staff's blog

The Essex Library will be closing at 3:00pm on Wednesday, November 21 for the Thanksgiving holiday.  The library will be closed on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23 and both the Essex and Union libraries will re-open on Saturday, November 24. Wishing you a wonderful and safe holiday!

Have you visited our Reference and Resources page recently?

If so, you may have noticed the blue button for the Gale Virtual Reference Library. This new library feature has nearly one hundred volumes of reference ebooks that you can access completely for free and read directly on your home computer or one of the library public computers - no ebook reader necessary!

Have you noticed that the Ocean State Libraries E-Zone has a brand new look? It has been redesigned and isn't just pretty, it's also easier than ever to find titles to download!

Banned Books Week 2012 is September 29th - October 6th. This blog post is reposted from last year because it's a good one!

What do all of these classic novels have in common?

...

If you answered that they've all been banned or challenged in schools and libraries around the country, you're correct. Each of these novels are listed on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels List and along with several dozen others, are also on ALA's list of Banned or Challenged Classics ...

We have been hearing some really wonderful feedback about our recent Resume and Cover Letter Writing Programs! We are happy to announce that Consolidated Consulting Recruiting Services will be back to do a three-part class on Interview Skills. These classes will help you learn to be more comfortable with the interview process and get that job. The classes are Thursdays - August 25th, September 1st and September 8th from 6:00 - 7:45pm. All are free and open to the public.

If you can't make it to the classes or want to work on your job skills from home, here are some titles we have on display that you can check out.

The ALA's @Your Library website and blog is a great resource for discovering innovative and wonderful ideas, programs and events happening in libraries across the country.

This video is part of a series in which authors, journalists and other notable community members discuss the impact of libraries in their own lives and the crucial roles that Libraries continue to play. This one in particular features award-winning author Neil Gaiman who has written books for children, young adults, adults and graphic novels. He has a lot of great things to say on this topic:

Job searching is often stressful and overwhelming! We have a couple of free programs coming up that will help you to write a great resume and cover letter and give you an advantage in your search. Consolidated Consulting and Recruiting Services will be here to lead the class and answer your questions. The Resume Class is on July 14 at 6:00 pm. The Cover Letter Writing Class is on July 21, also at 6:00 pm.

If you can't make it or want to learn from home whenever you have time, we have some great titles in our collection that you can check out:

Summertime is here and so we are gearing up for summer reading! Our summer reading program for adults will be starting up in a few short weeks and this year's theme is "Novel Destinations". With that in mind, over the next couple months, we will be highlighting travel-related books and activities.

No time for big travel plans? No problem! The Library has the cure for the serious case of Wanderlust that may set in reading about all this travel!

There is still time to register for our upcoming Craft Night program on May 19th, Learn to Crochet!  If you can't make it, or would like to learn more at home, we have several titles available for you to check out in our front display. Here are a few selections for crochet enthusiasts of all levels of experience:

Our new series of collectible bookmarks were featured in a story by The Herald News.