There are many ways to use the Hoboken Public Library. All of them are free, some of them are surprising, and a few are potentially life-changing. Here are eight suggestions for getting the most out of your library experience.
1. Check out a book, audiotape, DVD or CD from one of 75 libraries in the BCCLS (Bergen County Cooperative Libraries System), using your Hoboken library card online (http://hoboken.bccls.org) or in-person (you’ll get a call or an e mail when your book arrives). Need a free library card? Stop by the front desk with proof of Hoboken residence, apply online, or call (201) 420-2348.
2. Get real, practical help using the tools on http://gethelp.njlibraries.org/ (the librarians can help you). This site offers information about unemployment insurance, job-hunting, bill-paying, military benefits, banking and tax help, transportation to doctors, child support, mortgage assistance, senior assistance, heath care, and much more.
3. Test your electric appliance by borrowing a Kill A Watt device from the front desk. It will assess the appliance’s efficiency, and calculate daily, weekly, and yearly expenses.
4. Research pretty much anything that strikes your fancy, using the BCCLS libraries and major databases, including Proquest, EBSCO and Infotrac, giving you access to, among other things, years worth of newspapers and periodicals
5. Learn a new language or brush up on English with Mango Languages. You can use Mango in the library or online from home by going to the link at the bottom of http://hoboken.bccls.org/ and typing in your library card number. Languages include Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Greek, Japanese, Mandarin, and Portuguese, as well as English for Spanish, Portuguese, or Polish speakers. Levels range from basic to high intermediate.
6. Attend a special program:
• Aug. 5 at 2 p.m. – Open mike (singing, instrumentals or poetry) for preteens and teens in 6th grade and up.
• Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. – Paint seashells, for children ages 5 and up.
• Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. – End-of-Summer Party with music by Melody and Presley, for children of all ages.
7. Get a free proctor for an online course. If you’re taking a college class online, the library can provide exam monitoring.
8. Go to a museum in New York City. You can check out free day passes for the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West at 79th St.; www.amnh.org), the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (212 West 83 St.; www.cmom.org), the Frick Collection (212 West 83 St.; www.frick.org, children under 10 not admitted), The Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Ave.; www.mcny.org), The New-York Historical Society (170 Central Park West; www.nyhistory.org), and The Paley Center for Media, formerly The Museum of Television & Radio (25 West 52 St.; www.paleycenter.org). Note: Check websites for summer hours.
This column is brought to you by The Friends of the Hoboken Public Library, a non-profit group of volunteers dedicated to assisting the Library. For more information about the Friends and the activities we sponsor and to join the group, visit our website at www.hobokenfol.org. Membership brochures are also available at the Library.
Library hours for August
Monday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Children’s Room Hours:
Monday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed.