Ocean County Hidden Gem: The Library System

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — Everyone knows that the library is a great place to check out some interesting books, or maybe sit and get some work done. But the Ocean County Library system has so much more to offer than just that.

Patch is highlighting the "hidden gems" of Ocean County. And while many use the library frequently, you may not know just how many different services it has. So, at the end of National Library Week (April 7-13), Patch is celebrating this true Ocean County gem.

The exciting part of the library services is that they're all free for residents or library cardholders.

Technology

The library offers Chromebooks and tablets to be checked out, plus external hotspots. The Chromebooks have a hotspot inside with 20,000gb of data. These can be checked out for 45 days. They recently started offering "launchpads," which are tablets that come pre-loaded with educational content. Each one is geared to certain age groups to exercise their brain with puzzles, word games and more. These don't need to connect to Wi-Fi, so they can be traveled with.

Museum Passes

Want to take a trip? The library has you covered. Cardholders are eligible to visit a number of select museums at a heavy discount. These include places like the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel (each pass admits two adults and five children), Crayola Experience ($6 off admission), The Mutter Museum (pass admits four people) Eastern State Penitentiary (pass provides general admission for up to six people) and more.

Streaming Services

Did you know that you can check out more than just physical books? E-books and audiobooks are available through the Hoopla app or the Libby app. That's not all. With your library card, you can read newspapers online like the New York Times or the Star-Ledger, stream music through Freegal Music+ and even watch documentaries and movies through Kanopy. It's all free for Ocean County residents with library cards.

Sensory Rooms

Both the Toms River and Jackson branches have sensory rooms for people on the autism spectrum. These rooms have different types of equipment designed to relieve stress and anxiety. And the space itself is visually stimulating and tactile. Here, you can find things like play light cubes, sensory bean bag chairs, a fiber optic color-changing light waterfall and more.

Sparks's Lab

The Toms River branch offers a unique makerspace that has 3D printers, sewing and embroidery machines, circuits and more. There are open hours where patrons can drop in and use these services, but the library also offers workshops that are lead.

The Ocean County Library has many more offerings. Visit their website or your local branch to find out more.