from the archive

I’ve never been a big believer in coincidences. While something may seem accidental or random, I’ve always enjoyed the idea that there may be a little bit of magic behind it. Most of us have many interests and pursuits and lives, so to speak, and it can be helpful to keep them neatly wrapped in […]

May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This month offers an opportunity to explore the stories and perspectives of Asian and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander Americans (AANHPI). The library aims to include such topics in programming and content throughout the year, and this month serves as a chance to focus […]

Graphic novels and comics are fantastic storytelling mediums. With your library card, you can access thousands of digital graphic novels, comics, and manga through ComicsPlus, Hoopla, and our other eLibrary platforms. With rich visuals to accompany the text, the graphic format invites readers to exercise visual literacy skills and broaden their thinking. Illustrations also provide […]

April is Financial Literacy Month. With tax season nearly in the rearview mirror, don’t let the topic of personal finance slip into the dark recesses of your mind. There are plenty of free resources available with and without your library card to help you navigate your journey. One of the latest additions to our collection […]

In 2017, Smithsonian Magazine released an article interpreting a National Women’s History Museum study on the representation of women in school social studies standards in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Building on the study, the magazine found that the standards mentioned three men for every one woman—of which 55% were named only once. Domestic […]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, art is a “skill; its display, application, or expression.” And, it is all around us. We see it in the pages of books, on street corners and the sides of buses, on display in buildings and homes, and even create it ourselves.  Libraries themselves are havens for art and […]

“Stop! Stop it! Stop!” Last summer these sounds echoed from the backseat of my car whenever I took a local drive with my two kids, ages six and nine at the time. Suddenly they seemed unable to go on a 20-minute car ride anywhere without bickering, fighting, and generally annoying each other to the max. […]

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 Dr. Joy Barnes-Johnson, an educator at Princeton High School, who also serves on the boards of Paul Robeson House of Princeton and Choose. For a more detailed […]

On a recent walk with my dog, we were exploring a new path when we came upon a small grove of pine trees. It was impossible to resist walking into it. Immediately, it felt like I was transported to childhood days when I would spend a decent amount of time staring up at the underbelly […]

I had a conversation recently with some of my colleagues about our college experiences, sharing how our initial plans for majors and careers changed in the realities of adult life, and the things we can’t believe we didn’t know when making potentially life-altering choices. More than once, someone said “if I could make the choice […]

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 Marion Renson, executive director of Eating For Your Health (formerly The Suppers Program). The library has worked with this group for several years to help our community […]

As writers, we are consistently drawing inspiration from and making connections to the events in our lives. Everyday interactions and momentous occasions can cause a ripple effect, leading us down a new path of adventure and wonderment. Over the past year or two, I’ve gotten married, earned a Master’s degree, purchased my first home and […]

On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of then President Donald J. Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn the presidential election won by current President Joseph R. Biden. The vitriol and violence displayed by the rioters unfolded on live television. People across the country and beyond watched as the mob, which included members […]

From my perspective, public libraries and chess have always been intertwined. When I was a young child, my father, who loved reading, took me to our local public library on Saturday mornings to explore the stacks. I think that initiated my lifelong love of books and sparked my natural curiosity. When I was about 11 […]

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 Mary Waltham and Mik Bökelmann of the Princeton Artist Directory (PAD). Janie Hermann, manager of adult programming at the library, recounts that in the early days of […]

Earlier this week, I found myself mesmerized by a video recording of Bernadette Peters singing “Anyone Can Whistle” I hadn’t seen before, and for the first time I  understood how quietly devastating it is. “What’s hard comes easy. What’s natural comes hard …” There are parts of life that we think should be so easy, […]

I’m currently listening to the audiobook of John Green’s rather delightful The Anthropocene Reviewed, in which he reviews and rates aspects of our human experience, from our capacity for wonder, to whispering, to CNN, to Canada geese. In his introduction, he quotes his friend, author Amy Krouse Rosenthal: “For anyone trying to discern what to […]

For more than 42 years, Arm In Arm (formerly Crisis Ministry of Mercer County) has been working hard to connect people to essential resources. We recently spoke with Maureen Hunt, chief development officer for Arm In Arm. How long has Arm In Arm been active in Princeton? Arm In Arm has been active in Princeton […]

November marks National Native American Heritage Month, also called American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This month offers an opportunity to explore the history and culture of Indigenous peoples with ties to the land now occupied by the United States. The library aims to integrate topics related to Indigenous peoples into programming throughout the […]

Some call us wizards or the keepers of knowledge. Superheroes, geniuses, guides and human search engines – we’ve heard it all. I recently earned my master’s degree and, when it came in the mail, it read “Master of Information.” This got me thinking, what makes us, librarians, the masters of information? Yes, the years of […]

The library’s relationship with DVP/US 1 Poets, an organization formed by the recent merger of two poet collectives, demonstrates the collaborative, creative spirit we value when working with community partners. Through the regular Poets at the Library program, which features two readers and an open mic, DVP/US 1 Poets has connected the library with readers from near and […]

How often as a parent or caregiver have you heard the refrain, “Read it again! “or “Read me another!” from your child?  Reading a favorite book aloud over and over (and over!) with your child is one of the key building blocks of early literacy – and develops and expands your child’s language, vocabulary and […]

Award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson, writer of oft-challenged novels that speak to the modern experiences of young adults, once described censorship as “the child of fear, and the father of ignorance.” These words resonate with librarians always, though particularly loudly at this time of year, as Sept. 26 marks the beginning of Banned Books Week, […]

Sept. 10-19 marks Welcoming Week, an initiative begun by Welcoming America, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that leads a movement of inclusive communities becoming more prosperous by ensuring everyone belongs. In 2016, the municipality of Princeton joined this initiative as a Welcoming Town, and each year the Department of Human Services teams up with the library […]

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, when terrorists hijacked four airplanes and turned them into missiles aimed at major U.S. landmarks. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and continue to shape our world. The library has developed programs and resources to recognize this year’s anniversary. In assembling […]

When I was a little girl, my grandfather gave me a copy of Richard Henry Dana, Jr.’s “Two Years Before the Mast.” This wasn’t his favorite book, in fact, he had never read it. Its sole purpose was to put a smile on my face when I saw the singular word written across the spine, […]

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 Anne Brener, executive director of Princeton Adult School. As the library’s community engagement coordinator, and a former member of the board of Princeton Adult School, I can […]

Some time ago I noticed a diagram of pieces of a book pinned up next to a colleague’s desk. She had found it via an online image search and kept it because in our line of work being able to refer to specific pieces of a book can be useful. For example, we may need […]

On a January weekend when the day was too unexpectedly beautiful not to get a bit of sand in our shoes, my little family set off to find somewhere we had never been in our quarantine state of New Jersey. The path we took was largely unplanned and our destination unset. After recent days spent […]

Many of us now have the opportunity to explore new hobbies or get back in touch with old ones. Sewing clothes has been a creative and tactile outlet for me for quite some time. There’s complex thinking and problem solving involved when coaxing one piece into the correct position with another, and then getting everything […]

When there is a lot of uncertainty in the world, it can be challenging to know where to turn or how to recognize that what you are reading, seeing, or hearing is accurate. Find comfort in knowing that the library is a trusted source to help you navigate through and connect to high-quality information. This […]