“Musician! A practical guide” book program

Toms River – Musician, composer and author Dan Wilensky will be reading from his new book “Musician! A Practical Guide for Students, Music lovers, Amateurs Professionals . . ..” It includes music history, philosophy, assorted tricks of the trade, proactive advice for the downtrodden, and wild tales from the trenches. He will also be demonstrating the art of improvisation, and taking questions.

 Dan whose extensive music career include touring with Joan Baez as her pianist, performing in several videos and TV shows with David Bowie, Steve Winwood, Martika, and Sheena Easton, playing with Rick Derringer in the TV house band for Joy Behar’s Way Off Broadway, and gigging with Ben E. King, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Carole King, Cab Calloway and Aretha Franklin. He has also performed extensively at many of New York’s legendary clubs, including The Bottom Line, The Village Gate, Sweet Basil, Mikell’s, Seventh Avenue South, and The Lone Star Roadhouse, as well as larger venues like Madison Square Garden and Avery Fisher Hall. In addition, he wrote two saxophone method books, Saxophone Technique, and Advanced Sax.

 This program is free and open to the public.  Registration for the program begins January 20^th, 2011.   Please register in-person, by phone 732-349-6200, 609- 971-0514 or online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org .

Barnegat Residents Welcome New Year in a Funky Way!

It was standing room only at the Barnegat branch on Saturday, January 15th as the branch officially welcomed and celebrated 2011 with its second annual New Year’s Concert. This year’s concert, sponsored by the Friends of the Barnegat Library, featured a performance by the band Funktion 11.

Check out some pictures from this awesome concert here! http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceancountylibrary/sets/72157625822801219/

Three press releases from Manchester branch

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Jolene Smith, 732.657.7600
jsmith@theoceancountylibrary.org

MANCHESTER BRANCH LIBRARY TO HOST WORKSHOP ON STRENGTH TRAINING FOR SENIORS

MANCHESTER, NJ – Seniors, visit the Manchester Branch of Ocean County Library on Tuesday, February 15 at 2:00 pm to learn how you can benefit from strength training. Ron Hyland, the Fitness Director for Keswick Pines in Whiting will show you how to use simple chair exercises and light weight dumbbells to help keep you fit.

Please register in advance for this free program by calling 732.657.7600 or by going online to http://www.theoceancountylibrary.org.

The Manchester Branch of the Ocean County Library is located at 21 Colonial Drive in Manchester Twp.

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Joanne Lefand, (732) 657-7600 ext. 4522
jlefand@theoceancountylibrary.org

MANCHESTER BRANCH LIBRARY TO SHOW,
“AS FAR AS MY FEET WILL CARRY ME ”

MANCHESTER – The Manchester Library will screen, “As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me” on Wednesday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m. and again at 6:00 pm. See this popular foreign film on a large screen without paying the admission fee of a movie theater!

In 1949, World War II prisoner of war, Clemens Forell, escapes from a labor camp in Siberia. For three years, this German soldier journeys through Siberia battling the harsh environment while being pursued by his captor as he makes his way toward freedom in Persia.

The dialogue is in German with English subtitles. It is part of the library’s monthly Independent Film Series. Registration is not required. This program is open all ages although it is geared toward adults.

The Manchester Branch of the Ocean County Library is located at 21 Colonial Drive in Manchester Twp. Call 732.657.7600 for more information

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Joanne Lefand, (732) 657-7600 ext. 4522
jlefand@theoceancountylibrary.org

MANCHESTER BRANCH LIBRARY TO SHOW
“THE SOCIAL NETWORK”

MANCHESTER – The Manchester Branch Library will screen the film, “The Social Network” on Wednesday, February 23, at 2:00 p.m. and again at 6:00 pm. See this popular true story on a large screen without paying the admission fee of a movie theater!

The movie documents the founding of the social-networking website, Facebook. In 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) begins working in his dorm room on a new idea that soon becomes a global revolution in communication. A mere six years later, he is the youngest billionaire in history. However, for this entrepreneur success leads to both personal and legal complications.

This PG13-rated movie is part of the library’s Feature Film Series. Although registration is not required, early arrival is recommended.

The Manchester Branch of the Ocean County Library is located at 21 Colonial Drive in Manchester Twp. Call 732-657-7600 for more information or go online to theoceancountylibrary.org.

March Programs at Stafford Branch

This March, check out these great programs and events held at the Ocean County Library Stafford Branch (129 N. Main Street, Manahawkin, N.J.)! To find out more information or to regsiter for these great programs, call the branch at 609-597-3381 or go online to www.theoceancountylibrary.org!

Check out these and other great programs.

Gale looking for librarian superhero

Gale library services is looking for superhero librarians.  Fame and riches await.  Well, fame anyway.

Contest ends the end of February.  For details go to http://stephenslighthouse.com/2011/01/27/do-you-know-a-librarian-superhero/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-you-know-a-librarian-superhero

Ocean County Library offers online classes

TOMS RIVER—Ocean County Library now offers continuing education classes through Universal Class for Libraries, an online educational service that offers over 500 different classes covering topics that are of interest to everybody. 

Ocean County Library cardholders can access Universal class by going online to the library’s website, www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and clicking on the Universal Class link. A valid Ocean County Library card is required to register.

Once registered, a library card holder can enroll for up to five classes at a time, covering a wide area of topics including computers, business, arts and crafts, social sciences, finance, real estate, writing skills, psychology, history, and much more.

The student has six months to complete a class. Lessons are created by real-world instructors, who can be contacted via e-mail for assistance. In order to advance to the next lesson, there may be required reading assignments or tests.   When a class is completed, it is no longer counted as one of the maximum five classes and a student can begin a new class.

“For years we’ve had requests for classes on computer topics and other subjects that we’ve not been able to teach for one reason or another,” said Elizabeth Cronin, Coordinator of Information Services and Supervising Librarian. “Now when someone asks us for a class on Adobe Photoshop or Digital Photography or on hundreds of more topics, we can suggest they give Universal Class a try.”

Since its library debut in early January, Universal Class has been very popular with library customers, who have signed up for a wide array of classes.

“I didn’t expect the variety of classes that patrons have signed up for,” added Cronin. 

“Clutter Control, Microsoft Excel, Computer Basics, Algebra, Investing and Genealogy are among the top 10 our patrons have signed up for already. We also have people signed up for Creative Writing, ABCs of Physics, Scrapbooking, Knitting and dozens of other classes”

Courses provided by Universal Class are non-credit courses and are provided for personal enrichment. The courses are not intended to be a substitute for any state, government, licensing, or educational requirements.

For more information about Universal Class, contact the library’s information services department at (732) 349-6200 or (609) 971-0514, or by email at question@theoceancountylibrary.org.

What Would Martin Say?

Panelists and moderator at MLK, Jr. forum.

Nearly 50 people attended the Ocean County Human Relation Commission’s forum “What Would Martin Say? Then and now in the new millennium” Tuesday Jan. 25 in the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library.

Three panelists (Don Bennett, Rosetta Key and Matthew Reid), along with moderator Tom Mongelli and speaker Richard Strada spoke on the significance of King’s legacy.  The panelists also spoke from their own experiences as they attempted to answer the question, “Is the United States a nation where people are judged by the content of their character or by their appearance?”

Strada, OCC’s Executive Vice President for Instruction, described King as a human who had flaws, but also as a person of high integrity who believed that if one exposes evil to good people they will recognize it and oppose it.

Strada said King would be speaking out against social injustices now, but he’d also be crying because people no longer discuss the issues.  Instead they are polarized and battle by trading caustic comments.

 College student and panelist Reid identified the next “second-class” citizens in the US as people who are members of the GLBT community (gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual) and discussed the discriminatory issues they may face in the future.

New anchor Rosetta Key described herself as a product of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s and told how thankful she was for all the people who worked so hard to allow her to take advantages of opportunities that were unfairly denied people.

“I am someone who is feasting from the banquet table, “she said.

She also provided a two-question interview she did with her father.

“I had a dad who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself,” she said.

Key credited her parents (her mother died when Rosetta was five-years old) for passing along strong, positive values and an appreciation for education to bring her to where she is now.

Journalist Don Bennett spoke about the historical antecedents that initiated the civil rights movement in Ocean County, including the impact of the Ku Klux Klan in the county.  He said the factors that were popular in promoting the KKK are still with us today: fear of people who are different, and problems with the economy.

Strada said the best way to overcome that fear is to “sit down and break bread” with people who are different.

A slideshow of photos from the forum can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceancountylibrary/sets/72157625785368363/show/

Lakewood teaches teens cooking skills

On Saturday, January 22nd the teens and kids cooked Macaroni Au Gratin with Miss Yoseline at the Lakewood branch.  Macaroni Au Gratin is a Haitian specialty.  Creamy and comforting mac and cheese is made particularly homey in this baked casserole that layers lots of cheddar cheese flavor into the mix.

Man to Man: Face2Face – teaching respect in Lakewood

Man To Man: Face 2 Face with author Patrick Oliver met for the fourth time on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day  Monday, January 17th,.  Patrick Oliver is the founder and program development specialist for Say It Loud! Readers and Writers, which is a literary arts program dedicated to promoting reading and writing tools of empowerment.  He is also creator, executive producer, and host of Literary Nation Talk Radio, a live weekly broadcast where he interviews authors, activists, and artists.  He is also publisher and editor of the Essence Magazine best-selling anthology Turn the Page and You Don’t Stop: Sharing Successful Chapters in Our Lives with Youth. 

At the end of the program, Patrick Oliver handed out free copies of this book and he also had his close friend, Nekiel Butler from Trenton, close the program by reading a poem, which was dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. 

NHL star Jim Dowd at Little egg Harbor branch

On Saturday, January 22, Little Egg Harbor hockey fans were treated to a special appearance by Jim Dowd at the Little Egg Harbor Library.

A crowd of 90 hockey fanatics filled the library’s meeting room while the 1995 New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup winner spoke about his childhood growing up in Brick, and his hockey career. He also spoke about an inspirational message for kids and parents about staying in school, reading, staying optimistic, and being your best no matter what you chose.

There was a question and answer period during which fans had the opportunity to learn about the in’s and out’s of playing NHL Hockey.