(September 8, 2010) –During the third week of September, the Westfield Memorial Library presents three programs for adults. They are “25 Businesses You Can Start with Little or No Money,” “How to Take Action Shots with Advanced Photography” and two hours with the harpist Merynda Adams.

A representative from the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE) presents a program on Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m. to debunk the myth that businesses can only be started with a great deal of money.

Buck Buchanan, a veteran SCORE counselor who has started two successful businesses, discusses the characteristics of people who succeed in business compared to the characteristics of people who fail. He also discusses the five steps absolutely necessary for success, and how successful companies differ from unsuccessful companies.

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide. It is also a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

On Wednesday, September 22 at 12 noon, the harpist Merynda Adams plays for two hours in the second floor reading area. She is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where she was a merit scholarship student of Kathleen Bride. She has been the principal harpist of The Orchestra at William Paterson University for the past decade and has performed frequently on the Lyrica Concert Series. Additionally Adams has performed with New York Grand Opera, New Philharmonic, Plainfield Symphony, Metro Lyric Opera, Opera at Florham and the Northeastern Philharmonic.

In addition to running an active teaching studio, the harpist is an Affiliate Artist Teacher at Drew University and has been an instructor of harp at Seton Hall University. She is featured in the book, “Plaza Weddings” playing at the weddings of Donald Trump and Eddie Murphy. Adams’ other engagements include events honoring Colin Powell, Beverly Sills and Andrea Bocelli.

On Wednesday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m., professional photographer Anthony Lauro presents “How to Take Action Shots with Advanced Photography.” An architect originally from Scotch Plains and founder of APL Photography, LLC, Lauro discusses how to best take action shots with the digital camera.

 

Lauro has been a photographer at the US Open and the NCAA Lacrosse Finals. He has also taken school portraits and worked freelance for the “Lehigh Valley Sports Extra” and “Express Times.”

 

“My interest in photography started at an early age when my father, an architect, used to take photos of construction sites and of completed projects. I always loved taking his gear and trying to capture an image,” said Lauro. “When my first son was born, I renewed my passion for photography and started taking classes and seminars to improve and learn my craft. I was asked to shoot a wedding for a friend and that led to another. Pretty soon I was being asked to shoot more and more.”

 

Some of his clients include: The Goddard School, Bethlehem, PA; Kingdom Roadhouse Church, Allentown, PA; Body Media- suppliers of the Go Wear Fit system featured on "The Biggest Loser"; Bushkill Valley Motorcycle Club; Dance Innovations Dance Studio, Chatham, NJ; Geezer Hockey League, Bethlehem, PA; and the United Women's Hockey League, Bethlehem, PA.

 

These programs are open to Westfield Memorial Library and MURAL card holders. There’s no need to register to hear the harpist, but those interested in the SCORE and the Advanced Photography workshop should register by visiting www.wmlnj.org and clicking on Online Calendar, or call 908.789.4090 X 4140.

 

Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library strives to provide the Westfield community an environment that promotes a love of reading and ensures free access to ideas and information.

 

For more information call 908.789.4090, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter “Library Loop,” or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the quarterly newsletter “Take Note.”

 

(August 31, 2010) – On Wednesday, September 15 at 7:00 p.m., storytellers and writers will converge at the Westfield Memorial Library for another MothUP, a new type of storytelling event. The theme for the evening is “Fall Memories,” such as the first day of school or a disastrous hayride.

The phenomenal popularity of New York City's, “The Moth,” has inspired this program. The Moth is an event in which people get up and tell five-minute, true stories based on a particular theme. All the stories are told in front of an audience, without notes, scripts or cheat sheets and should be a true, first-person account.

The names of ten individuals from the audience who have prepared stories are picked randomly from a hat. Each storyteller has five minutes to share his or her story. A team of judges, chosen from the audience, gives a score.

To get a better idea of how this evening works, participants should go to themoth.org for inspiration.

The Moth, a not-for-profit storytelling organization, was founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, who wanted to recreate in New York the feeling of sultry summer evenings on his native St. Simon's Island, Georgia, where he and a small circle of friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales on his friend Wanda's porch.

After moving to New York, George missed the sense of connection he had felt sharing stories with his friends back home, and he decided to invite a few friends over to his New York apartment to tell and hear stories. Thus the first 'Moth' evening took place in his living room.

 

The program is open to Westfield Memorial Library and MURAL card holders.

Register by visiting www.wmlnj.org and clicking on Online Calendar, or call 908.789.4090 X 4140.

 

Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library strives to provide the Westfield community an environment that promotes a love of reading and ensures free access to ideas and information. For more information call 908.789.4090, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter “Library Loop,” or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the quarterly newsletter “Take Note.”

 

 

(August 20, 2010) – The Westfield Memorial Library is happy to announce that the Library now has six new Netbooks for patrons to use within the Library.

 

The Netbooks are small laptops that are convenient and lightweight. They can be used anywhere in the Library as they connect wirelessly to the Internet. Patrons can also access all of the Microsoft Office programs and print out their materials on the Library’s printers.

 

“If you want to sit in a private carrel, in the Internet Lounge, or in any of our comfy chairs throughout the Library, you can do so,” said director Phil Israel. “We want to give our patrons the freedom to work where they are most comfortable.”

 

The laptops are gifts of the Friends of the Westfield Memorial Library.

 

In order to borrow a laptop, patrons need to have a library card. They can be checked out at the Reference Desk on the second floor and borrowed for a maximum of two hours.

 

Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library strives to provide the Westfield community an environment that promotes a love of reading and ensures free access to ideas and information. For more information call 908.789.4090, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, sign up for the monthly e-newsletter “Library Loop,” or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the quarterly newsletter “Take Note.”

 

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Westfield Library offers new Digital Download Center for audiobooks, eBooks, music and video

 

(July 8, 2010) - The Westfield Memorial Library is pleased to announce that it has a new Digital Download Center for audiobooks, eBooks, music, and movies, available for downloading from the library’s website. Library card holders can check out and download digital media to computers or mobile devices anytime and anywhere by visiting the library’s website.

 

Card holders can enjoy the titles immediately or transfer them to a variety of devices, including iPod®, Sony® Reader™, and the Barnes & Noble Nook. Some audio titles can also be burned to CD to listen on-the-go. Titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period, so there are no late fees.

 

“With an increasing number of people downloading digital content, the library is pleased to be able to offer materials in this form,” said Phil Israel, Library Director. “Our new Digital Download Center is not only free and convenient, it is also an easy one-stop-borrowing center for everything from books to movies. As people become more accustomed to listening and watching on the go, we hope that they will think of the library as one of their main sources for obtaining materials.”

 

To get started downloading audiobooks, eBooks, music and movies, take out your library card, visit www.wmlnj.org and click on the image of the Digital Download Center.

 

For more information about other library programs and services, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org  and click on the Online Calendar, or call 908.789.4090 X4140.

 

Founded in 1879, the library strives to provide the Westfield community an environment that promotes a love of reading and ensures free access to ideas and information. For more information, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, sign up on the website to receive the e-newsletter “Library Loop,” or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the quarterly newsletter “Take Note.”

 

(May 3, 2010) - The Westfield Memorial Library was recently honored by the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) as a winner of a PR and Marketing award in the category of Public Relations Campaign. The campaign was judged along with other libraries that have budgets between $1 and $4 million dollars.

 

The campaign, "It's your Library . make the most of it," was created by publicist Roz Giuditta. Originally designed as a newspaper ad, the campaign spotlights all the free and low cost services that are available to library patrons, such as the most recent CDs and DVDs; best sellers; books, newspapers and magazines; programs for adults, teen and children; over 20 public computers with free Internet service; numerous research databases, professional reference service; free Wifi and book clubs.

 

"We have so much to offer here," said Ms. Giuditta. "I wanted people to go beyond the services that they use, and to take advantage of all that the Library has. Ultimately, it belongs to them."

 

After the newspaper ad ran with an accompanying article by Director Phil Israel, signs of the public relations campaign sprouted all over the library at 550 East Broad Street. Small stand-up displayers sat on tables and the tops of shelves, while flyers and posters decorated the walls and lobby. The monitor at the Circulation Desk began flashing the message throughout the day as well.

 

In conjunction with local cable television station TV-36, public service announcements highlighting six library services were also created. They can be viewed on the library's website www.wmlnj.org.

 

The plaque from the NJLA is mounted on the wall next to the Circulation Desk.

 

Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library strives to provide the Westfield community an environment that promotes a love of reading and ensures free access to ideas and information. For more information call 908.789.4090, visit the library's website at www.wmlnj.org, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter "Library Loop," or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the quarterly newsletter "Take Note."