New Database: Pronunciator

Make sure to check out the Library's new language learning database Pronunciator. It offers 80+ languages for English and non-English speakers. Appropriate for toddlers and up thanks to photos, and pictograms. Thousands of downloadable phrasebooks and up to 350 hours of downloadable audio lessons and so much more! Start practicing your conversational and reading skills today! For more information, please call the Information Desk, (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.




Send comments to: OBPL

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.

Send comments to: OBPL

Old Bridge Library: Free Digital Magazines!

The Old Bridge Public Library now offers full digital copies of your favorite magazines through Zinio digital magazines. You see the exact same material you get in print‚ plus some issues include interactive features. Magazine issues are not checked out so they’re always available to view. Read online or download issues to your computer or mobile device to read offline. Once you download a magazine, it is yours to keep forever! For more information, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033.

Looking for business information? Try Reference USA! Use the Reference USA database to find businesses based on employee size, sales volume, type of business and location. Find news articles on businesses and perform searches for papers and class projects. Find executives, corporate families and company descriptions. You can conduct powerful market research or select a location and do a radius search to look up the number of similar businesses in the area.

To access Reference USA, please do the following: Log onto the Library’s web site: www.oldbridgelibrary.org/ In the lower right hand corner of the Library’s web site, you will see a link for Jersey Clicks, clink on this link. From Jersey Clicks, click on the Reference USA icon. You will be prompted to enter your library card number, do so and you will have access to the database.

Send comments to: OBPL

Need a second opinion? The Salem Health is available online at this Library. Ask your librarians for details. Send comments to: obplref

Database of the Day: Mango Languages

The Old Bridge Library hosts a number of free databases (that is, magazine and book resources that can be accessed through the Internet). Over the next several posts we will look at the most popular databases that you can use for research (and fun!)

Mango is an online language-learning system that can help you learn languages like Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and more. For more information on this exciting database, please call the Library's Information Desk, (732) 721-5600 ex. 5033 or e-mail.

Database of the Day: NoveList Plus

The Old Bridge Library hosts a number of free databases (that is, magazine and book resources that can be accessed through the Internet). Over the next several posts we will look at the most popular databases that you can use for research (and fun!)

Are you looking for a good book to read, or wondering if you have missed any books by your favorite author? NoveList Plus is a comprehensive resource for fiction and nonfiction. With its intuitive style and mix of reviews and commentary, NoveList Plus will help you to answer the question of what to read next. Novelist can also help you find books in a particular series, so you can read them in order. You can even check the Library's catalog and place reservations on titles right from the database!

For more information about Library databases, please call the information desk, (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033 or send us an e-mail.

Database of the Day: EBSCOHost's Masterfile Premier

The Old Bridge Library hosts a number of free databases (that is, magazine and book resources that can be accessed through the Internet). Over the next several posts we will look at the most popular databases that you can use for research (and fun!)

Masterfile Premier is one of the most widely used databases in the Library, it is a powerful online reference system accessible via the Internet. The material available in this database ranges from general reference collections to popular magazines and subject-specific books and articles for students.

FYI, it's a common misconception that when schoolteachers tell their students not to use "The Internet" for their research, this includes the Library's database resources. Not true! The database contains the full text of articles and reference book entries that exist in print as well. They even provide a complete citation for your works cited page including the author, title and page numbers of the original article. Check it out!

For more information about Library databases, please call the information desk, (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033 or send us an e-mail.

Database distributor EBSCO has made a free web site detailing evidence based information about the flu. Check it out here.

Send comments to: OBPL

The Old Bridge Library recently introduced Mango Languages – “the easiest way to learn a foreign language.” Available on the library’s main web site and free to all library cardholders, Mango offers interactive, conversational lessons in nine languages, plus three languages for ESL (English as a Second Language) learners. It teaches actual conversational skills with a system that is so easy to use, you’ll see incredible results after just one session!

Languages include Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Greek, Japanese, Brazilian Portugese, and Mandarin Chinese. Also provided are lessons in English for speakers of Spanish, Polish, and Brazilian Portugese. More languages are expected to be added in coming months.

All you need to get started is your library card; enter all the digits from the back of the card (under the bar code), with no spaces. You can just sign in and practice, or register so you can come back later and pick up where you left off. Try it – it’s free and lots of fun! Access to Mango is available from any Internet-connected computer… at home, at work, or at the library.

Send comments to: OBPL

The Old Bridge Public Library Introduces MyLibraryDV - a unique video-on-demand service created by Recorded Books and your library. Anywhere you have a broadband internet connection you can have access to hundreds of DVD-quality videos covering a wide range of interests. You will find over 500 videos including award winning movies, foreign and independent films from Film Movement, and lifestyle programming such as Antiques Roadshow, America's Test Kitchen, Rick Steves' Europe, Today's Homeowner and more! MyLibraryDV is constantly adding entertaining and educational programming for you to enjoy. And since we offer simultaneous access there are never any holds on the videos you want to see! All you need for this free service is a library account in good standing and high-speed Internet access.

Send comments to: OBPL

The Old Bridge Library is proud to announce the acquisition of the Biography Resource Center database. The database supports the study of notable individuals in the arts, business, government, history, popular culture, sports, and more, making it the ideal resource for biographical research across curriculum areas and at all academic levels. Please note that a Library card ID number is required when accessing this database from outside the Library.

Send comments to: OBPL

Is your child looking for information about a particular kind of animal for a school project? The Library offers the EBSCO Animals online database, which provides thousands of easy-to-read entries about mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. Each entry begins with a simple category breakdown of the animal including Kingdom, Class, Order, Genus & Species, and Geographical Locale as well as a detailed description. Many entries include colorful images. This website would be useful to children and teenagers who are looking for information about animals for projects or pictures for collages. Photographs of animals are either on color or black and white. You can access this database by going to the Library's Online Databases, and clicking on EBSCO Animals. From the following screen, click on EBSCOHost WEB, and finally choose EBSCO Animals from this list provided.

Send comments to: OBPL

Hey, did you know that you have access to a wealth of newspapers and magazines through the Library's databases? Whether you are searching for a scholarly article to complete a school report, or are looking for the best hot water heater to buy for your home, there is something for everybody. Here are some of the databases the Library has available for access from home or in the Library:

Academic Search Premier (teen, adult)
Biography Collection Complete (teen, adult)
Business Source Corporate (teen, adult)
Business Source Elite (teen, adult)
Business Source Premier (teen, adult)
EBCSO Animals (child, teen, adult)
ERIC Education Journals (teen, adult)
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (teen, adult)
Green File (teen, adult)
Health Source – Consumer Edition (teen, adult)
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition (teen adult)
History Reference Center (teen, adult)
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (teen, adult)
Literary Reference Center (teen, adult)
MAS Ultra (teen)
Masterfile Premier (teen, adult)
McClatchy-Tribune Newspaper Collection (teen, adult)
Middle Search Plus (child, teen)
Newspaper Source (teen, adult)
Primary Search (child)
Professional Development Collection (teen, adult)
Regional Business News (teen, adult)
Science Reference Center (teen, adult)
Topic Search (teen, adult)

Send comments to: OBPL