Press Release
SOUTH AMBOY — As trick-or-treat gives way to Turkey Day, Plymouth Rock on down to the Dowdell Library! (Just don’t confuse Halloween with Thanksgiving—you might end up haunted by a poultry-geist or troubled by a house full of gobble-ins.) Though the Dowdell won’t help you fix Thanksgiving dinner (it’s not broken, is it?), it is offering all the cookbooks you can handle and a truly stuffed programming slate. (we’d stop telling Thanksgiving jokes but can’t stomach the thought of doing so cold turkey.) Pile your plate with the cornucopia of details below and resist the urge to engage in fowl play.
Sadie’s Study Hour runs from 2:30pm to 3:30pm every school day from Monday to Thursday and 2:30pm to 3pm on Fridays! Take advantage of free Wi-Fi and fast ethernet, computer-based and wireless printing, a quiet workspace, and knowledgeable librarians for every assignment.
November is International Picture Book Month, and the Dowdell Library is celebrating with four weeks of unique activities including daily storytimes, weekly book bingo contests, and a month-long community mural-making event! Some additional events are listed below, but picture book lovers are urged to consult the library website, November calendar flyers, or the handy International Picture Book Month infographic (printed separately) for a complete schedule!
For the entire month of November, artists between the ages of eight and seventeen are invited to participate in the Dowdell’s Scarecrow Contest! Use the provided supplies and tools to make the most creative physical or digital scarecrow possible. The winner will receive a gift card at the end of the month!
Ever wish you could create your own picture book? Live your dreams at the Dowdell’s Picture Book-Making Workshops! Learn about the medium and work on a print book every Monday from 3:30pm to 5pm or get digital by making an ebook every Tuesday from 2:30pm to 3:30pm.
Get your hands full of history at the Dowdell’s new Hands-on History Puppet-making Workshops every Tuesday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm! From Guy Fawkes Day to George Washington’s First Thanksgiving, attendees will learn about an event that took place on that very date, then commemorate a key historical figure in puppet form!
As always, Wednesdays are three-dimensional! Learn about 3-D printing while the Dowdell’s 3-D printer whips up pilgrim hats, veterans, cornucopias, and turkeys between 3:30pm and 4:30pm. A different object is printed each week!
November Thursdays are a potpourri! Kick off the month by celebrating everybody’s favorite decorative vegetable at Gourd Only Knows: An Ornamental Gala on Thursday, Novemberw 7 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Celebrate the season by mashing your favorite autumnal fruits into a
Fall Smoothie on Thursday, November 14 from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Commemorate the coldest movie release of the year (Frozen 2!) at the Dowdell’s Frozen Party on Thursday, November 21 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm! Make your own snowflake with paper or a 3-D pen, enjoy some chilly refreshments, and participate in every parent’s favorite sing-along.
Fridays are Club Days! Options include Anime Club, Art Club, Board Game Club, and Gaming Club. Meetings are planned for every Friday and will run on a drop-in basis from 3pm to 4:30pm. No registration is required; please contact the library for additional information. The Dowdell is also hosting a Super Smash Showdown Video Game Tournament on Friday, November 8 from 1pm to 3pm (yes, on the Switch; no, there aren’t banned characters). Finally, everybody’s favorite November paper are scheduled to star in the Dowdell’s Shuckin’ and Jivin’: Hand-Turkey and Corn Craft on Friday, November 22 from 1pm to 3pm.
Adult audiences have their own November entertainment options. The Dowdell’s Yoga Series continues with Yoga for Beginners on Thursday, November 7 from 6pm to 7:30pm and Meditation for Beginners on Tuesday, November 12 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Have a tech question? Bring your device to the Digital Café, available Monday through Friday from 12pm to 2pm and Thursdays from 6pm to 7:30pm. Finally, a Stuffing Taste Test is slated for Monday, November 4 from 11am to 12pm.
As a reminder, the Dowdell is now operating on Fall Hours and is open 10am to 8pm Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays; 10am to 5pm Wednesdays and Fridays; and 12pm to 4pm on Saturdays.
Curious what else is going on at your local library? (We can never fit everything here!) Stop by in-person or visit our website to sign up for our newsletter and view adult and children’s activity calendars, which are updated on a monthly basis.
Comments, queries, compliments? Please visit www.dowdell.org, or contact the Library at 732-721-6060 or comments@dowdell.org. The library is located off John O’Leary Blvd, adjacent to South Amboy Middle High School. Summer hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10am to 8pm; and Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 5pm.
