A Message from Director Deb Messling
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On October 31, I will be retiring after 18 years at the Library and four and a half years as its Director. I will carry fond memories of our loyal patrons, our terrific staff, our dedicated Trustees, our partners in the Town, and our hardworking, creative Friends of the Library members. I came to Phillipsburg Library as a reference librarian in 2002. I was drawn to its statewide reputation for excellence and to the warmth and dedication of its staff. What a journey! I witnessed the long-overdue expansion of our building, the great improvement in our technology offerings, the advent of library eBooks, and a dramatic increase in adult programming, including book clubs, a film series, hands-on art classes, weekly game days, genealogy classes, history lectures, and so much more. Our children’s room has blossomed into a beautiful, welcoming, enriching environment for kids of all ages, including the babies who make all the library staff smile when they arrive for their lap-time program. These days, whenever you read a news article about libraries, someone will be quoted as saying “Today’s library is about more than just books.” That is true (and has been true for decades, by the way), but let’s be real: libraries are mostly about books, reading, and lifelong learning. They are the place for the intellectually curious, the autodidact, and enthusiasts of all stripes. Our professionally curated collection is meant to appeal to the many and the few, so we have all the popular bestsellers as well as Proust, volumes of experimental poetry, and books about making soap and raising milk goats. Whatever the future holds for Phillipsburg Library, I am confident that it will always remain true to its core mission of helping people learn and grow through the magic of the written word. I personally thank you for your support over the years, and especially for your support and patience this year as we have grappled with unprecedented challenges. Watch this space next month to meet your next Library Director!
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Monday, October 5, 6:00pm Are you currently enrolled in Medicare? Will you be turning 65 over the next year or two? Learn about eligibility, how and when to enroll, when you can make changes, and the insurance options available to you. Review and compare what services are covered/not covered under Medicare Parts A, B, C and D. Detail the costs associated with medical and drug insurance. Explore and evaluate Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. This program will simplify the choices you need to make, help you make more well-informed decisions and explain what Medicare means for you! You must register in advance for this educational event. At the registration page, please fill in your first name only and leave your last name blank. Click here to register!
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Take & Make Craft: Spider Web Wall Art
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Join us for our October "take & make" craft! This month, we're making spiderweb wall art with embroidery hoops, yarn, and pipe cleaners. On Friday, October 9, we will post a video tutorial for you to view on our YouTube channel, Adult Programs webpage, and Facebook page. Kits are available on a first come, first served basis and contain everything necessary to make this craft except scissors and tape. Call the library at 908-454-3712 or email info@pburglib.org to reserve a kit!
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Upcoming Events for Children
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All videos for our October children's programs will be posted on our YouTube page, and linked from our website and Facebook page. Each video will remain up for 4 weeks after the initial posting. Storytime For ages 2 and up Join Miss Mary Beth for this month's Storytimes, complete with a simple craft that may be reserved for curbside pickup! Alligator Storytime: Wednesday, Oct 14th at 10:00 am The craft kit for the Alligator Storytime may be reserved for pickup curbside Tuesday, Oct 13th – Friday, Oct 16th. Call 908-454-3712 or email childrens_staff@pburglib.org to reserve a kit. You will have three days to pick up your reserve before it goes to the next person on the waiting list. Halloween Storytime: Wednesday, Oct 28th at 10:00 am The craft kit for the Halloween Storytime may be reserved for pickup curbside Monday, Oct 26th – Friday, Oct 30th. Call 908-454-3712 or email childrens_staff@pburglib.org to reserve a kit. You will have three days to pick up your reserve before it goes to the next person on the waiting list. Leaf Lantern Craft Kits For grades 1-5. It's that time of year when the trees burst into radiant color before dropping their multicolored leaves. Take a family walk and collect the best leaves you can find, and use our craft kit to turn them into a lantern! Kits will be available for pickup starting October 19th. Call 908-454-3712 or email childrens_staff@pburglib.org to reserve a kit. You will have three days to pick up your reserve before it goes to the next person on the waiting list.
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Ongoing Events for Adults
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PFPL Writers Group Monday, October 12 & 26, 6:00pm Do you have a story to tell? Join the PFPL Writers Group!
We welcome all levels of writers from beginner to published professionals. We'll discuss fiction, poetry, nonfiction (including memoir), and more. Bring your ideas, a notebook, and your magic pen! This event will be held on Zoom. Click here to register!
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Classic Book Club Tuesday, October 13, 7:00pm “Classic” books are classic for a reason – their literary excellence transcends passing fads, and they continue to engage readers generation after generation. If there are classics you have always meant to read “someday,” or if you read them in school before you were ready to appreciate them, now is the time to enjoy them with other adult readers. This month we're reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
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Book Forum Wednesday, October 21, 3:30pm
The book club with no assigned reading. Share light refreshments and talk about whatever you have been reading lately. This event will be held on Zoom. Click here to register!
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Happy Bookers: 1776 Wednesday, October 28, 7:00pm By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough, based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known. But it is the American commander-in-chief who stands foremost — Washington, who had never before led an army in battle. Multiple copies of the book are available for reserve. This event will be held on Zoom. See the Happy Bookers webpage for more information.
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Are you a fan of HGTV? If so, then you know who Joanna Gaines is. Not only do she and her husband Chip do television shows, have a whole complex of stores and eateries in Waco, Texas, and a magazine, but Joanna also has a couple of cookbooks to her name. This recipe is from her latest book, Magnolia Table Vol. 2. There are many good recipes in the book, but I thought I would give this one a try. Very easy and very delicious! I did add some mozzarella to the cheese topping at the end. Click here for the recipe!
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I'm Thinking of Ending Thingsby Iain ReidA man and his girlfriend, on their way to a secluded farm, take an unexpected detour that leaves the woman stranded in a deserted high school, wondering if there is any escape from the twisted manifestations that are haunting her. Now streaming on Netflix; read the book first! Submitted by Deb Messling, Library Director.
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History Is All You Left Meby Adam SilveraHaving lost his first boyfriend in a terrible accident, Griffin, a youth with OCD, forges a friendship with his lost love's ex-boyfriend, Jackson, who exhibits suspicious signs of guilt. By the best-selling author of More Happy Than Not. Submitted by Stephanie, Reference Librarian
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A Week at the Shoreby Barbara DelinskyReturning to her family’s Rhode Island beach home after a 20-year estrangement, a real estate photographer navigates painful family secrets that test her bonds with her sisters, while her 13-year-old daughter pursues desperately wanted family ties. Submitted by Lori, Library Assistant
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The Girls With No Namesby Serena BurdickAfter her rebellious sister disappears during the summer of 1913, Effie must rely on the help of an enigmatic Mabel to find her in the new novel from the author of Girl in the Afternoon. Submitted by Cindy, Library Assistant
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