Proposed state budget cuts to the New Jersey State Library and the statewide library services they fund, as well as budget cuts on the municipal level and an assembly bill to eliminate minimum funding for municipal libraries are poised to cause a severe reduction in services offered by libraries throughout the state. To learn more, and to help save your library, visit http://savemynjlibrary.org.

The FY11 state budget proposes a 74% cut to the State Library, which also will affect the statewide programs we fund for all libraries in the state, such as interlibrary loan, delivery services, statewide databases and electronic resources, the NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped and even our statewide summer reading program.

If this is a matter than concerns you, please logon to the NJ Library Association website: www.njla.org; from there you can see a number of advocacy messages, especially on the web pages linked to www.savemynjlibrary.org. We’ve been told by state legislators that email, personal letters and letters to the editors really get their attention. You may easily send email to them by looking at the choices on left hand side of the savemynjlibrary.org page.

Amy Einhorn, VP and publisher of Amy Einhorn Books/G.P. Putnam’s Sons, whose bestseller “The Help” continues its reign on the NYT fiction list, will examine the changing landscape and future of book publishing. She will address e-books, how the decline of newspapers affects book review coverage, and who is still reading books. She will also discuss her criteria for accepting a manuscript. She has over 20 years’ experience in fiction and nonfiction publishing.

Monday, 7:30-9pm, March 22 @ Montclair High School

Register online at www.adultschool.org, through the office at 973-746-6636 or in person that evening.
Cost is $15.00 with a $5.00 registration fee (one-time fee per semester for any course or any lecture).

Michelle Cameron, author of “The Fruit of Her Hands” a novel about Jewish life in 13th Century Europe, will speak at the Book Fair at Congregation Shomrei Emunah, 67 Park Street, Montclair, on Sunday, March 14, at 4 p.m. Her research was based on facts about her ancestor, Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg, Germany. His wife, Shira, is the fictional protagonist. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend. For more information, contact the synagogue office at 973-746-5031.

Each year, Montclair High School offers seniors the chance to work as
unpaid interns for the last month of school, if they can arrange
internships. The high school would love to send some of its students into
the world of publishing. (They¹ve figured out that half the town works in
the industry.) If you¹re willing to offer an internship to a bright,
promising senior, please write a short job description and email it to
MikeLaser@comcast.net. Mike will gather the job notices and post them on a
special MEWS web page, so that interested seniors can scout the
possibilities and apply.
Details:
- Don¹t forget to include an email address with your job description, so
students can contact you.
- Students must spend full work-days at their internships.
- No pay is permitted.
- The program runs from mid-May to mid-June.
- Ms. Shirlene Powell-Sanders is the coordinator.

Although the Write Group is indeed hosting a marathon, the original call to bring a 250-page excerpt to the “First Page” session was a tad much. They’ve informed us that your excerpt should be 250 WORDS (otherwise it’s really First Novel, not First Page.)

There will also be an interactive session of challenging writing execises in the Auditorium from 1 to 4:40 p.m.

See the original announcement with all the other pertinent info here.

The Write Group, a free support group for writers of all genres, will hold an all-day Marathon on Sat. Feb 20 , 10:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., at the Montclair Public LIbrary, 50 South Fullerton Street. The event features a Free Write Session and several workshops.

Free Write: 10:15 a.m. to noon in the Auditorium . Respond to creative prompts and read your essays aloud.

“The 10-Minute Play Workshop” led by award-winning playwright Anne Timmins. 10:15 a.m. to noon in the Conference Room. Write a ten-minute play that will be performed during the session. Acting and writing exercises and feedback. Limit: 10 participants. Registration is required and can be done by contacting writerhse@aol.com.

“First Page” with Independent publisher Ed Charlton 1:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., Conference Room. Bring in 250 words max of a work in progress. Round-table critique will focus on helpful suggestions. Limit 10 participants. Register in advance: ed@edcharlton.com

“Tell Me Your Story” for writers of YA fiction as well as young writers ages 8-plus, led by author Mackenzie Reide, 3 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. , Conference Room. Share your story as you get feedback on how best to compose a finished piece. Limit: 10 aspiring writers.

For more information contact Harriet at surewhynot4P@yahoo.com

Help Make College an Attainable Goal
For Every Montclair High School student

Make a difference. Be a Volunteer!
The IMANI College Advocacy Center is sponsoring training workshops for new volunteers.

Mentor Training
Saturday, February 27th – 9 am to 12 pm
Mentor training will be led by Scott White, Director of Montclair High School Guidance Department
Learn how to guide students through the college admissions process, from searching for colleges, filling out applications, and helping families complete financial aid forms, to providing one-on-one support to help motivate and inspire students to pursue the goal of a college education.
Essay Coach Training
Saturday, February 20th
10 am to 1pm and
Saturday, February 27th
12:30pm-3:30pm
Essay training will be led by Sheila Crowell, co-founder of the Writer’s Room, and Sena Messer, essay writing coach and professional writer.
Learn proven strategies and techniques to assist students in drafting,
revising, editing and polishing their college application essays.

To register for the training or learn more, please call or email JoAnn McCullough at the IMANI College Advocacy Center, (973) 509-2822 or cac73@comcast.net
Location TBA at time of registration. Light lunch will be served on February 27th for those attending both trainings.
If you know of someone who might make a great mentor or essay coach, please encourage them to call or email, too!

Jane Susswein, a founding board member of the Montclair Community Pre-K, writes to the members of MEWS:

The Montclair Community Pre-K is in its 12th year of offering a quality preschool education to ALL who apply. We have never turned away a four-year-old because of the family’s difficulty paying tuition. We charge on a generous sliding scale, so we can be accessible to all. Our tuition assistance is paid for by a combination of Township funds and board fundraising.

We are having a fundraiser -a Casino and Cabaret Night – On April 29, with both silent and live auction items.

One popular item has been for a local author to donate some books and offer to come to a book group, as a time that is mutually convenient. If any of you are interested, please get back to me at jsusswein@comcast.net.  Thank you so much.