Peace in the Moment: Mindfulness Meditation at the Ocean County Library Jackson Branch

JACKSON TOWNSHIP – When our daily lives turn hectic, we often lose contact with our inner sources of tranquility. Join Shazia Zaman for “Mindfulness Meditation: Loving Presence” at the Ocean County Library Jackson Branch, 10:30 AM Saturday, August 17.

This gentle exercise open to novice and experienced practitioners will focus on the natural, beautiful state of Being attained by resting in Presence. With Shazia’s guidance, you can explore and reconnect with Peace. A question-and-answer session will follow.

Shazia Zaman, CMMT, CMT-P, is certified through the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA) and has taught its principles since 2017. The certification is supported by the Awareness Training Institute and the University of California at Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.

Shazia is also a Master Level-I Crystal Bowl Practitioner and a certified Reiki Master.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/JacksonOclShazia for this free program, sponsored by Jackson Friends of the Library.

The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through programs, fundraising and advocacy. New members are always welcome. Application forms are available at all OCL branches and reading centers and at https://theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

For more information, stop by the OCL Jackson Branch, 2 Jackson Drive, call (732) 928-4400 or visit https://theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

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Explore NJ Shipwreck History at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch

SURF CITY – Many a seaworthy vessel met its end in the waters off the New Jersey coast. Join one of the Garden State’s most experienced historical divers for compelling tales from nearly 300 years of local maritime history during “New Jersey Shipwrecks: Off the Jersey Shore with Dan Lieb” at the Ocean County Library Long Beach Island Branch, 2 PM Saturday, August 17.

“Diver Dan” will provide revealing details about the circumstances and aftermaths of Jersey Shore maritime disasters including those that took place in both World Wars, and will discuss his extensive work in solving mysteries of the deep.

Dan’s research and identification of sunken vessels off our coast spans more than two decades. His diving skills and technical illustrations have enabled him to take part in 30 undersea archaeological expeditions. He has mapped nearly 30 shipwreck sites and created illustrations for state and federal reports.

A member of the New Jersey Historical Divers Association, he holds a Divemaster rating by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and has executed more than 2,300 dives since 1974.  

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLbiLieb to attend this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Island Library.

The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through programs, fundraising, and advocacy. New members are always welcome. Application forms are available at all OCL branches and reading centers and at https://theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

For more information, stop by the OCL Long Beach Island Branch, 217 South Central Avenue, Surf City, call (609) 494-2480 or visit https://theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Master a Lifetime Craft: ‘Knitting 101 for Teens’ at the Ocean County Library

TOMS RIVER – Teens, knitting is much more than a relaxing, fun pastime. It offers new artistic horizons and provides you with a lifelong skill. Try “Knitting 101 for Teens” at two Ocean County Library branches in August, both starting at 6:30 PM.

Berkeley Branch – Thursday, August 8, 30 Station Road, Bayville, (732) 269-2144. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclBerkeleyKnit

Waretown Branch – Monday, August 26, 112 Main Street, (609) 693-5133. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclWaretownKnit.

Join your instructor Hope for the fundamentals of knitting, casting on and basic stitching as you create a knitted bookmark. All supplies will be provided, and you can take home your yarn and knitting needles at the end of the session.

For more information, stop by or call either participating OCL branch or visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Graphic Novel Tips for Teens & Tweens in Dan Santat’s Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk

TOMS RIVER – The graphic novel reigns as the way to capture young imaginations through literature. Award-winning graphic novelist Dan Santat will empower teens and tweens to tell their own stories in images and words during his Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk, 2 PM Tuesday, July 30.

Dan won the 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for A First Time for Everything, the Caldecott medalist’s memoir in visuals and text of his awkward middle-school years and the visit to Europe that changed his life.

The fun that Santat found in drawing as a youngster gradually developed into a passion. Years of copying comic book illustrations in his youth allowed him to develop his distinctive visual style.

A First Time for Everything is one of eight Santat graphic novels available at the Ocean County Library in print, eBook or audiobook versions. Also on the OCL shelves are The Aquanaut, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, The Cookie Fiasco, Are We There Yet?, Harold & Hog Pretend for Real!, After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again, and Sidekicks.

Please register at https://libraryc.org/theoceancountylibrary to attend this free program, to view the upcoming schedule, and to view previous talks. Registrants will receive links to the program by email and may submit questions for Dan when signing up.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Meet WEAR’s Rescued Reptiles at the Ocean County Library Lakewood Branch

LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP – Rescue animals come in all types, shapes and sizes, and they can thrive in good homes. Teens, meet members of Wild Exotics Animal Refuge, learn about their mission and see some rescued snakes and lizards at the Ocean County Library Lakewood Branch, 11 AM Monday, August 12.

Members will discuss circumstances surrounding rescues and the steps involved to accept and care for animals in need. Everyone who attends will have a chance to experience the wonders of nature by seeing the reptiles up close.

Founded by Ocean County native Brittany Vanderstine, Lakehurst-based Wild Exotics Animal Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group that offers a haven for neglected exotic pets, accepts surrendered animals, works on rescues, gives medical care to exotic creatures and offers adoption services to qualified individuals.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclLaWEAR for this free program, sponsored by the Ocean County Library Foundation (OCLF).

The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization now in its 23rd year of supporting non-traditional Library services and programs not covered by tax dollars through fundraising and grant writing activities.

For more information, stop by the OCL Lakewood Branch, 301 Lexington Avenue, call (732) 363-1435 or visit https://theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

The Power of Poetry: Elizabeth Acevedo’s Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk

TOMS RIVER – Elizabeth Acevedo’s decision to create an entire novel in verse resulted in the National Book Award-winning The Poet X. You’ll discover poetry’s potency in her Ocean County Library Virtual Author Talk, 2 PM Tuesday, July 23.

In addition to the conversation and Q&A, Elizabeth will read passages from this stirring New York Times bestseller which also garnered the Michael L. Printz Award, Pura Belpré Award, Carnegie Medal, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the Walter Award.

The Poet X introduces Xiomara Batista, a student who depends on ferocity and fists to get along in her neighborhood. She pours out her anguish in a notebook that she shares with no one until she is invited to a school poetry slam. She must decide whether to feed the urgent need to expose her innermost feelings, knowing that it will change her relationship to her disapproving mom and the boy she covets deeply.

The National Poetry Slam champion’s penetrating work is available in print, physical and digital audiobook and eBook versions at the Ocean County Library, along with Family Lore in English and Spanish, Clap When You Land, With the Fire on High, Inheritance, and El ingrediente secreto de Emoni Santiago.

Please register at https://libraryc.org/theoceancountylibrary to attend this free program, to view the upcoming schedule, and to view previous talks. Registrants will receive links to the program by email and may submit questions for the author when signing up.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Exposed! ‘Dirty Secrets of Invasive Plants’ at Ocean County Library Stafford Branch

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP – They’re easy to find and they’re often attractive. But invasive plants are also insidious, wiping out native plants as they spread. Learn the “Dirty Secrets of Invasive Plants” and how to combat them in a revealing program at the Ocean County Library Stafford Branch, 10:30 AM Monday, August 12.

The informative presentation by the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Ocean County will be led by Master Gardener Sue Masoorli. Sue will explain how some of our favorite plants land on the New Jersey Invasive Plant List, how to select and grow non-invasive native plants, and what state officials are doing to stop the sale of invasive plants.

A five-year Master Gardener and a member of the organization’s Speakers Bureau, Sue is a familiar face at the Master Gardeners’ Annual Plant Sale and Butterfly Tent Event. Sue takes special interest in Annuals and Perennials.

The Master Gardeners of Ocean County are trained, certified volunteers who assist the Rutgers Cooperative Extension staff in providing research-based information on sustainable horticulture to county residents.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclStaffordSecrets for this free program. Bring your plant and soil questions and specimens for “Ask a Master Gardener @ Stafford,” 10 AM until 12 Noon that day and the second and fourth Monday of each month through September.

For more information, stop by the OCL Stafford Branch, 129 North Main Street, Manahawkin, call (609) 597-3381, or visit https://theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Critters, Up Close: ‘Eyes of the Wild’ Show for Teens at The Ocean County Library

TOMS RIVER – Teens, take a fun, fascinating and educational look at amazing creatures that share the planet with us. Don’t miss the live animal show to be presented by Eyes of the Wild at six Ocean County Library branches.

• Plumsted Branch – 1 PM Wednesday, August 14, 119 Evergreen Road, New Egypt, (609) 758-7888.
• Stafford Branch – 3:30 PM Wednesday, August 14, 129 North Main Street, Manahawkin, (609) 597-3381.
• Little Egg Harbor Branch – 6 PM Wednesday, August 14, 290 Mathistown Road, (609) 294-1197.
• Waretown Branch – 1 PM Tuesday, August 20, 112 Main Street, (609) 693-5133.
• Island Heights Branch – 3:30 PM Tuesday, August 20, Summit & Central Avenues, (732) 270-6266.
• Brick Branch – 6 PM Tuesday, August 20, 301 Chambers Bridge Road, (732) 477-4513.

Eyes of the Wild is a 21-acre sanctuary for rescued animals in Hunterdon County. Staffers feed and lead the wildlife creatures through activities that comply with most zoo guidelines. Owner and field biologist Travis Gale has extensive experience teaching high school biology, science enrichment, ESL and special education.

This free program for teens will appeal especially to students in STEM and STEAM curricula. Please register for the program at the branch of your choice at https://tinyurl.com/OCLEOTW. For more information, stop by or call any participating OCL branch or visit the Library’s online Calendar of Events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

One Book OCL’s Next Virtual Selection: Michael Thompson’s How to Be Remembered

TOMS RIVER – Avid readers in the One Book OCL Online Book Club are ready for a heartwarming treat. Michael Thompson’s thought provoking, life affirming debut novel How to Be Remembered is the next title up for discussion, Friday August 2 through Friday, October 4.

One Book OCL, in partnership with PBC Guru, is the Library’s free virtual reading club for patrons and the community. Titles are available in print, audiobook and eBook formats. Library membership is not mandatory. Cardholders can borrow or download discussion books for free. All club members discuss literary points and network in a private forum.

How to Be Remembered introduces Tommy Llewellyn, whose burden is that he is erased from everyone’s memory on the same day each year. When Tommy falls in love, he determines to overcome his “universal Reset” and build a life with the girl of his dreams. He must decide what matters most - what we leave behind or who we take with us.

Thompson’s first full-length fiction piece extends the knack for storytelling that he developed through more than 15 years as a journalist and media executive. He lives in Australia, where he co-owns a podcast production firm.

Please register at https://www.pbc.guru/One_Book_OCL to become a member of OCL’s free online book club. For more information, stop by or call any of the Library’s 21 branches and reading centers or visit https://theoceancountylibrary.org.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.

Jump to It! ‘The Fast and the Victorious Games’ Coming to the Ocean County Library Waretown Branch

WARETOWN – Get set for fun, thrills and high-velocity competition when Brain Wash Game Show brings “The Fast and the Victorious Games” to the Ocean County Library Waretown Branch, 6 PM Monday, August 5.

Get caught up in the excitement of this live interactive game show complete with digital scoring, buzzers, video projections, sound and lighting effects, podiums and energized expert hosts.

The action is frenetic in “The Fast and the Victorious Games” as teams try to rack up the most points battling robots, answering trivia questions and racing light-bikes in as many as 10 speed games.

Please register at https://tinyurl.com/OclWABWGS for this free program, sponsored by the Friends of the Waretown Library.

The Friends are volunteers who support the Library through programs, fundraisers and advocacy. New members are always welcome. Application forms are available at all OCL branches and reading centers and at https://theoceancountylibrary.org/oclfriends.

For more information, stop by the OCL Waretown Branch, 112 Main Street, call (609) 693-5133 or visit https://theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

Keep up with Library programs and events at www.theoceancountylibrary.org, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Spotify, and Pinterest.