Passport Services will be closed this evening, Dec. 29. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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Game on! Teens enjoy Video Game Night at the Library. For more information on Teen programs, e-mail Mary.

The Old Bridge Public Library has announced that the spring session of ESL (English-as-a-Second Language) Conversation Group program will be held at the Central library on Tuesdays at 7pm, beginning February 16.

This 12-week program enables participants to learn about life in the United States, increase their vocabulary, and even make new friends, while providing a comfortable, welcoming environment in which to learn.

Participants can expect to practice their English conversation skills in a group setting with trained volunteers. The focus of these conversations is on everyday topics, such as finding the right job, local news and other aspects of community life.

The ESL Conversation Group program is FREE, but due to limited space is open only to Old Bridge residents over the age of 18. In-person registration is REQUIRED and begins on Monday, January 25. Please register, showing proof of Old Bridge residency, at the Adult & Information Services desk. No phone registration will be accepted.

The Old Bridge Public Library is located in the Municipal Center at the corner of Route 516 and Cottrell Road.

For further information about this and other library programs, call the Adult & Information Services Department, at: 732-721-5600, ext. 5033.

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By popular demand, the Library has a new photocopy machine. This one is located in the rear of the Library between the Passport Office and the Periodicals Section. Copies are 15 cents per page and black & white only.

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Library Holiday Hours: The Central Library will be closing at 1:00 p.m. on December 24 and 31, and will be closed December 25 and January 1. The Laurence Harbor Branch will be closed all of the above dates.

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On Friday, December 18th @ 1:30PM the Central Library will present a free screening of Julie & Julia. Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams & Stanley Tucci. A woman verging on thirty and frustrated in a temp secretary job takes on a yearlong culinary quest: cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” She chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches on with the food crowd. This film follows both women who, while separated by time and space, discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. 123 minutes. Rated PG-13.

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Math Tutoring will be canceled on the 23rd and 26th of December.

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Need a break from work and family? Join the Girls Night Out Book Group. The organizational meeting will be held on January 11 at 7:00 p.m. and then the group will meet February 8 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss Faith Club Ranya Idliby et. al.

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Librarian Lynn reads during a Family Storytime at the Library.

The Central Library has a new display of holiday themed material.

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• The Old Bridge Public Library's Craft Club meets in the Senior Spaces area of the Library every Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Crafters of all abilities and interests are welcome.
• On Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m., the Library's Original Book Discussion Group will meet to review Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.
• On Thursday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m., the Library's Original Book Discussion Group will meet to review Stoner by John Edward Williams.
• On Thursday, January 28 at 7:00 p.m., the Library's Original Book Discussion Group will meet to review True Names by Vernor Vinge.

Meetings are open to all and no registration is necessary. All meetings take place at the Central Library located at 1 Old Bridge Plaza at the intersection of Route 516 and Cottrell Road. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033 or visit: www.oldbridgelibrary.org.

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Staff Picks 2009: Librarian Tim's Favorite Books:

1. Blood's a Rover by James Ellroy
2. The Coldest Mile by Tom Piccrilli
3. The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville
4. Rain Gods by James Ellroy
5. Haiku by Andrew Vachss
6. My Dead Body by Charlie Huston
7. Sanctuary by Ken Bruen
8. Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk
9. Another Life by Andrew Vachss
10. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

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Staff Picks 2009: Pat B. from the Tech Services department recommends The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

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A panel from the Garden State Horror Writers spoke to a group of aspiring writers at the Library.

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The soulful sounds of The Christopher Dean Band filled the Library during a First Friday performance.

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Don't miss the new display of circus memorabilia on display in the Central Library's Reading Room.

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On Wednesday, December 2, Passport services at the Central Library will only be available from 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

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