Build-It with Gum Drops

Isabell Welch used marshmallows, gum drops and toothpicks to build her skyscraper during the Build-It program at the Main Library. Her Grandma, Bernice Kelly assisted. Using household items kids have built structures such as bridges, houses and geodesic domes at the Build-It programs overe the past year. Look ofr more exciting projects in 2010!

Hilton Children's Librarian Wins Grant
Jennifer Burkholder, children’s librarian at Hilton Branch Library, has won a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to attend a 3 day conference on “Modern and Contemporary America” at the Newark Museum in June.

Presenters at the conference will include master teachers, university scholars and museum curators and will provide the librarian with the knowledge, skills and resources to use the 40 art reproductions and books the Hilton Library received as part of the Picturing America grant. Ms. Brukholder will use the information work with the school district on joint programming and building visual literacy.

Bookshelf Grant
The Hilton Branch Library in Maplewood received a 'We the People' Bookshelf Grant from the ALA and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Jennifer Latimer and her son, Cole, check out some of the 25 books that the library received. All of the books help readers to picture America through literature. The library also received the Picturing America grant, which helps patrons picture America through art.

SCORE Small Business Seminar
How to Effectively Market
Your Products and Services
Marketing is the key to the success of your business. This free seminar will provide many advertising, promotion and public relations ideas to help you succeed in your business. The SCORE speaker, Dave Mollen has 39 years of experience in sales and marketing. He has worked in many areas of marketing including advertising, web marketing, and direct marketing.
Tuesday, December 15
6:30 pm at Hilton Branch
Registration is suggested. To register, email PROGRAMS@maplewoodlibrary.org

The seminar is provided by SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
SCORE volunteers are experienced, successful business people who provide free and confidential business counseling and advice to all types of businesses in all stages of development to help build businesses – from idea to start-up to

Positive Discipline:
Beyond the Basics
Ready to go to the next level? This workshop will explore techniques for dealing with tantrums, ensuring successful play dates, easing transitions, and more. Even if you have never attended a positive discipline workshop, you'll benefit from down to earth, practical suggestions as well as valuable insight into selecting the appropriate technique depending on your child's developmental stage. Speaker Betsy Ressler Wald is a Librarian and Social Worker. She has been helping parents for over 25 years.
Tuesday, December 8,
7 pm at Hilton Branch

What did YOUR owl eat today?

“The Hands-On Science Series at the Library is great so far! The kids’ interest in science has skyrocketed and it was FREE!” Charlotte Arevalo, mother of young scientists.

Did you know that owls cough up pellets containing feathers, bones, caterpillar droppings and other indigestible bits from their prey? Some young scientists dissected barn owl pellets and identified the contents using bone charts, magnifying glasses, tweezers and other tools during a Hands-On Science workshop at Hilton Branch Library.

“Everyone else thought it was gross, but I thought is was cool,” remarked 8 year old scientist Mary Arevalo. .

This is a three-part series. The next two workshops are: Literature + Chemistry = Worms and Water Jelly Crystals or Hydrogen Rules! The Library hopes to continue sparking kids’ interest in science – even if some people might think it’s gross.

Maplewood Website Panel

The website panelists had their say on October 19. Read about it here:

http://maplewood.patch.com/articles/local-online-media-reps-talk-about-themselves

Snapshot Day

October 7 was Snapshot Day: One day in the life of New Jersey Libraries
view our snapshots on flilckr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39221032@N08/

Back to (Home) School

Just say the word “homeschooling,” and emotions may run high and hot. It’s a given, however, that parents are a child’s most influential teachers and that learning is not something that only happens in a classroom from September to June....

Read Hilton Branch Librarian Betsy Wald's article on The Local:

http://maplewood.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/back-to-homeschool/

Maplewood/South Orange Professionals in Transition
Are you currently unemployed? Looking for new career opportunities?
Network with other professionals in the same situation. Share job hunting experiences, ideas and leads. The group provides support and a forum for sharing ideas and leads for people who are seeking new employment. Guest speakers have included human resource, coaching, psychology and social media experts..
10:15-11:30 am on the following Mondays:
October 19
November 2, 16 and 30
December 14 and 28

New! Two Towns Library Card “Student Stickers”

Maplewood and South Orange Libraries are pleased to announce a new cooperative effort that will benefit students in the SOMa school district. All students in grades K-12 are now entitled to borrow materials from both the Maplewood and South Orange Public Libraries. This initiative effectively doubles the amount of library material available to them to borrow. When students get a library card from their home library, they can also ask for a Student Sticker, which allows them to borrow in both towns. If they already have a card, they’ll need to pay any existing fines before they can get a Sticker. Student Stickers can be obtained at any time throughout the year, and will need to be renewed yearly. Each library has its own rules as to what materials can borrowed with the Sticker. For more information, contact South Orange Library or Maplewood Library

Display Spaces Available

Do you have:

• A special collection?

• Original artwork?

• Information about your organization?

Maplewood Library has two display cases available for use on a monthly basis.
One case is in the adult room at the Main Library, and the other, larger case is in the Springfield Avenue lobby at Hilton Branch.
If you are interested in doing a display in one of the cases, please contact PROGRAMS@maplewoodlibrary.org.