Library News
Friends of the Library Hold Membership Drive May 4-10
Special Membership Drive events for the week will include author lectures by Gwendolyn Gross and Kurt Andersen and a concert featuring the Voodudes.
All are welcome.
You may consider yourself a friend of The Library, but are you a Friend with a capital-“F”? The Friends of the Library will be holding a Membership Drive to invite our residents to become a dues paying Friends member during the week of May 4 through May 10.
Special Membership Drive Events sponsored by the Friends to be held that week include:
Tuesday, May 6, 8 pm: Gwendolen Gross
Named one of the best NJ authors of 2007, Gwendolen Gross will be speaking about her novel “The Other Mother.” Gross's novel documents the front lines of the Mommy Wars. She has fashioned a beautifully written account of a period in the lives of two youngish suburban mothers, one who has foregone the work place for full-time motherhood, and the other trying to balance her career with the needs or perceived needs of her newborn baby and husband.
Wednesday, May 7, 8 pm: Kurt Andersen
Kurt Andersen will be the guest speaker at the Friends’ annual general meeting. He will speak on his critically-acclaimed novel Heydey. He also is author of Turn of the Century, host and co-creator of the Peabody Award-winning public radio show Studio 360, contributor to Vanity Fair, and columnist for New York magazine. He co-founded Spy and Inside.com, and served as editor-in-chief of New York, cultural columnist for The New Yorker and Time, and architecture critic for Time. He has also created prime-time network pilots, and written screenplays and an off-Broadway revue.
Friday, May 9: The VooDudes
Doors open at 7pm; Performances at 7:30pm and again at 9pm
Join us for an evening of Mardi Gras-style music and merriment with the VooDudes. Their music can be described as a mix of New Orleans funk, blues, boogie-woogie and honky-tonk, with a pinch of Zydeco, Southern soul and Caribbean party music. Don’t miss the VooDudes’ infectious brand of New Orleans-style music. You’ll swear its Mardi Gras again! To further get into the spirit, beads will be given out at the door. A dessert & coffee bar will be available to all for the duration of the evening.
Formed in 1967, the Friends have helped keep The Library at the cutting edge of information and cultural services. By helping to soften the blow of harsh fiscal realities, and by providing so many of the “extras” that make The Library an exceptional example to this and other communities, the Friends are an invaluable and essential resource.
Friends’ membership applications are available at the library, and you will also be able to join or renew your membership at any of these events. For more information about the Friends’ membership or events scheduled, please call 732-390-6767.

New DVD Titles Released on April 29
Come in to the Library every Tuesday morning and be the first to get your hands on the hot new DVD releases. New DVDs can be borrowed for 3 days and have $2 rental fee.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2007 - Rated PG-13 - 112 Minutes
Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner Director: Julian Schnabel
27 Dresses
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 111 Minutes
Starring: Edward Burns, Melora Harden, Katherine Heigl Director: Anne Fletcher
The Golden Compass
2007 - Rated PG-13 - 113 Minutes
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig Director: Chris Weitz
The Waltons: The Complete Seventh Season
1972 - Not Rated - 1148 Minutes
Beverly Hills 90210: Season 4
1990 - Not Rated - 1444 Minutes

Monthlong Celebration of the Establishment of the State of Israel Continues
The celebration concludes this week with a lecture on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Rabbi Fellman has served as an assistant rabbi at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, New Jersey since his ordination in 2005. In addition to his duties at Anshe Emeth, Rabbi Fellman serves as a chaplain for the New Brunswick Fire Department and is active in interfaith relations in New Brunswick.
For more information about the 60th Anniversary of Israel Celebration events, please call 732-390-6767.

Starting and Building a Business: How to SCORE
Take this opportunity to pick the brains of some of the region’s savviest business minds
Ideas for creating or expanding a small business are everywhere. But how do you get to the next steps: weeding the good ideas from the bad ones, and then turning the best ideas into an exciting reality? Volunteers from the Counselors of America's Small Business (SCORE) will be at the East Brunswick Public Library on Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 p.m. to answer some of these questions. Registration is required and sign-up begins on March 13. This workshop is free and limited to 40 participants.
SCORE volunteers will explain what you need to know when going into business. They also offer in-depth counseling, training, and workshops on identifying opportunities, finding solutions to problems, creating a business plan, and how to secure funding. SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
For more information or to reserve your space, please call 732-390-6767.

The East Brunswick Library Honors Its Volunteers
As a great big "thank you," the East Brunswick Library held a luncheon in the volunteers' honor on April 17.
Volunteering at the library can be a rewarding experience. The library's volunteer coordinator matches volunteers to jobs and special projects available. Individuals interested in volunteering may pick up an application in the Administration office or at the Information Services desk.
To get more information, view volunteer opportunities or to download an application, go to http://www.ebpl.org/hlp_volunteer.cfm.

Journalist Charles Wiley Speaks at East Brunswick Public Library on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
Well known radio/TV talk show personality and commentator who has appeared on CNN Crossfire and C-Span usually speaks about the tremendous power of the media and news bias. But as a World War II veteran, Mr. Wiley finds that he is asked to recount his wartime experiences more and more these days as WWII veterans fade from the scene.
The East Brunswick Historical Society and the East Brunswick Library is proud to host Mr. Wiley on Saturday April 26th at 2:00 pm. Mr. Wiley will speak about his days in the U.S. Navy during WWII, continuing the Historical Society’s series of conversations with veterans of the War.
The lecture is free and all are welcomed.

Outragehisss Pets at the Library
Come to a live exotic animal show on Wednesday,April 23 at 1pm.

Literacy Volunteers of Middlesex “Taking Steps for Literacy” Walk Needs Volunteers
Come Join The Library’s Team "Bookworms." Sunday, April 13th
The Library staff at The East Brunswick Public Library is rallying their loyal customers to join Library team members in the “Taking Steps for Literacy” Walk, a 2 mile walk to benefit the Literacy Volunteers of Middlesex (LVM). The walk takes place at the East Brunswick High School on Sunday, April 13. Registration is at 9:00 am and the walk starts at 10:15 am.
The Library staff will be participating through its team “Bookworms.” To join the Library team, just go to the walk’s website at www.lvmwalk.org and follow the directions to join. Other options are creating your own family, neighborhood or workplace team, becoming another team’s walker or participating as an individual walker. If you are unable to participate this year, you can still help by visiting the www.lvmwalk.org website and sponsoring a participant, team or making a general donation to the LVM organization.
The mission of the Literacy Volunteers of Middlesex (LVM) is to enable adult native speakers of English, and those whose native language is not English, to acquire the necessary basic skills in reading, speaking, and writing English, thereby empowering them to participate more fully in the daily tasks of family, school, job, and community. The proceeds of the Walk will enable LVM to offer services to East Brunswick residents that are on a waiting list.
The Walk promises to be a fun-filled family day with free breakfast and lunch served to all walkers. A DJ will provide musical entertainment and contests for children; there will be face painting and a moonwalk and mascots from the Somerset Patriots. T-shirts and other prizes will be awarded for sponsors that hit their goals, including a $40 ITunes gift certificate and 2 passes to Six Flags Great Adventure. The Walk will also highlight the need for all eligible voters to come out and vote for the school budget on Tuesday, April 15, 2008.
For more information, or to register, please call the Literacy Volunteers of Middlesex at 732-613-3724 or go to the LVM website at http://www.lvmwalk.org .
Check here for Event Photos.

Library celebrates Autism Awareness Month
Thanks to a generous contract from the INFOLINK Regional Library Cooperative, The East Brunswick Public Library has been able to launch a “Family Resource Collection” for families whose child has been diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum.
The collection includes many new books and media materials to help families educate themselves about Autism and to offer practical techniques for raising a child with Autism. The Library has also partnered with the East Brunswick Public Schools so that teacher resource collections could be placed in the Media Centers of Hammarskjold Middle School, Chittick and Central Elementary Schools.
In addition to collections, The Library is using the INFOLINK contract money to conduct a monthly sibling support group for siblings of children with autism. The group meets monthly at the library and is lead by a licensed social worker. The Special Education PTA (SEPTA) has generously supported the sibling support group by providing child care for special needs children during the support group meeting, which also coincide with the SEPTA meetings for parents with special needs children.
During the month of April, library staff will attend training for working with families who have a child with autism. The training will be done by experts in the field of autism and will prepare staff to begin to plan more programs for children with autism and their families.
Finally, The Library will host an educational evening on Wednesday April 23rd for all our residents to learn about the Autism Spectrum. Please check The Calendar for more information.

Last Chance for Book Sale Bargains!
The Friends of The Library's Bargain Book and Media Sale concludes today, April 6th.
The region’s largest and most popular event of its kind and in its 34th year, the Friends annual book sale is held in the JC Penney Court of Brunswick Square Mall, 755 Route 18 South, East Brunswick. Sunday Mall hours are 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
There are still plenty of book, DVD, CD, and software bargains. Browsers may choose from among thousands of gently used hardcover and paperback books of all kinds plus audiobooks, video games, computer software, collectors’ items, and a huge selection of DVDs and CDs, all at a fraction of their original cost. Cash and checks are accepted for purchases; sorry, no credit cards. An ATM is located within the mall.
Proceeds benefit the Friends of The Library, a nonprofit organization that helps support The Library. For more information, please call 732-390-6767.
