puppet Theatre performs Go Fish on Sunday, February 10, 2 p.m. for families with children ages 3 and up; and the Crabgrass Puppets present The Day It Snowed Tortillas on Sunday, February 24, 2 p.m. for families with children ages 5 and up.
Tickets are $2 for each show and are sold in advance only at the Circulation desk of The Library. Cash or checks payable to “E.B. Friends of The Library” are accepted. All ticket buyers are asked to fill out a short ticket order form available January 4 on the desk or downloadable here.
Please note that out of fairness to the audience, age requirements will be strictly observed for both shows. Refunds will be given only if the program is cancelled.
What do you get when you have an old rundown seaside bungalow, a poor fisherman, his wife, and some magical fish that can makes wishes come true? A recipe for some very big surprises, of course. Go Fish,The Fisherman and His Wife, is a funny tale with music that gently teaches a moral lesson.
Sure, it’s the season for snow, but can it really snow tortillas? The beloved Mexican folktale about luck, love—and lunch—comes to life with humor and music.
The Phyllis Noar Puppetry Festival is sponsored by the Phyllis Noar Memorial Fund of the Friends of The Library to celebrate the life of the late library advocate and past president of the Friends.
For more information, please call 732-390-6767 or 6789.
Philadelphia Flower Show Trip: Register Now!
The Friends of The Library is once again sponsoring its annual bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower on March 4th.
This year's theme is "Jazz It Up." Think floral chandeliers, New Orleans' French Quarter, bountiful balconies and courtyards -- and all that jazz.
The chartered bus will leave at 9 a.m. from behind the Kmart parking lot off Summerhill Road. Departure time from Philadelphia ia at 4 p.m. The cost is $43 for Friends members and $45 for all others. Price includes roundtrip transportation, a snack on the bus, and admission to the flower show. Click here (PDF format, Adobe Reader required), for a printable trip reservation form.
Please mail your completed form and a check payable to "E.B. Friends of the Library" to:
Ms. Anita Varshney
17 Diana Court
East Brunswick
Registrations mus be received by February 1. You will be contacted only if a problem arises. Ms. Varshney may be reached at 732-254-1963.
Library Wins $10,000 Grant to Benefit Families of Children with Autism
The grant was conferred by INFOLINK, a regional library cooperative.
The funds will go to provide:
Multiple resources including books, media, and other materials to parents and teachers of children with autism through a parent lending library and teacher resource collections,
Staff training to all library and media center staff that will interact with families seeking support or information concerning their affected children,
Referrals and educational opportunities to East Brunswick residents through partnership with the NJ Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism community, including Information Nights at The Library,
A monthly support group meeting at The Library for siblings of children with autism, led by a trained professional.
For more information, please contact MaryEllen Firestone at 732-390-6782.
Friends with a Capital "F"
You may consider yourself a friend of The Library, but are you a capital-“F” Friend where it really counts—as in a dues-paying member of the Friends of The Library?
Today’s public libraries face harsh fiscal realities. But helping to soften the blow, and provide so many of the “extras” that separate an average library from a truly exceptional one, are Friends groups. Take the Friends of the East Brunswick Public Library, for example. Formed in 1967, the year of The Library’s founding, the Friends have helped keep The Library at the cutting edge of information and cultural services.
To name a few contributions, the Friends have funded in full or part:
Computers and a computer training laboratory
Teen Space and the Teen Library Connection
LCD televisions and Library website design
Personal appearances by noted authors and personalities
Musical concerts and lectures on everything from meditation to global crises
Knitting and ballroom dance classes
Rental books and startup for video, DVD, and video game collections
Puppetry and Storytelling festivals
International and Fine Film festivals
Meeting room renovations
Trips to flower shows, museums and special exhibits
Baby-changing station, stuffed animals, toys, chairs, and programs for Youth Services
Annual scholarship for an East Brunswick High School senior
The Library’s 40th birthday for the entire community
…and so much more.
And what would March be without the Friends’ annual Bargain Book and Media Sale?
To ensure that you and your family keep enjoying all the above through the coming years requires more than just a number of Friends volunteers selflessly giving of their time—it requires a solid financial underpinning. That means putting pen to check and joining the only ad-hoc group dedicated to making sure that The Library stays worthy of its designation of “Best Public Library in Central New Jersey,” as voted in the Home News Tribune.
In membership categories ranging from just $10 all the way up to $1,000 a year, you can become a true Friend—the kind that beats a small-“f” friend any day. You can even earn premiums for joining. For a fuller picture of Friends contributions, click on “Friends of The Library,” in the green header bar on this site. To join, click on the application form above to bring up a printable copy. All checks should be payable to “E.B. Friends of The Library” and sent, along with the filled-out application form, to the Friends at 2 Jean Walling Civic Center, East Brunswick, NJ 08816.
It’s your choice: Are you a casual friend—or a true Friend?
For more information call 732-390-6761.
January Library Exhibits
A World War II-themed exhibit by the East Brunswick Historical Society
A World War II-themed exhibit by the East Brunswick Historical Society is featured in the glass showcases of the East Brunswick Public Library January 2-31, 2008. During the same period, artwork by the Suburban Artists Guild is displayed on the walls.
The cases exhibit features memorabilia from the war years as well as background information about the causes of the global conflict. The society was organized to stimulate an interest in history, particularly East Brunswick’s, and to protect and preserve meaningful historical sites, structures, and documents.
Members of the East Brunswick-based artists’ group will display their landscapes, florals, still lifes, portraits and abstracts done in a variety of media including oils, watercolors, acrylics, colored pencils, pastels, mixed media and charcoal. The group was formed to help artists exchange ideas, grow in technical proficiency, and promote the arts to the community.
For more information about exhibits, please call 732-390-6767.
December Library Exhibit
Entries and winners in an annual photography contest are on exhibit at the East Brunswick Public Library December 1-31.
During the fall, East Brunswick residents interested in photography submitted their work to the Township’s 26th Annual Photography Contest. The competition, in both color and black-and-white categories, was sponsored and judged by the Raritan Photographic Society, the East Brunswick Arts Commission, and the East Brunswick Division of Recreation. All entries will be on view on The Library’s walls. Winning entries are marked with ribbons.
For more information about East Brunswick’s photography contest, please call the Division of Recreation at 732-390-6797.
Start and Build Your Own Business, Monday, Dec. 3, 6-8 p.m.
Learn all about startup from an elite corps of retired executives.
Register now.
If you've ever thought about starting your own business, don't miss this opportunity to get advice from some of the savviest business minds in the region. Volunteers from SCORE, the Counselors to America's Small Business, will be on hand to tell you what you need to know when starting or building a business. FREE.
To Register:
Click here to view the event in the Library Calendar.
Then click on the Sign Me Up link.
Or call the Information desk, 732-390-6767.
Defensive Driving Class to be Offered Again in December
Next Session Dates: December 10th & 11th, 6:30 - 10 p.m.
Spaces still available! WALK-IN REGISTRATION ACCEPTED!
Erase your points, and save money on your car insurance by signing up for a NJ-approved class taught by an experienced police detective/accident investigator.
Attention Defensive Driving Registrants:
Please stop by The Library and pick up a registration form at the Circulation Desk or click here for a printable copy. Please bring the completed form and payment to the first class, Dec. 10. Checks should be payable to "E.B. Friends of The Library." Kindly direct any questions to 732-485-9714.