Performance poet Carvens Lissaint at TR library April 8

TOMS RIVER –  Haitian-American, award-winning performance poet Carvens Lissaint will present his material at the Toms River library branch, 101 Washington St., Monday April 8 at 7 p.m.

Raised in New York City’s Upper West Side, Lissaint established himself as a spoken-word artist in 2006 and has gone on to win poetry slams across the country.

He made his transition into musical theater in 2007 as part of the Hip Hopera Theater troupe, working with Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School in collaboration with the Metropolitan Theater Opera Guild.

His performance titles include:

2011 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion

2009 Robert Redford Speak Green Grand Slam Champion

2009 New Jersey Grand Slam Champion

2007 Knicks Grand Slam Champion.

He has also coached the winning 2010 NYU Poetry Slam team and co-coached the winning 2010 Urban Word Slam Team.

He has performed at TEDYouth, in the New Amsterdam Theater, the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, the United States Green Build Council in Arizona, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  Videos of his work can be found on the Internet.

A graduate of the American Academy for Dramatic Arts, Lissaint is working towards a second degree at St. John’s University.

This program is free and open to the public.

Guy Davis performed @ Toms River

Acoustics blues-man Guy Davis performed at the Toms River branch to more than 100 people March 18 in The Atrium.

Musician, actor, composer, writer and director, Davis has dedicated himself to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues and bringing them to as many people as possible.

This as the third time he has performed at OCL. His first appearance was in 2007 and then he returned in 2010.  Each time he has filled the house and people keep asking for him to return.

 

Meet Poet Richard Morgan

The Stafford branch of the Ocean County Library is presenting local poet Richard Morgan on Tuesday, April 23rd, at 1:00 PM, who will talk about his new book: Sea Glass Soul – Invisible Colors. Richard has been writing poetry all of his life and he says there is poetry in all of us. He’ll show us ways in which we might tap into this resource. He will also take us on a journey of his favorite poems, and tell how he succeeded in becoming a published author. Mr. Morgan has been writing poetry for 50 years, lives in the area, and is inspired by the wind and the waves. His wife Pat paints the watercolor illustrations that are in his books.

The Stafford branch is located at 129 N. Main St. in Manahawkin. This program is free and open to the public. If you have questions, feel free to call the Stafford branch. Please register either in person, or call the branch at (609) 597-3381, or visit our website at www.theoceancountylibrary.org 

Water Container Gardening At The Library

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Ocean County Master Gardeners will present the program: Container Water Gardening, on Monday, April 22nd, at 2:30 PM at the Stafford branch of the Ocean County Library.  Master Gardener Sandy Zenkel will show you how to assemble this type of garden which adds a unique, new group of plants to home landscapes.  Ms. Zenkel will also review the factors to consider for placement such as sunlight, container size, plant selection, and more. Some of the advantages of this type of gardening are its versatility and mobility. The Master Gardener team will be available to answer questions before and after the talk. Bring in your dying or diseased cuttings for diagnosis. 

 

The Stafford branch is located at 129 N. Main St. in Manahawkin. This program is free and open to the public. Please register by calling the branch at (609) 597-3381, registering online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org or in person. If you have any questions, call the library for specific information. 

Concert Pays Tribute To Buddy Holly

The Rave-On Band will sing Buddy Holly songs at the Stafford branch of the Ocean County Library on Saturday, April 20th at 2:00 PM.  Buddy Holly is credited with elevating rock music as an art form and has influenced and inspired many music greats such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys, with Paul McCartney sponsoring annual Buddy Holly week celebrations. Some of Holly’s most popular hits include Peggy Sue, Words of Love, That’ll Be the Day, and Rave-On, and he was one of the first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. It’s been 54 years since a plane crash took the life of 22 year-old Buddy Holly, along with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, and every February 3rd, fans still gather in Clear Lake, Iowa to pay their respects.  

The Stafford branch is located at 129 N. Main St. in Manahawkin. This program is free, open to the public, and co-sponsored by the Friends of the Stafford Library. Please register in person, by calling the branch at (609) 597-3381, or online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org.  If you have any questions, call the branch for specific information. 

Stafford Library Movie Night

The Stafford branch of the Ocean County Library will be showing the feature film: Robot & Frank on Saturday, April 13th at 2:00 PM.  Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team. Rated PG-13.  The family movie Hotel Transylvania will be shown on Saturday, April 27th at 2:00 PM.   Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teenaged daughter. Animated.  Rated PG.  

The Stafford branch is located at 129 N. Main St. in Manahawkin. These movies are free and open to the public. Call the branch for specific information: (609) 597-3381, or visit our website at www.theoceancountylibrary.org  There is no need to register.

The beauty of the Pinelands at your library

 

(Photograph by Ann-Marie Woods.)

TOMS RIVER – The Ocean County Library’s Toms River branch will host “Facets of the Pinelands,” an exhibit by the Pinelands Photography Group, during April.

The exhibit highlights the work of seventeen photographers who specialize in documenting the New Jersey Pine Barrens, an ecosystem noted for its diversity of plant, animal, and bird species.

Nearly half of the participating photographers are Ocean County residents and all are members of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, a New Jersey-based, non-profit organization dedicated to raising public awareness of the Pine Barrens.

“To the best of our knowledge, this may be the largest Pinelands photography exhibit done in many years, if ever,” said the group’s exhibit coordinator Ann-Marie Woods.  “It’s very exciting.”

“The Pinelands Photography Group welcomes photographers of all ages and skill levels,” she said.  “We are proud to have members ranging from students to retirees represented in this exhibit.”

The Toms River branch will also host Pinelands Day, a celebration of the unique ecology and folklore of the Pine Barrens region Saturday April 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Sponsored by the Friends of the Toms River branch, the event will feature crafts, demonstrations and presentations by county organizations, including the Pinelands Photography Group.

Visitors are encouraged to register in advance for Pinelands Day by contacting their local branch or by visiting the library’s website at www.theoceancountylibrary.org.

“Facets of the Pinelands” will be on display in the McConnell and the Second Floor galleries.  It is free and open to the public.  For more information contact the Toms River branch at (732) 349-6200 ext. 5112.

Get Library eBooks For Your iPad

On Monday, April 15 at 1:00 pm, the Manchester Branch Library is offering instruction on how to borrow books from the library on your iPad. You will receive instruction on installing and using the app needed to access eBooks from the Ocean County Library system.

 Call (732) 657-7600 or go online to www.theoceancountylibrary.org to reserve your seat! In addition to signing up in advance, it is very important that you bring an Ocean County library card number, an email account username and password, plus your Apple ID log in information that you’ve set up prior to this free, adult workshop.

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

Learn Your Family History At The Library

At the Manchester Branch Library on Monday, April 8 starting at 7:00 pm, learn how to use a computer to discover your roots and build your family tree. In addition to using the Internet, the Ocean County Library subscribes to special databases that can be used inside any of its 21 locations. Most of these can also be accessed from home with a library card from the Ocean County Library system. This free adult program will demonstrate how you can trace your lineage and pass on a legacy.

Please register online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org or call 732.657.7600. To benefit from this class, computer and basic Internet skills are suggested as a prerequisite.

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

“Anna Karenina” At The Manchester Branch

The Manchester Branch Library will screen the film, “Anna Karenina” on Wednesday, April 10, at 2:00 p.m. and again at 6:00 pm. See this popular historical drama on a large screen without paying the admission fee of a movie theater!  

Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

This R-rated movie is part of the library’s Feature Film Series. It is 130 minutes long. 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 Township. Call 732-657-7600 for more information or go online to theoceancountylibrary.org.