PPL Logo
Plainfield Public Library                                                             October 1, 2014

SAVE THE DATE

The Friends of the Plainfield Public Library presents:

Un Gusto di Italia
(A Taste of Italy)




Treat yourself to an evening of delectable Italian wines and light fare on Saturday, October 18, 2014
5:00 - 8:00 pm

All proceeds to benefit the Library!


___________________

CHILDREN'S
PROGRAMS

Hispanic Heritage Storytime
- Saturday, October 11th at 2 pm
Click here for details

Halloween Party
Thursday, October 30th at 3:30 pm
Join us if you dare!
Click here for details

Click Here for the October Calendar

___________________

ADULT LITERACY
The Literacy Department is putting the finishing touches on its all new Tutor Training programs and will be holding an initial round of orientation and training in November for both new and returning tutors. Contact the Literacy Office at 908.757.1111 ext. 122 for more information.

_____________________

COMPUTER CLASSES


Intro to Excel
Oct. 2

Hardware Basics
Oct. 7 & 9

Make A Resume
Oct. 14 & 16


Register Today!.

___________________


MEMOIR WRITING CLUB
The next meeting of the Memoir Writing Club is October 9th at 10:30 am
Click here for details.

___________________

NEW LIBRARY HOURS

Due to Budget Cuts the Library is reducing operating hours on October 14th.
The new hours will be:

Monday – Wednesday
9 am – 9 pm


Thursday & Friday
9 am – 5 pm


Saturday 9 am – 1 pm


Closed Sunday


The Library will be Closed for Columbus Day on October 13th.

___________________


  
  

Visit the Library in October to celebrate the history of Plainfield and New Jersey! For more information about
Archives Month events visit our website.
__________________________________________________

On Exhibit Through October: The Charles H. Detwiller, Jr. Architectural Drawings Collection, 1887-2002.

blueprint
The Plainfield Public Library announces a new exhibition in honor of New Jersey’s 350th anniversary celebration (NJ350). The library is displaying never-before seen examples from its collection of historical blueprints that date back to 1887. The 70-piece exhibit consists of wall exhibits and display cases on both levels of the library. The featured blueprints represent thirty-five different sets of drawings by 24 architects. The oldest drawing on exhibit is of the Plainfield Golf Club dating from 1896.

The Charles H. Detwiller, Jr. Architectural Drawings Collection contains over 16,000 sets of drawings, documenting over a century of residential and commercial architecture in the greater Plainfield area. This collection of blueprints that document the growth of a suburban community is unique in the United States.

Over 500 architects are represented, including architect George Ernest Robinson, who was a nationally known architect in firehouse design. Plainfield’s Fire Headquarters building, designed by him in 1925, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Local History Department began to inventory and preserve the aging documents in the collection in 1998. The cost of preservation microfilming, digitization, and cataloging is entirely supported through grant funding and volunteer assistance. Major funders include The Institute for Museum and Library Services; The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State; the Plainfield Foundation; and the Friends of the Plainfield Public Library.

The exhibition opened September 1, 2014 and will run through October. It is free to the public.
_______________________________________________________

DAR Genealogy Workshop

Saturday, October 4, 2014
1 to 4 pm in the Anne Louise Davis
Gallery

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization dedicated to preserving American history. Members are women of any race, religion, or ethnic background who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution.

Are you interested in joining the DAR? Attend this workshop and receive help with applications and genealogy research.

The workshop is sponsored by Francis Hopkinson – Monmouth Court House Chapter.
_______________________________________________________

Dr. Linda Caldwell Epps to Speak at Library
Saturday, October 25, 2014
10 am to Noon in the Anne Louise Davis Gallery

The Plainfield Public Library welcomes guest speaker Dr. Linda Caldwell Epps in honor of New Jersey’s 350th anniversary celebration (NJ350). Dr. Caldwell Epps will discuss her research on the First Presbyterian Church cemetery in Elizabeth. There are 316 graves in the cemetery that belong to African-Americans, some of whom were slaves to notable names in early New Jersey history, including Governor Livingston, Elias Boudinot, the Ogden Family, the Stockton Family, and the family of Aaron Burr.

Dr. Linda Caldwell Epps is a career educator and has served various educational institutions for over 40 years. She was the President and CEO of The New Jersey Historical Society, a state-wide museum, library, and educational facility established in 1845 to preserve artifacts and print materials along with documenting the social, political, and cultural history of the state of New Jersey.

This lecture is free to the public.

______________________________________________________
New Books Available in the Local History Room

How to Archive Family Keepsakes by Denise May Levernick

Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond by Emily D. Aulicino


A Genealogist’s Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors by Franklin Carter Smith & Emily Anne Croom

Learning from New Jersey
by Joel Lewis with visual works by Tim Daly

The Legendary Sousa Band: 40 Years from Plainfield to Atlantic City
by James L. Schardein


Map to American Migration Routes, 1735-1815 by William Dollarhide

The books are available for research in the Plainfield Room on the lower level.

______________________________________________________
Virtual Genealogy Fair
October 28 - 30, 2014
Live Lecture Sessions Starting Daily at 10 am in Room 5


Watch this series of live broadcasts from the United States National Archives
during the Virtual Genealogy Fair 2014. Sessions run approximately one hour with time at the end of each lecture for audience questions.  Topics range from introductory genealogy lessons to more advanced research techniques. Watch on a large screen and participate each day from the Plainfield Public Library! Click here for more information.

This evemt is free to the public. Please register so we can be sure there is seating for all who would like to attend. Call (908) 757-1111 Ext. 136 to register.

_______________________________________________________

Recent Donations to the Local History Department

Our sincere thanks to all those who donated materials to the Library this year. Some of the gifts included:
  • Tierney Family Photographs, donated by Ellen Tierney
  • Barbara T. Sandford Papers, donated by the Barbara T. Sandford Estate
  • Eighteen additional publications for the Barbara Polk Riley African American Book Collection, including biographies and cookbooks, donated by Barbara Polk Riley
  • PHS Athletic Director Ledgers, 1980s-1990s, donated by the PHS Alumni Associaton via Martin Cox
  • PHS Yearbooks (1972-2000), donated by Morris H. Neil
  • Maxson School Yearbooks (1968-1998), donated by Morris H. Neil
  • 1911 PHS Yearbook, donated by an anonymous individual.

The Local History Department gratefully accepts these recent donations to our collections. Most donations are made by current or former Plainfield residents. For more information about how to make a donation, please contact the Local History Department.

_______________________________________________________


 Donate to the Local History Department