TEEN LOCK-IN

Guess what? Our overnight lock-in is scheduled and ready for registration! Go to the lock-in section here to register and download a permission form. Permission forms are also available at the Youth Services desk.

Make sure you read the permission form for requirements. Space is limited, so register early. You can hand in the permission form the night of the lock-in.

LOOKING FOR BOOKS?

If you're looking for something to read, or have a report due on a certain kind of book, check out Novelist for suggestions. After you pick a few possible books, you can check if we have them in on our online catalog!

FINANCIAL AID 101

We'll be having a Financial Aid program at the library on Saturday December 12th from 11am-12pm.

Come find out how to get financial aid, how aid is determined, and the differences between kinds of aid.

No registration required. Everyone is welcome! This FREE program will be presented by Kaplan Test and College Prep.

GARDEN STATE TEEN BOOK AWARDS

Voting for 2010's Garden State Teen Book Awards will be closing on January 9th.

To vote, you can:
1. Grab a ballot from the front of the Teen Space in the library and put it in the ballot box.
-OR-
2. Click here to vote online.

If you want to read up, you still have time! Visit the Garden State Teen Book Award display at the the front of the Teen Space.

2ND FLOOR

2nd Floor is a helpline for teens in New Jersey. Actually, it's more than a helpline.

They have their phone line you can call. It doesn't just have to be something super serious that you call them about. If you're stressed, confused, need an ear, whatever, they are there to call. They are, of course, also there for serious matters as well.

They also have a website you can visit. If you're not ready to call, you can post a message on their 2nd Floor Stuff page. They have links to resources you can use, too. You can also check out their Teens Talk section.

Take a look at their page. Even if you don't think you'll need it, someone you know might.

AP COURSES

Interested in taking AP courses during high school? Visit AP Central to find out more about what courses there are, what they're like, and what the point is.

AP courses are classes you take during high school that can count for college credit. Taking AP courses can help you finish college sooner, as well as help you get ready for college. And, of course, colleges love to see AP courses on your transcripts.

Visit your school guidance counselor to talk about signing up for AP courses.

PERCY JACKSON MOVIE

The movie for the first Percy Jackson and the Olympians book is coming out in February. Grab a copy of the book before you see the movie! They're located in the Teen section under Riordan (the author's name).

If we don't have any copies of the book in, come to one of the desks and a librarian will help you put a hold on it.

LIBRARY ON FACEBOOK

Become a fan of the library on facebook!

Say things, find out about things! There's plenty to see.

See the library's page here.

HARRY POTTER 2 ON MONDAY

Just a reminder that we'll be having our book/movie discussion group this Monday, the 30th, at 5:30pm. We'll be discussing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Come talk about the book and the movie!

ONE BOOK NEW JERSEY ANNOUNCED

This year's One Book New Jersey titles have been announced!

Adult Selection: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

Teen Selection: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Middle Grades Selection: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo

Read to Me Selection: Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin

Visit the One Book New Jersey site.

BOARD GAMES

We have lots of Board Games you can use while at the library. All you have to do is sign them out! Ask a librarian if you want to borrow something.

Join us for Board Games on November 19th at 7:30pm, too!

TEEN LOCK-IN

Our Teen Lock-In is this Saturday! Register here & make sure you hand in a permission form. There will be video games, board games, food, Werewolves of Miller's Hollow, and more!

A BETTER COMMUNITY

ABC has a website that can help you get involved volunteering.

This information can help you volunteer on a larger scale than just a few hours here at the library. Take a look at the Get Involved & Organizations links.

It's a great place to start!

Also, remember that we have volunteer opportunities here at the library! Come in and fill out an application if you're interested.

COLLEGE.GOV

College.gov is a website provided by the U.S. Department of Education set up to help teens look ahead to and prepare for college. Take a look! It's worth the time.

Remember, everyone can go to college.

VOTE FOR ONE BOOK NEW JERSEY

You can vote for the 2010 One Book New Jersey titles! Just go here and choose what you want. You don't have to vote for each section.

Voting closes November 15th, winners are announced November 16th.

The goal of One Book New Jersey is to bring people together through the shared experience of a piece of literature.

GET READY FOR COLLEGE

We're having College Prep programs in November. The programs are FREE! All but the practice exam are 1 hour long.

Test Strategies
Monday November 9th at 7pm
Get Strategies to help you score higher on exams.
No registration required.

Financial Aid 101
Monday November 16th at 7pm
Find out how to apply for aid, how aid is determined, and what the differences are between kinds of aid.
No registration required.

SAT Practice Exam
Saturday November 21st at 10am
Get a practice run of the exam. Your results will be sent back to you with feedback. Scores are not official.
Registration required.

College Admissions 101
Monday November 23rd at 7pm
Find out what admissions officers are looking for in applicants and their applications.
Registration required.


Take a look at our November Teen Calendar.

TEEN'S TOP TEN ANNOUNCED

The 2009 Teens' Top Ten has been announced! In parenthesis is the library's call number for each title.

• Paper Towns by John Green (YA Green)
  
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (YA Meyer)
  
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Summer Collins 10 H)
  
• City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Ya Clare)
  
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins (YA Hopkins)
  
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Summer Gaiman 9 AC-CP)
  
• Wake by Lisa McMann (YA McMann)
  
• Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (Summer Cast 10 AC-CP)
  
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (YA Lockhart)
  
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore (YA Cashore)
  

If you want to check if we have them in, take a look in our online catalog.

BEATLES ROCK BAND

Come play Beatles Rock Band at the library! ALL ages are welcome.

Saturday October 24th at 1:30pm.

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD

Minutes for our last Teen Advisory Meeting are available here. The next TAB meeting will be held October 18th at 1pm.

TAB is a community service program were teens discuss library related topics and plan events. All teens are invited to TAB!

BOOK VS MOVIE

We're starting a Book/Movie Discussion group for teens at the library! We'll spend some time talking about that month's book, then watch the movie.

Our first book is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The meeting is scheduled for Monday November 30th at 5:30pm.

Need a copy of the book? Check if we have it in. If not, you can call the desk at 732-721-5600 ext5028 to find out how to get a copy sent to the library for you.

BOOK BUDDIES

Book Buddies is starting again!

If you need community service hours, or just like helping kids with reading, fill out a form and bring it to the Youth Services desk in the Children's Room. You can get a form at the desk or print one out here.

Also, if you know a kid who would like to get a Book Buddy, they can come to the desk or fill out this form.

MAKE IT TAKE IT

Teens made locker mirrors at our September Make it Take it! Afterwords, we played a few rounds of Catch Phrase and Apples to Apples.

Our next Make it Take it/Game Night is Thursday October 29th starting at 6:30pm. All teens grades 6-12 are invited! We'll be making Book Boxes (sneaky secret boxes made out of books) and having a free play for game night.

TEEN LITERARY MAGAZINE

The 'Zine (the Teen Literary Magazine) is accepting submissions!

Send in pretty much anything:
-Comics
-Movie Reviews
-Book reviews
-Important News
-Your own work! Become published!
-And more!

Send your submissions to Mary the Teen Librarian at mecklund@oldbridgelibrary.org, or bring it into the library. You can be anonymous if you want!

Submission deadline is October 16th, so get them in!

VOTE FOR TOP TEN

Vote for the winners of this year's Teens' Top Ten.

The winners will be announced during Teen Read Week, which is October 18-24.

MEET DAVID LEVITHAN

The Elizabeth Public Library will be showing the movie Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist on Friday August 7th at 4pm. At 5:30pm David Levithan, co-author of the book the movie was based on, will be there for a discussion. They're inviting anyone who's interested!

Some things David Levithan has also written are The Realm of Possibility, Love is the Higher Law, Are We There Yet?, & Boy Meets Boy.

MEET AUTHORS OF THE NANNY DIARIES

The authors of The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus, will be at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters on August 31, 2009 at 3:30pm. They'll be presenting their new book The Real Real. For more info go here.

HARRY POTTER LOCK-IN

Teens declare their suspicions of our neighborhood Voldemort at the Teen Lock-In on Saturday night.

Winner of the House Cup was Hufflepuff! Congratulations to the Yellow and Black! We had a great last minute effort from Gryffindor, who presented the following in our Harry Potter Rap Battle:

If you wanna talk about Potter, there's no time to rest.
You gotta pick yourself, it'll put you to the test.
If you have no clue then you're just a pest.
But if you know us, you know that we're really the best.

If you mess with Gryffindor, you're gonna get killed.
You think you're so good, but really you're filled.
Think of it this way, you have no skill.
Stay away from the action. Go home and chill.

Everybody knows that our house is amazing.
Come on you weaklings. Stop this failing.
Our power is endless, it keeps on blazing.
We are the Kings of Hogwarts! Come on people! Keep praising.

Then the battle with Voldemort finally came.
It finally became the end of this horrible game.
When Voldemort's plan shot down in flames,
Gryffindor house was the one who got all the fame!

HARRY POTTER LOCK-IN

We're having our TAB Harry Potter Teen Lock-In on Saturday July 25th from 4:30-11pm! We'll be doing lots of Harry potter games, trivia, and more!

Go here for your permission form.
Go here to register online.
(You must do both.)

You need to have come to two library events since April 2009.

See you there!

The library has a great new database where you can learn a language!

If you make an account (free!) you can pick up where you left off the last time. It can help you with school or just be something to amuse yourself with over the summer!

Click here to see it.

FREE SAT PRACTICE EXAM

We'll be holding a FREE SAT practice exam this Saturday, July 11th, at 10am. This exam is open to all ages, and scores are not official.

You must register here. Remember to bring you calculator and pencil! This program is sponsored by the library and Kaplan College and Test Prep.

GET DEFENSE

We're having two self defense programs at the the library.

Wednesday July 8th at 3pm, for grades 7 & up.
Wednesday July 15th at 3pm for grades 4-6.

You don't need to sign up, you can just come that day!

SUMMER READING PROGRAM

The library's Summer Reading program is well under way! For teens, all you need to do to participate is hand in reviews.

Grab or print a review form and talk about anything - books, movies, programs, websites, stores, anything! Each one you turn in gets you a snack, and you'll be put into our weekly drawings. There'll also be a grand prize drawing at the end of the summer for a 6 month YMCA membership!

It's free and simple!

SUMMER READING SECTION

We have a whole section of books where we're keeping the Old Bridge public middle schools and high school Summer Reading books. Just come in, find your section, and grab a book!

FREE SAT SEMINAR

There will be a FREE SAT Seminar on Saturday June 20th at 10am. Sign up here.

This program is offered by Ivy Insiders and sponsored by the Old Bridge Public Library. It is taught by Brown University student and Old Bridge High School alumnus Kathy Bui.

YOUTUBE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

If you cared when I mentioned that you could audition to play at Carnegie through youtube a little while back, then you might care about this. It's the symphony orchestra that came from those auditions.

TEEN LOCK-IN

The next Teen Lock-In will be on Saturday May 3rd, starting at 4:30pm and ending at 11pm.

Visit the library's teen page for information!

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD

Minutes for the last TAB meeting are posted on the site.

The next TAB meeting will be Sunday May 3rd at 1pm!

ROCK BAND

We're playing Rock Band this Thursday, the 9th, at 7pm. Be there!

13 REASONS WHY

The New York Times had an article about this book a little while back. Hannah recorded tapes and sent them to thirteen seemingly unrelated classmates before committing suicide. The tapes talk about why she blames each classmate for her decision.

The OBHS book club is reading it during the month of April. If you're an OBHS student interested in joining the book club to discuss Thirteen Reasons Why, talk to your school librarian. If you're not an OBHS student and would like to read it, talk to a librarian at OBPL and we'll get you a copy!

DID BEN FRANKLIN TWITTER?

Okay, so he didn't really. But I hadn't realized the circle we'd made.

This video is from the CBS Sunday Morning Show.

A BLOG BOOK?

Starting June 1st, Barbara Failing will be making daily posts on her blog. Why should you care? Because the posts are actually her next book.

You've likely seen a book that looks like a journal. Now there's a book that looks like a blog.

Add her to your feeds, check the page every day, whatever. Looks like it's going to be interesting!

Check it out here.

STRING TRIO OF NEW YORK

The String Trio of New York will perform for our First Friday event this Friday (April 3rd) at 6:30pm.

This American jazz chamber ensemble—made up of bassist John Lindberg, violinist Rob Thomas, and guitarist James Emery will be presenting a selection of music, including pieces from their first Opus, First Light at the Old Bridge Public Library.

This program is free and open to the public.

PUPPETS

Teens made puppets at Thursdays Make it Take it!

Our next MiTi is April 23rd at 6:30pm. We're making cookies!

TEEN POETRY DISPLAY

We're having a Teen Poetry Display during the month of April. We need entries! Send your work to mecklund@oldbridgelibrary.org or bring it to the youth services desk at the library.

You can hand your work in all month! You can have your name on it or be anonymous.

TEEN GARDENING

Behold our glorious chipmunk!

TAB members will be fixing up the library garden! The planning meeting will be held on Sunday April 5th at 1pm. All teens are invited to attend.

We will be getting together to work on the garden at 10am on Wednesday April 8th. Again, all teens are invited to attend. This is a community service project!

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD

If you missed the TAB meeting this past Sunday, you can get the minutes here.

Send any questions to Mary at mecklund@oldbridgelibrary.org, or call 732-721-5600 ext 5028.

The next TAB meeting will be Sunday April 19th at 1pm. Everyone is welcome!

WASHINGTON POST ACCEPTING PEEP DIORAMA ENTriES!

The Washington Post is accepting entries for their 2009 Peeps Diorama Contest. Visit the articles here!

Teen Advisory Board Officers Voted In!

The new officers for the Teen Advisory Board have been voted in!

Co-Presidents: Sibel and Dedeepya
Vice President: Mike M
Secretary: Jayna
Treasurer: Randi
Court Jester: Dana V

Come to the next TAB meeting Sunday March 15th at 1pm.

Teens in the Home News Tribune

Our community service event, Project Linus, where we made blankets to bring to Blankie Depo, was featured in the Home News Tribune. Read the article here.

Thank you to everyone who came out to help!

Pennies for Peace

The library is now collecting pennies for Pennies for Peace!

Pennies for Peace is a program of the Central Asia Institute. The collection will go toward educating children in central Asia.

For more info visit www.penniesforpeace.org.

The book The Cups of Tea, a title from the high school summer reading list, talks about Greg Mortenson and his starting this program. The story was also featured on the CBS Sunday Morning Show.

Study Space

We're having study space open at the library! From Jan 23rd-29th

Here are the hours:
Friday 3-9pm
Saturday 9:30am-5pm
Sunday 12:30-5pm
Monday-Thursday 12-9pm

Make it Take it - CHOCOLATE DIPPING!

Teens had fun dipping different foods into chocolate. The best? Bananas. The worst? Tomatoes!

The next Make it Take it at the Main Branch will be February 19th at 6:30pm. We'll be making awesome picture frames!