CLASSIC FILM SERIES RESUMES IN JANUARY

The Tuesday Night at the Movies Classic Film Series resumes on January 3, 2012. All screenings begin at 6:45 pm and refreshments are served. Join us every Tuesday evening for the best films from the 1920's through the 1970's. The schedule for January and February is listed below. No registration is required.

JANUARY 3, 2012
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) (102 min.) Not Rated
Errol Flynn stars as the dashing Robin Hood in this entertaining adventure film. Olivia de Havilland co-stars as Maid Marian and Basil Rathbone is the wicked Sir Guy of Gisbourne. Directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley.

JANUARY 10, 2012
THE SMILING LIEUTENANT (1931) (89 min.) Not Rated
Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins star in this frothy musical. Maurice Chevalier is a Viennese lieutenant who has one too many women in his life. Directed by the incomparable Ernst Lubitsch.

JANUARY 17, 2012
THE KILLING (1956) (83 min.) Not Rated
Sterling Holloway stars as an ex-con who has a plan to “make a killing” on a racetrack robbery. The perfect plan goes awry in this tough and tense cinematic classic. Directed by Stanley Kubrick.

JANUARY 24, 2012
I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE (1949) (105 min.) Not Rated
Cary Grant stars as a French army officer who falls in love in postwar Germany with an American WAC played by Ann Sheridan. This hilarious classic follows their efforts to get him into the United States. Directed by Howard Hawks.

JANUARY 31, 2012
DAMSEL IN DISTRESS (1937) (100 min.) Not Rated
Fred Astaire and Joan Crawford star in this film about a young aristocratic lady and her marriage prospects. Based on a story by P.G. Wodehouse, there is music by George and Ira Gershwin and Gracie Allen and George Burns to boot! Directed by George Stevens.

FEBRUARY 7, 2012
I CONFESS (1953) (94 min.) Not Rated
Montgomery Clift stars as a priest who becomes a murder suspect after hearing the confession of a murder. Anne Baxter and Karl Malden star in this first-rate mystery. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

FEBRUARY 14, 2012
PRIVATE LIVES (1931) (84 min.) Not Rated
Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery star as a divorced couple who can’t live with or without each other. Based on the play by Noel Coward this film is an intelligent and witty comedy. Happy Valentine’s Day!

FEBRUARY 21, 2012
ABOVE SUSPICION ( 1943) (90 min.) Not Rated *RESCHEDULED*
Joan Crawford and Fred MacMurray star as British agents posing as a married couple on their honeymoon in Europe in 1939. This crackerjack spy thriller also features Basil Rathbone and Reginald Owen.

FEBRUARY 28, 2012
I REMEMBER MAMA (1948) (134 min.) Not Rated
Irene Dunne stars in this timeless tearjerker about a Norwegian family adjusting to life in America in 1910s San Francisco. Also staring Barbara Bel Geddes, Edgar Bergen, and Rudy Vallee. Directed by George Stevens.

TCHAIKOVSKY AND THE "NUTCRACKER SUITE"

Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his famous composition “Nutcracker Suite” will be the subject of a lecture at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Library Director Sandy Putnam discusses the “Nutcracker Suite” in the context of Tchaikovsky’s life and career along with film clips of the beloved holiday classic. The program will begin at 2:00 pm.

The program will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is free but registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF WILLIE SUTTON

Rich Gold of Basking Ridge, NJ will present his documentary “In the Footsteps of Willie Sutton” at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Friday, December 2, 2011. The screening will begin at 1:30 pm and is part of the Friday Movie Matinees film series at the library.

“In the Footsteps of Willie Sutton” is a documentary film based on the life of the most colorful and famous bank robber in history. Once dubbed “The Babe Ruth of Bank Robbers”, Sutton did not rely on violence during his heists and was a master of disguise. The film is 54 minutes long and there will be a question and answer period with the director following the film.

The screening is free and open to the public and will be held in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. No registration is required.

HONG KIEW KIM PIANO RECITAL

Carnegie Hall pianist Hong Kiew Kim returns to the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Sunday, November 20, 2011 to play the music of Johannes Brahms. The program will begin at 2:00 pm.

The recital will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $5.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

NO WATER NO LIFE

Alison Jones, a native of Pottersville, NJ, and the dynamic Project Director for the international “No Water No Life” organization will speak at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Sunday, November 6, 2011. The program will begin at 2:00 pm. Join “No Water No Life” for a one hour lecture focusing on New Jersey's Raritan River Basin (8721 sq mi), the largest drainage in the nation's most densely populated state. Alison Jones will answer questions following the lecture, and handouts will be available for the audience including a description of No Water No Life's mission and process, a fact sheet of statistics and evaluative studies, and more!

The program will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $5.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

CAFE SALONS ON TUESDAYS

The Clarence Dillon Public Library will present a series of “Salons” beginning on Tuesday, October 4 and continuing on Tuesdays through December 13, 2011. These programs are informal and sociable early evening gatherings with a wide variety of entertainment. They will run from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.

Each “Salon” will include about 20 minutes of light background entertainment including a jazz trio, piano soloists, flute quartet, trumpet trio, oil and pastel painting demos, blue grass combo, film clips, and antique clocks.

The programs will be held in The Friends Café and there is a $5.00 admission charge. Beverages of all types, plus hors d’oeuvres, will be available at no additional charge. No registration is required.

THE KINDLE AND EBOOKS

Patrons who own a Kindle ereader can now download free ebooks from the Clarence Dillon Public Library. Most existing ebooks in our NJ Digital Library collection can be read on all Kindle devices or by using free Kindle apps for mobile devices. To get started go to http://www.clarencedilonpl.org/ and click on the NJ Digital Library icon on the homepage. The My Help wizard will help you get started. If you have any questions, please contact the reference desk at 908-234-2325 ext.111.

Fall Registrations at the Clarence Dillon Public Library

Registration for Fall Children's activities at the Clarence Dillon Public Library will open on September 19th. Special seasonal events include the Magic, Myth and Monsters Show, and Select and Decorate Your Pumpkin in the Children's Garden Patch. More information about these programs and the rest of the Fall schedule is available on the library website or by calling the library at 908-234-2325 x107.

Willie's Tavern, Bedminster municipal building images

Following up on the previous post, the images taken this year of Willie's Tavern and the demolished building on Hillside Avenue that housed Bedminster's municipal offices until the township moved to their present location. These images can be accessed on New Jersey Digital Highway through these links:
http://www.njdigitalhighway.org/search/results.php?key=NJDH&maxnum=10&orderby=relevance&query=Arthur+Merchant&rtype[]=

http://www.njdigitalhighway.org/search/results.php?key=NJDH&maxnum=10&orderby=relevance&query=Willie%27s+Tavern&rtype[]=

Tracking Somerset Hills history as it occurs

Here is an update about our ongoing effort to provide digital images of the rich history of the Somerset Hills area including Bedminster and Far Hills. Last year we unveiled our collection on the New Jersey Digital Highway website at http://www.njdigitalhighway.org/search/results.php?key=NJDH&orderby=relevance&format=&query=clarence+dillon+public+library . There are presently over 600 digitized photos from our library's historical collection that have been uploaded and the work continues.

But this effort encompasses more than scanning and uploading our remaining photo albums. Because "history" continues to occur every day including the present, we also aim to capture images of the Somerset Hills area landmarks before they literally become history. Two prime examples of this are Willie's Taverne and Bedminster Township's old municipal building located on Hillside Avenue: the former undergoing remodeling for life as a new establishment and the other soon to be demolished.

When we received word of the transitions these structures would undergo, photos were taken of each building while they still stood in their present condition. In February, one of our library patron supporters volunteered to go to Willie's during it's final days of operation and took extensive photos of the interior and exterior of the building capturing views of how long time residents and customers will remember the popular restaurant. Then in June, after the township determined the need to demolish the long vacant building on Hillside Avenue, I got the go ahead to take photos of the building exterior.

The full sets of these images will be uploaded to the New Jersey Digital Highway collection at a later date but in the meantime, here are images of each building from past years alongside the 2011 images. (Click on each set of photos to see enlarged images) -- posted by Arthur Merchant, Technical Services.

At top are a 1945 postcard of the Bedminster Inn which would become Willie's Taverne and an image taken February 2011.

Below are an undated photo of the building on Hillside Avenue when it housed the Bedminster Township municipal offices (likely taken in the 1960s) and a photo of the main entrance taken on June 29, 2011.

CHILDREN'S WORLD MUSIC PROGRAM

Jeanne DePodwin will present a musical "Journey Around the World" on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. The program will begin at 7:00 pm and is appropriate for ages 6 and up. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 ext. 107. For more information please contact Mrs. Helen Petersen, Children's Librarian.

Summer Children's Programs at the Clarence Dillon Public Library

Children are invited to the following programs at the Clarence Dillon Public Library during July: Making African Masks on Tuesday, July 19th, at 1:30 p.m., and Children's World Music Program on Wednesday, July 20th, at 7:00 p.m. Children's Movies will also be held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. For more information or to register, please call the library at 908-234-2325 x107.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Clarence Dillon Public Library will present its FIFTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL during July and August. All screenings begin at 6:45 pm. The festival features new releases as well as classic films.

July 12 THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES
July 19 MOSTLY MARTHA
July 26 THE CLASS
August 2 THE BICYCLE THIEF
August 9 UNDER THE SAME MOON
August 16 APRES VOUS
August 23 CARAMEL
August 30 OF GODS AND MEN

A synopsis of each film can be found on the library’s website calendar at http://www.clarencedillonpl.org/. All screenings are suitable for adults and will be held in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is free. No registration is required. For more information please call the library at 908-234-2325.

Summer Program at the Clarence Dillon Public Library

The Clarence Dillon Public Library will sponsor a children's live mammal show on Saturday, June 25th at 11:00 a.m. This event will begin the summer season at the library highlighting the state wide reading program theme of One World Many Stories. For more information, and to register for any of the summer programs, please visit the library's website or call the library at 908-234-2325x 107.

MYSTERY MOVIE MONTH

Mystery Movie Month begins in June as part of the Tuesday Night at the Movies Classic Film Series. All screenings begin at 6:45 pm and are free and open to the public. No registration is required and refreshments are served. Come out to the library and enjoy our great lineup of classic mysteries and thrillers!

JUNE 7, 2011
THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1946) (84 min.) Not Rated
Dorothy McGuire stars as a mute servant living in a Gothic mansion in a town where a murderer is on the loose. Considered one of the great Hollywood psychological thrillers. Also starring Ethel Barrymore and George Brent.

JUNE 14, 2011
MURDER MOST FOUL (1964) (91 min.) Not Rated
Margaret Rutherford is back as Miss Jane Marple in this engaging whodunit. Miss Marple joins a theatrical troupe to catch a murderer. Based on the Agatha Christie mystery Mrs. McGinty’s Dead and also starring Ron Moody.

JUNE 21, 2011
THE BIG CLOCK (1948) (95 min.) Not Rated
Ray Milland stars as a crime magazine editor who sets out to solve a murder in this powerful film noir classic. This smart and stylish thriller also stars Charles Laughton and is directed by John Farrow.

JUNE 28, 2011
THE KENNEL MURDER CASE (1933) (73 min.) Not Rated
Before the “Thin Man” series, William Powell starred as another debonair sleuth, Philo Vance. This film concerns a murder that takes place at a society dog show. Also starring Mary Astor and directed by Michael Curtiz.

Computer classes aimed at job seekers to be held in June.

Raritan Valley Community College will offer classes to job seekers at Clarence Dillon Public Library to improve their computer and job search skills. The classes will focus on the basic computer skills needed by every job applicant today making them more confident and self sufficient. All courses will be delivered at a basic user level, are 4 hours and built around workforce development skills.

Classes are scheduled at the library from 1 – 5pm on the following Thurdays:

Windows (version 7) - June 2, 2011

Word (version 2007) - June 9, 2011

Internet (on IE8) - June 16, 2011

E-mail - June 30, 2011

To register for the classes or for more information, call the Circulation Desk at 908-234-2325 or e-mail the Reference Desk: ref@dillonlibrary.org.

The training comes as part of a $5.1 million National Telecommunications and Information Administration American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to support the New Jersey State Library’s Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP). The program’s goal is to make New Jersey’s libraries strategic job-creating facilities by adding computer workstations, upgrading Internet connectivity, and providing job search assistance and workforce development programs.

A consortium of New Jersey's community colleges will deliver training using its existing curriculum. Additional online content and training developed by New Jersey Network will also be available. More than 5 million New Jersey residents will be served through this initiative.

Mother's Day Craft

A Mother's Day Craft will be offered to children ages 6 and up on May 7th at 10:30 a.m. at the Clarence Dillon Public Library. Children will be stenciling and painting garden ornaments for Mother's Day gifts under the guidance of Irene Mortko. Registration is required by calling the library at 908-234-2325x 107.

THE KING'S SPEECH

The Friday Movie Matinees film series will be presenting the 2011 Academy award-winning film The King's Speech on Friday, May 6, 2011 at 1:30 pm. Colin Firth stars as Britain’s King George VI who attempts to overcome his stuttering with the help of an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. This film also features Helena Bonham Carter. The film is 118 minutes long and is rated PG-13. This film will be screened in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library and is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Presented by special arrangement with Movie Licensing USA.

Read to Ariel Our Therapy Dog

Ariel, our visiting Sheltie Therapy Dog, will be visiting readers at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Friday, April 15th at 4:00 p.m. Anyone ages 6 and up wishing to meet and read a selection to Ariel is invited to register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 x107.

HAMILTON FARM

REMEMBERING HAMILTON FARM Sunday April 10th at 2PM At The Library. Free Admission A fascinating “Look Back” at Hamilton Farm with pictures, maps, and anecdotal historical commentary. Our two distinguished speakers are: -W.BARRY THOMSON, our area’s foremost social and architectural historian. -JOHN SMITH, Our area’s finest cartographer. To reserve a seat call ( 908-234-1121). Space is limited. Refreshments will be served upstairs after the lecture in our newly refurbished and supplemented “Somerset Hills Historical Collection” room.

ROYALS EXPERT ROBERT LACEY

Robert Lacey, Good Morning America’s regular commentator on English royalty, will speak at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Friday, April 8, 2011. He will provide the inside scoop on Prince William’s forthcoming wedding which he will cover for ABC. Mr. Lacey is the author of “Majesty” which is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II and her family. He will also address events in the Middle East having recently authored the book “Inside the Kingdom” about Saudi Arabia where he maintains a residence and a close relationship with the ruling family. The program will begin at 2:00 pm and be held in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $10.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

MOZART CONCERT AND LECTURE

Library Director Sandy Putnam will present another of his popular lectures covering the life and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on Sunday, March 27, 2011. The program will begin at 2:00 pm. He will cover the unique genius and the sublime music of Mozart with emphasis on his late compositions. The brilliant pianist Hong Kiew Kim will follow the lecture with a recital of Mozart’s music.

The program will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $5.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

FILM NOIR

Chris Messineo, head of the New Jersey Film School, will present a program on film noir at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Sunday, March 20, 2011. He covers the great film noir movies of the 1940’s and will offer fascinating insight and anecdotes along with many film excerpts. The program will begin at 2:00 pm.

The program will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $5.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH WITH GEORGE MARRINER MAULL

George Marriner Maull will present a program on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at the Clarence Dillon Public Library.

George Marriner Maull is the founder and artistic director of The Discovery Orchestra and was the conductor of its predecessor entity, the Philarmonic Orchestra of New Jersey. He was formerly Music Director and Conductor of the Louisville Ballet, Louisville Singers, and the New Jersey Youth Symphony. He has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras across the United States including appearances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, as well as in England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, and Romania.

The program will begin at 2:00 pm and will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $5.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

Hear clearly now!!! CDPL Music collection display increases profile!

Due to CDPL's increasingly active audio/visual collection, the music CDs have now been expanded to two distinct sections and freeing up space for our growing DVD collection. The original corner of the long rack for music is now devoted to Classical music genres, soundtracks for theater productions, television shows and movies, and national and international folk and ethnic music. The featured CDs on top of these shelves will include the latest soundtracks and classical genre and composers featured in our Sunday concert series.

And recently, we have set up a brand new display rack to the right of the Reference Desk that is devoted entirely to all the popular music genres including Pop, Country & Western, Contemporary Christian/Gospel, Jazz and Rock, Rhythm and Blues.

Finally, in order to help our various music lovers better locate their favorite styles, colorful labels have been added for each major ANSCR Classification which shows which genre is covered by each letter classification (e.g. Jazz - MJ, R- Holiday music, L - Soundtrack music). Some of our featured current albums are pictured to the right. Among the latest titles are more than a few Grammy winners.

As always, our music CDs can be checked out for two weeks and renewed up to three times... just like our books.

Kids' Reading Club

Clarence Dillon Library's Kids' Reading Club, led by Caitlyn Parker, will have their 2nd meeting on Thursday, February 24th at 4:00 p.m. to discuss Beverly Cleary's book, "Ramona the Pest." Interested students in grades 3 to 5 are invited to register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 x107.

LONDON'S NATIONAL GALLERY LECTURE

Barbara Tomlinson will present a lecture on the art collection of the National Gallery in London at the Clarence Dillon Public Library on Sunday, February 13, 2011. She will give a “virtual tour” of their stunning art collection offering her engaging blend of aesthetic insight, cultural perspective, and humor. The program will begin at 2:00 pm.

The program will take place in the downstairs meeting rooms of the library. Admission is $5.00 which is payable at the door. Registration is required. Please register by calling the library at 908-234-2325 or by email ref@dillonlibrary.org or in person at the circulation desk.

Madeline Storytime Coming Soon

John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of the original author of the beloved Children's Madeline books, has continued the series with Madeline at the White House, his new book that follows his earlier Madeline and the Cats of Rome. At this parent-and-child event, a benefit for the Library, staged by The Friends of CDPL, John will read from his two books and recount some of Madeline's long and colorful history. $10 per adult, $5 per child; admission pay at the door. Please register in advance by calling the Library.