Library News
Tickets on Sale Now for 2012 Phyllis Noar Puppetry Festival
Puppetry Festival Date:
Sunday, February 19th at 2 p.m.
It's almost that time again! Come to the East Brunswick Public Library and get your tickets now for the 2012 Phyllis Noar Puppetry Festival. Held over two weekends, the festival is guaranteed to entertain and delight children of almost any age.
Return on Sunday, February 19, when Nappy’s Puppets performs a shadow puppet show of Father Goose for 3 year olds and their families.
Cost
Tickets are $4 and on sale at the Circulation Desk now. Younger children will not be admitted into the show. Both shows will be held at 2 p.m.
This event is sponsored by The Friends of the Library.
For more information call 732-390-6767.
Upcoming BRC Training Classes
Do you need to learn how to use QuickBooks? On February 15, 2012, the BRC is offering the second level of an introduction to the popular small business financial software designed for individuals just starting out with QuickBooks.
Intro to QuickBooks Level 2
The introduction to the popular small business financial software continues with Intro to QuickBooks Level 2 on February 15, 2012. This class will include working with your accounts, handling payments, and recording sales information.
Intro to QuickBooks Level 3
On March 7, 2012, you can attend Intro to QuickBooks Level 3. This class will cover payroll basics, handling sales tax, customizing QuickBooks forms, and using reports in QuickBooks.
Fees and General Course Information:
The fee for each class is $50. Classes each run from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm, with a ½ hour lunch break. Advance registration and prepayment is required. See the event in the calendar for the specifics on registration and cancellation.
Social Media Classes:
Using Your iPad and/or iPhone
If you were one of the many people to receive an iPad or iPhone as a holiday gift, and are wondering how to use it more effectively, attend our class on Saturday, January 28, 2012.
Social Media and Your Business
If you are not using Social Media to promote your business, this is a workshop you can’t afford to miss! You will learn about Yelp, Foursquare, Facebook Places, Google Alerts and more. Attend this class on Thursday, February 2, 2012.
Tech Gadgets and Apps for Your Business
Learn how to use those technical gadgets and apps to promote your business. Learn about the “clouds”, websites you can use to back up information, what apps do you need for your mobile device and more. Attend this class on Thursday, February 16, 2012.
Using LinkedIn for Your Business
Learn how to use one of the most professional and business-to-business related social media sites on the web! Attend this seminar on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.
Fees and General Course Information
Cost is $25.00 for each of these classes. Pre-Registration is a must! See the event in the calendar for the specifics on registration and cancellation.
Resource Link
Defensive Driving Courses at East Brunswick Public Library in February
Next defensive driving course at the library scheduled for February 27 and 28th from 6:30 - 10 p.m.
Get a 5 percent discount on your auto insurance or erase points from you or your teen’s driver’s license by attending the next two-day East Brunswick Friends of the Library Defensive Driving Course. Scheduled for Monday, February 27, and Tuesday, February 28, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., eligible drivers can erase two points from their driver’s license and/or get a five percent discount for three years on a portion of their auto insurance by attending both sessions.
Approved by the State of New Jersey, the course is taught by an experienced police detective-accident investigator. Participants must attend two consecutive evenings for credit. Course costs vary according to goal: for a 2 point reduction on your license, $65, for an insurance discount, $55. For both, the cost is $65. Attendance is mandatory and refunds cannot be given for partial attendance. Applications are available at the Circulation desk or online. Registration is required and seating is limited to 30 people.
No vehicle is needed, as it is conducted in a classroom setting with multimedia aids. For more information call 732-257-2967 or e-mail fixaticket@aol.com. Download the registration form by logging on to www.ebpl.org. Checks should be made payable to E.B. Friends of the Library.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
For more information, please call 732-390-6767
U.S. Rep. Rush Holt Applauds the Work of the Business Resource Center@ East Brunswick Public Library
U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) visited the East Brunswick Public Library Thursday afternoon for a tour of the facility’s Business Resource Center and to discuss ways to make similar centers eligible for Workforce Investment Act funds.
The visit was just one in a series of events with librarians and school children throughout Central New Jersey highlighting legislation by Rep. Holt to strengthen school libraries and to help libraries better serve job-seekers.
During Holt’s visit to East Brunswick, he discussed his proposed Workforce Investments through Local Libraries (WILL) Act, which would integrate libraries throughout the state into job-training efforts such as State and Local Workforce Investment Boards and make Workforce Investment Act funds available to them. The act would amend the WIA to include library representation on state and local workforce investment boards and recognizes public libraries as allowable “One-Stop” partners. It also authorizes new demonstration and pilot projects to establish employment resources in public libraries.
He said the library’s BRC was a perfect example of that integration.
“Today, the head of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Susan Hildreth came to New Jersey and wanted to know what was a particularly good example of a library that is meeting the community needs for job seekers, and we said East Brunswick,” said Rep. Holt. “There are really dozens and dozens of library’s around this state that are heavily used by people that are trying to brush up on their skills or find a match for the skills. In other words, for job hunting, and this is a particularly good example.”
Since it opened in January 2011, the Business Resource Center has worked with job seekers by providing them with computer training courses, resume services and with access to state resources. It has partnered with the East Brunswick Business Alliance and small businesses throughout Middlesex County to strengthen their businesses by providing targeted classes and support. In addition, the Business Resource Center provides notary services, color copying, faxing, marketing opportunities, resume reviews, networking events, proctoring and much more.
“We’re reaching out to those people who are unemployed or underemployed,” said Library Director MaryEllen Firestone. “A lot of people, as we know, when they leave a job, they’re not voluntarily leaving, and they are looking for some place to go, someplace to update their skills, someplace that they can get a helping hand. We’ve reached out in a big way with our Business Resource Center to help people work on their resumes and to learn computer skills that they may not have had already.
“In addition, we have many entrepreneurs, home businesses and small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and we are positioning the BRC as a resource to help them grow their businesses and connect them to folks looking for jobs.”
In October, the BRC was selected from libraries throughout the state to receive the Best Practices and Marketing Award from the NJ State Library. As part of the award, it received a $1,000 check to help continue the center’s efforts, including many of the Databases in use by job seekers.
For more information on the Business Resource Center, visit www.brc1.org or call 732-390-6782.
February Computer Training at the Library
Get the computer training you need at the Library and update your skills this month. February features the second of the series of QuickBooks training classes.
Register now for the East Brunswick Public Library’s latest computer class offerings. In February we will focus on the Microsoft Office suite of classes. This month we are offering three levels of Microsoft Word, four levels of Excel, the new OutlookIIIclasses, the Introduction to PowerPoint and the 2nd level of the QuickBooks series.
Introduction to QuickBooks Level II
The second of the three part introductory series to the popular small business financial software will be offered on Wednesday, February 15th. This class is designed for individuals who are just starting out with QuickBooks and have a working knowledge of the Windows environment. QuickBooks, Level II will include working with your accounts, recording sales information, handling payments, and, time permitting, entering and paying bills. The fee for each course is $50. Advance registration and prepayment is required. See the event in the calendar for the specifics on registration and cancellation.
Classes for January include:
- Introduction to Microsoft Word, Thursday, February 2nd at 7 p.m.;
- Excel Basics, Saturday, February 4th at 9:30 a.m.;
- Search, Checkout, and Download, Tuesday, February 7th at 6:30 p.m.
- Excel II, Saturday, February 11th at 9:30 a.m.;
- Microsoft Word II, Tuesday, February 14th at 7 p.m.;
- QuickBooks, Level II, Wednesday, February 15th at 10 a.m.;
- Microsoft Word III, Thursday, February 16th at 7 p.m.
- Excel III, Saturday, February 18th at 9:30 a.m.;
- Introduction to MS Outlook Part III, Tuesday, February 21st at 7 p.m.;
- Excel IV, Saturday, February 25th at 9:30 a.m.
- Introduction to PowerPoint, Tuesday, February 28th at 7 p.m.
All courses are offered using the latest Microsoft software - Windows 7 and Office 2010. Registration is required. All registrants should look at the class offerings carefully to insure that they have the necessary skills for each class. Most classes are two hours long and limited to 12 students per class.
Fees
There is a $5 fee for cardholders and a $10 fee for non-cardholders. Fees will be added to a cardholder’s account and paid for at the Circulation desk. Register at the Library, by phone or by going to the event in the website Calendar and clicking on the Sign Me Up link. Your library card and PIN numbers will be required. Non-cardholders must pay at the time of registration, i.e. registrations must be in person.
Cancellation Policy
Beginning with the February class schedule, fees for computer class registrations are NOT refundable, so please be aware that you are making a definite commitment to attend a class when you register. Managing all of the changes in customer computer class registrations has been a very large job and has required staff hours which the library no longer has. The library would ask that you think of this as a small donation for all of the hours that are put in to running the classes.
If you cannot attend
If you cannot attend a class for which you have registered the Library would ask that as a courtesy to other registrants who may be waitlisted for that class that you call 732-390-6767 to cancel your registration or cancel your registration online so that they might have the opportunity to attend.
Waitlisted registrants
Waitlisted registrants will be notified by email and/or telephone as soon as there is a vacancy in a class. They will have 24 hours to respond to the notification. If they do not respond within that time frame, the next person on the waiting list will be notified. Once a commitment to attend has been made, that registration is subject to the same cancellation policy noted above.
Please call the Information Desk at 732-390-6767 for more information.
NJWorks@yourlibrary
It’s time to land that job or win that contract! Your public library can help. NJWorks is a website brought to all New Jersey job seekers and small businesses as part of a federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) grant awarded to the New Jersey State Library.
Job Seekers can use the free Job & Career Accelerator, or Career Transitions databases to assess their skills, target careers, or link to real-time job postings; find free job hunting workshops throughout the state; or view Career Videos at their own pace.
For small businesses there are high level market studies by Frost & Sullivan on new and emerging trends, forecasts, and competitive markets plus other premium business databases.
All databases are free but require an East Brunswick Public Library card to search. If you don’t have one, be sure to stop by today and get your free card. For businesses with Frost & Sullivan requests, please call Karen Parry, Information Services Manager, @ 732-390-6764.
Just 18 Sessions to Begin a Consultant Career
Sign up now for the Business Resource Center’s newest offering – 18 Sessions to Beginning a New Career in Consulting: a three level series of programs. Classes begin January 18th.
These classes are designed to not only get you started in a career in business consulting, but also to give individuals the tools they need to streamline and manage their own businesses.
“I would encourage business owners to come because they will learn so much about what could go wrong in their companies or what is actually going on that they could fix now -- that they’re not aware of,” said instructor Neil Goldstein, founder of General Business Inc., a consulting firm for distressed businesses and entities in transition. “Also, people who may want to learn a new profession (can take it). It’s a profession where there is no downtime. You can work as much as you want. Recessions are good for the businesses because the more companies are in trouble, the worse the markets are, the busier you get.”
Beginning a New Career in Consulting will be held over three sessions, each consisting of six classes. Those who attend will not only learn the intricacies of consulting -- how to speak with prospective clients to find work, how to write a proposal that identifies issues and goals for the client, how to meet those goals, and, most importantly, how to earn money – but business skills needed to keep your company successful.
“If nothing else they’ll learn about businesses, what causes problems, how to fix them, how to deal with banks…most people don’t know how banking works, or how a loan can be a really big problem for a business, maybe even a person,” said Goldstein.
Beginner Sessions
The Beginner session begins Wednesday, Jan. 18, and will cover what a consultant does, why they’re needed and how to get a project started before moving on to subjects such as gross profit, cost of goods sold, overhead, net profit, assets, asset based loans and more.
Intermediate Sessions
Intermediate sessions begin Wednesday, Feb. 15, and will include case studies covering what was learned in the Beginners class, why corporate philosophy is important, how to recognize a good business BEFORE it is purchased, how to consult in a factory environment, how to help a client start a new business using telemarketing, how to survive a catastrophe, and how to help hire an executive staff.
Advanced Sessions
Advanced sessions will begin on Monday, March 12, and cover more case studies, growth of a business, what to do when a business is about to “go under,” insolvency, bankruptcy, and more.
Registration
Courses will run 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.at the Business Resource Center. Each session cost $125, but you can receive a 20 percent discount when you sign up for all three levels.
To register:
- Call the BRC at 732-390-6782, or
- Email Stephanie Frost at sfrost@ebpl.org.
For more information, visit us online at www.brc1.org.
The Library Adds Two New Resources to Catalog of Online Databases
Britannica Online and the NJ ASK Test Preparation database join the roster of library online databases.
Check out our new resources, Britannica Online, a multimedia encyclopedia and the NJ ASK Test Preparation database from Lumos Learning.
Britannica Online offers a teen and adult ‘Reference Center’, and a special ‘For Kids’ interface. Get encyclopedic information, but also news headlines, magazine articles, recommended websites and more! There are even learning materials for students in language arts, math, science and social studies. Lots of animations, audio clips and videos.
NJ ASK Test Preparation database provides practice questions and diagnostic tests for students in grades 3 to 8. Children receive immediate feedback on their answers and can work at their own pace.
You can use both of these resources at The Library or from home – wherever you have a computer with Internet access. Just have your East Brunswick Public Library card handy. It is your key to discovery!
Annual Magazine Sale
The annual Magazine Sale at East Brunswick Public Library begins January 12th. Pick up bundles of back issues for as little as $3.
If you missed an issue of your favorite magazine then head to the Library and see if you can buy it there. The Friends of the Library’s Annual Magazine Sale starts Thursday, January 12, and ends Sunday, January 15. We’ll have magazines that cover science, entertainment, teens, adults, cooking and a lot more, so if you’re looking for a good read and an even better bargain, then pick up a bundle of six to 12 magazines for $3.
For more information call 732-390-6767.