It was when I was entering high school that I really got into baking. My younger sibling and I would take charge of all the family’s birthday cakes, whipping up layers and layers of cake and frosting. Additional hours upon hours were spent testing for the flakiest pie crust, finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie, […]

In some libraries of yore, the cookbook (or “cooking” as it appears in our collection) section was known as “cookery.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a variant of this term first appeared in 1393; followed by another reference from 1450, “Here Beginnethe a Boke of Kokery,” a reference from “Two 15th-century Cookery-books” by T. […]

As a relative newcomer to the Garden State–I’ve lived in Princeton for only a little more than a year–I rarely know what local and regional history is common knowledge to New Jerseyans and what is little known or a matter of specialized expertise. I only recently learned, for example, about the long-standing dispute around Central […]

Cul-de-sacs, meandering peaceful roads, rows of houses, and the occasional shopping plaza–the suburbs are a peculiarly built space. Princeton is nestled among many evolving suburban neighborhoods. I often chat with my friends about growing up in the area and how easily one can feel landlocked. There are many magical places and embedded histories to experience […]

The library’s blog is filled with a variety of voices and unique perspectives, including my own, on books, reading, library services and the world around us. This month, with my blog post deadline looming, I developed a case of writer’s block that not even all the coffee in our Jammin’ Community Cafe could cure – […]

There’s an old saying that goes, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” Recently, I embarked on a life-changing adventure to South Africa and Zambia, and I can wholeheartedly affirm that these words have never rung truer. Every moment was a new chapter, filled with awe-inspiring landscapes, […]

We pride ourselves on having an extensive collection of books, audiobooks, and movies for all ages at the Princeton Public Library. However, it is an unfortunate bit of reality that we (or any other library) cannot own everything ever published. Only a tiny fraction of the books published are in print and available for us […]

A patron approached the desk and commented, “It’s like everyone just forgot what living with COVID was like and we’ve all just moved on.” I couldn’t imagine anything further from my truth. A global trauma has lasting repercussions on people’s psyches, how they live their lives, and how they move forward. For me, and, I’m […]

From our circadian rhythm to our “cicadian rhythm,” many life events follow naturally recurring cycles. In particular, I’ve always associated the four seasons with my memories of school. Autumn: sweater weather, friends and new class schedules! Winter: the persistent longing for a snow day. Spring: the bane of standardized tests. Summer: the lull of slow, hot […]

Over the years, I have started and then abandoned countless projects, hobbies and creative endeavors. Anything that took real time and devotion in my busy, sometimes chaotic life quickly seemed insurmountable and unrealistic. But, I still longed for something fun and productive to do with my free time. Then this past spring, I became inspired […]

As the teen services librarian, when several of our Teen Advisory Board members approached me during the 2020 lockdown wanting to start a podcast interviewing their favorite authors, my initial response was, “Let’s do it!” After saying, yes, the realization that I had no idea what it took to run a podcast or edit one […]

Everyone connects horror and Halloween, but summer is the perfect time to give yourself a fright. Summer travels can lead you to places with mysterious pasts, campfires were made for telling ghost stories, thunderstorms abound, and even the most charming B&B can make strange noises in the night. Horror can run the gamut from generally […]

“Things” is a broad term. The concept of a Library of Things has popped up throughout the country, reflecting the growing library trend of circulating more than books and audiovisual materials. Here at Princeton Public Library, our “things” currently encompass technology kits, hiking backpacks and emergency preparedness tools–with more to come. Adapting to community needs […]

Have you ever wondered what happens when you return a book to the library? How does that book go from being checked out on your card to returning to its place on our shelves? Here’s a peek behind the drop box door to show you how this happens.     The journey begins at our […]

Manga’s been on my mind since middle school. Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, Japanese anime like “Sailor Moon,” “Dragon Ball Z,” “Fruits Basket,” and “InuYasha” were on regular rotation at home. And naturally, I discovered that many of the shows I had been watching were adaptations of comics. Lots of teen life […]

For anyone who came of age in the 70s or mid-80s, there is a nostalgia that has launched a vintage audio resurgence: yacht rock. Maybe you caught members of New Yacht City performing at the library earlier in June, playing music that evoked a time when societal and political issues didn’t feel quite as dire […]

Song and poetry are siblings, both undoing our familiarity with language. One of my favorite bands, Sunset Rollercoaster is a Taiwanese indie pop band that writes dreamy songs in English instead of the band members’ native Mandarin. The lead singer Tseng Kuo-Hung explains, “I learned all English from Sesame Street and school stuff, so English for […]

The library strives to celebrate and serve all of our community members. Each month, we work to highlight a distinct segment of our nation’s heritage and history. May, along with being Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, also happens to be Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). The celebration, first instituted in 2006 through a proclamation […]

A few years ago, I was regularly attending dance fitness classes a couple times a week. Each session I would arrive, change into my dancing sneakers, and let the instructor take the lead as I chasséd and pliéd the hour away. Most often I would leave without giving any thought to what went into planning […]

One of the many pleasures of working in a library is seeing the latest books freshly unpacked from their boxes. I read glowing reviews for the books below and can’t wait to actually read them now that they are here on our shelves. Please check these out or choose your own new fiction or nonfiction […]

I was a classic suburban kid whose formation of arts and culture largely came from the rabbit hole of the Internet, People Magazine and the treasure trove that is the Princeton Public Library. Itching for paintings and drawings, I got to see my favorite artists’ work by perusing through books long before witnessing them in […]

April is here, the sun is shining, the weather is warming and baseball is back. To me, nothing is more synonymous with spring and summer than baseball. To catch a game, we sit outside under the sun, snack on hot dogs and popcorn, enjoy a cold beer or soda and watch a game that has […]

Aside from the book groups that the library hosts for kids, teens and adults, Princeton is a town that has a healthy number of independent book groups. Being part of a book group can be a wonderful way to build community, deepen friendships, and talk about books. If you’ve ever considered starting one of your […]

Life is scary sometimes. On any given day, there are happy moments and sad moments. There are times when you’re angry and times when you’re truly elated. There are plenty of things in life to be anxious about, like going to a new restaurant and trying new foods, a meeting with your boss, or even […]

We’re all aware of the many romantic tropes that play out in the pages of young adult novels. For instance, there’s the misunderstood bad boy who steals the heart of the good girl and might possibly derail the future she has dreamed of her entire life (think Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore from “Vampire Diaries”). […]

Whether the search is for the perfect job, home, car, or partner, the journey to find it will ultimately be lined with landmines because finding the perfect match is an impossible task. What is possible, though, is finding something that is just right for you. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and regardless of your relationship […]

It has been about a week since “Spare,”  the tell-all autobiography by Prince Harry, was released. It immediately broke the UK record for the most sales on the first day of publication for a nonfiction title, which can be chalked up to society’s love (or obsession) for the royal family. What makes them so interesting? […]

What I remember most clearly is the sound. It was a tinkly, bright, happy sound. Each time I heard it I would dutifully turn the page of my book and wait for the narrator’s voice to resume reading the story. As a child in the 1990s, I loved checking out the cassette tape/book combination kits […]

Do you ever wonder what your neighbors are reading? The library aims to create a diverse collection of materials across formats for all readers’ interests, yet, typically, there are particular books and items that have a greater universal appeal to a majority of people. As the year comes to a close, the library has compiled […]

As the holidays approach, I look forward to certain changes around town. Holiday décor and lights gradually get added. You hear the bustling of shopping bags and the familiar sounds of holiday music drifting from the storefronts. And my favorite coffee shops are offering their holiday blends and specials. The holidays in Princeton are something […]

Now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are all behind us, the holiday season is in full swing. Lights and decorations are going up all over town and you can hear carols old and new playing from many of the stores. Just as many people unapologetically love Hallmark Christmas movies, I unironically love holiday […]

Each month carries with it certain expectations and feelings. Just thinking about January can make one shiver, imagining the plummeting temperatures and shorter days. The suggestion of May brings feelings of hope, light, and warmth. July, oh July. You are a glittering gem, baked in the middle of the summer, nights filled with starlit skies […]