Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Become Conversant in Icelandic or Hawaiian!

Bernardsville Public Library continues to offer the free, online language-learning resource, Mango, which has recently been upgraded to Mango Connect.  This user-friendly portal offers improved graphics and is considered to be a more intuitive way to learn a language.  Mango Connect offers a base of more than 50 foreign languages from which to chose, including Bengali, Scottish Gaelic, and Tagalog.  In addition, non-English speakers may learn English with instruction in one of 17 native languages.
Another feature of Mango Connect is Mango Conversations which allows you to hear and repeat social conversations you might encounter while travelling abroad.  Learn a few helpful words or phrases in Icelandic or Hawaiian before you take that next vacation!  If you've studied French of Spanish in high school and now want to advance your language abilities, take Mango Connect's placement tests to know which level of study you should enter.  It's all very simple; begin by setting up your account online through our website.  All you'll need is your Bernardsville Library card number and an email address.  First, go to this link and click on Mango Languages, then initiate your free account.  You may also download the App for Mango Languages Library Edition onto your smartphone or tablet. How cool is that?!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

She Matters

Susanna Sonnenberg's 2013 memoir, She Matters: A Life in Friendships, will be discussed by the library's book group, Memoirs & Coffee, on Tuesday, April 22, at 10:30 a.m. The group will meet in the Community Room for their discussion led by Pat Kennedy-Grant.  Copies of the book are now available at the front desk.
Publisher's Weekly writes that Sonnenberg's book is a "tribute to her lifelong fortress of friendship" and that "her strikingly honest depictions of tumultuous female alliances and confessions about friendships are both moving and relatable."  Some bonds of friendship broke easily, others lasted. Find out why writing about this topic was so important to this particular author; join the upcoming book discussion.