Love Your Library? Become a Library Champion!

During National Love Your Library Month in February,  show your love of libraries by signing up to become a Library Champion. 

Library Champions are people who love their libraries and want to be in the know about issues that may affect local libraries and beyond.  They are notified via email or mail about these issues and how they can help, from sending an email to legislators to simply talking with neighbors about the value of library services.  

For more information on becoming a Library Champion, visit www.ilovenjlibraries.org  You can also visit www.njlibrarychampions.org to learn more about exciting incentives and offers for library and book lovers, as well as information on the sports stars, authors and other icons who call themselves New Jersey Library Champions. 

Enter for a Chance to Win a NJ LIbrary Champion Poster Featuring ZACH PARISE

Camden County Library System Celebrates Black History Month

 

Three special events planned at different branch locations in February.

[Local high school student and teen author Alaina Cummings discusses her book “Alice Unknown”, Tuesday Feb. 16 at the Gloucester Twp. Branch Library.]

VOORHEES, N.J. – Feb.1, 2010 – Camden County Library System will observe Black History Month with three different events. There is something for every age group to choose from among special programs planned at South County, Gloucester Twp. and Voorhees branches.

Wednesday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., the South County Branch in Winslow Twp. will offer a family program, “Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman?”, the story of an African American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. This living history presentation will be performed by Daisy Nelson Century, who regularly appears with the American Historical Theatre in Philadelphia.   Register for this program

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., the Gloucester Twp. Branch hosts a visit from local teen author Alaina Cummings who will discuss her book “Alice Unknown”. Cummings, a local high school student, has written a book that has been described as, “Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, turned dark and dangerous and filled with creeping creatures that thrive for blood and a love that only the once loveless can understand.”  Register

Saturday, Feb. 27, 11 a.m., the Voorhees Branch will offer a family program, “Sweet Music in Harlem”.  Participants will have the chance to celebrate Black History Month by listening to jazz and creating a musical instrument of their own.  Register

Registration of each of these events is available at www.camdencountylibrary.org/events

In addition to these special events to celebrate the month, CCLS provides online resources such as Facts on File: African American History and Culture to library card holders. Go to www.camdencountylibrary.org to check out this and other subject databases. 

###

Established in 1921, Camden County Library System seeks to meet the recreational, informational and educational needs of its customers with locations in Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow Township and Voorhees.   The Library is governed and supported by the Camden County Board of Freeholders and the Camden County Library Commission.

Pennies for Peace Campaign Returns to CamCo Library System

Six branches collect pennies to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan

 

[Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea”, with schoolgirls in Char Asiab Valley, Afghanistan. Mortenson is the principal founder of the Pennies for Peace campaign and co-founder of the Central Asia Institute. Photo courtesy of Central Asia Institute.]

 

VOORHEES, N.J. – Jan. 20, 2010 – The Camden County Library System will once again participate in the New Jersey State Library’s effort to support the Pennies for Peace campaign, which raises money to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan – one penny at a time.

 

From Feb. 1 to March 31, 2010, each of the library system’s six branches will participate by making collection containers available for customers to donate as many pennies as they wish during the two-month campaign. The CCLS has branches located in Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, South County in Winslow Township and Voorhees. Directions to any branch are available on the Web at www.camdencountylibrary.org

 

With each penny bearing the likeness of America’s 16th President, the NJSL encourages all libraries to participate as a way to honor the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, who “firmly believed in education, equality, opportunity and peace” according to the State Library.

 

Pennies for Peace is organized by the Central Asia Institute, a nonprofit co-founded by Greg Mortenson, co-author of “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time” (2006).  Mortenson also authored the recently released, “Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan” (2009).

 

“Because of the books and the goal of advancing literacy skills, we thought Pennies for Peace was worth our time to get involved as a library, and we decided to join the State Library’s efforts,” commented Linda A. Devlin, director of the Camden County Library System.

 

The basic concept of just collecting pennies is based on the fact that while a penny may not be worth much here, it can go a long way toward supporting education in third world countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. Collecting only pennies also allows people of limited means, even children, to contribute and participate.

 

All the money collected by CCLS will be sent to the State Library, which in turn will gather donations from libraries across the state and will forward the money to the Pennies for Peace campaign. Last year, CCLS raised $529 in penny donations and was recognized by the State Library as one of the most successful efforts in the campaign by libraries.

 

“We hope to surpass last year’s amount and continue to support education in Afghanistan and Pakistan through the generosity of our many customers,” said Haddon Twp. Branch Library Manager Nan Rosenthal who is coordinating the campaign effort for the library system.

 

To date, the Central Asia Institute has established 130 schools, educating over 51,000 students, with an emphasis on girls’ education, according to the State Library.

 

###

 

Established in 1921, Camden County Library System seeks to meet the recreational, informational and educational needs of its customers with locations in Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow Township and Voorhees.   The Library is governed and supported by the Camden County Board of Freeholders and the Camden County Library Commission.

CamCo Library System Announces Grand Opening of The Corner

New 1,245 square foot teen space with special features opens in early December

Camden County Library System Director Linda Devlin welcomes teen customers, local and state officials and other librarians to the grand opening of a new teen space -  The Corner - at M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library in Voorhees on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, 3 – 4 p.m.

VOORHEES, NJ – Nov. 11, 2009 -- On Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 Camden County Library System will celebrate the grand opening of The Corner – a 1,245 square foot space dedicated to the interests and activities of its teen customers at the M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library in Voorhees.

"The grand opening in early December will mark the realization of a project that started with a successful grant proposal last year to create a space for teens to call their own," explained CCLS Director Linda Devlin.

Among the features designed to attract young people to the new space is a 15 foot graffiti art wall and stage area where poetry slams, musical performances and displays of student artwork can take place. It also offers a multimedia center with 52 inch flat panel screen to accommodate gaming equipment and other event activities.

The graffiti wall built into the design fits the "urban" feel and name of the new space - The Corner. Guests to the grand opening will be invited to write their good wishes with chalk on the specially designed graffiti board.

"We look forward to welcoming a host of local and state officials as well as library professionals from Camden County and from around the state when we open The Corner to the public. Teens active on our Teen Advisory Board will be on hand to demonstrate many of the unique features of the space for our invited guests," noted Devlin.

Maybe one of the most appealing features to teens visiting The Corner will be access to Ready Animator – a software product used for the creation of short movies and cartoons. Six computers with high speed Internet access are also available.

The Corner includes some diner-style booths and even more casual seating such as beanbags, floor rockers and wedges that many teens prefer along with display racks and shelving for teen oriented books, graphic novels and magazines. All of these special features are housed in an area clearly defined and reserved for teens and teen activities.

"We’re proud to be one of only two libraries in South Jersey to have received grant funds from the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative and the New Jersey State Library to participate in this demonstration project," Devlin commented.

As the County Freeholder’s liaison to the County Library System, Freeholder Riletta Cream will be on hand to help celebrate the grand opening.

A life-long educator herself, Cream stressed, "The opening of this new teen space shows a real commitment on the part of the Camden County Library System toward young people. The project can serve as a model for what other libraries in the county can do to attract teens in their communities,"

Devlin pointed out, "A lot of hard work and talent on the part of our dedicated staff have gone into writing the proposal, managing the project and really nurturing this dream to have special place to support all the programming we offer teens throughout the year."

The M. Allan Vogelson Branch has a very active youth services department that provided over 90 teen programs in 2008, ranging from a Project Runway-like fashion show, a hip-hop dance presentation, special book clubs, anime clubs and gaming clubs all geared toward teens.

Located on the first floor of the Voorhees branch library, the grand opening event is scheduled to run from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

The Teen Space Project is made possible with funding from the Camden County Library System, the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative and the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

###

Established in 1921, Camden County Library System seeks to meet the recreational, informational and educational needs of its customers with locations in Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow Township and Voorhees. The Library is governed and supported by the Camden County Board of Freeholders and the Camden County Library Commission.

Trick or Treat for Unicef at the Library

 

VOORHEES, N.J. – Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30 and 31, the Camden County Library System will have collection containers available to take donations for Trick or Treat for UNICEF at each of their six branches: Bellmawr, Gloucester Twp., Haddon Twp., Merchantville, South County (Winslow Twp.) and Voorhees. 

 

UNICEF—the United Nations Children's Fund — is working in more than 150 countries to provide health care, clean water, nutrition, and education to children and their families world-wide. And because UNICEF is so good at its job, it doesn't take a lot of money to make a big difference. Your contribution can help provide for this important work. 

###

Established in 1921, Camden County Library System seeks to meet the recreational, informational and educational needs of its customers with locations in Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow Township and Voorhees.   The Library is governed and supported by the Camden County Board of Freeholders and the Camden County Library Commission.
 

Library Closings in November

All branches of the Camden County Library System will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3rd, for Election Day.  The Library will be closed Wednesday, November 11th, for Veteran's Day, and Thursday, November 26th for Thanksgiving.

Camden's Poet, Walt Whitman

The New Jersey Center for the Book is dedicating the Camden home of poet Walt Whitman as a Literary Landmark, and we're joining the celebration!  We're showing dramatic presentations on his life and poetry, and have extensive collections of Whitman books and websites.  Learn more

Camden Co. Marks Hispanic Heritage Month with Award-Winning Storyteller

 

 Leeny Del Seamonds to perform ‘Ay Caramba’ for families at Voorhees Library.

 

Story Performer Leeny Del Seamonds will present ‘Ay Caramba’ on Oct. 8 at the Voorhees branch of the Camden County Library System for Hispanic Heritage Month.

VOORHEES, NJ – Sept. 28, 2009 -- The M. Allan Vogelson Regional Branch Library in Voorhees will be hosting a special program in October sponsored by the Camden County Culture and Heritage Commission to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Leeny Del Seamonds, a nationally recognized, award-winning storyteller, will bring her exuberant performance of ‘Ay Caramba’ to the library just across from the Voorhees Town Center (formerly Echelon Mall) on Thursday Oct. 8, 7 – 8 p.m. This particular program is described as “a colorful piñata of Latino folk and original tales decorated with Spanish-English translations and bursting with Leeny's Cuban-American sense of humor and love of performing.”

Seamonds bills herself as a “Master Story Performer” who won the Parents Gold Choice Award in 2004, the Silver Choice Award in 2003, National Storyteller of the Year in 2002 and more recently was the 2005 Storytelling World Winner, according to her website http://www.leenydelseamonds.com/  .

The storyteller offers one-woman shows that engage audiences with her interactive approach “inviting audiences to share in her Cuban American sense of humor and love of performing.” As she effortlessly moves from one character to another, she “performs tales that are uplifting and demonstrate the passion, resiliency, and triumphs of the human spirit.”

Registration for the program is available at 856-772-1636 or on the Web at SIGNUP www.camdencountylibrary.org/events .

This program is made possible in part, through funding provided by the Camden County Cultural & Heritage Commission, which is funded by the Camden County Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

###

Established in 1921, Camden County Library System seeks to meet the recreational, informational and educational needs of its customers with locations in Bellmawr, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow Township and Voorhees.   The Library is governed and supported by the Camden County Board of Freeholders and the Camden County Library Commission.

 

Teen center planned for Camco library - Article from Courier-Post

By JANE ROH • Courier-Post Staff • September 28, 2009

VOORHEES — Hey, teenagers: Camden County librarians really want to hang with you.

Construction has begun on a 1,245-square-foot teen center at the M. Allen Vogelson Branch Library in Voorhees. The recreation room-like space, to be dubbed The Corner, will be filled with dorm-style furniture, "graffiti" walls for artwork, a 52-inch plasma TV and video game area, and a performance stage," not to mention books.

"Teens are a group that is traditionally not coming into the library as often as other groups," said Linda Devlin, director of the Camden County Library System. "We hope that the center will attract new teens who will come in and use our resources."

The library system in January received $40,000 in funding from the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative to build the center. Including matching funds from the Camden County Library System, a total of $138,700 is being spent on the project.

Bach Associates of Haddon Heights designed the space, which is scheduled to open on Nov. 15, Devlin said.

At a meeting of the Vogelson branch's Teen Advisory Board, or TAB, on Thursday, about a dozen members of the targeted demographic were excited over the new center.

"I've been looking forward to it for at least a year now," said Shivun Bhuta, an eighth-grader at Voorhees Middle School. "It's going to be a big improvement."

The students were enthused about the gaming center, but said that wasn't the draw to the Vogelson branch.

Read entire article

Summer of Fashion Enjoyed at Voorhees NJ Library

Teens and Kids show their work at two events over the summer.

VOORHEES, NJ – This summer the fashion bug landed at M. Allan Vogelson Regional Library. Located in Voorhees, NJ, this branch of the Camden County Library System staged two events designed to inspire the fashion interests and showcase the talents of its teens and children.

In July teens and ‘tweens worked in teams to create an alternative fashion show in the Project Runway event. They used bubble wrap, good-ole’ duct tape, t-shirts and more to create “stylish” clothing.

About a month later children at the Voorhees branch put on Project Library Fashion Show to display their work created in sewing classes over the summer that included “Be a Fashionista” and “American Doll” programs.

These and other programs grew out of the “Be Creative” and “Express Yourself” themes for the 2009 Summer Reading Program observed at many libraries across the country.

  Vidhi Shah wraps herself in one of her team’s creations.

  – A team works diligently to create a stylish outfit from alternative materials.

  - Ariel Golly, Simone Brooks & Sierra Cohen waiting for their turn on the runway.]

- Julia Lenhart & Alexis Swanholm from the American Girl Sew Club show off their new doll outfits.

###