Blog

A bookish year in review

Like any other year, 2024 has had its share of ups and downs. In terms of the library world, there were the reports on book

The spring on Spring

As I drive in and out of Princeton during my commute each day, I pass new businesses and shops on Nassau Street and buildings and

Two people walking in the woods in autumn

A gift of time

Here are a few ways the library can help you give the gift of time this year.

photo of a bed, a book, socks and coffee.

Fall favorites

Fall is my favorite time of year, a time when I find myself the most inspired.

Historical illustration of the Princeton University Campus and Nassau Street

Facets of history

Over the next few months, we’re diving into family and local history at the library from a variety of perspectives.

A tile from the "Happy World" installation at the library, showing the Latin text "Si omnia sunt imperfecto in hoc imperfecto mundo, Amor est maximus perfecto in suo vitio perfecto.

Latin at the library

Among the plethora of languages inscribed on the tiles of the “Happy World” installation, Latin seems to blend in discreetly.

Those librarians

As a child, I was encouraged to read as much as possible, and to read as diverse as possible. I was intimately familiar with every

Fumbling toward retirement

One moment you’re grounded in mid-life, juggling to pay mounting expenses and the next moment, your friends and family members beg

Image of an adult and two children looking at a painting featuring horses.

A pass to new discoveries

With a library card, patrons can get free access to a great assortment of museums in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York.

An image showing the American flag held up during a protest.

Democracy at your library

As the pace of election season picks up and the intensity of the campaign season settles upon us all, the library aims to serve

A stack of Princeton Public Library cards.

Membership has its privileges

There’s an amusing line from a children’s song I’ve always enjoyed: “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.”

A few Fall titles

Fall is when publishers release their biggest titles of the year. If you prefer to focus on under-the-radar reads, here are five

Teen summer volunteers

As we approach the midway point of summer reading, participants in our Teen Summer Volunteer Program are kicking it into high gear

Currently reading…

I wanted to become a librarian to help people, to make a difference and to be part of a larger community. I’m curious by nature,

A new (old) publishing trend

Centuries ago, the edges of the pages of a book were sometimes decorated in gold leaf, abstract designs, or even tiny paintings as

Summer snacks

Summer is my favorite time of the year. The days are long, the weather is warm, and everything just feels fresh and new. During

Photo of the piano described in the blog post

Introducing our new piano

There has been a change to our setup in the Community Room, which may not be noticeable even to frequent visitors to our space.

Step by step

One of the ways I passed the time during the Covid lockdown was going on absurdly long walks with my son. It was during this time

Cloudy blue sky

Living in your days

What makes a life? The concept of days being where we live is introduced by way of a Philip Larkin poem in Yiyun Li’s

Image of three stacked jigsaw puzzles next to a crossword puzzle.

Five on a theme: puzzles

If your love of puzzles runs deep, read more about the background of puzzles and the people who make and love them.

A slide showing nine book covers and featuring the description "Book List Women's History Month - Poetry"

Poetry in parks

Last week, the Library of Congress, in partnership with the National Parks Service and the Poetry Society of America, announced a

Image of library carts filled with books ready to be put back on the shelves.

Behind the scenes

True to our vision, the library is a “vital cornerstone of community connection.” We act as your office when you have important

We can all use a pep talk

Poet Maggie Smith posted a piece called “Pep Talk: On Not Stopping” on her Instagram account. In it, she talks about her most

Taking requests

An overview of the new browsable webpage of PPL’s Storytime Songs and Rhymes video collection.

Bake, bake, bake

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

Comfort me with cookery

In some libraries of yore, the cookbook (or “cooking” as it appears in our collection) section was known as “cookery.”

Suburban flâneur

Cul-de-sacs, meandering peaceful roads, rows of houses, and the occasional shopping plaza–the suburbs are a peculiarly built space

Misadventures in AI

The library’s blog is filled with a variety of voices and unique perspectives, including my own, on books, reading, library servic

Fifty, “Enchanted”

This blog began as a birthday tribute to beloved author Gail Carson Levine. After a decade of rejections from publishers, her firs

Person holding a origami geometric ball and surrounded by floating origami forms

A beginner’s mind

From our circadian rhythm to our “cicadian rhythm,” many life events follow naturally recurring cycles.

Crochet and Creativebug

Over the years, I have started and then abandoned countless projects, hobbies and creative endeavors. Anything that took real time

July top 5 for under 5 – 2023

We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library.

Checking in

It’s time to take stock of my plans and goals. Naturally, some of those revolve around my reading life! 

June top 5 for under 5 – 2023

We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library

Vintage typewriter

Rediscover language

Song and poetry are siblings, both undoing our familiarity with language. One of my favorite bands, Sunset Rollercoaster is a Taiw

May top 5 for under 5 – 2023

We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library

A few April favorites

One of the many pleasures of working in a library is seeing the latest books freshly unpacked from their boxes. I read glowing rev

A long history

April is here, the sun is shining, the weather is warming and baseball is back. To me, nothing is more synonymous with spring and

April top 5 for under 5 – 2023

We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library

Starting a book group

Aside from the book groups that the library hosts for kids, teens and adults, Princeton is a town that has a healthy number of ind

March top 5 for under 5 – 2023

We invite you to check out this month’s PPL Youth Services recommendations for activities, resources and new books in the library

Finding your perfect match

Whether the search is for the perfect job, home, car, or partner, the journey to find it will ultimately be lined with landmines b

When a little goes a long way

As much as I love to sink into a long novel, and even a series of long novels, sometimes a shorter tale is exactly what you need.

The tell-all

It has been about a week since “Spare,”  the tell-all autobiography by Prince Harry, was released. It immediately broke the UK rec

A snowy Princeton

As the holidays approach, I look forward to certain changes around town. Holiday décor and lights gradually get added. You hear th

Holiday music with Hoopla

Now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are all behind us, the holiday season is in full swing. Lights and decoratio

Tastes of the season

Food is at once so communal and so personal, and a scent or flavor can trigger a swirl of memories and emotions. 

Reading abroad

As a speaker of several languages (some with less fluency than others), I’ve frequently flipped through the library’s youth world

Book shame

It’s time I made a confession. I, Dana Treichler, librarian and book nerd from Princeton Public Library, did not like “Where the C

Hope and healing

As the anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks nears, I find myself feeling off. Sad, solemn, uneasy, and down are all wor

New to you

To keep yourself stocked with good books, let me encourage you to dive into the backlist and discover a wide world of reading joy.

The power of a school project

Earlier this month I stumbled upon a newspaper article about the exoneration of Elizabeth Johnson, Jr., the only remaining person

Summer reading wrap-up

With PPL’s Youth and Adult’s Summer Reading programs coming to an end in less than a week, I find myself reminiscing and thinking

Jersey fresh fiction

Since this is my debut as a blogger for the library, I’ve been thinking about the inspiration for “Sloppy Firsts,” my first novel

Voices carry

The library’s main stairwell evokes a ship-like feeling. In fact, on a few occasions, patrons and staff members have reenacted par

Sharing for the summer

It’s joy enough to love a book, but there’s also something truly wonderful about sharing a favorite book or series with others.

Connect and enjoy

Non-traditional items can be checked out and used at home or on the go to help you connect to library resources.

Paying attention

My hope is that a renewed sense of paying attention will expand rather than narrow your view, to build upon what you notice.

The sky’s the limit

Poet Maggie Smith posted “A wise person once told me to start each day by asking myself the same question: ‘What else is possible?

Looking where you step

On a January weekend when the day was too unexpectedly beautiful not to get a bit of sand in our shoes…

Your own year’s best

The end of every year usually brings all sorts of wrap-up lists: “best of” collections of everything from cookware to influencers.

Reading the world

Books can help get you where you want to go, whether you’re in the car or on your couch.

Down the rabbit hole

Almost everyone is guilty of falling into an online rabbit hole at some point or another.

Let’s talk about books

You may already be a “book talker,” discussing books with friends and family, or in a book group.

Old school/new school

Part nostalgia, part ingrained feeling that fall can also herald new beginnings, this change of season always stands out to me.

Testing the waters

It’s helpful to know that fiction (and even nonfiction) rarely stays in its lane; crossovers and bridges are everywhere.

Another kind of storytime

You’ve noticed the books, but we also share stories through our film and cultural festivals, oral history programs, and more.