To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, we spoke with Jenny Ludmer, community outreach manager, Sustainable Princeton. Sustainable Princeton is a longtime, mission-aligned partner of the library. Libraries are inherently sustainable. We take the funds entrusted to […]
from the archive
Author: Kim
Kim serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Princeton Public Library.
Community partner spotlight: Paul Robeson House
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, we spoke with Ben Colbert, director of the Paul Robeson House, and board members, Denyse Leslie, Martha Sword and Joy Barnes-Johnson. How long has Paul Robeson House been in Princeton? […]
Community partner spotlight: The John H. Pace, Jr. ’39 Center for Civic Engagement
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, we spoke with Charlotte Collins, associate director and Gwen McNamara, communications specialist at the John H.Pace, Jr. ’39 Center for Civic Engagement at Princeton University (Pace Center for Civic Engagement). […]
Community partner spotlight: Princeton Record Exchange
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, we spoke with Jon Lambert, owner of Princeton Record Exchange (PREX), and Janie Hermann, the library’s program manager. Janie: Princeton is fortunate to have local business owners such as Jon […]
Community partner spotlight: McCarter Theatre Center
This year, the library, like many other institutions, has had to reconsider its core values and find new ways to serve the community. One of the biggest lessons many have found is that we go farther when we work together. At a time when we cannot necessarily visit our friends and family or welcome […]
Community partner spotlight: Mayor Liz Lempert
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, we spoke with Mayor Liz Lempert, as she winds down eight years of service as a mayor, to talk about some of the work she has done with the library […]
Community partner spotlight: Shakespeare and Company Project
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, the “Shakespeare and Company Project,” a digital humanities initiative at Princeton University, is in the spotlight. Not surprisingly, the library works with the many different entities within Princeton University. We […]
Welcoming and building community
What makes a community? What makes a community welcoming? And what makes it resilient? There must be space for joy. For the last four years the Department of Human Services and the library have joined with local community members and organizations to celebrate Welcoming Week, an initiative of Welcoming America. As we considered Welcoming Week 2020 […]
Community partner spotlight: Historical Society of Princeton
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with the many municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, the Historical Society of Princeton (HSP) is in the spotlight. The library and the Historical Society of Princeton collaborate on programs and projects designed to enrich the lives of our […]
Community partner spotlight: Arts Council of Princeton
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many municipal, non-profit and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) is in the spotlight. I have observed many things during this time of quarantine that surprised me, but perhaps the most surprising is how attached I […]
Community partner spotlight: Witherspoon Jackson Neighborhood Association
One of the biggest benefits of serving as the community engagement coordinator for the library is getting to know so many people who are doing really great work in Princeton. Fostering community engagement in a place that has long seen itself as the “community’s living room,” continues to be an opportunity to explore what makes a […]
Community partner spotlight: League of Women Voters
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many municipal, non-profit and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month the League of Women Voters (LWV) is in the spotlight. We spoke with Cindy Gordon who shared that February 14 is not only a celebration of love and Frederick Douglass, but […]
Community partner spotlight: Princeton University Press
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many municipal, non-profit and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month Princeton University Press (PUP) is in the spotlight. We are fortunate to have such a well regarded and community-minded press just up the road from the library. The collaboration between PUP […]
Engage Princeton
Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day,” ends with the question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your wild and precious life?” The library wants to empower you to find the answer with our new community resource guide, EngagePrinceton.org. The website features three main sections: About Us, Event and Community Resources. The Community […]
Community partner spotlight: jaZams
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, jaZams is in the spotlight and we spoke with owners Joanne Farrugia and Dean Smith to learn more about this partnership. There are many reasons why the library is […]
Community partner spotlight: Princeton Public Schools
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, Princeton Public Schools are in the spotlight and we spoke with with members of the PPS leadership team including Superintendent Steve Cochrane and Assistant Superintendent Annie Gonzalez Kosek to learn more […]
Community partner spotlight: Civil Rights Commission
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, the Civil Rights Commission (CRC) of Princeton is in the spotlight and we spoke with Thomas A. Parker, Commission Chair to learn more about this partnership. The library has […]
Community partner spotlight: McCarter Theatre Center
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, the McCarter Theatre Center is in the spotlight and we spoke with Paula Alekson, Artistic Engagement Manager to learn more about this partnership. When we opened the doors on […]
Community partner spotlight: Professional Services Group
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, the Professional Service Group of Mercer County (PSG) is in the spotlight and we spoke with David Schuchman, Executive Chair and Leader of the group, to learn more about […]
Community partner spotlight: Princeton Police Department
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, the Princeton Police Department is in the spotlight. When working with the PPD, the library usually collaborates with the Safe Neighborhoods Bureau. We’ve always known that Princeton police officers […]
Community partner: The Princeton Festival
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, The Princeton Festival is in the spotlight. Each June, for the past 14 years, the library and The Princeton Festival have worked together to offer a wide array of […]
Community partner: Labyrinth Books
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, Labyrinth Books is in the spotlight. Although it might seem that a library and bookstore would be at odds with one another, this is not the case at all. […]
Community partner: Sustainable Princeton
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This month, Sustainable Princeton is in the spotlight. Libraries are inherently sustainable. It is part of the library’s mission to shepherd the funds entrusted to us by our community to benefit as many […]
Community partner: Princeton Department of Human Services
To extend our community outreach, the library partners with many of the municipal, non-profit, and business organizations that make Princeton such an extraordinary town. This series of blog posts will put some of those partners in the spotlight, starting this month with the Princeton Department of Human Services. The library and the Princeton Department of Human […]
Get fit at the library
"Recent studies have shown that challenging your brain, by spurring the brain to create new patterns, is an important factor in helping to keep your brain active and healthy as you age. Lifelong learning is a health club for our minds, bodies and spirits. Using this health club every day helps ensure that life will be richer, more stimulating and more fulfilling.”(BeWell@Stanford)
We’ve got answers
In addition to fielding questions about great reads, library staff members try to be ready for anything. Sometimes people just want to test our knowledge, but more often than not customers are looking to the library to answer or verify something that has them either baffled or idly curious. In a time where there is an overwhelming amount of information available the library can help people ferret out what is true and relevant. A lot of questions are ones that you might expect:
"Can you suggest an author I might like to try?"
#GOT Game of Thrones?
A common question at the welcome desk is, "I'm looking for something to read, is there anything you would recommend? It's actually a question we love to answer, but how do we do come by the suggestions? One way is crowdsourcing!
Mushrooms are extraordinary
One of my favorite parts of sitting behind the Information Desk is the regular opportunity I get to practice my sleuthing skills.Sometimes people have a quick question that can be answered with a few taps on the keyboard but there are also times when in-depth mystery solving is required.
That being said I am sometimes presented with opportunities to practice my sleuthing skills when I am away from the Reference Desk.
Free birds, a.k.a. Vegetarian Thanksgiving
I often hear people talking about that one Thanksgiving guest who is “a vegetarian," and the question surfaces, “What can I serve him?” If you think about it, though, after the roast beast, most of the other dishes are actually vegetarian and vegan, because after all, it is a celebration of the harvest, and of families, and friends coming together. The roast beast is ‘kind of’ extra.
You’re uncommonly beautiful
In photographer Karen Walrond’s talk for TEDxHouston she shared her rules for photography and life: “Look for the Light.” Her rallying cry is, “I’m wildly convinced you’re uncommonly beautiful,” and often when people come into the library, I am reminded of that: every last one of you is a shining prism of your life and experiences and that is a thing of wonder and beauty. And guess what – we have something here for you.
In harmony with PSO
Princeton Public Library began celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation in January with book discussions, film screenings and other programs that led up to a community commemoration with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and historians James M.
An honor and a privilege
This month, at the invitation of former President Leonel Fernandez, Princeton Environmental Film Festival Director Susan Conlon and I participated in the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF). We were part of a panel discussion called "Environmental Film: An Effective Tool for Eco Education" that included key players from environmental film festivals around the world.
Transformations
I have spent the last four years trying to do everything that I can to ensure that my beliefs are mirrored by my actions. The one truth I’ve learned through this process is that there is always room for improvement.
Summer reading goes social
This year there are so many ways that you can participate in our summer reading program for adults (and win prizes)! You can enter by filling out a raffle ticket at one of our Groundbreaking programs happening all summer long, e-mail a written review, upload a picture of you and your book to Instagram and tag it with #PPLreads13 so we can find it, or
Summer diversions
I love summer: warm days, happy splashing at the pool, bees buzzing around lush gardens, gatherings of friends and family, and watching the fireflies intermittently light up the night.
Princeton Environmental Film Festival special events
I have a long list of reasons why I love to work at the Princeton Public Library and close to the top of that list is my involvement with The Princeton Environmental Film Festival (PEFF). This annual event has been growing in success and popularity for the last seven years under Susan Conlon's wing.
Sometimes the difference
Sometimes the difference between a good library and a great library is a pair of wandering minstrels.
Women’s history month events
On March 8, 1908, 15,000 working women garment workers marched on New York City’s Lower East Side to demand better hours and pay, an act that many point to as the birth of International Women’s Day (though that particular date was not set until 1913). In 1978, Sonoma County decided to expand International Women’s Day to Women’s History Week. The idea spread and, by 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to one month, declaring March Women’s History Month.
Flirting with a change of diet
Vegan. Despite my own vegan flirtations the word sounds almost militant to my ears. As if this change of diet should be accompanied by a manifesto, too drastic to do 'just 'cause'. Not so. There are many delicious and healthful foods that are 'vegan' and it's worth checking out our wide range of cookbooks just to see all the interesting options available. Whether you are looking for something new or contemplating a change of diet, there are a lot of ways we can help.
Jar of dreams
As we begin the new year the air is filled with talk of resolutions. Many of us are taking this time to consider what we have accomplished and what adventures lie ahead. At our recent TEDxYouth@PrincetonLibrary, I had the honor of getting to know a lot of young people and to hear their dreams for the future.
Masterpieces you can play
Princeton Symphony Orchestra and Princeton Public Library have collaborated for a number of years on a variety of endeavors – the Soundtracks lecture series, children’s programs, and even Pi Weekend. In anticipation of the final concert of the year, “Spun Beauty,” we were recently lucky enough to host Christophe Landon of Christophe Landon Rare Violins.
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