New Providence Memorial Library May 2024
This Spring at Your Library. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, or to register for an event, visit us at newprovidencelibrary.org
Blood Drive (Adults)
May 2 at 12 pm – 6 pm
Save a life – donate blood! New Jersey Blood Services will run a blood donation drive in the Conti Room. Walk ins are welcome.
Creative Writing Group (Adults)
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Connect with your creative peers in the community with Creative Writing, a one hour opportunity to hone your writing skills. Each week, an optional writing prompt is provided, or you may write about anything you’d like. This is a fun, nonjudgmental way of expressing yourself, not a class.
Math Club (Kids & Teens)
May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 3:50 pm – 4:45 pm
Join the NP Math Club and hone your problem-solving skills! Run by NP Teens, open to students in 2-12th grades.
Crafterday (Kids & Families)
May 4, 18 from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Drop by the Coddington Room to use the materials and instructions that have been left on the tables. Take home what you create.
SAT Math Help (Teens)
May 4, 11, 18 at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Tutoring sessions for students who are looking for help with the math portion of the SAT.
Swing Era Music with Florian Schantz (Adults)
May 5 at 3:00 pm
The Florian Schantz Jazz Combo will perform swing era music in the Conti Room. This concert was made possible by a Union County HEART (History, Education, Art Reaching Thousands) grant from the Union County Board of Freeholders.
Knit Night (Adults)
May 6, 16 at 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Drop by the Conti Room with a knitting or crochet project and chat with this friendly group while you work.
NP Chess Club (Kids, Teens & Adults)
May 6, 13, 20 at 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Learn to play chess from the NP Chess Club! Instruction Lectures & Strategy from 4:30-5:30 followed by play from 5:30-6:30. Register at least 1 day in advance at npchessclub.org
Teen Game Night (Teens)
May 6 at 5:30 pm
Teens in grades 6-12 are invited for pizza and board games in the Conti Room! Bring your own board game or play one of ours.
Movie Matinee: “Boys in the Boat” (Adults)
May 7 at 1:00 – 3:00 pm
This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression – the 1936 University of Washington rowing team – as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. Rated PG-13.
Writing Wizards (Kids grades 3-7)
May 7, 14, 21, 28 at 4:00 -5:00 pm
Improve your skills as a writer in Writing Wizards, a creative writing class taught by high school students. Students will learn writing through prompts and grammar lessons, and receive constructive feedback from both their peers and teachers. Writing Wizards aims to provide a safe space to share and workshop writing as well as a chance to learn and evolve your writing abilities!
Mother’s Day Craft
May 7 at 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Make something beautiful for your mother using the materials provided.
Excel Workshop
May 7 at 7:00 pm
Christopher Oh, a local resident who competes in Excel tournaments, will teach Excel with an example-based teaching method. Basic terminology will be reviewed, as will learning how to find and ask for help. Then we’ll do some exercises to learn topics such as functions and mathematics. Students are encouraged to bring a copy of any Excel file they work on and would like to get help with. More complicated aspects such as nested functions will be taught as needed. Email RSVP@newprovidencelibrary.org to register.
Library STEAM Club (Kids grades 1-5)
May 8 at 3:15 – 4:30 pm
Explore science and art in this hands-on after-school club. This month we will explore the science and art of symmetry and mandalas. Register to NPMLChildrens@gmail.com Each month, we will work on a special project or run experiments on our snap circuit boards.
Mother’s Day Craft
May 9 at 3:15 – 4:30 pm
Make something beautiful for your mother using the materials provided.
Author Talk with Nina Simon (Adults)
May 8 at 7:00 pm
You’re invited to join Nina Simon online as she chats about her lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths, Mother-Daughter Murder Night.
Book Group: “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (Adults)
May 9 at 7:30 – 8:30 pm
The book group will discuss The Personal Librarian, the story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian-who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true. Ask for a copy at the front desk.
DIY Madhubani Painting (Adult & Teens)
May 11 at 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Paint a canvas with a Madhubani design from traditional Indian art with Gunjan Maheshwari, our craft expert. Space is limited so registration is required.
Batter Up – Let’s Talk Baseball (All Ages)
May 13 at 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Baseball enthusiasts are invited to discuss teams, players and issues of the sport with other baseball fans. Join in person in the Conti Room or over zoom – your choice.
Books & Bagels (Adults)
May 14 at 10:30 am – 11:30 am
We’ll take turns talking about books we’ve recently read – a great way to learn about books you might want to read next. Enjoy a free bagel from NP Bagel Cafe while we chat!
Napoleon: The Devil’s Favorite (Adults)
May 15 at 7:00 pm
The darker aspect of Napoleon Buonaparte will be considered in this virtual lecture. He was called the “Corsican Ogre” of Europe and the “Great Thief” of Europe by those that feared him. In addition to his detractors, this lecture will include thoughts from Napoleon’s own memoirs.*
Career Search Workshop (Adults)
May 16 at 6:30 pm
Ken Cavanagh, a certified career management coach and the former director of Graduate Career Advising at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, presents a workshop on advanced networking & informational interviews. *
Read to a Dog (Kids)
May 18 at 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Practice your new or developing skills by reading to a therapy dog. To register your 15 minute slot, please email: NPMLChildrens@gmail.com . ***
Family Movie: “Encanto” (Kids & Families) PG
May 19 at 2:00 pm
A young girl named Mirabel helps to save her family and her magical land. †
Growing Canna, Caladium and Elephant Ear Hostas (Adults)
May 20 at 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Deb Murphy will give tips on growing these plants at the monthly New Providence Garden Club meeting, which is held monthly in the Conti Room. All meetings are free and open to the public.
Book Group: “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen (Adults)
May 21 at 10:30 – 11:30 am
We’re reading a children’s book this month. Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy’s attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site. Ask for a copy at the front desk.
Movie Matinee: “The Color Purple” (Adults)
May 21 at 1:00 – 3:20 pm
This PG-13 musical/drama is a story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood during her life’s journey to independence.
Read to a Dog (Kids)
May 21 at 6:20 – 8:05 pm
Practice your new or developing skills by reading to a therapy dog. To register your 15 minute slot, please email: NPMLChildrens@gmail.com .
Asian American Representation in Literature: Author Talk with Rebecca Kuang (Adults)
May 21 at 7:00 pm
Register for this virtual conversation with Rebecca F. Kuang, author of Babel, as she chats with us virtually about her latest New York Times bestselling novel, Yellowface.
Lego Club (Kids)
May 22 at 3:15 – 4:30 pm
Construct a scene to fit the monthly theme. Creations will be on display in the children’s room until the following month.
Good Tyme String Band (Kids & Families)
May 23 at 10:30 – 11:00 am
Join this string band for some toe tapping fun. All music lovers welcomed!
Family Movie: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World PG (Kids & Families)
May 23 at 1:00- 3:00 pm
Enjoy a movie inside the cool Conti Room on your day off!
Sign up for June Teen Take Out Boxes (Teen)
May 23 at 3:00 pm
Teen Take Out is a monthly box of fun for NP Teens in grades 6-12 with a current NPML library card.
Knitting Workshop (Kids, grades 3 – 8)
May 23 at 3:15 – 4:30 pm
Learn to knit from seasoned knitters. Space is limited and registration is required.
Weekly Storytime and Play at the Library
Tuesday Signs, Songs & Stories with Miss Cathy at 10:30 am (preschool – K)
Featuring stories, interactive rhymes and movement with sign language!
Tuesday Open Play at 1:00 – 8:15 pm (closed from 4-5 pm)
Anytime Stories with Miss Debbie at 7:00 pm (all ages)
Tune in anytime to watch and hear stories from the Library’s YouTube channel. New stories posted every Tuesday.
Wednesday Mother Goose Group with Miss Debbie at 10:30 am (18 months – preschool)
An active storytime with songs, fingerplays, dancing and fun for babies to preschool– But older kids are always welcome!
Thursday Storytime with Miss Anita at 10:30 am (0 – 3 yr olds)
Bring your babies and toddlers for stories, rhymes and socialization.
Friday Open Play at 10:00 am – 4:15 pm
