Old Bridge Library - The Amazing Power of the Arts

Saturday March 29 at 2:00 p.m. Gary Tsiperfal, artist and licensed social worker, explains how he uses art in his work with children, teens and the elderly. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

Math tutoring is Cancelled Today.

Math tutoring will resume Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Questions? Call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

Old Bridge Library: Maximizing Health and Well-Being through Self-Care

On Thursday, April 10 at 7:00p.m., physical therapist, author, and health coach Regina Rosenthal will help you start spring on a positive note by introducing you to simple, cost effective self care practices that relieve stress, promote relaxation, strengthen well-being, and support graceful aging. Rosenthal has worked in hospital, home care, and private practice settings, and has developed and taught stress management programs for the University of Medicine and Dentistry, Facial Pain Clinic in Newark, NJ. She is the author of The Heart of Healing: Discovering the Secrets of Self-Care. The Old Bridge Public Library is located at the intersection of Route 516 and Cottrell Road in the Old Bridge Municipal Plaza. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

Old Bridge Library: 5 Minute Organizing For a Fresh Start

Sunday, April 6 at 2:00 pm: Ready to start your spring off on a clutter-free note? Join bestselling author and organizing specialist Jamie Novak for an afternoon of organizing tips and tricks to purge the piles of paperwork, clean the closets and streamline your life. The Old Bridge Public Library is located at the intersection of Route 516 and Cottrell Road in the Old Bridge Municipal Plaza. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

Old Bridge Library - Reiki: A 20th Century Healing Practice for the 21st Century Patient

On Sunday, March 23 at 2:00 p.m. at the Old Bridge Public Library, Reiki Master Sharon Yeskel will present a free seminar discussing the benefits of Reiki, a safe and effective spiritual healing practice that is now being used in hospitals around the country. Whether you have pain or anxiety, are a stressed-out parent or caregiver, or have difficulty sleeping, Reiki practice can provide relief. Sharon Yeskel has twenty years experience practicing and teaching Reiki. She has been employed by Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy and Old Bridge, NJ since 2010 as part of their Division of Integrative Medicine. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

Parent Resources

"To nourish and raise children against odds is in any time, any place,

more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons."

- Marilyn French, American Author

There is nothing like being a parent.  Old Bridge Public Library has resources for parents of children of all ages. While certain resources reside inside the library, there are many that can be accessed remotely.

It is no surprise OBPL has many parenting books to teach you the latest French method to get babies to sleep through the night, or the trendiest way to communicate with your teen, but there is also a wealth of information with online classes accessible from your home computer. Universal Class is OBPL's virtual classroom. All classes are self paced, taught by real instructors and free with your library card. Basic Parenting 101, Behavior Management, Early Childhood Development, Child Psychology 101, Home Schooling, Basic Research Skills, Essay Writing and HUNDREDS more.

Another way to keep up to date with parenting trends is by checking out Zinio. Zinio is a virtual newsstand which lets you download and keep digital editions of your, or your child's, favorite magazines. Popular titles include: chickaDEE, Chirp, Discover, Family Circle, Fit Pregnancy, Owl, Gluten-Free Living, Working Mother, Seventeen, AND MANY MORE. Download your magazine to your computer, tablet or smart phone and read it during a midnight feeding or while you wait for soccer practice to end.

Homework is hard on parents, sometimes even harder than it is on the student. Old Bridge Public Library works with our school system to ensure we have the tools to help you and your student succeed. We offer research databases, reading resources, practice exams, museum passes and more.  Every Wednesday 3:30pm- 5:00pm and Saturdays 10:00am- 12:00pm we offer free math tutoring for students in middle school, high school. No appointment is necessary.

Today's students face challenges in research that did not exist 10 or 15 years ago. The internet is filled with information, but not all of it is reliable.  Our online databases have a wealth of information for homework, reports and papers. Databases draw their information from scholarly papers, magazines and peer reviewed journals.  Great places to start are Health Reference Center, American History Online, Literature Resource Center, Curriculum Resource Center, Student Research Center and Opposing Viewpoints.

When children read something that interests them, they will read more. If you are looking for read-alike books, award winners, and librarian favorites check out the Novelist and Gale's Books and Authors databases for suggestions. Both are searchable resources by title, author, subject and reading level.

A great in-house resource for classic literature is our Nook Classics.  Nooks have been pre-loaded with over 200 literature classics such as Frankenstein, Romeo and Juliet and The Scarlet Letter and many, many more. Nooks can be checked out for free, just like a book, and are renewable. Ask a librarian for a full list of titles and authors.

If your reader is not quite up to the classics and is still working on reading skills, hearing yourself read aloud can be a motivating factor in learning to read.  Book Buddies is a program which pairs children in grades 1 to 5 with a trained teen to help them improve their reading and comprehension. Generally, this program runs for about 8 weeks in the spring and fall. Our Spring Session is starting April 1st and registration is currently open for kids and teens.

In this global society, knowing a second or third language will only be an asset later in life. Old Bridge Public Library has two tools to help your child (or you) become fluent in another language.
Muzzy Language Learning System is a complete learning kit that teaches English as a Second Language as well as other languages to children. Each kit uses workbooks, DVDs, CDs and CD-ROMs. Kits can be checked out with your library card.  Mango Languages is an online database that teaches over 40 languages for adults and children grades 4 and up. By using interactive online tools to teach conversation skills and culture insight, its goal is to teach practical conversation skills while building vocabulary and grammar.

College Prep is possibly the most stressful part of the last years of high school. Requirements are always changing. Just last week the College Board and NY Times Magazine announced big changes are coming to the SAT.  Our Teen Librarian works with Kaplan Test Prep representatives to regularly schedule free SAT/ACT Practice Exams. Check out the Teen Page for an exam schedule. The best way to ace the test is to be prepared.

Finally, once the homework is finished and the exams are aced, have some fun as a family. Our Museum Pass Program is free to library card holders. Gain free entrance to The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Battleship Intrepid Museum, Grounds for Sculpture, or the Montclair Art Museum. Passes can be reserved by calling 732-721-5600 ext 5027. But you don't have to travel to the museums to have fun.  Between Storytimes and Crafts and Special Teen Events, it is really hopping! OBPL also hosts weekly recurring clubs. The newest club is the first part of The Old Bridge Library Idea Farm- Lego Club! It meets each Saturday from Noon -1:00pm for children of all ages, 2 and up. With towers of both Legos and Duplos going up and crashing down there are lots of giggles. Additionally our Chess Club for Children, grades 1 to 6, meets Mondays 4:30pm -6:30pm. Teens and Adult Chess Club meets Wednesdays 6:15pm- 9pm.




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Calling All Small Business Owners (and Business Owner Want-To-Be's)

Do you own a small business? Do you dream of opening your own business? The Old Bridge Public Library hosts a variety of resources for small business owners and small business start ups.

Once physically in the building, the library offers free Wi-Fi and public computers. Black and white and color printing is available for a nominal charge. Notary Services are available on a first come, first serve basis and are free to holders of valid Old Bridge Library Cards, $2.50 for all others. If you need to brush up on your computer skills, we offer beginner and advanced classes in Microsoft Suites.

If physically getting through the doors of the library is a challenge due to your business hours, with a simple internet connection, your library card lets you take advantage of our online resources such as online classes, databases, and digital magazines.

Universal Class is OBPL's continuing education resource. Online classes are taught by real instructors and can be accessed 24/7 from any computer. Business Related Classes include: Small Business, Home Business, How to Build Your Own Business, Human Resources, Management, Marketing, Microsoft Applications, Money Making Strategies, Organizational Finances, Writing Improvement and many more.

Our online databases offer a wealth of information with just a few clicks.
Small Business Resource Center is a database of information and current tips covering topics such as: sample business plans, NJ legal forms, starting a small business, writing a business plan, buying or selling a business, financing a business, marketing and advertising a business or location, and expanding a business.
Corfacts is New Jersey's business-to-business directory. Use it to assess prospects by industry, location, company size, number of employees and revenue size. Identify key decision makers by name or title, sales leads, or assign sales territories, create telemarketing lists, do market research. To access, log in with username: obpl and password obpl123.
Reference USA is a detailed listing of 14 million businesses. Look up company names, phone numbers, addresses and key executive names. Search a company's contact details, franchise and brand information, news, liens, judgments and bankruptcies and even credit rating scores. Target a market by SIC Codes, employee size, sale volume and geo-codes. Find similar businesses in key areas.

Zinio is an online newsstand of digital magazines. Once you download a magazine is yours to keep and read forever. Available business related magazines include Bloomberg, Business Week, The Economist, Forbes and Kiplinger.

If you live, work, or learn in Old Bridge, you are eligible for an Old Bridge Library Card.

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March Book Discussions

The Library will host four adult book discussions during the month of March: On March 10 at 7:00 p.m. The Ladies Night Out Book discussion Group will meet to review Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. Wednesday March 12 at 2:00 p.m. The Daytime Book Discussion Group will meet to review Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. On Thursday, March 13 The Bookenders Book Discussion Group will meet to discuss The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. On Thursday, March 27 The Science Fiction Book Discussion Group will discuss Dimension Of Miracles by Robert Sheckley. Books for each group are available at the Library’s Circulation Desk. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033 or visit www.oldbridgelibrary.org.

Free movies at the Library

The Library will be showing two free movies this week: On Thursday March 6 at 6:30 p.m. we will show A Man For All Seasons as part of the Critics' Choice Film Series and then on Friday, March 7 at 1:30 p.m., our Free Friday Movie will be Stepmom. All Library events are free and everybody is welcome. For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033. (TN)