If you’re like a lot of people, you may be finding that more and more, your key ring or wallet is simply bursting with little plastic cards. You can’t buy a pack of gum or a magazine without being offered another card that promises to make your life easier and save you lots of money.You may be starting to feel overwhelmed by these cards, and perhaps you’re inclined to “Just say ‘NO!’” to any more cards. Before you do, the Moorestown Library wants to remind you of one very special card every member of your household should have and use: a library card!A Moorestown Library card is free for …

With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, it seems a fitting time to focus on all things green. With that in mind, the Moorestown Library wishes to remind you of all the ways you can use your library to learn about protecting the environment—all while saving you some green too!Using the library’s wealth of databases to access information is a wise choice both environmentally and economically, since paperless information sources can be updated much less expensively than printed reference sets. And because these databases can be accessed from home 24/7, it’s a convenient option too. If you’re …

A new season of story time fun is in bloom at the Moorestown Library, and we want to make sure you don’t miss out on the action. Next week, we’ll kick off our March-April story time session, with weekly programs for children from birth through kindergarten. There is no fee for any of the library’s programs, but some programs do require advance registration and a valid Moorestown Library card. Space is limited and spots are given on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to reserve your child’s spot today! For information on how to get a library card, or to register for programs, contact…

The Moorestown Library recently hired Robin Guenther as its new teen librarian. In today’s “At the Library” column, Guenther introduces herself to the community. As the new teen librarian at Moorestown Library, I’d like to tell you a few things about myself and some of the fun programs I have planned.After I received a Master of Fine Arts degree from York University in Toronto, I found myself working in libraries and really enjoying it. I have been working in libraries ever since.I started out at the Cherry Hill Library circulation desk, assisting patrons, doing interlibrary loans, shelving …

Many people may assume since librarians are booklovers, we shun numbers and statistics in favor of the written word. Not true! Statistics provide us with important information that helps us in decision making every day. But in the library, just like in many other arenas, statistics must be blended with a dose of professional insight to get the whole picture. Librarians continuously review the collections to identify items that should be removed because they are in poor condition, the content is outdated or superseded by new information, or they are no longer useful to our community. When …

The Moorestown Library, in partnership with a company called Overdrive, offers you audiobooks and ebooks that will work with your Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple devices, and smart devices that use the Android operating system. Devices from Amazon like the Kindle Fire and the Kindle are also supported. Please keep in mind early versions of Amazon’s Kindle do not have a fully functioning web browser, so titles to be used on the early version of the Kindle, that aren’t being directly purchased from Amazon, must first be downloaded onto your home PC, then uploaded onto the Kindle. With your library …

Sunshine, T-shirts, and riding around town with the car windows down—does it seem like summer in Moorestown has come a little early this year? The Moorestown Library is getting into the spirit by taking another favorite fixture of summer and dropping it right in the middle of winter: summer reading! Every summer, children and teens flock to the Moorestown Library to take part in our summer reading program. With great books to read and cool prizes to win, what’s not to love? This winter, for the second year in a row, the library is saying, “Why wait until summer to have all the fun?” So, we’re…

Xorra, the ever-popular therapy dog, returned to the Moorestown Library last month, once again giving budding young readers the chance to practice reading books of their choice aloud to a nonjudgmental listener.   Reading to dogs has become popular in libraries and schools across the country because it helps children develop their reading skills in a relaxed environment with an approving audience. Among the books Xorra enjoyed during her most recent visit were Princess Super Kitty by Antoinette Portis and Clarence Goes Out West and Meets a Purple Horse, by Jean Ekman Adams. Xorra will return …

When you walk into the Moorestown Library to use one of the library computers, Wi-Fi, or the catalog, have you ever wondered how the many computers, printers and network connections are hooked up? The library Internet connection into the building is very much like the one you may have at home from Comcast. But that's where the similarity ends. The library has a computer room on the ground floor that houses a rack containing a network of ports, which all the library computers are plugged into. These ports and switches control and manage traffic flow from the outside world to the library and …

At Moorestown Library we pride ourselves on our personal service. When you come in our front doors, a member of our Circulation Department greets you from behind the desk. It may seem like we’re waiting there to see you and check your books and movies out, so it may surprise you to discover what else we are doing between customers, behind the scenes.Did you know the library subscribes to nine newspapers and over 200 magazines? It is the job of the circulation staff to check in these magazines when they arrive and track them down when they don’t. So the next time you check out a copy of …

The library administrative offices are not one of the stops people often think about making when they come to the library. A lot is going on behind the scenes people might not be aware of. At the Moorestown Library, administration is made up of two offices: the office manager and the library director.Let’s start with the office manager. Office manager Ann DiBlasio has many different roles. Coordination and booking of the library meeting room, as well as human resources and payroll responsibility for the library staff are among those duties. In addition, the office manager also acts as the …

Most library users know the reference desk is the place to go if you need information or research help, but what are we doing when we aren’t answering your questions or helping you with the computer?Behind the scenes in the reference department is a bit like a juggling act. Reference librarians balance their time on the reference desk with ordering materials, planning programs, maintaining the library website, and preserving the most fragile pieces of the library collection.How do we decide what gets ordered? We read reviews in a lot of different journals to find out what’s popular, well-…

For many Moorestonians, a trip to the library feels a lot like a visit to a friend’s house. Familiar faces greet you by name, perhaps with a recommendation for a new book or movie you might enjoy. In a small town like Moorestown, the library staff really enjoys the opportunity to get to know the people we serve. But behind the scenes, there’s a small group of staff members most library users never see. Downstairs in the Technical Services Department, Denise DiBlasio, Catherine Friedman and Kathleen Slotman, with the help of some dedicated volunteers, are hard at work making sure the books, …

If you’re one of the roughly 100 parents who brings your child to the Moorestown Library each week for story time, you may wonder exactly how we do what we do. Nine story times a week, up to 25 children in each story time—that’s a lot of felt! (Not to mention glue, paper, sparkles, pompoms, you get the idea …)   Like most aspects of the library, there is much more to our children’s services than meets the eye. We thought it might be fun, and eye-opening, to offer readers a virtual tour of our behind-the-scenes operations.The second floor of the library houses rows of shelves filled with felt…

If you have a young child in your life, you probably look forward to each new milestone with giddy anticipation. First smiles, first steps and first words are all cause for celebration. But when important milestones don’t come when expected, excitement can quickly turn to concern. It is not uncommon for children who are developing well in all other areas to struggle when it comes to speech. If you suspect your child may have a speech delay, the Moorestown Library urges you to seek assistance. A good place to start in addressing speech delays is the New Jersey Early Intervention System (EIS). …

Last Saturday, Moorestown teacher and actor/director Chuck Gill entertained a crowd of boys at the Moorestown Library with his dramatic reading of The Elf on the Shelf. The event, part of the South Jersey Boys Read initiative, was organized by Moorestown students Kyle Thumar, Nikhil Thumar and Shailen Doshi. After the reading, children enjoyed holiday-themed refreshments and activities.  South Jersey Boys Read has hosted several popular events at the Moorestown Library this year to encourage elementary school boys to get excited about reading. Each event focuses on a different book with lots …

Xorra, an adorable German shepherd therapy dog, delighted children at the Moorestown Library this week as she lent an ear for the library’s “Reading with the Dog” program. Through the program, budding young readers have the chance to practice reading books of their choice aloud to a nonjudgmental listener.  Reading to dogs has become popular in libraries and schools across the country because it helps children develop their reading skills in a relaxed environment with an approving audience. While it can be intimidating for children who are learning to read to practice with adults, dogs make …

Every parent and grandparent knows, it’s never too early to start thinking about ways to entertain the kids through those long winter months. If you’re looking for entertainment that is educational, fun and FREE, you need look no further than the Moorestown Library.  We’re planning ahead for a winter full of stories, crafts and exciting adventures, so be sure to call or visit the library beginning this Monday, Dec. 5, to register for January and February children’s programs.The winter calendar features weekly story times for babies, toddlers, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, and kindergarteners. …

  Learn time-saving ways to eat healthier at the Moorestown Library! Families are very busy these days. How do you find the time to eat healthier and teach your children to eat right, especially with the holidays right around the corner?  Moorestown Library has the solution. Join us at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, for a free workshop on family nutrition. Presented by Dr. Mike Edenzon of South Jersey Health and Wellness Center, this lecture is designed to teach families some time-saving ideas to help them eat healthier, as well as tips on teaching kids to eat right. For more information or to …

I didn’t know that was happening at the library! Get connected to a world of information through email updates from the Moorestown Library. How many times have you heard about a cool children’s program or interesting book group discussion at the library, only to learn the event was last week? Do you miss your chance to pick up the books you put on hold because your family doesn’t pass along the message when the library calls to notify you? Do you wonder what new books the library has? Have you been shut out of story time because you forgot it was registration day—again?  The Moorestown …