The Ocean City Free Public Library is honored to welcome Author William Finnegan for this Virtual Talk and Q&A on July 15th.
William Finnegan's “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life” won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize and was one of the most praised nonfiction books of the year. In this talk, Finnegan explores the background and stories behind the book, as well as the pleasures and pitfalls of memoir as a genre. Through his thoughtful and humorous reflections, Finnegan inspires audiences to consider how their own passions and lives lend themselves to storytelling. 🌊📝
Got a tech issue? Setting up a new device? Interested in accessing Digital Library materials? Let us help! Our reference librarian Kyle can assist you. Set up an appointment using the Events Calendar to receive FREE tech help on the first and last Wednesday of every month by the 2nd-floor reference desk. Sessions are limited to 30 minutes max. See a reference librarian for scheduling assistance.
Please note that this program is meant to provide basic technology help – we are unable to assist with in-depth technology issues, hardware repairs, or specialized software instruction. Please bring any devices that you have questions about.
Wondering what to read, watch, play, or listen to next? Now you can receive personalized recommendations, made just for you by Ocean City Library staff members! Take our free Reader's Advisory survey and receive ideas right in your email inbox!
Also, feel free to visit our Newsletters signup page, where you can pick and choose which of our email newsletters you receive. Get lists of staff picks, new arrivals, events and programs, and book club news!
Homebound Library Delivery Program
Click here to learn about our Homebound Library Delivery Program! Eligible patrons can follow the instructions at the link to register.
Curbside Pickup Service
The Ocean City Free Public Library is excited to offer “Curbside Pickup Service.” This service allows patrons to borrow library materials without entering the building.
Curbside Service Hours:
Monday through Friday from 9am - 6pm Saturday from 9am - 5pm
For more information on our Curbside Pickup Service, please click here.
Beginner American Sign Language: Virtual Class Series
Beginner American Sign Language: Virtual Class Series
Come and learn American Sign Language! These Beginner ASL classes will be held virtually on Zoom.
During these classes, emphasis will be placed on developing communication skills using ASL. Interactive activities increase understanding of ASL and the deaf culture. This class requires active participation.
Classes will be held on:
Mondays, 6:30-8pm on Zoom
April 26 May 3 May 17 May 24 June 7 June 21 June 28
(No class on May 10, 31, and June 14)
*Registration is required. Spots are limited so please register ASAP.
Are you a Jeopardy fan? Random fact enthusiast? Come test your skills with 6 rounds of virtual Trivia hosted by the Library via Zoom. Bring a team or make new friends (a maximum of 4 people per team). This trivia will be general knowledge—so anyone can be an expert!
Registration is required, so please email jhoward@oceancitylibrary.org to register. If playing with a group in your home, only one person from your team needs to register. You will be emailed login information upon registration.
Prizes will be awarded to the first place team! Spots are limited so please register ASAP.
Join us on the 2nd Mondays of the month from 7PM - 9PM!
May 10 June 14 July 12 August 9
2021 Virtual Lecture Series (7pm)
Classy Chef Virtual Cooking Demos
Join the Classy Chef for these free virtual cooking demos hosted by the Library!
Demos will be held on the 1st Wednesdays of the month at 6pm on Zoom.
Come and join the fun and learn how to prepare healthy and delicious recipes featuring seasonal NJ produce. Get a glimpse inside the chef's own kitchen as she demonstrates how easy it is to prepare some of her summertime favorites!
June 2: Strawberries and Arugula July 7: Tomatoes and Blueberries August 4: Cantaloupe and Cucumbers
Functional Foods- Mushrooms will increase participants’ knowledge about mushrooms including historical, processing and preparation facts, it will create an understanding of the current research and health benefits of mushrooms, and identify the recommendations for including mushrooms in a healthful plant-based diet.
Functional Foods – Coffee will increase viewer knowledge about coffee including its plant origin and historical, processing and preparation facts. It will introduce participants to the current research and health benefits of coffee and identify the recommendations for including coffee in a healthful plant based diet.
"My Life in Five Short Stories: Moments that Define My Past and Future":
A Five-Week Virtual Writing Workshop taught by Eva Feeley
My Life in Five Short Stories: Moments that Define My Past and Future
A Five-Week Virtual Writing Workshoptaught by Eva Feeley
Participants will prepare a short (3 – 5 double-spaced pages) “snapshot” or personal essay at home for each of the five sessions. During the sessions we will discuss tips to create more compelling pieces and we will share as many stories with each other as time will allow. Input and friendly, constructive critique will be encouraged. The five moments that we’ll cover are:
- A Vivid Memory from Childhood
- I Always Laugh When I Remember This
- The First Time I Felt Grief
- An Experience That Cemented My Life Philosophy
- A Prediction: How the Stories of My Past Will Influence My Future
By the end of the series, the essence of who you are will have emerged for your deeper understanding of your life and/or to share with loved ones.
Eva Feeley, is a Sea Isle City writer and creative writing teacher. She is a member of Jersey Cape Writers, Beach Bards and Great Bay Gallery Poets. In 2008, Eva began presenting her very popular workshops in several genres of creative writing. She has presented at the New Jersey Writers Conference and twice at the North Wildwood Beach Writers Conference. Eva has written and self-published two books: Listen To Me, Young Lady, a memoir and Survivors of Snake Bites, a collection of her poetry.
You can follow her Facebook page, Eva Feeley, Creative Writing Services.
Virtual Talk with James Plousis & George Ingram, Authors of “Jersey Lawman"
Virtual Talk with James Plousis & George Ingram, Authors of “Jersey Lawman"
Authors James Plousis and George Ingram will discuss “Jersey Lawman: Life on the Right Side of Crime”, a memoir of former U.S. marshal James Plousis’s 40 years in law enforcement.
The book won second place for nonfiction in the Public Safety Writers Association’s national competition for 2020. The award, which PSWA announced on July 12, recognizes a book whose proceeds go to the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund. Freelance writer George Ingram collaborated with Plousis on “Jersey Lawman.”
Does my IRA go to the beneficiaries named in my Will?
What happens if I don’t have a Will?
Does the State get my money?
Shouldn’t I try to avoid probate?
What happens to my assets if I need to move to Assisted Living or a Nursing Home?
Nancy M. Rice, Esquire, CELA has been practicing law for over 34 years and focuses in the areas of Wills, Trusts and Estates, as well as financial planning for persons with disabilities and persons in need of home health, assisted living and nursing home care. She is the managing shareholder of her four-attorney firm, Rice & Quattrone, PC, with offices in Cherry Hill and Linwood, NJ.
Since 1997, Nancy has been Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. She is admitted to practice law in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Nancy resides in Somers Point with her friend, Barb, and dog, Mojo. Her two children are grown and both reside in Cherry Hill.
Remembered today for his novels like “The Scarlet Letter” and “The House of the Seven Gables,” author Nathaniel Hawthorne focused on tales and short stories for the majority of his career. Due to his reclusive nature, however, Hawthorne never offered a public reading in his lifetime and, in fact, often scorned the fame which he earned. For this presentation, however, the author himself (portrayed by literary historian Rob Velella) will return thanks to the wonders of modern technology to read some of his short works which explore the dark side of human nature.
Rob Velella is an independent literary historian and playwright specializing in American literature of the 19th century. As a scholar, Velella has published articles and presented academic papers on figures as varied as Margaret Fuller, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Walt Whitman. Nicknamed the “Prometheus of American literary scholarship,” he has taken his research outside of academia by lecturing at various historical sites, libraries, and colleges from Pennsylvania to Maine. He has worked on museum exhibits at the Boston Public Library and at Houghton Library at Harvard University. In his ongoing efforts to bring the writers of yesterday back to the readers of today, he has dramatically brought to life literary figures Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe, for which he has been featured on National Public Radio, the Travel Channel, and the LA Review of Books.
Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Real Story
Photo Credit: Robert Kaplafka
Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Real Story
May 26 at 7:00pm on Zoom
Have you met Laura Ingalls Wilder?
Not the girl from the books, and not the woman from the television – this is the real Laura Wilder. In this presentation you will hear the real history of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and discover the times, places, and people who inspired her wonderful books. The beloved Little House books are based on Laura’s life, but they are fiction. This program explores the real life of Laura Ingalls Wilder with all its hardships and tragedies.
(Due to the seriousness of the subject matter, this program is most appropriate for ages 10 and older).
Laura Keyes is the Director of the Dunlap Public Library in Central Illinois. She recently received the “Excellence in Performance” award from the Association of Lincoln Presenters.
OCFPL Database of the Week: EBSCO's Open Dissertations
EBSCO’s Open Dissertations is our #DatabaseOfTheWeek! This FREE resource provides access to more than 1.4 million electronic theses and dissertations from more than 320 universities around the world. Access this resource for FREE on our Databases page.
New! Beginning in April, we will have a monthly Children’s Newsletter (Subscribe here).
Spring Storytimes 2021
Toddler Time(for ages 2-3) Tuesdays at 10:30 am from January 5th through May 18th
Rhythm & Rhymes(for ages birth - 2) Wedesdays at 10:30 am from January 20th through May 5th
Preschool Storytime(for ages 3-5) Fridays at 10:30 am from January 8th through May 21st
**There will be no programs the week of April 5th - 9th.
Crafting with Kite Paper with Miss Taimi
Crafting with Kite Paper with Miss Taimi
Tuesday, May 11th at 6:30 pm (virtually on Zoom)
Learn how to make beautiful window stars with kite paper. Join Miss Taimi as she shows you how to make one of her favorite crafts (and shares a book or two). Because window stars are created with specific folds, this craft is best suited for children 7 and older. Registration required.