The Ruddicks - Friends for Always

The Ruddicks are just good people. They are kind and giving to others, quick to smile broadly and offer a pat on the back. They are the kind of people who make good friends, especially award-winning Friends!

Local residents and South Brunswick Public Library volunteers Lease and Ruth Ruddick were recently awarded a Certificate of Appreciation plaque from the Libraries of Middlesex(LMx) for their many years of devoted service to the Friends of the South Brunswick Public Library.


“We do it because we love the Library,” explains Ruth, adult volunteer coordinator on the Friends Board. “We think the Library is a special place.”

The couple has been especially helpful in setting up and organizing items for the Friends sales held three times a year, as well as for the ongoing sale in the SBPL lobby. Library Director Chris Carbone says he is grateful for the pair’s efforts and proud of their LMx recognition.

Ruth and Lease have Life Long Memberships in the Friends of SBPL, a non-profit organization, composed of individuals, families, local businesses, and corporations whose mission is to support library services and programs.

“It’s a nice thing to do and you see the results,” Lease says of helping with the Friends book sales. “One hundred percent (of the money raised from sales) goes back to the Library.”

The book sales are also a good deal for the shoppers, Ruth pointed out, explaining that romance novels, for example, can be purchased 10 for a $1. “Where else can you buy a book for 10 cents?”

The couple spends about 20 hours the week of each sale, coordinating volunteers and sorting and stacking the hundreds of donated books and movies. And, on Tuesdays during the weeks in between sales they can be found doing general shelving and sorting and such.

Lease, a retired civil engineer from AT&T, says “it’s not a big commitment” to help the Friends, plus it’s a nice social outlet especially for retired folks.

While Lease and Ruth have been volunteers for several years now, she has been a part of the Library for much longer. She worked at the Library for 26 years before retiring in 2001, serving as Head of Circulation for the last 15 years of service. She hired many of the current staff, including our current Director Chris Carbone when he was just a college student.

"Working quietly to do good, Ruth and Lease Ruddick have played an enormous role in the success of our book sales. They have contributed endless hours helping to screen and organize our donations before most of the volunteers have their bite of the apple," says Friends President Susan Edelman, adding, "They never toot their own horns. They are intrinsically motivated, not drawing attention to their achievement. I commend LMX for its wisdom in selecting the Ruddicks for this honor."


When not at the Library the Ruddicks enjoy healthy endeavors such as regular trips to a local gym and buying produce through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program at Honey Brook Farm, which they’ve done for about 20 years now. Since retiring Lease has learned canning skills to preserve the CSA produce for gifts and home. They also enjoy listening to books on tape (borrowed from the Library of course!) for long drives to the Adirondack Mountains.

In February they will gear up for another big Friends book sale – the Love Them and Read Them sale on Feb. 16 and 17.


Joining the Friends of SBPL:
Join or renew your Friends membership in-person at the Library during operating hours or online anytime for as little as $10 a year.  To learn more or to join/renew online now, go to http://www.sbpl.info/help-the-library/friends/. Watch for upcoming details on the For-Friends-Only Annual Membership Tea.  In addition to the Annual Membership Tea, Friends also enjoy perks such as coupons for fines and coupons for free movie rentals. The higher the membership the greater the perks!


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More Good Movies You Might Have Missed...

Hi Everyone,

If you're like me and you don't have any spectacular plans for New Year's Eve, why not stay off the roads and plan a fun night of movie watching at home? Try one (or all) of these fun movies from our collection:

               Your Sister's Sister

  Directed by Lynn Shelton. Starring Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass, Rosemarie DeWitt.  Having trouble coming to terms with the death of his brother, Jack accepts his friend Iris' invitation to her family's cabin for some time alone, but Iris is unaware that her sister Hannah is staying at the cabin to get over a breakup with her longtime girlfriend. Rated R 2011. ComedyDrama.

                 Toast

Directed by S. J. Clarkson. Starring Ken Stott, Helena Bonham Carter, Victoria Hamilton, Freddie Highmore.  Based on the autobiography of English foodwriter Nigel Slater. A delicious love letter to the tastes and smells that a young boy associates with his journey into adulthood. Nigel's mother was always a poor cook, and her addiction to all things canned isn't helping. Nigel, on the other hand, laps up cookbooks as if they were porn, and spends all his free time gazing longingly at the delights offered at Percy Salt's grocery shop. Not rated. 2010.  Comedy.

      Kissing Jessica Stein

Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld.  Written by and starring Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen. Also starring Scott Cohen, Jackie Hoffman, Tovah Feldshuh.

Fed up with her fruitless search for "Mr. Right" and tired of blind dates from hell, attractive journalist Jessica Stein whimsically responds to a classified ad-- from Helen! Making and breaking new rules of dating as they go, the two women muddle through an earnest but hilarious courtship that blurs the lines between friendship and romantic love. Rated R. 2002. Comedy.

Hey, beats watching the ball drop...

Happy New Year!

Jill Eisner

Sr. Librarian

Information Services

Music, Merlot & Miele X - A Tasty Evening!

It was the 10th year milestone for this popular annual fundraising event, presented by the South Brunswick Public Library Foundation. Just as aging makes good wine better, Music, Merlot and Miele gets even better each year!
About 100 guests milled about the wine tasting gala at the Miele Showroom on Route 1 on Thursday, Dec. 6. A wide array of tempting hors d’oeuvres and desserts filled tables amongst the wine vendors, refrigerators and such. Furnished in an ultra-modern style to compliment the European-designed Miele appliances, the showroom is the perfect place for this gourmet/social evening.

The tasty eats were donated by a handful of community activists, as well as businesses: Café Calore, Cheng Garden, Capriccio’s, Fuji, Pierre’s, Ruth Chris, Romeo’s, Sens, Tre Piani, Stop & Shop, and Wegman’s. Choices included delectable penne vodka, Chinese dumplings, sushi, spring rolls, fruits and cheeses, and bread pudding and assorted pastries. Yum!
Sponsored by Miele, Inc., Eno Terra Restaurant and Wine Bar in Kingston, and Viking Buy-Rite Liquors in Monmouth Junction.  About half a dozen wine vendors were featured. Merlots, pinots, chardonnays, cabernets, and more were tasted, as well as Bailey’s new hazelnut cream liqueur (which may have been the most popular tasting spot!).

Bart Jackson of Prometheus Publishing was on hand to sell and sign copies of his book Garden State Wineries Guide.
After sampling the appetizers and wines, many guests moved on to the kitchen classroom for a cooking demonstration by award-winning Chef Christopher Albrecht. With the aid of wide screen monitors overhead, he demonstrated how to prepare eggnog pannacotta to start, followed by braised pork shoulder with farrotto, grilled apples and root vegetables.
Chef Albrecht is executive chef of the Terra Momo restaurant group and has worked with well-known culinary celebrities including Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse. He has participated in the Music, Merlot and Miele for several years now. The Terra Momo group includes the Eno Terra Restaurant & Wine Bar in Kingston.
Following the demonstration, Chef Albrecht served each “student” a generous warm plate of the meal. Trays of the eggnog pannacotta cups were carried through the showroom gala by wait staff for distribution to everyone’s delight!
Heard over the eating, drinking, mingling, and clinking glasses was live piano music provided through the Princeton Music Connection. As always guests also enjoyed the beautiful voices of the South Brunswick High School Concert Choir under the direction of Ginny Kraft.
Possibly the most exciting point of the evening was finding out who would win the coveted Miele vacuum! (a generous donation to the cause to be sure!). The prize drawings are done at the end of the night. Local artist/master gardener Art Lee was the random winner of the vacuum, which he held high above his head, obviously very happy to be chosen! The prize drawing also included numerous other prizes, all donated by local citizens and area businesses.

It was an exciting and delicious evening for all concerned. The Library Foundation is grateful for all of the support that was given to make the evening a success. In addition to this annual benefit, the Foundation also hosts the Book & Author Dinner Gala, which just took place in October, and the Beef Steak Dinner, which is anticipated for April 29, 2013. Tickets to Foundation events can be purchased at the Library or online at http://www.sbpl.info. Watch the Library’s Compass newsletter and website for details of upcoming events.

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Ebsco Home Improvement Reference Center

You may have some  home improvement projects waiting to be done since Super Storm Sandy. South Brunswick Public Library has a new database that can help!

Our online magazine provider, Ebsco, has donated their Home Improvement Reference Center to assist New Jersey residents with their repairs.

If you need to install baseboard heating, redecorate, fix a deck or  leaky faucet this is the database for you. There are  how-to guides and nearly a hundred videos.

You can find this on our alphabetical database webpage under the  Ebsco Home Improvement Reference Center or on the E-Adults section of the library's E-Services webpage.

If you need help contact the Information Desk .

Surprising(ly) Easy Ombre Cake

Last week at the Library we had a retirement party for Chris from the Children's Department.  She loves the color purple, and one of her coworkers, Jen, asked me to make her a cake, preferably purple.  When I dropped off the cake in the party room, I could see that Jen was disappointed:  the cake I had made was chocolate with multicolored sprinkles all over.  I wrote on it - "Chris, have a colorful retirement".

But, trooper that she is, Jen said nothing, just oh, that's nice.  Ha, ha, I thought, I won't tell her the inside of the cake is purple ombre:  shades of purple from dark to light.

I left the party, as I had to prepare for teaching my class. Jen burst in to the Meeting Room laughing - You tricked us!  The cake is purple!  It was great, apparently everyone at the party was surprised when they cut the cake. Awesome:  better than the awful Rutgers football loss last night when the quarterback threw a long pass right into the arms of a Louisville defender.

You win some, you lose some.  This presentation, however,  I would call a definite winner.  To make this cake, prepare 2 boxes of white cake mix.  If you want it to be truly white, with the colors added, only use egg whites, not whole eggs.  (I wanted the cake to be a little richer, so I prepared each box cake with 1 stick of melted butter and 3 whole eggs.)  I weighed the cake batter, and divided it into five.  The first I left plain, the next I added a drop or two of purple food dye (the kind in a little jar, made by Wilton, available at any Michael's or just use liquid dye from the food store).  To the next layer, I added more, etc. Easy!  I also used a mix of raspberry preserves and orange marmalade for the filling, and then frosted it with chocolate frosting, and covered it all with tons of sprinkles (Costco!).

I found the inspiration for this cake from one of our new books, Cupcakes and Cashmere, by Emily Schumann.  The book was created from a blog by the same name, and is a fun, quick read with lots of young, trendy info on style, decorating and entertaining. Get it in our Library!

Diane Whitman
Reference Librarian
Lifelong Rutgers Fan     

More Good Flicks You Might Have Missed...

By Jill Eisner

Greetings Everyone!

Things have finally settled down after the storm so now that you've got your power back, time to catch up on some good movies you might have missed!  Here are a few more from our collection that you might enjoy:

 

Carnage

Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring John C. Reilly, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet.

Two pairs of parents, one whose child has hurt the other at a public park, meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, the evening becomes quite chaotic as the parents become increasingly childish.  2011, rated R. Comedy/Drama.            

 

Margin Call

Directed by J.C. Chandor. Starring Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey.  Set in the high-stakes world of Wall Street, Margin Call is an entangling thriller involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. When an entry-level analyst unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster. 2011, rated  R.  Drama.  
 

The Young Victoria

Written by Julian Fellowes. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent. Historical dramatization of the life and times of Queen Victoria from her childhood to the first turbulent years of her rule. 2009, Rated P. Drama. 

Love those British period pieces!!

Sandy's Power Refugees Find Haven at SBPL (photos)

Finding Refuge at the Library

Library is Haven for SB’s Power Refugees


By Rosemary Gohd, SBPL Assistant Librarian

Libraries really do have the power to change lives!

No one knows that better than the hundreds of South Brunswick residents who were without power after Hurricane Sandy came through town on Oct. 29.

In addition to extended operating hours, the South Brunswick Public Library did what it usually does by offering a warm place for residents to gather, commune, use free WiFi, and of course access computers, books, movies, and the like.

For four days until the doors closed each night, South Brunswick’s power refugees camped out in every available open space in the library - on floors, tables and chairs – especially those spaces by an outlet.
“The Library has been a godsend,” said Dayton resident Bill Sullivan. “It’s kept us warm and occupied while we’ve been without power. The staff has been very thoughtful and helpful. Thank you.”
More than 1,700 people visited the Library when it reopened after the storm on Nov. 1 – many waiting in a line that wrapped the building for its doors to open. The building had been closed for three days following the storm, along with other municipal buildings.

More than double the average number of visitors poured into the Library on that following Thursday and Friday. As power began to be restored the number of visitors came down to just double the head count on a typical weekend.
Some patrons laughed about their predicament, saying they usually just come by the Library to pick up a book or movie, not to spend the day!

“I usually bring my book home,” said Dayton resident Laurie Sullivan of spending about 6 hours at the Library.

Library staff was out in full force to assist those needing help, especially with computer time. A color-coded paper pass system was created to give as many as possible time on its’ 36 computer stations.

Young and old filled every available chair and some even stretched out on floors and under tables, spending hours on end in the building warm with heat and togetherness. Despite tales of going to bed in winter coats and such, there was a strong feeling of compassion all around.
Words of gratitude poured out to staff and on the Library’s Facebook page throughout the week’s ordeal.

It was the place to find friends, family, and neighbors, and most importantly distraction and information. People came for the warmth, electricity, entertainment, and up-to-the-minute information about power and road restoration.

“Power’s back on in Whispering Woods!” a woman called out loud Saturday to anyone listening. People just wanted to help each other.

Heather Marquart of Monmouth Junction brought her children to spend time with others in a warm place while she did the same. “It’s good to get out of the house and reconnect with friends.”
“It’s very helpful,” said Monmouth Junction resident Tracy Allen of being at the Library. “If it wasn’t for the Library I would be sitting in the cold.”
Many also came to the Library to set up remote office stations. Flooded buildings in and around Manhattan forced many forget commuting in favor of the “home office.”

Kurinchi Arumugam of Monmouth Junction couldn’t have been happier with the setup. While she worked on her computer all day her parents enjoyed friends and reading materials in the World Language Department while her children watched the continuous movies played in the Children’s Department. “There’s something for everyone to do.”
“I actually have power but I’m still here,” said Kendall Park resident Abdul Rahman, explaining that he was bored working at home and needed a change.

In the two designated Teen rooms, South Brunswick High School seniors studied for the rescheduled (because of the storm) SATs.

“There are too many people at my house,” joked Tina Rullo, saying that her family was helping others who did not have power.
Recent high school graduates Vaishnavi Kannan, Sarah Maher, and Archana Bottu shared a table in the Teen Lounge, happy to be reconnecting with old friends from SBHS.

By far the most popular activity next to reading and being in a warm place with a working computer was charging! Phones and other mobile devices that the 21st generation has come to depend on were plugged into every available outlet throughout the Library.

Everyone counted their blessings for a Library that didn’t quit in the wake of a hurricane.

Gale It!

Don't get me wrong. Google is wonderful for many searches.  But it is nice to know that you can also use another wonderful free library source called Gale Virtual Library. When you are looking for that hard to find information think Gale  instead of Google. Gale Virtual Reference Library is available from South Brunswick Library's Databases. You can browse the shelves by subject or you can type in a search.

The Encyclopedia of Landforms comes in handy when all of the library's books on landforms are checked out and students still needed to do the assignment. Find this on the Environment Shelf.

Mystery writers can get period detail using Gale's American Decades . This is one of the many eBooks on the History Shelves.

If you browse the Religion shelves you will find: The New Catholic Encylopedia, Encyclopedia Judaica, Encyclopedia of Buddhism,  Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, World Religions and Contemporary  American Religions.

Career information is available in Gale Virtual Library's 13 volume Career Information Center.  You can find it on the Education Shelves.

Just type binary code in Gale Virtual Reference and you will get an amazing explanation and history from Real Life Math.

For help with Gale Virtual Reference or with any other questions contact us today.

More Good Flicks You Might Have Missed...

Hi Everyone!

If you're not out trick-or-treating tonight, check out these picks from our collection and let me know what you think!

Jill

The Ghost Writer

Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton. Based on the novel The Ghost by Robert Harris. When a gifted ghostwriter is hired to write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, he quickly finds himself trapped in a web of political and sexual intrigue. Lang is implicated in a scandal over his administration's harsh tactics, and as the ghostwriter digs into the politician's past, he discovers secrets that threaten to jeopardize international relations forever.  2010, Rated PG-13. Drama/Thriller.

Hysteria

Directed by Tanya Wexler.  Starring Felicity Jones, Jonathan Pryce, Rupert Everett, Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal.  In London, 1880, Mortimer Granville is struggling to establish his medical career. When he arrives at the offices of Dr. Robert Dalrymple, London's leading specialist in women's medicine, he is hired on the spot. Granville sets out to find a medical cure for what ails women diagnosed with “female hysteria” and accidentally electrifies love lives forever. 2011, rated R. Comedy/Romance.

Young Adult

Directed by Jason Reitman.  Starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson.

After her divorce, a fiction writer decides to return to her hometown a rekindle a romance with a former sweetheart who is now married with children. 2010, Rated R. Comedy/Drama.

Full of Ginger (Ale)

Full of Ginger (Ale)

Fun or crazy?  Making your own ginger ale, that is.  I vote for fun.  But some may disagree, and as my West Virginia relatives are apt to remark,  "you're just full of ginger!"; translate as, you are just so energetic, that you are really making us tired.  But this is so easy, anyone can make this with almost no effort at all.

I love making things that are usually store bought, because they almost always taste better, and, just because it's fun to try new things

As I was making dinner and watching football (Giants vs. Eagles) last Sunday night - lasagna with a light bechamel sauce (saves calories by not using ricotta) - I mentioned to daughter Kate that I was interested in trying the recipe for homemade Ginger Ale from the new issue of Bon Appetit (October 2012, page 66).

Kate promptly said ok, I'll make it, we've got ginger in the freezer.  Did you know you could store fresh ginger in the freezer for months and it keeps really well?  Just pop it in a baggie as is, skin and all, and it will be at the ready for all your ginger-requiring-recipes.

In 15 minutes she had concocted the ginger syrup, and we were enjoying bright and sparking homemade ginger ale.  Do try it, it really is better than bottled, and you can (literally) be full of ginger too, but in a good way.

(If you think you'll like it, double the recipe as this recipe only makes 4 tall glasses of soda. If you do have any extra syrup, it can be refrigerated and stored for up to 2 months.)

Fresh ginger!

Ginger Ale  adapted from Bon Appetit

1/2 cup honey or 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I prefer the sugar version!)
1/2 cup sliced, peeled fresh ginger   (Note:  Peel ginger with the back of a teaspoon, it gets into all the nooks and crannies really well, without slicing away a lot of the good parts.  If the ginger is frozen, it will be more difficult, but not impossible to slice - be careful!)
1/2 cup water
Bottle or two of seltzer water

Combine all ingredients except the seltzer, in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Strain through a sieve and let cool slightly.  Add 2 tablespoons of the ginger syrup to about 8 ounces seltzer water, or to taste, over ice, and stir.  Makes 4 to 8 servings.

Bonus:  the leftover strained candied ginger is delicious eaten as is for dessert, or served over vanilla ice cream.

Last Christmas we got a Soda Stream machine, and I have to report it does turn out outstandingly fresh tasting and lively seltzer, which is perfect for this recipe.

Bon Appetit, as well as many other magazines worthy of your attention, are available in our Library every day.  Come in and read, and/or take out a few.

Diane Whitman
Reference Librarian
Soda Maker

Encyclopedia Britannica Only Online

 Did you hear the news that Encyclopedia Britannica will only be published online? 

Did you know that South Brunswick Library subscribes to Britannica Online and you can login 24/7 with your library card number?

 Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition offers two ways to access this wealth of information. You can choose a library appropriate for your grade level:


1. Britannica Reference Center for high school students and up.
2. Britannica Kids for middle school or elementary students and up.

You can search the encyclopedia as well as magazines, Web sites, and videos. You can also explore Learning Materials, a dictionary and thesaurus, atlases, timelines, and other features — all at the appropriate grade level.

So, don't just Google it.  Use Britannica Online from the your library's website to search more than 120,000 editor reviewed articles which are updated regularly. Read daily features, updates and links to news reports from The New York Times and the the BBC.

Check it out by scrolling down the the library's alphabetical list of databases to click on Britannica.

If you have any questions click on Help to Ask-A-Librarian.

Learn Canning & Preserving Compliments of SBPL

"How to Can, Dry, Freeze or Preserve is just one of the many free adult education classes offered by South Brunswick Public Library from our website. 

This course if filled with everything you need to know to get started in canning and preserving your own foods.  By the time your finish you will be well on your way to making and storing foods like you have thought about for so long.

All you have to do is visit South Brunswick Public Library's home page and click on the Database Link.  Scroll down and click on the Universal Class link. Login or create your own username and password. Then just click on Course Catalog and search for the class you want take. 

You have a teacher who will answer any questions you have by email.  You can network with other students who are taking the class if you want.

Study for fun or study to earn Continuing Education Credits.  Choose from over 500 classes ranging in topics from knitting to Web Development.

You can find out more or ask questions by contacting the Information Desk at the library.

Southern Italy: Vacationing, Eating, Sailing Cooking

Southern Italy: Vacationing, Eating, Sailing, Cooking




Experiencing late August in the seaside town of Tropea in remote southern Italy was a slice of Italian life.

Our hotel was a thousand year old building cut into the sheer cliff rock wall of the town.

The floor to ceiling window in our apartment was completely open to cooling breezes – no screens available, nor needed; flying pests did not live there, apparently. The view from the little iron balcony looked down onto an amusing switchback road – two on-coming vehicles would approach at speed, stop, inch around each other, and then speed off again.

One morning very early, a disorganized herd of goats appeared and ambled through the dusty, deserted parking lot below, stopping and grazing at grassy corners. A young boy took his time shepherding them, disappearing into the scrubby pine grove near the harbor side. In the early morning light people watered their plants, left for work; one woman gave a boy a haircut outside on her back porch.

The walls of the hotel were easily two feet thick, punctuated by six by six inch holes, whether for shooting arrows, ventilation, or whatever, we never found out for sure. The town and its yellow cliffs precipitously dropped down 200 steps (we counted) into a narrow street next to a crescent of white sand beach bordered by the crystal blue coolness of the Mediterranean sea.

Meals in picture perfect outdoor ristorantes and pizzerias allowed us time to experience local favorites such as Fileja Pasta with Capers, Eggplant, Red Onions and Tomatoes, Insalata Tropea with tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions in a fresh vinaigrette, or Pizza with red onions, arugula and parmesan cheese. The famous local produce was sweet red onions, appearing in many of the dishes and seen in braids everywhere for sale for 1.50 Euros, and hot peppers, which were billed with a wink as “Viagra” peppers, for their strengthening effect.

Evenings saw the vacationing Italian families out in force with all ages in attendance. Dinner, starting not before 8 pm , was followed by the passagiata, or evening walk, where everyone promenaded around the streets, talking, hugging, playing with their children and pushing their babies in strollers. Women wore heels, men were in tight shirts, all were impeccably well groomed and coiffed as they paraded the streets, walking down the cobblestone streets toward the view from the cliffs, shopping for souvenirs, eating their gelato, and enjoying the warm evening breezes. Everyone was out at least until 11 pm, including the little ones, who by now were mostly passed out in their strollers.

When we transferred our luggage to our 43 foot sailboat on Saturday morning for a week’s sailing odyssey, we knew what to buy in the markets to provision our boat in order to duplicate those distinctive tastes for our lunches and, as it turned out, a few dinners.

Our intent was for our party of six to sail to the volcanic Eolian Islands, mooring or docking next to each one, and having dinner in the various little towns. That first night when we moored at the harbor in Stromboli (accent on the FIRST syllable, please), the good looking young Italian man who pulled up to our boat in his little inflatable, warned us ominously that a scirrocco – strong wind - was coming that evening, probably about midnight, and that the mooring was not guaranteed to hold us.

With that in mind, we uneasily set about getting our little dingy in the water to go ashore. Still healing from a broken collar bone, I chickened out and decided to stay aboard our 43 foot boat, the Alice (A-LEE-chay, in Italian). As the seas got rougher, and the winds kicked up, the rest of our six person band decided to stay aboard also. The seas and winds increased with each passing minute, and the provisions we put aside for “one day”, were hauled out for “today”. We started cooking the fileja pasta in a large pot of boiling water as the scirocco winds bore down on us.

The dishes and glassware – didn’t the Italians know about plastic? – crashed back and forth, and side to side in the locked galley cabinets. We were sure they were all in smithereens. Later we heard that that night the scirocco winds blew up to 50 knots for a sustained half hour period. And nothing broke!

All during this time the pasta pot bubbled as the stove swung wildly back and forth on its hinges, struggling to keep from tipping, as did we all. That pasta, which we prepared with a sauce of fresh tomatoes, eggplant, and onions, served us for dinner that evening, when finally at ten p.m., the winds let up enough to allow us to eat on deck while only occasionally holding onto to our plates.

In the meatime, our dingy had untied itself from our boat, never to be seen again. The morning dawned sunny and calm and we continued on to other Eolian islands for more adventures and wonderful food in the subsequent week.

Back at home in New Jersey, we had a fabulous pasta the other night that approximated some of the tastes we had in Tropea on land and at sea. Using Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, we loosely followed the recipe for Linguine with Raw Tomato Sauce.

Tips:
- Use only really ripe, lovely Jersey tomatoes. No need to skin or drain the seeds.

- Buy imported Italian pasta. (I bought mine at Home Goods for $3.99 for 500 g, about a pound.)

- Buy imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (Again, I bought at Home Goods. For both, check to see if it says “made in Italy” – it’s surprising how many times it says made in Spain, Turkey, or elsewhere when it’s billed as Italian.)

- Buy high moisture, house made mozzarella from an Italian store, like D’Angelo Italian Market on Spring Street in Princeton.

- Salt the water after the water comes to a boil.

- Leave the pasta really, really al dente – just barely tender. The imported pasta itself has good flavor, and this way will have texture as well, which is how the Italians make it.



Raw Tomato Sauce
Kosher salt
3 or 4 cups roughly chopped ripe tomatoes, preferably plum, but round are ok too
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press, or chopped
¼ to ½ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced or torn into pieces
1 pound Italian pasta (the fileja shape is in 3 inch pieces of rolled tubes)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
OPTIONAL but fabulous – fresh mozzarella, cut into ¾ inch cubes,
Swiss chard, quickly sautéed in a few tablespoons of EVOO

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water. Cook the pasta just until tender. Save a cup of the pasta cooking water.
In the meantime, add the chopped tomatoes to a large, wide bowl. Add kosher salt and pepper, EVOO and garlic and mix together. Drop in the basil.
When the pasta is ready, don’t forget to take out a cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta in a colander. (Never rinse the pasta – the starchy water will help the sauce adhere to the pasta.) Pour the pasta into the bowl with the tomatoes and add about ¼ to 1/3 cup pasta water to loosen the sauce. If using, saute the swiss chard 2 minutes or so until just tender in the empty spaghetti pot. Tip out into the pasta bowl. Add the optional mozzarella and fold together, adding more pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Dust with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

This recipe simply cannot convey how delicious this dish can be if you use all the best ingredients you can find, but even if you just use great Jersey tomatoes, this will be a wonderful meal.

Italian cooking = all about great ingredients used simply to highlight the natural tastes of the food.

More on our Italian adventures overseas and in the kitchen next week.



Diane Whitman
Reference Librarian
Pasta Purist

More Good Flicks You Might Have Missed…

Hi Everyone,


Here are some more interesting picks from our collection:

Blue Valentine

Starring Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling. Dean and Cindy, a young married couple who have grown apart, take one night away from their daughter to try to save their relationship. With provocative scenes alternately intimate and intense, this film captured audiences and critics alike. If you like Ryan Gosling as much as I do, you’ll enjoy this one. 2010, Rated R. Drama.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

 


Starring Xun Zhou, Kun Chen, Ye Liu, Shuangbao Wang, Zhijun Cong. Set in the early 1970s during the later stages of China's Cultural Revolution, two city-bred teenage best friends are sent to a backward mountainous region for Maoist re-education. 2002, not rated. In Mandarin and French with English subtitles. Drama

Made in Dagenham

Starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson.
Based on a true story. In 1968, the female workers at the Ford Dagenham car plant walked out in protest against sexual discrimination. Their actions played a major role in the battle for equal pay for equal work, both nationally and internationally. 2010, rated R. Comedy/Drama.\

Let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Jill Eisner
Sr. Librarian
Information Services

More Good Flicks You Might Have Missed…

Hi Everyone,
Here are some more interesting films from our collection. I’d welcome your feedback, particularly on Certified Copy, as it left me scratching my head...Enjoy!
Jill




Starring Juliette Binoche, William Shimell. What seems at first to be a straightforward tale of two people getting to know each other over the course of an afternoon gradually reveals itself as something richer, stranger, and trickier: a mind-bending reflection on authenticity, in art as well as in relationships. Both cerebrally and emotionally engaging, it reminds us that love itself is an enigma. In French, English and Italian with English subtitles. 2010, not rated. Drama.


Starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain. In 1966 three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a Nazi war criminal. Thirty years later surprising revelations come to light about their task that threaten to disrupt everyone’s lives. 2011, rated R. Based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name. Drama/Thriller.




Starring Christopher Plummer, Ewan Mcgregor, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic. When graphic designer Oliver meets free-spirited Anna shortly after his father has passed away, Oliver realizes just how much of a beginner he is when it comes to long-lasting romantic love. Memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life, encourage Oliver to open himself up to the potential of a true relationship. Christopher Plummer won an Oscar for this role. 2011, rated R. Comedy/Drama.

Jill Eisner
Sr. Librarian

Web Guides @ SBPL

The Internet is vast. That is why SBPL has created Web Guides to help navigate common searches and include local sites.

The end of summer sends many people on a search for college or employment information.  Today's blog will highlight the SBPL Web Guides on those topics.

Our College Web Guide includes links to local scholarship and financial aid sites in addition to distance learning and college fairs. You also find college rating sites and test preparation.

The Employment Web Guide  includes local job fair and employment sites.  It  has links to the job posting in New Jersey newspapers and help with resume writing.

 

If employment or education is not on the horizon  for you yet check out out our  Volunteer Web Guide.  Here you will find local and national links to volunteer opportunities that may be of interest during your gap year or while you are looking for valuable work experience.

Check out these and other SBPL Web Guides today!

 

 

Sandwich Workshop: Roasted Onions

Sandwich Workshop, Reprised

Last week I blogged about how I had the honor and pleasure of teaching a Creative Sandwich Making Workshop at the Library, and this past week we enjoyed some of the leftovers which I want to share with you, inasmuch as that is possible in print? Okay, not exactly share, just share the recipe then.

So here goes, Roasted Onions from Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft recipe follows.

As I suggested at the workshop, these are great to have on hand to add deep flavor to a variety of dishes. Add a spoonful to any soup that you’re heating up. Spread on a wrap, add last night’s leftover grilled vegetables, and maybe a little hummus – easy, and delicious for lunch. Add some to a turkey sandwich with bacon and avocado and heat until warm – amazing.



Top a hamburger or veggie burger for an added flavor boost. Serve as an accompaniment to grilled steak, with some steak sauce and freshly ground black pepper to zjuzz it up. Heat and serve as an appetizer on crusty bruschetta with some Parmigiano Reggiano shaved on top.



Eggs are a great mix with the smoky/sweet flavor of these Roasted Onions too –

my daughter Kate made up this combination: take a toasted English muffin (Thomas’ Light with high fiber) spread with Reduced Fat Laughing Cow Cheese, top with the Onions and a fried egg, add a slice of tomato and top with the other half of the muffin. Tastes super satisfying, and is less than 400 calories. Great way to start the day.



At the workshop last Wednesday, one participant said, “You just gave me a good idea, I could use up my onions that are starting to sprout .” Absolutely! Cook them up into Roasted Onions and that will give them at least another week, covered well and stored in the fridge.







Roasted Onions adapted from the book ‘wichcraft by Tom Colicchio



4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 medium yellow onions, halved and cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch slices

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 Tablespoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, and onions, stirring well and continuously, adding in the oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. When the onions are well browned, turn the heat to low and cook until the onions are very soft, about 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to a week or so. Yield: 2 cups.





So there you have it, my contribution to using up what you have, and making something in advance that will repay you in flavor rewards many times over. Thanks, Tom, and ‘wichcraft!



This book is in our Library today: our call number 641.84 COL, located in our Non-Fiction Collection in the Cookbook section. Take a look!



Diane Whitman

Reference Librarian

Leftover Lover

More Good Flicks You Might Have Missed…

Hi Everyone,

     Here are some more of my favorites from our collection. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

 
  
Starring Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes. After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in 'The Scarlet Letter, '' which she is currently studying in school. Hoping to become popular, she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. 2010, PG-13. Comedy.



Starring Felicity Huffman. Bree Osborne, a pre-operative transsexual, learns she fathered a child back when she was Stanley Osborne. The wheels of fortune take Bree and her teenaged son on a cross-country trip that will change both their lives. 2005, rated R. Drama.



Starring Kal Penn, Jacinda Barrett, Irfan Khan, Zuleikha Robinson, Tabu, Sahira Nair.
The son of Indian immigrants born in America wants to fit in with fellow New Yorkers, but his family is unwilling to let go of their traditional ways. 2006, rated PG-13. Drama.

by Jill Eisner

Sr. Librarian

Information Services

This Week At SBPL I Discovered … it’s never too late to wear a new hat.

Children are frequently encouraged to read as a way to encourage their future ambitions, but what about us grownups? Well, we can aspire too and we can do more than just read about it this summer at the South Brunswick Public Library.


Become a gourmand, an astronomer, an artist, and more!


Last week I attended a sandwich-making workshop at the Library and became a better cook! The demonstrator showed us the best way to cut an onion and choose the right cheese, not to mention how to make several great-tasting sandwiches. All the demonstrating and tasting was done right here in the Library.



Tomorrow (Tuesday, July 31, at 2 p.m.), we grown-ups can learn how to become artists in the Adult Summer Reading workshop Altered Books. Participants will supercharge their creative abilities by re-purposing old and unused books into sculptures and such.



On Aug. 7 (Tuesday at 2 p.m.) we can all become astronomers with a workshop by amateur astronomer/author/Princeton University Professor Robert Vanderbei.



While these are summer reading programs, there are similar opportunities for adults at the Library all through the year. You can take an hour to learn something new and/or try something new most days and nights of the week. Just check our newsletter The Compass or our website for ideas.



Expanding our knowledge does not end with childhood. It has been shown that the brain waves are more active simply daydreaming then watching a television program. With that in mind, take the extra step to the Library to learn something new. We offer dozens of programs just for adults every month … free! Imagine how your brain waves jump while you are involved in a group with creative challenges and new information.



See you at the Library …. Your Guide to Discovery!

Cooking School: Sandwich Workshop

Cooking School:  Sandwich Workshop!

Cross this off the bucket list:  teaching a cooking class.  The class was held at our Library and was supposed to run from 2 – 3, but since we were still merrily cooking away and eating at 4, the Children’s Department wanted to know how long it would take for us to clean up?  (Longer than the 5 minutes I said, but we were up and out before the children’s program at 4:30.)  I had such a good time, cooking! and with a captive audience!, that we went over our allotted time.

The conceit of the class was this:  a four-course meal, salad, soup, main course and dessert, all interpreted in sandwiches. Famed chef and cookbook author Tom Colicchio provided the recipe basics from his restaurant and book ‘wichcraft, as well as all the photos. 

Having had a little car trouble on the way in, I was just arriving with tons of supplies when 3 people walked in to the class room 15 minutes early.  Since I’m used to cooking at my kitchen island, which is kind of like a stage, I wasn’t flustered, just a little harried.  I started out talking a mile a minute which washing my hands, spreading out ingredients and chopping celery.  I proceeded to build my first sandwich for the class.

It was a Goat Cheese, Celery, Avocado, Watercress and Lemon Vinaigrette with Walnut Pesto on Whole Grain Bread sandwich, which comprised the ‘salad’ course.  I had already prepared the lemon vinaigrette and walnut pesto at home, so I simply had to  dress the celery and watercress with the vinaigrette, slice the avocado,  and put together the sandwich.  Not technically challenging, but still harder to be able to talk about helpful hints while continuing the prep at the same time than if I were alone in my kitchen concentrating.  I babbled on trying to squeeze in lots of helpful hints all the while putting together the sandwiches.

This sandwich was pungent with the goat cheese, earthy with the walnuts and whole grain bread, and brightened by the crunch of the lemon spiked greens:  a great way to open up the class’ taste buds, especially for one of the attendees who had never had goat cheese before.  While goat cheese is not a personal favorite of mine, I do like it very much when it is presented in concert with other harmonizing ingredients, such as this sandwich.  And so did the class.  Yay!  They liked it. (Shades of Sally Field!)

Gaining confidence, I went on to an easier preparation: the Gruyere and Caramelized Onion Panini on Seeded Russian Rye, which was a stand in for French onion soup.  The Gruyere (lovely, nutty real Switzerland Swiss cheese) I sliced very thinly and put on rye bread, topped it with the prepared at home slow cooked smoky-sweet caramelized onions (which I passed around for the class to take in that great fragrance), and topped it with more thin slices of Gruyere and another slice of rye. This was then cooked in a panini press until darkly toasted, with the cheese oozing out:  rich, flavorful and satisfying.   

At this point, luckily my coworkers, Roe Gohd, and Viji Savrithi, had all been pitching in and giving me a hand, so I was in good shape with them microwaving the onions, grilling panini, and passing out napkins, water and sandwich samples.

The Gruyere was the one sandwich I had not tried at home, because I knew it would be delicious – with all those good ingredients, how could it not be?  But the seeded Russian rye bread (Pechter’s, from Wegmans) added that little bit of je ne sais quoi, so when I did taste it, I literally stopped in my tracks because it was so delicious. 

As people were eating and exclaiming, I went on to the main event:  a mix of Marinated Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers, Nicoise Olives, and Lemon Confit on Country White Bread.  I had cooked the chickpeas at home from scratch, and then prepared half of them in the marinade and half without, intending to demonstrate all the prep in front of the class.  Alas, time was running short, so I gratefully used the already marinated chickpeas, threw that in the food processor, and spread it on country bread - toasted on one side only! (Soft side OUT, so as not to scratch the roof of your mouth, but crispy on the inside so the sandwich doesn’t get soggy.)  

To the sandwich, I then added strips of red pepper that I had roasted on the grill at home, gave some Nicoise olives a quick chop, and layered on some confit lemon slices, a few grinds of black pepper, and some flat leaf parsely leaves..

The lemon confit I had started three days earlier, and I demo-ed how to the slice the lemons super thinly, rind and all.  You then layer the slices with salt, sugar, garlic,  and shallot, and let them sit in the fridge in a jar, turning over occasionally to cure all the slices.  After three days, you drain them, and cover with olive oil.  Sunshine in a jar.

Lemon Confit

3 lemons

1 large shallot, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon sugar

About 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Put the lemons in a saucepan of boiling water to cover for 20 seconds.  Drain and dry.  Slice off one end only.  Cut in half lengthwise.  Slice as thinly as possible, discarding seeds and the remaining end. 

Mix all remaining ingredients except the olive oil with the lemon slices.  Put into a jar.  Turn once a day for 3 days to cure all the lemon slices.  Drain in a colander for 15 minutes.  Return to the jar, and barely cover with olive oil. 

Yield:  About 1 cup, keeps in the refrigerator at least one month.

(This makes an inspired addition to not only the chickpea sandwich, but is amazing on a sandwich with imported Italian tuna, capers, Nicoise olives and marinated fennel.  Also try with sliced roasted leg of lamb, bitter greens, and black olive mayonnaise.)

The completed Chickpea Sandwich was a multi-flavored affair with a balanced mix of garlicky, creamy chickpeas, the sweetness of the red peppers, the meatiness of olives all accented beautifully by the brightness of the lemon confit:  “tastes like the Mediterranean,”  was one admiring comment.  This was the favorite of the tasters.

For dessert, I made ‘Cannoli’ Bruschetta, this recipe one of my own creation: topped with ricotta cheese, orange marmalade, bittersweet chocolate and pistachios.  (“Very elegant – and delicious”, according to my son-in-law, when I reprised the class at home.) And for good measure, an Almond Bruschetta, this one spread with almond paste, almonds and showered with confectioner’s sugar, inspired by a recipe I found on the Food Network.

Now I was really rushing, because the Children’s librarians were trying to set up for the next event.  But these bruschetta are no-brainers- requiring no recipe, really, so I could rush and prepare at the same time.  Mission accomplished:  a four course meal all composed of sandwiches.

Either bruscetta would be an outstanding addition to brunch alongside a frittata or any kind of omelette.  And they are far easier to make than any baked goods, and  benefit from being done at the last minute because they are especially good served warm, immediately after preparation.

‘Cannoli’ Bruschetta

baguette, cut into ½ inch thick slices

ricotta cheese

good orange marmalade (recommended:  Tiptree or Dundee brand imported from England)

bittersweet chocolate, chopped, OR bittersweet mini chocolate chips

pistachios, chopped

Toast or grill the baguette.  Spread each slice with about 1 – 2 Tablespoons ricotta. Top with 1 Tablespoon marmalade.  Sprinkle on the chopped chocolate and pistachios to taste.

Almond Bruschetta

baguette, cut into ½ inch thick slices

almond paste

sliced almonds or slivered almonds

confectioner’s sugar

Toast or grill the baguette.  Mash up the almond paste a little to make it softer, then spread a Tablespoon on each baguette slice.  Top with some almonds, and sprinkle generously with confectioner’s sugar.

So that was my take on sandwiches – at the end of the class, I was left with a huge mess, a ton of satisfaction from all the positive comments I got, and a wish to do it all again soon. 

As Roe and one of the class attendees – Rose - so generously helped with the clean-up, we passed out the last of the samples and hurried to put away all the detritus from the class while the Children’s Department began their set-up. 

I left the class humming this melody from a long ago favorite children’s song of my daughter Kati:

Sandwiches are beautiful, sandwiches are fine,

I like sandwiches I eat them all the time,

I eat them for my supper,

And I eat them for my lunch,

If I had a hundred sandwiches,

I’d eat them all at once!

Diane Whitman

Reference Librarian

Now , “Cooking Teacher”

Adult Summer Reading Program Going Strong!

We have had almost 50 people either submit Entry Forms for the books they have read, attend one or more of the workshops or agree to complete one section of the mural.  I have entry forms for 89 books that have been read so far.  I am compiling a list in order to the ratings readers have given.  There were 26 books rated 5 star and one given a 6 star rating, 21 books at the four star level, nine with 3 stars, seven with 2 star and 6 with only one star.  19 entries have come in with no rating indicated – don’t forget to give your opinion – the list will be shared with everyone at the party on August 18 and will be available for the rest of the library thereafter – so help your fellow readers find the good ones and avoid the no-so-good!

Everyone that participates in some way in the Adult Reading Program this summer will be getting an invitation to our End-of-Summer Party on August 18 where they will get to enjoy making their own Ice Cream Sundae and other goodies and get to see the unveiling of the group mural.  Every participant will be given tickets which can be used to win prize baskets.  We will also have some of the middle-school students who are taking the “In a Kaleidoscope” arts literacy class offered this summer bring the books they are creating.  “In a Kaleidoscope” is planned in conjunction with the Aging in Place Partnership (AIPP) and the South Brunswick School District Office of Curriculum and Instruction.  You can read more about the program in a recent article published on the southbrunswick.patch.com website at http://southbrunswick.patch.com/articles/south-brunswick-residents-awarded-governor-s-arts-education-medal

We have just completed our sixth creative workshop yesterday with the very popular Between the Covers Creative Sandwiches class.  Our resident librarian/chef, Diane Whitman, created four delicious vegetarian sandwiches for a class of 18 lucky attendees.  You can read more about the event and get the recipes in Diane’s Friday Food Blog tomorrow.

We also had our tie-dyed paper workshop where we experimented with ways to create some beautiful color papers to use in making greeting cards, gift wrapping and the basis for many other paper crafts. 

Next Tuesday will be our Altered Book Workshop. We have gathered an assortment of hardcover books from the donations that were discarded which we will use to create objects of beauty and utility. Each attendee can choose which project to do. There will be one craft, from The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti (New York: Abrams, 2011.) to create decorative “Book Bursts” out of books that have been cut into sections. We will have another option to make a protective and decorative cover for your Kindle, Nook or other tablet or reader using an actual book cover (bring the dimensions of your reader.) This project is also from The Repurposed Library. For those who are interested in trying to make altered books just for their beauty and art, we will have a few projects to work on in what might become your sample or practice book of altered book techniques. These are from Altered Books Workshop by Bev Brazelton (Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 2004.)

This should be great fun!  We look forward to seeing you at the workshop.  If you have an Xacto or other type of craft knife, you could bring it with you and bring along any small embellishments (buttons, coins, toys, game pieces, puzzle pieces, charms, beads, old jewelry); ephemera (greeting cards, correspondence, photos, postcards, stamps) or “accessories” (string, yarn, twine, ribbon, hardware, wire) you might want to incorporate into your designs to make them more personal and meaningful.

Resume Help

The Library has many online resources that help you create a winning resume.

They are available from the Library's Database webpage .

The first is Brainfuse, funded by the grant from the South Brunswick Library Foundation.

Brainfuse is a learning center for both school age students and adults.

Scroll down the Library's Database webpage and click Brainfuse and then click on the Adult Learner button at the top of the Brainfuse  homepage.

Here you will find training material for Resumes, Careers, Microsoft Office Software, GED and Citizenship.

Create your own username and password during your first visit by clicking on Login. This will give you access to your message center whenever you visit. Then use the resume training material.  Prepare your resume and  upload it for review. You will receive feedback on the resume  in your message center.  If you have further questions you can connect to Brainfuse live help between 2-11pm daily.

The next online resource  on the Library's Database webpage is Universal Class. Here you will find the instructor-assisted class 'Resumes 101'.    You can submit any questions you have about the class material to your assigned instructor.

The last resource from the Library's Database webpage is Job And Career Accelerator.  This is provided by the NJ State Library.  Click on Job and Career Accelerator from the Library's Database webpage. You will go to Learning Express Library. Click on the More Information button on the Job and Career Accerator tab.  View a tutorial to learn how to use this online resource for resume writing and job searching. When you are ready to use it click on Login to create or use your username and password.

South Brunswick Public Library also offers an Effective Resume Writing class. Check our online Event Calendar to find out when the next class is.

You can search our online catalog for a list of the e-book, book and audiobooks available on resume writing.

As always, if you have any questions please contact the Information Desk .

Submitted by Mary Donne, Head of Information Services