July Newsletter

*Please note the corrected date and location for the Friends Open House.*

Thank you to the Long Branch community for joining us at our Annual Juneteenth Event last month with our mayor, congressman, poets, speakers and local businesses! We hope to see you again next year.  

Summer Has Arrived!

We are excited to announce our new Summer Reading Program has begun! Participants of all ages are eligible to win prizes, including a grand prize of an Amazon Fire Tablet. Thank you to the Friends of the Library for sponsoring the tablets for the Summer Reading Program. Please check out the information below to register.

This month, be sure to visit with the Friends of the Library at our new Temporary Library on 131 Bath Ave! There will be refreshments and an opportunity to meet the newly elected board! More information below.

Programs & Events

Summer Reading Begins!

July 1st through August 31st

Summer Reading has just begun!

Download the READsquared app to get started, or click the button below. Summer Reading is for ALL ages!

This year we are giving away Amazon Fire Tablets, courtesy of the Friends of the Library! These tablets are perfect for our patrons who enjoy reading eBooks via Libby and Hoopla. Amazon Fire Tablets are also perfect for streaming free TV shows and movies via our library app Kanopy. 

The more books you read and record via the READsquared app, the more likely you are to win a prize! 

Children who sign up will recieve badges and are able to get other exciting prizes aside from the Amazon Fire Tablet. 

Contact nmarshall@longbranchlib.org with any questions.

The Sky by Day and by Night

Thursday, July 20th at 7pm - Zoom

Using astrological software that shows the sky exactly as you would see it by going outside in Long Branch at night, Jim Peck's topics will include the moon, planets, stars and constellations, deep sky objects, artificial satellites, and the sun’s path across the sky. This program is for anyone with a keen interest in the sky, ages 12 and above.  

Jim Peck has been an amateur astronomer since the age of 10 when he watched the first ever man made satellite, the Russian Sputnik 1, travel across the night sky in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1957. He's led many astronomy programs at public libraries across NJ. Jim was the Education Director of the American Littoral Society (coastal conservation group) on Sandy Hook and Executive Director of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary in Short Hills. He wrote the Trail Mix Nature Column for the Gannett Newspaper chain for 14 years as he explored the state from High Point to Cape May. 

Contact lkelly@longbranchlib.org for more info.

Library Staff Book Club

Monday, July 24th at 2pm - Elberon Branch (in-person) & Zoom

The Night Circus is a phantasmagorical fairy tale that will appeal to romantics, history buffs, circus aficionados, mystery fans, and lovers of a good story. Set in an alternate Victorian timeline,  Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams) is a wandering, magical circus that is open only from sunset to sunrise.  Featuring illusionists, fortune-tellers, and attractions that defy the laws of physics and reality, the circus has no set schedule, appearing and disappearing in random cities and towns without warning. Its performers display spectacular feats that seem impossible, because the circus is powered by performers showcasing the world's best REAL magical talent! Steeped in circus lore, The Night Circus tells the story of the rivalry between two different forms of magic—the old and the new—and the competition and love affair between two young magicians who are destined to face each other in a magical duel to the death. Please join us in person at our Elberon Branch Library or register to participate by Zoom.

Contact lkelly@longbranchlib.org with any questions.

Friends of the Library Open House

Thursday, July 27th from 5pm to 7pm - 131 Bath Ave - Temporary Library Location

The Friends of the Library are having an open house for the public! Please stop by for a meet and greet with the new Friends Board and check out the new space inside our Temporary Library. There will be light refreshments.

We hope to see you there!

Let us know you are coming by contacting Friends President Ellen Mindnich at emind48@gmail.com or 848-667-0835.

Recurring Programs (All Age Groups)

Chess Club for Teens & Children
Every Monday at 4pm - Bucky James Center

Chess club is open to anyone between 5 and 17 who wishes to practice their skills against other students. A chess teacher will be available. All levels are welcome. Meetings are now at the Bucky James Center which is located at 231 Wilbur Ray Ave.
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Toddler Time with Ms. Nekesha
Every Tuesday at 11am - Temporary Library

Join us on the front lawn of our new Temporary Library on 131 Bath Ave for stories, music and a take home craft!

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Elberon Writing Group - Virtual
Every second Wednesday of the Month at 6:30pm

Join our Elberon Writing Group, hosted by our Elberon Branch Manager Tara if you enjoy writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, short stories...or anything! Contact tsullivan@longbranchlib.org for more info.
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Super Smash Bros Tournament - TBA
Time & Place TBA

Time and place are TBA while we are in our temporary location. Please contact Sal Romero at sromero@longbranchlib.org for more info.
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Story Time with Miss Tara - Elberon Branch
Every Wednesday at 4:30pm

Join Miss Tara at the Elberon Branch for stories and fun for children. Family and friends are welcome as well!
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Toddler Time with Miss Tara - Elberon Branch
Every Friday at 10am

Join Miss Tara at the Elberon Branch for stories and fun for younger children. Family and friends are welcome as well!

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Spanish Storytime with Miss Cristina
Every 1st and 3rd Saturday at 12pm - Temporary Library

Join Miss Cristina for a special Spanish storytime with a craft you can take home!

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Craft & Story with Ms. Yanique
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 12pm - Temporary Library

Join Ms. Yanique to read a story and make a craft you can take home!