PLEASE NOTE: THE LIBRARY IS NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS AT THIS TIME.

2021 Hamilton Township Municipal Calendars, featuring Hamilton Heroes, are now available at the library.  Anyone interested in picking up a copy via curbside delivery, please call 609-581-4060.

TAX FORMS

The Library is now offering contactless curbside delivery of Federal tax forms and instructions. To arrange a time for pickup, call 609-581-4060, and choose extension 2.

The Library will not be hosting the volunteer tax assistance program this year. For information on nearby locations offering this service, visit https://www.nj211.org/nj-free-tax-assistance-locations, or call 800-906-9887 to speak to a representative. For information on how to obtain New Jersey state tax forms, call 609-292-6400, or visit https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/prntgit.shtml.

Hoopla digital.  Start using hoopla digital today to borrow digital books, comics, videos​, music and audiobooks by using your email, creating a password and entering your library card number.  There’s no waiting to borrow and hoopla digital’s automatic return eliminates all late fees. See what all the hoopla is about!  Learn more.

Get one on one tutoring through Brainfuse Help Now.  All you need is your library card number. This resource also includes skill building activities and an Adult Learning Center.  Learn more now.

The Library is happy to announce the introduction of a new digital resource collection for children, teens and adults – Axis 360.   All you need is your library card number and library password for access to a world of new choices.  Click here to get started.

THE LIBRARY IS NOW OFFERING COMPUTER USE, FAX, AND NOTARY SERVICES BY APPOINTMENT.

For instructions on how to make a reservation for computer use, click here.
For instructions on how to make an appointment to fax an item, click here.
For instructions on how to make an appointment to have an item notarized, click here.

CONTACTLESS CURBSIDE SERVICE HOURS ARE NOW OFFERED FROM 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, MONDAY THRU FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY FROM 9:00 AM -1:00 PM.

For details on how to take advantage of this service, click here. If you have any questions, contact our Reference Department by phone (609-581-4060, Ext. 2) for more information.  Due to the high volume of calls, you may not be answered immediately.  Please leave your name and phone number, and we will return calls in the order in which they are received.

Our outdoor book drops are open for returns 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For the safety of our patrons and staff, returned materials are quarantined for a minimum of 72 hours, and then disinfected before being placed back on the shelf. We ask for your patience and understanding as items will remain on the cardholder’s account during this period. Patron’s will not be charged fines or fees for the time their items remain in quarantine.

Although the building itself is open only by appointment, access to online and digital resources remain available. Each day, we continue to update and increase the material we offer remotely – virtual tours, children’s programming, reader recommendations and more are just a click away. We have added many links to websites for children, teens and adults, and staff are available to answer your questions and concerns via email between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday.

WI-FI is available from the parking lot and surrounding grounds – no password is required.

Please check our website or Facebook page frequently for updates as more information becomes available.

NJ Career Network Job Seeker Community

L2B Initiative Showcases Calendar of Free Online Events for Business Community

In the wake of the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, L2B (Libraries to Business) announces the launch of its website, www.libs2b.com, a clearinghouse of online events and resources for the small business community. L2B seeks to connect individuals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs to assistance and development organizations that have shifted in-person meetings to online webinars. All events listed on the calendar are free of charge, do not require membership in order to attend, and are not limited to a certain geographic area. To get further information, to view the calendar and other resources, or to list your organization’s business or workforce development events to the L2B calendar, please visit: www.libs2b.com.

Teen Book Reviews

This year’s Summer Reading Program looked a little different than other years, so we had teens write book reviews for the Library website for volunteer time. To check out reviews from teens and our Teen Librarian, check out Teen Book Review.

STEMNauts Virtual Tutoring

For more information concerning COVID-19, click here

Additionally, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation has created an information and resource page for legal matters connected to or impacted by the current COVID-19 crisis.

Virtual Tours

We have a new page highlighting virtual tours and extra online access while we are closed.

Recommended Reads

Each week, we will provide suggested readings for adults, young adults and children to enjoy.  All titles are accessible via our eLibrary, Axis360, or Hoopla.

ADULT: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann & Kristen Joiner – One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human. Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people. As a young woman, Judy rolled her wheelchair through the doors of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco as a leader of the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a governmental building in US history. Working with a community of over 150 disabled activists and allies, Judy successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples’ rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Consider this book an inspiring call for inclusiveness, courage, equity, and justice as well as a reminder of people’s power to change the world for the better.” (Available at Axis360)

TEEN: The Cat I Never Named by Amra Sabic-el-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan – In 1992, Amra was a teen in Bihac, Bosnia, when her best friend said they couldn’t speak anymore. Her friend didn’t say why, but Amra knew the reason: Amra was Muslim. It was the first sign her world was changing. Then Muslim refugees from other Bosnian cities started arriving, fleeing Serbian persecution. When the tanks rolled into Bihac, bringing her own city under siege, Amra’s happy life in her peaceful city vanished. But there is light even in the darkest of times, and she discovered that light in the warm, bonfire eyes of a stray cat. The little calico had followed the refugees into the city and lost her own family. At first, Amra doesn’t want to bother with a stray; her family doesn’t have the money to keep a pet. But with gentle charm this kitty finds her way into everyone’s heart, and after a few near miracles when she seems to save the family, how could they turn her away? Here is the stunning true story of a teen who, even in the brutality of war, never wavered in her determination to obtain an education, maintain friendships, and even find a first love-and the cat who gave comfort, hope, and maybe even served as the family’s guardian spirit. (Available at Axis360)

CHILDREN: We are Water Protectors by Carol Lindstrom. Recommended for all ages. Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal. Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . .When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people’s water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.(Available at Axis360)

Sofia Valdez Future Prez by Andrea Beaty.  Recommended for ages 4-8. Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea – the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall, only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she,s just a kid! Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.(Available at Axis360)

Fossil Huntress by Andi Dien. Recommended for ages 5-8. Meet Mary, a girl growing up in France and visiting the site of archeological wonders, such as Pech Merle, Fond de Gaume, and La Mouthe. As an adult, Mary spends much of her life working in the field in Tanzania, making discoveries that change the face of paleontology forever. True grit, passion, and high standards for scientific rigor made Mary Leakey a pioneer in the field of paleontology (Available at Axis360)

Chirp by Kate Messner. Recommended for ages 9-11. From acclaimed author Kate Messner comes the powerful story of a young girl with the courage to make her voice heard, set against the backdrop of a summertime mystery. When Mia moves to Vermont the summer after seventh grade, she’s recovering from the broken arm she got falling off a balance beam. And packed away in the moving boxes under her clothes and gymnastics trophies is a secret she’d rather forget. Mia’s change in scenery brings day camp, new friends, and time with her beloved grandmother. But Gram is convinced someone is trying to destroy her cricket farm. Is it sabotage or is Gram’s thinking impaired from the stroke she suffered months ago? Mia and her friends set out to investigate, but can they uncover the truth in time to save Gram’s farm? And will that discovery empower Mia to confront the secret she’s been hiding–and find the courage she never knew she had? In a compelling story rich with friendship, science, and summer fun, a girl finds her voice while navigating the joys and challenges of growing up. (Available at Axis360)

Kids

New Jersey Covid-19 Child Care Tuition Assistance for School-Aged Children

While in-person services are limited, we are scheduling virtual events and activities.  Please check them out on our calendar.

Only got a few minutes?  Check out the Author Fan Face-Off for middle grade readers.

For all other information, please check out the Children’s Page.

Interested in local history?

Be sure to check out Tom Glover’s Hamilton Scrapbook website for fun and interesting facts concerning the history of our town and the surrounding communities.

…..that’s what Hamilton Free Public Library is all about.  We take our role as a central meeting place in the township quite seriously. And we feel a responsibility to our patrons and others who may be less fortunate than ourselves. Therefore, we offer you the following opportunities to “pay it forward”.   We are a…