Library cardholders have access to a growing number of resources – so many that it can be easy to miss when something new is added. Living in a society in which information appears to be readily available, it can be challenging to determine its accuracy and where to begin. That’s one of the reasons why librarians create resource guides. Patrons are encouraged to use these guides as a navigational tool when researching a particular area of interest. Topics are varied, and range from Family History & Genealogy to Election 2025 to A Visitor’s Guide to Princeton to Storytime at Home.
Two of our newest guides are: Legal Information and Resources and a Writers Guide, for aspiring writers. Public librarians are often asked to help with legal questions or attorney referrals. While we are not equipped to interpret law or provide referrals, we can provide users with the resources to get them the information they are looking for. Covering general questions to more specific ones regarding elder law, employment law, family law, landlord/tenant law, and immigration and citizenship law, the Legal Information and Resource guide is an excellent place to begin.
Princeton has always been a town full of writers. We get an extraordinary number of requests for services for aspiring and newly published authors to showcase their work. We make a continuous effort to create new programs and writing groups to encourage this pursuit. A glance at our events calendar for the next two months reveals a new journaling club, inspired by Suleika Jaouad’s “The Book of Alchemy,” two different Writers Room programs, and a four-week workshop by poet Patricia Smith. For anyone interested in developing their writing skills, the Writers Guide features links to professional publications, writing organizations, blogs, webinars, podcasts, and more.
A core principle of librarianship is providing authoritative information to whomever we serve. In our recent history, we have witnessed a litany of blatant disregard for factual studies and data developed by a wide range of scientists and subject specialists. These have been paired with a deliberate promotion of misinformation. Librarians and scientists across the nation are working to locate and preserve access to factual data that has been removed from government websites. University libraries create their own resource guides (also known as pathfinders). If you are interested in keeping track of the efforts to preserve vital information, we encourage you to bookmark this guide, Finding Government Data Removed by the 2025 Presidential Administration, developed by Kay P. Maye, a scholarly engagement librarian at Tulane University. And, if you need help determining the validity of something you have heard or read, you can always reach out to us for assistance. Better yet, check out our guide on Misinformation, Disinformation & Malinformation. See you at the library.