Camden County Library Teen Zone

Get Your Library Notices Via Text!

Oh, this is five kinds of awesome.  Do you get frustrated with keeping track of all of your library items, with all their various due dates? Do you wish you could receive alerts about books & CDs you have on hold as text messages?  There's an easy way to do both, and more!  The free service, Library Elf can help you keep track of all of your stuff from Camden County Library.  Did I mention that it's free? 

Quoting from the site, Library Elf can do the following for you:

• Email and/or RSS alerts before items are due
• Email and/or RSS alerts on overdues and holds
• Consolidated list of yours or your family's library loans and holds
• Cellphone text message alerts for holds (US and Canada)
• Real-time checking by browser

I just signed up for my account.  If you want, you can do the same.  Note that the Elf's service for Camden County Library is in beta, which, according to the Elf's FAQ means that  "the communication protocol between these libraries and Elf requires more monitoring."  So, once in a while, your notices might not arrive in a timely manner.  If that happens, contact the Elf's friendly staff and they'll help you out.

Save time, save money (goodbye, overdue fees!), track your stuff.  Library Elf!

Meet Local Author of Two Books on the Philadelphia Eagles

  Come meet local author John Maxymuk on Wednesday, November 29, 7 p.m. at the South County Branch. (directions) 

Get into the spirit of The Birds' football as Mr. Maxymuk discusses his two Eagles books, "Eagles by the Numbers" and his new book, "Eagles Facts and Trivia." Light refreshments will be served.

Ages 12 and up.

What Series Do You Read?

I recently weeded (that's librarygeekspeak for "removed from the collection, never to be seen again") quite a few series paperback books from the YA Fiction collection.  Sayonara, Sweet Valley High!  Most of the books I weeded had to be removed because they were so well loved by you, gentle readers, that they'd started to fall apart.  We're committed to providing you with books in good shape (or at least with books that you're not afraid to touch for fear of contracting something unpleasant), and so these books had to go. 

This leaves me with some shelf space, and a desire to replace that which we have grown out of.  What series books would you like me to buy for the collection?  These can be new series, series that are already in progress and that you think no self-respecting library should be without, series based on TV shows, whatever.  I'm open to your opinions!

Put your thinking caps on & leave your suggestions in the comments.  To get you started, here are a few of the paperback series we already have, and get automatically, at the Vogelson Branch (aka The Library Across The Street from The Mall):

• Truth Or Dare
• Smooch
• Fearless
• Tom Clancy's Net Force
• Magic: The Gathering (including all the sub-series)
• Body of Evidence (sort of like CSI in book form)
• Mates, Dates, and...
• Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy
• Orca Soundings (these are super-fast reads for those of you with not much time on your hands)
• Our TV tie-in series consist of The O.C. (discontinued), Everwood (discontinued), Alias (discontinued), Buffy & Angel (very discontinued...are you noticing a theme here?), American Dreams (discontinued), and Charmed (wait for it...discontinued).  Are you all even interested in reading TV tie-ins anymore?  Talk to me, people.

So, basically, we have a lot of romantic comedy, some adventure, one fantasy series, and some cancelled TV shows.  That's kind of, oh, what's the word? Sad? Pathetic? In need of sprucing up? All of the above?

Let your voice be heard!  Tell me what series you want.  I'm open to any & all suggestions.

Ghosts in South Jersey

Join us on Thursday, November 16, at 7 p.m. at the Haddon Twp. Branch (directions) when South Jersey Ghost Research (www.sjgr.org) presents a free program. The presentation will  include a video production on the group featuring investigations, audio of spirit voices recorded on actual cases, plus photo and equipment displays, and a Q&A session. No registration required!

DANCING WITH THE STARS

Have you been watching Dancing With the Stars? I was sad to see Joey go last night, but I think Mario and Emmitt are both great. Either one of them could win next week.  Who do you think should win in the finals?

Create Free Polls