Books Read, Goals Met

Dad taught me years ago to keep a book list, mainly to keep track of which audiobooks we had purchased and which one of us had read them. I was thrilled when a friend introduced me to Shelfari.com, an online bookshelf where I can keep track of my read and TBR lists, dust free. Since then GoodReads has become the latest bookshelf darling allowing authors to connect with readers and I dabble there as well. 

One of my favorite features of these online bookshelves is reading challenges. Years ago I joined Shelfari’s 50 Book Challenge group. For me, this has been an easily achieved goal, so I quickly added the 100 Reading Challenge group. This year my first book was How to Change Your Life in the Next 15 Minutes and the last Killer Karma. In between I’ve read 3 of Danielle Paige’s wildly successful Dorothy Must Die series, found a great new series, Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery by Steve Robinson and caught up with favorites like WEB Griffin, Lorna Barrett and Mary Higgins Clark. 

My goal this year was to read at least 50 books, but ultimately to read 100.

My favorite book of the year was The Island at the Center of the World a non-fiction historical look at the founding of New York City. Besides being a fascinating look into the past, while I was reading it I started to help a friend with her ancestry search and found her family prominently featured in the Island, a fact we had no clue about when the quest began.

On Friday as I watch bowl games, I will open my 2016 50 Book Challenge goal and expect to add the 100 Book Challenge by June.

10 Days until the Morristown Festival of Books!

The Morristown Festival of Books inaugural One Community,One Book initiative has been a great success!  Towns throughout Morris County, Libraries in both Morris and Somerset counties and individuals have jumped aboard to support the initiative. The Town Councils and Mayors of Butler, Florham Park, Mendham Twp, Morris Plains, Morris Twp, Morristown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Rockaway Boro, Roxbury, and Washington all have issued One Community, One Book proclamations urging their residents to read Lisa Colozza Cocca’s Providence.

Many book clubs in the area have been discussing Providence.
Pictured here is the Flanders Book Club get together.

Librarians around the area have been very enthusiastic about the One Book; engaging their book clubs in lively discussions of what Becky should do. I have to take a moment to thank Lotte Newlin, Library Director of the Kemmerer Library in Harding for allowing us to hold our kick-off event at her library. The event was fantastic and what a wonderful venue. If you haven’t been to the Kemmerer Library, it is definitely worth a look. Pick a good book off the shelf, and relax in a comfy reading chair looking out on the pretty pond out back.

A wonderful group of women donated funds to purchase Providence for many local Libraries. Through their generosity, Providence is also available in e-book format in the Morris County and Somerset County Library Systems. Look for a plaque in your Library copy thanking Modern Mondays.

Morristown Presbyterian Parish House

Now we are counting down the days (10) until the Morristown Festival of Books. At 3pm on September 27 in the Morristown Presbyterian Parish House, Lisa Colozza Cocca will take the stage to talk about creating Providence, her first fiction novel.  She will be taking questions from the audience. Personally, I hoping to hear a bit about how Lisa sees Becky, Rose and Georgina’s lives evolve after the conclusion of the book, say five years down the road. After Lisa has satisfied her readers’ curiosity, the program turns to the real world implications of Becky’s decision to run-away and raising Georgia. A panel of local experts: Judge Michael Wright (yes Mendham grads, OUR Mike Wright), Newbridge Services CEO Robert Parker and Brenda Mirley LCS, former Director Spence Chapin will discuss how the Morristown social services would help Becky, Georgia and Rose.

If you still haven’t read Providence, there is still time to pick up a copy. Bookworm, the official OCOB bookseller will be at the Parish House with books to sell. See you Saturday, September 27 at the Morristown Festival of Books.

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The 27th Annual Olde Suckasunny Day Street Fair is Saturday, September 6th on Main Street in Succasunna from 10am – 3pm. Sponsored by The Roxbury Public Library, The Succasunna United Methodist Church and by The First Presbyterian Church of Succasunna; there are games, live entertainment, musical guests including the Roxbury Marching Band, food, a Friends of the Library BookSale and 75 plus vendors, crafters, and non-profits.

The Friends of the Library are selling 15,000 gently used books priced from .50 for paperbacks and $1 for hardcover books. Among the non-profits tents at the Library are the Friends of the Library and the Daughters of the American Revolution. They can be found on Main Street between the Library driveways. The Friends table will be promoting memberships and driving traffic back to the Book Sale. Morristown Festival of Books schedules will be posted too. Meanwhile, the Ferro-MonteChapter DAR have balloons and pinwheels for the little ones, family trees and pocket Constitutions for the rest of us. The chapter will have information on the Wtreath Across America event they are sponsoring at the First Presbyterian Church and United Methodist Church cemeteries.

New this year will be a Dog Adoption from St. Hubert's which I hear will include puppies. Dad, I promise not to bring one home. Coming back after a few years absence is the Fire Safety house from the American Red Cross. Food is abundant including my favorites from hot dogs, corn on the cob and church lady brownies; a corner with no nuts please! During my break, I'm looking forward to stopping in at Village Antiques and Collectibles to see what fun things my friend Debbie Lauda has gotten in.

Admission into the fair is free with events scheduled throughout the day starting with opening ceremonies with Mayor Jim Rilee. The fair is on Main Street from Hillside Avenue to Hunter Street. Parking for the fair will be available at: Lincoln Roosevelt School, Franklin School and the Saint Therese Church where they are sponsoring a Granny's Attic.

Friends of the Library Open for Book Donations

Clear off your shelves and drop off your gently used books, CDs and DVDs Aug 23-29

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Among-Friends.html?soid=1104907686970&aid=4r1tm-ArFqU

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss!

Today is Dr Seuss's 110th Birthday. Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote 46 wonderful children's stories that have inspired imaginations for generations. His stories have spawned cartoons, movies, amusement park rides and a Broadway musical.  

To celebrate Dr Seuss's birthday and inspire reading libraries and schools across the nation will be participating in Read Across America. The Roxbury Library held their event yesterday. County Freeholder Kathy DeFillipo and Robury Councilman Marty Schmidt read "Cat in a Hat" to the 100 kids and parents that attended the program. 

Presley & Melody rocked the house with an interactive music and video party. The kids had a great time singing and dancing. 

Everyone has their favorite Dr Seuss story. I still have Hop on Pop in my library, what is your favorite?

Cross-Bred Reader Mutt

The polar vortex that has been keeping my state in the deep freeze, has me reading more voraciously than usual. Meeting my 100 book challenge this year will be a snap, as I've already read 25 books this month. Obvious I am an obsessive reader, but what other kind of reader am I? Laura E Kelly created this great infographic, “Which Book Reader SpeciesAre You?” 

What kind of reader are you? I totally fit the Situational Book Lover. I gleeful admit to being a App Happy, Kindle Convert, Travelling Reader who prefers being an Audiobook Listener, but when necessary will be a Bathroom Reader who ends the day as a Sleepy Bedtime Reader that guilty admits to sometimes crossing over to The Spoiler. This doesn't mean I'm a one category girl. Hi, my name is Kim and I'm a Compulsive Book Lover. As in a Compulsive Book Buyer... of free interesting e-books. I get daily e-mails detailing new freebies from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. I am also a Multi-tasker... I have an audiobook for the car & gym, books on my Kindle app & nook reader, and at least one genealogy book open on my computer. Time to hit the gym with the White Queen. Hope to see some comments on what kind of reader you are!

Overdrive is going all MP3 for Audiobooks

I wonder how Amazon via its audible.com is going to respond to Overdrive's announcement to do away with DRM audiobooks. Cory Doctrow has written an interesting piece on the latest win for audiobook listeners. I hope in the long run this will result in a decrease in audio production costs so that more books can be recorded.

New Year Goal - Let's Read!

Happy New Year! The ball has dropped, the party is over. The time has come to set goals for the coming year. One goal for me is easy: a commitment to read 100 books this year. I set and achieved this goal for the past few years. It is so easy to do. To double the fun, I create a post on Shelfari.com group 50 Book Challenge. Once I reach 50, I move on to the 100 Book Challenge group. Then I start to read. Cozy mystery and family history are my current favorite topics. 

Audio is my top choice for cozy mysteries and best sellers. My Audible.com wish list is long and growing. I'm happy to see that their list of cozy authors is growing as well. The Roxbury Library is helping feed my appetite as well. Besides their audio selections available via Overdrive, they have added another option: One Click Digital. Both of these sites will also allow e-book borrowing with your library card. 

When I have run out of audio choices, my next format choice is e-book. I've got a nook for the pool, a nook for reading by the fire and a tablet for reading on the go. The last one can also read Kindle books. I finally broke down and downloaded the app after I found a great new site Book Bub for free e-books. No this is not a site that cheats authors out of royalties. This site will send you an email alerting you to free book deals being offered by Amazon, B&N and others.
 
Keeping with my fiscal conservation in regard to reading, Google Books offers up a wide array of family histories that I tap into as I do my family tree. It is amazing how many genealogy books have been digitized by Google and others. It is exciting to find documentation of my connection to generations 6, 7, 8 back. It's even neater to find my grandpa in a book on a revolutionary patriots Alexander Alexander and Bancroft Woodcock.

The number 100 seems daunting at the beginning of the year. I look forward to the challenge of reading that many different books. Besides if it really gets tough, I can always read some kiddie books to my nephew to catch up.

Roxbury library seeks residents’ input for future

The Strategic Planning Committee of Roxbury Library invites all Roxbury residents to participate in our planning. Two opportunities are open to all residents: the survey   https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XSCKKS2 available online now thru Oct 8 and a Town Hall Meeting Wed, Oct 9 at 6pm in the Council Chamber in Roxbury Town Hall.
Roxbury library seeks residents’ input for future - New Jersey Hills Newspaper: Roxbury Register News

Friends Spring Book Sale is Here

Read all about it in the latest Among Friends.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Among-Friends.html?soid=1104907686970&aid=O209r5pEpv4#fblike

Roxbury Library Desperately Needs Help

Our Roxbury Twp Free Public Library plays a vital role in the community. It is the center where people can gather, where they can use a computer or where they can borrow a book or DVD to learn new skills and be entertained.  Sandy and its aftermath made this very clear when over 18,000 residents came to the Library to access the internet, re-charge their batteries and pass the time until power was restored to the town.

Computer Center during Sandy

Sandy has past and most of us in Roxbury have gotten back to our daily lives. The Library however is experiencing a storm of its own. The state mandated MINIMUM portion of the Library’s budget has been released with a $68,000 reduction from 2012 numbers.  Most people know that the vast majority of library funding is raised through local taxes, but you may not know that the State mandated annual minimum appropriation for the operation of our Free Public Library is equal to 1/3 of a mill on every dollar of assessable property within the municipality.  Due to the downturn in the economy, the mandated funding that the Trustees rely on for daily operation of the library has been decreasing each year for the past several years.  The minimum funding for 2013 is $1,096,213. In total, the 2013 proposed funding is $241,000 less than it was in 2008. The dramatic decreases in funding have necessitated difficult budget cuts; reducing hours, limiting book purchases and forcing technology to surpass its “End of Life” usefulness. Many needed projects and improvements have been set aside or scrapped altogether.  

The time has come for the residents to ask the Town Council to once again step up and support the Library beyond the state minimum. In years past the Council routinely added to the Library budget to create a Library that was looked up to in the county.  The past few years the Council has chosen not to continue that assistance. The result of the decreased funding; reduced hours, staff reduced by 1/3, program funding eliminated, and materials purchase (books, CDs and e-books) at a paltry 3% of the budget. We will need additional municipal funding to begin to restore our Library to the premier facility it once was. Please help the library by contacting your councilman and ask him or her to consider adding to the 1/3 mill for the library. Contact info for the council can be found at http://roxburynj.us/index.aspx?nid=3 .

Friends of the Roxbury Twp Public Library

The Friends are dedicated to preserving the library and its programs, an effort that has become increasingly important with the continued budget cuts to library funding. For more information on the Friends of Roxbury Twp Public Library visit http://www.roxburylibrary.org/friends/membership.html.

Wanted: Volunteers

Small local charities, such as the Friends of the Roxbury Library, rely on volunteers to provide vision and execution of programs and fundraising for the causes they support. Volunteering for your favorite charity can be a wonderful experience.  In today’s busy world, carving out time to volunteer can be challenging, but oh so rewarding.  There are several ways for you to become more involved with the Friends; as you do your spring cleaning, put aside your unwanted gently used books for our upcoming sale. We will begin accepting book donations Thursday April 19^th.

Or do you enjoy browsing our semi-annual book sale tables looking for your next bedside read? It takes a village of volunteers to take the mountain of donated books to make those neatly sorted tables you peruse. Circle March 31^st on your calendar for the Sorter Orientation meeting and join the village.

Another option this summer, murder will be in the air as we partner with the Roxbury Arts Alliance on murder mystery night to celebrate the finale of Adult Summer Reading. We are looking for a murderer, witnesses, detectives as well as behind the scenes helpers. If you have murder on your mind, e-mail us at FriendRoxburyLib@aol.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

May ~ Among Friends

Thank you for your generous donations to this Spring's Book Sale! Your donations from your bookshelves allow us to offer the wide assortment of thousands of books each sale.

The semi-annual book sales generate the largest portion of the funds the Friends use to support the library. Since we 2002, we have raised over $76,ooo through the book sales. The funds we've raised have gone toward the audio & DVD collections and supporting your favorite programs like the Adult Summer Reading and more.

We want to add a special shout out to Blue Diamond Disposal for donating a dumpster for the sale. Thank you!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Among-Friends.html?soid=1104907686970&aid=XEhbrImAp1E

Steps to Home Business Success - Gathering Information

All around the country, people who want more control over their lives are starting home businesses. People are living the new American dream of owning a business, but avoiding the high overhead and start-up costs of a commercial location. If the idea of working from home is appealing, but you don't know where to begin, here is a step-by-step guide to getting started.

Step #1:  Gather information on home based businesses
Step #2:  Determine how much time you can spend on the business
Step #3:  Determine where the money will come from
Step #4:  Decide on the type of business
Step #5:  Organize the house & yourself and go 

Gather Information

Start with yourself; make a list of things you like to do, your work and volunteer experience, and items you own that can be used in a business. Search the web or visit the library for inspiration.  Look over this line-up, and using ideas from it, list possible businesses to start. Eliminate any business that isn't appealing or doesn't fill a need people have. A great book to help you with this task is Loral Langemeier's Put More Money Into Your Pocket: Turn What You Know Into Dough.

Check back for info on the remaining steps. 

Among Friends

I have been on the board of the Friends of the Roxbury Township Public Library for a number of years. Like many non-profits we are struggling in todays economic climate to maintain let alone increase donations. As a result non-profits are looking for new ways to connect with their membership. A monthly Among Friends e-newsletter is one of those ways the Friends are using. The e-newsletter will quickly catch you up with what's going on with the Friends. This month's message is about our upcoming May events. Please check out this issue of Among Friends. If you like what you see subscribe to future issues by clicking on the Join Mailing List link in the e-newsletter. 

My 1st Movie

I recently went to a presentation that included a nifty little movie using text-to-movie technology. The movie was so amusing I found it on the web shared it with my Facebook buddies.  Another friend, also uploaded a movie, but it was one she created. Intrigued, I went to the company’s website to investigate.  Xtranormal provides the technology to turn a script into a movie. Pick a set. Cast the actors, in this case animated avatars. Type in your script, add the camera shot list, and music and presto change, you’ve got yourself a movie.

It sounded simple, so I decided to make a movie.  The movie centers on a girl telling a friend about NJ Libraries’ Technology Catch-up Centers. NJ Libraries are trying to win a $250k grant from Pepsi Refresh to create Technology Catch-up Centers at libraries throughout the state. The grant provides money for not only the hardware, but training, and downloadable books. Each center’s kit will contain an Ipad, nook, kindle, and flip ultra camcorder. The centers will open up a world of possibilities for all patrons and further NJLA’s goal of libraries being community centers where library patrons become lifelong learners.

Learning how to use xtranormal’s features is pretty easy. The choices are limited, which for a beginner like me is a good thing. While creating a movie, you can make as many changes as you want. Of course this meant, I tried out almost every set, avatar, camera angle & expression that xtranormal offered. On a freezing cold weekend, it was a fun way to stay entertained, inside. I hope you like it. If you’ve got an idea for a movie, now it’s as easy as pie to become a movie producer. Go for it, I look forward to seeing what you create.

NJ Libraries Vying for Pepsi Refresh Grant

NJ Libraries are trying to win a $250k grant from Pepsi Refresh to create Technology Catch-up Centers at libraries throughout the state. Pepsi accepts 1000 proposals every month from groups that have ideas that can create a positive impact on their society. The public then votes and the top 2 vote getting ideas will receive $250k grants.

The New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) and the NJ State Library have joined together in this proposal to bring the latest technologies to New Jersey Libraries. The “catch-up” centers will contain e-readers and a flip-camcorder which will allow patrons access new technologies. These centers will help parents “catch-up” with their digital native children. They will help the unemployed or under-employed to “catch-up” with their full-time employed counterparts.

The grant provides money for not only the hardware, but training, and downloadable books. Each center’s kit will contain an Ipad, nook, kindle, and flip ultra camcorder. The centers will open up a world of possibilities for all patrons and further NJLA’s goal of libraries being community centers where library patrons become lifelong learners.

I would love to use a Technology Catch-up Center in my library. Please vote EVERY day from now through January 31, 2011.

Writing Skills

I have not done any consistent writing since college. In today’s world it is becoming more imperative that I hone my writing skills. Social Media such as, Facebook, Twitter and blogs are becoming critical venues for any marketing plan.  The ability to communicate in a concise, informative and engaging way will be determining factors in how well a marketing plan succeeds.

So the question is – can I write for the new media world we now live in?  I have been working on a number of events for the Friends of the Roxbury Library. I will be tweeting and blogging about these events in the next few months. How well I succeed has yet to be seen.

Recycle Books at the Roxbury Library

Hooray - today has arrived. In my quest to de-clutter my home and life I have been tossing, selling and giving away un-needed items from around my house the past few months. I even took a pass at my book collection, amassing 5+ bags of books to be donated. And there they've sat in bags & boxes cluttering up a corner of my guest room rather than gathering dust on my shelves. 


Professional organizers recommend removing boxed items ASAP, so why have these books been around for months? Well, the Roxbury Twp Friends of the Library (where I serve as VP) only has book sales twice a year. This year do to the Jewish Holiday schedule are well known book sale has been pushed back from the usual 1st weekend after Labor Day to the end of September. Consequently we didn't open the doors for collection until today.


So today, the car gets packed and my books will be looking for a new home. Stop by the Roxbury Library Sept 23-26 and take home a few of my books.

50 Book Challenge

Back in 2008 Steve Jobs created a stir when he said “the fact is that people don’t read anymore.... Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore." That comment irritated readers throughout the world. The gauntlet was thrown down and in response libraries, bookstores, teachers, and book clubs created 50 Book Challenges around the globe. I’ve been a fan of Shelfari.com for a number of years and quickly joined the 50 Book Challenge group. So did my dad and a number of friends.  As soon as I achieved reading 50 books in a year, I joined the 100 Book Challenge too. So far this year, I have read 28 books so I am on track to reach the 50 book mark by June.  

As I was posting my latest reads on the Shelfari board, news stories about the release of Steve Job’s iPad wafted through the air. How amusing that the guy who said there aren’t any readers out there has introduced a new product aimed to compete with the Kindle Reader. What’s more the long lines for the iPad were reported throughout the day. Amazon’s phenomenal successful Kindle, Sony’s E-Reader and B&N’s nook prove that not only are people reading, they are anxious for new toys on which to read. Personally I’m looking forward to passing my Sony E-Reader onto dad and reveling in the nook.