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 […]
We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library collection for children up to 5 years old and their families. 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Take the library’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten pledge and instill the foundation for a lifelong love of reading with […]
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 […]
We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library collection for children up to five years old and their families. Summer Nights Series: Raya and the Last Dragon Presented in partnership with Princeton Shopping Center, this Summer Reading wrap-up event begins with an […]
Celebrate the official start of summer at the library by joining our annual Summer Reading program, beginning June 15. Open to readers of all ages, we invite you to reflect, investigate and interact with the world around you and see how “Reading Colors Your World.” Children and teens who log at least 20 days of […]
The Tweet from actor George Takei was a simple and powerful call to action: “The best thing you can do today is to speak out against violence toward Asians in this country, especially if you yourself are not Asian. Thank you to all who use their platform to spread support and love.” Princeton Public […]
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 […]
As we move into November and tune personal thoughts to our 2020 harvest celebrations, this month we also commemorate the heritage and history of the native peoples of North America. We’re featuring a selection of poetry, memoirs, history, and fiction from our collections, as well as related links to elibrary resources and Indigenous People’s Day […]
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 […]
Virtual Princeton Public Library is open. While our building is off-limits for the community and staff, the business of the library moves along, with staff planning online events, curating digital collections, providing research assistance, and recommending reads. We aim to stay connected. In these homebound days, work is done on time we carve out of […]
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 […]
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes get a little over-ambitious when it comes to checking out books from the library. You’re browsing the catalog, trying to find a new cookbook to bring home, and before you know it, you’ve put ten different things on hold–five cookbooks, a beautiful children’s graphic novel, a non-fiction book […]
Last week, the library hosted its version of Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic holiday tradition that includes exchanging books and drinking cocoa. Several staff members, including myself, picked a few of the books we loved from the previous year to talk about, and it was fun to see how different people reacted to titles we mentioned, growing […]
If you’ve been to the library at all in the past couple of months, you will have noticed the plethora of space-themed paraphernalia decorating our shelves, particularly on the children’s floor. Thanks to this year’s summer reading theme, “A Universe of Stories”—a nationwide theme selected by the Collaborative Summer Library Program—we at the Princeton Public […]
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 […]
Libraries have always been about sharing. We share books and movies and a vast array of other materials with our communities. We help people learn and share experiences through classes and programs. Libraries also share with each other. This includes sharing our materials but we also share ideas. The first annual Library Giving Day (#LibraryGivingDay) […]
I have been listening to reporter Rukmini Callimachi unveil fascinating accounts of her team’s work on the frontlines of the war against ISIS in a new podcast from the New York Times, Caliphate, which explores the Islamic State and the fall of Mosul. The approach is intimate and personal, building from the opening episode’s posed question, “Who […]
I’m lucky to work at the library for many reasons, and one of those is that my employment here introduced me to my dear friend and colleague, Erica Messmer. I’m sure our regular customers have enjoyed many pleasant conversations with Erica at the first-floor Checkout Desk. Erica is a smart, ambitious, hard-working, and exceptionally competent member of the Lending Services team. […]
My resolution plate is happily empty, as I’ve chosen to skate by picking goals to live up to this year. In this waning January of 2018, I find I’m revisiting not-quite-left-behind connections and planning to pick up the pieces. I will refocus daily on juggling work and work life, home and home life, projects, health, […]
If you’re a regular customer here at the Princeton Public Library, you’ve no doubt been helped by the wonderful Ken Richardson at the first-floor checkout desk. Ken is patient, thorough, and routinely demonstrates exceptional customer service. He’s always the first person I go to when I have a question about something, and his positivity never […]
In addition to being part of the Princeton Public Library staff, I also write novels for children and teens. (You can find all of my books on the third floor, in fact!) Especially when I’m on a deadline, I can be glued to my computer for hours at a time. Things that are important to […]
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