Stop by the library to register, or you can apply online and be active in about 24 hours.
ABCmouse Early Learning Academy stimulates a child’s enthusiasm for learning through books, games, puzzles, art, songs, music videos, and more
MAPL will be closed Saturday 5/24 through Monday, 5/26 for the Memorial Day weekend. We will reopen on Tuesday 5/27 at 10am.
Check out our new online database of high-quality educational materials for teachers, families, homeschoolers, and librarians.
Patrons can now access the New York Times daily newspaper! (7/23/24)
Review the notice about our updated Computer Lab and new WordPress website. (5/8/25)
You can visit the MAPL Events Page to view and register for all events.
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Middle School Yoga - Monday, June 30th @ 7:00PM Welcome in summer with relaxing yoga taught by our fabulous instructor. Stretch and find mindfulness as you envision the next two months, free of school and full of exciting opportunities. Open to patrons entering grades 6-8. Registration is required: https://mapl.events.mylibrary.digital/event?id=199596 QUESTIONS?...
Stamp Art - Monday, June 30th, 10 am - Noon Stop by the Children's Room to make some art with stampers! We have all sorts of shapes and designs and lots of colorful ink pads for you to use. Will you make a card? A picture to hang on the...
Hands-on Clay Fun - Tuesday, June 24th @ 4:20PM Join a teen volunteer from the Academy of Allied Health and Science to make the clay creations of your dreams with air dry clay! Bring your skills and your imagination for a fun afternoon! Open to children ages 7-10. Registration is...
**Due to the forecasted excessive heat, this story time will be held in the meeting room. We apologize for the inconvenience. (Note: There will still be snacks) Outdoor Story Time - Tuesday, June 24th @ 10:30AM 📖🌻🐞 Join us outside in the library's back yard for story time on the...
Movie: Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World - Monday, June 23rd @ 2:00PM 📽️🎞️🌈🌎 As we enter our Summer Reading Program, with its theme of Color Our World, we go forward with films with colors in their titles. Let’s have fun! This documentary explores...
It is with profound sadness that we inform our patrons of the passing of Jay Pachman, who served as the Library's Bookkeeper for over nine years until his retirement in late 2023. Jay was not only kind, humorous, and intelligent, but he was also deeply cherished by his colleagues. His...
Drop-in Magna-Tile Menagerie - Sunday, June 29th, Noon - 5pm Swing by the Children's Room and dive into a world of fun with our Magna-Tiles! We've got a whole new menagerie of animal buddies ready to join in, so you can create a zoo, aquarium, or any wild wonderland your...
Movie: Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World - Monday, June 23rd @ 2:00PM 📽️🎞️🌈🌎 As we enter our Summer Reading Program, with its theme of Color Our World, we go forward with films with colors in their titles. Let’s have fun! This documentary explores...
Drop-in Memory Match - Sunday, June 22nd, Noon-5pm Drop into the library and test your memory. There will be multiple summer themed memory match games to play. Solve one or all the puzzles and you win a prize. (One prize per child.) Open to all ages. No registration required. QUESTIONS?...
Table Top Role Playing Game (TTRPG) - Pathfinder Club Sunday, June 22nd @ 1:00PM Stories and legends, heroes and villains, battles of good and evil on a (potentially) cosmic scale... and helping a local villager find their lost pet! Pathfinder is a Table Top Role Playing Game similar to Dungeons...
Village Block Playtime - Monday, June 23rd, 10 am - Noon Stop buy the library to build a tiny village with our wooden blocks. Can you make a fire station? How about a grocery store? And don't forget to build the most important building... the library! Open to children of...
“It's like the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad...
Here are our before-and-after staff snaps from today’s Summer Reading Kickoff Party! Sure, we might look a tiny bit tuckered out, but we had a blast with all of you! We’re excited to see you frequently this summer to take part in our weekly raffles, discover more books, and engage...
There's still time before 5 to come by your library and join in the kickoff party fun - make a rainbow scratch-off card, complete the scavenger hunt and choose a prize, enter the special raffle, get a temporary tattoo, or just play with the toys and say HI to Gus!...
Ever heard the quote, "Seeing someone reading a book you love is seeing a book recommending a person"?? We get that! Check out our new "Staff Picks" section located on the shelving above the start of our Main Collection Fiction. Every book comes with a bookmark indicating the staff member...
Drop-in Memory Match - Sunday, June 22nd, Noon-5pm Drop into the library and test your memory. There will be multiple summer themed memory match games to play. Solve one or all the puzzles and you win a prize. (One prize per child.) Open to all ages. No registration required. QUESTIONS?...
Adults and kids alike are celebrating the start of Summer Reading here at MAPL! Can't make it before 5 today? Don't worry, sign up whenever you next come to visit! We're open tomorrow from noon to 5 pm... QUESTIONS? Call: 732-583-9100 or email: maplkids@mapl.org #aberdeennj #matawannj #maplprograms #maplyouthprograms #maplteenprograms #mapladultprograms...
That epic moment when you discover your library fans have mastered the art of event-themed fashion! The Rainbow Kick-off Party continues until 5 pm to celebrate the "Color Our World" theme for Summer Reading. QUESTIONS? Call: 732-583-9100 or email: maplkids@mapl.org #aberdeennj #matawannj #maplprograms #maplyouthprograms #maplteenprograms #mapladultprograms #maplsummerreading #summerreading #summerreading2025 #ColorOurWorld...
Hey Teens! Get ready for weekly summer reading raffle goodies and a mega grand prize just for your crew! Crush the Bingo challenge, and you’ll not only load your summer with epic fun, but also snag a shot at the exclusive Teen Challenge Prize! And hold onto your hats, because...
Attention Adults! We haven’t forgotten about you... summer reading is for all ages, AND it’s tote bag time! If you're returning a book today, be sure to fill out a summer reading raffle ticket. The weekly prizes for adults are fantastic! QUESTIONS? Call: 732-583-9100 or email: maplkids@mapl.org #aberdeennj #matawannj #maplprograms...
This kickoff bash is a one-day wonderland of events and prizes! In the Children’s Room, embark on a rainbow scavenger hunt, sport some cool temporary tattoos, and scribble away with scratch notes. Then, bounce over to the Meeting Room for balloon shenanigans and parachute fun—everyone's gym class favorite! Scoop up...
We've got our first summer reading superstar! We can’t wait to dive into a season of fun with you! QUESTIONS? Call: 732-583-9100 or email: maplkids@mapl.org #aberdeennj #matawannj #maplprograms #maplyouthprograms #maplteenprograms #mapladultprograms #maplsummerreading #summerreading #summerreading2025 #ColorOurWorld #colorourworld2025 #colorourworldwithbooks
From the parking lot to the library entrance, get ready to hop, strut, and boogie in our zany game! We'll be cheering you on from the Children's Department as you dash by! (Kudos to Miss Kimberly and her sidekick!) QUESTIONS? Call: 732-583-9100 or email: maplkids@mapl.org #aberdeennj #matawannj #maplprograms #maplyouthprograms #maplteenprograms...
Swing by and join the party—our library is buzzing with bookworms eager for Summer Reading! We can't wait to welcome you and sign you up! Summer Reading Kick-Off Party - Saturday, June 21s, 9am-5pm 🥳🌈 No registration required. QUESTIONS? Call: 732-583-9100 or email: maplkids@mapl.org #aberdeennj #matawannj #maplprograms #maplyouthprograms #maplteenprograms #mapladultprograms...
WE'RE READY!! Summer Reading Kick-Off Party - Saturday, June 21s, 9am-5pm 🥳🌈 Summer Reading is an incentive program to keep kids reading all summer long. This year our theme is Color Our World! Patrons can sign up for Summer Reading and log their books, get raffle tickets, and win prizes!...
Have you met our Library Leopard Gecko, Gus? He’s essentially a little dragon… and he certainly eats ferociously!! Who is YOUR favorite dragon from literature or film? #LibraryLizard #LeopardGeckoGus #Iwantadragon
Today marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year! The sun rose in NJ at 5:26 am and sets tonight at 8:30 pm giving us 15 hours, 3 minutes, and 39 seconds of sunlight. See you tomorrow for the start of Summer Reading and our kick-off rainbow party!!...
June 24th Noon Webinar: Dear Patrons, do you or a family member struggle with vision issues or a physical disability that makes reading difficult? The NJ State Library has a solution to help you! Founded in 1967, the NJ State Library’s Talking Book and Braille Center provides no-cost, home-delivered services...
Summer Reading Kick-Off Party - Saturday, June 21s, 9am-5pm 🥳🌈 Summer Reading is an incentive program to keep kids reading all summer long. This year our theme is Color Our World! Patrons can sign up for Summer Reading and log their books, get raffle tickets, and win prizes! We are...
Craft on the Go - Fridays from 10 am - 6 pm 🎨🏃🏃♀️ Swing by the library and grab a Craft on the Go. Every Friday, we will have a craft for you to bring home and make over the weekend. They will be in the Children's Room waiting for...
Reading Time - FRIDAYS @ 10:30 am! 📖😁🧸🎨 Join us in the Children's Room for great stories! Miss Erica and Miss Bernadette have picked out some books to share with you. This story time is designed for children of all ages to promote literacy through rhymes, finger plays, giggles, and...
Mahjong Club (in person) - Fridays @ 10:30AM 🀄️🎲 This is for anyone who loves the game, wants to meet new people, and have some fun. We provide the Mahjong sets, but players need to supply their own card. Beginners are welcome to watch until they learn the rules. No...
Tween Time - Thursday, June 26th @ 4:20PM 📘🃏🔖 Welcome back to Tween Time! As always, we’ll begin by picking our Tween Spotlight Book of the Month. After that, we will create some cool duct tape bookmarks to hold our places all summer long. Last, but not least, we will...
“Love does not require taking an uncritical stance toward the object of one’s affections. In truth, it often requires the opposite. We can’t be of real service to the hopes we have for places—and people, ourselves included—without a clear-eyed assessment of their (and our) strengths and weaknesses.” ― Annette Gordon-Reed,...
Book Discussion Group (in person) -Thursday, June 19th @ 7:30 pm 📚 This month, the group is reading "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks. "A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a...
Chair Yoga on Zoom - Thursday, June 26th @ 2:00PM 🪑🧘🧘♂️🧘♀️🖥️ For patrons who have difficulty with traditional on-the-floor yoga, try this relaxing alternative with Allison Sorokin!! Allison, E-RYT 500, is the founder of Align Yoga and Strength, a local studio here in Matawan. She specializes in guiding students through...
Stories & STEM - Thursday, June 19th @ 4:20PM 🪱 Have you ever watched a worm? They are fascinating creatures that help keep soil healthy. This month in Stories & STEM, we are going to learn all about wonderful, wondrous worms. After learning some important facts, we will have some...
VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK – Abolition and the Underground Railroad in South Jersey - Thursday, June 19th @ 12:00PM in the MAPL Meeting Room Southern New Jersey was a hotbed of slave fugitives, freedmen and abolitionists in the Civil War era. Activists such as Harriet Tubman, Abigail Goodwin and Benjamin Sheppard...
Wacky Wednesday Zoom Craft - Wednesday, June 25th @ 4:20PM 🤪🎨 Join us on Zoom for some crafting fun! We will provide you with a kit of surprise supplies. Log into Zoom and see what we will make together. Don't forget to bring your creativity! A librarian will call you...
Book Discussion Group (in person) -Thursday, June 19th @ 7:30 pm 📚 This month, the group is reading "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks. "A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a...
eBAY 301 – ADVANCED EBAY: SELLING MORE ITEMS IN LESS TIME - Zoom Program - Wednesday, June 18th @ 7:00PM This program will review some eBay Buying & Selling Basics…and then move on to: Buying Tips & Strategies; How to Use Automated Sniping Software When Buying; Writing Descriptions that Sell;...
Stories & STEM - Thursday, June 19th @ 4:20PM 🪱 Have you ever watched a worm? They are fascinating creatures that help keep soil healthy. This month in Stories & STEM, we are going to learn all about wonderful, wondrous worms. After learning some important facts, we will have some...
VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK – Abolition and the Underground Railroad in South Jersey - Thursday, June 19th @ 12:00PM in the MAPL Meeting Room Southern New Jersey was a hotbed of slave fugitives, freedmen and abolitionists in the Civil War era. Activists such as Harriet Tubman, Abigail Goodwin and Benjamin Sheppard...
Managing Hypertension & Cholesterol: What do I need to know? Wednesday, June 18th, 10 am - 11:30 am HACKENSACK MERIDIAN - HYPERTENSION/BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING Do you know your numbers? Join us and learn how to manage your blood pressure and control your cholesterol. Learn the difference between good and bad...
eBAY 301 – ADVANCED EBAY: SELLING MORE ITEMS IN LESS TIME - Zoom Program - Wednesday, June 18th @ 7:00PM This program will review some eBay Buying & Selling Basics…and then move on to: Buying Tips & Strategies; How to Use Automated Sniping Software When Buying; Writing Descriptions that Sell;...
Hands-on Clay Fun - Tuesday, June 24th @ 4:20PM Join a teen volunteer from the Academy of Allied Health and Science to make the clay creations of your dreams with air dry clay! Bring your skills and your imagination for a fun afternoon! Open to children ages 7-10. Registration is...
Movie: Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World - Monday, June 23rd @ 2:00PM 📽️🎞️🌈🌎 As we enter our Summer Reading Program, with its theme of Color Our World, we go forward with films with colors in their titles. Let’s have fun! This documentary explores...
Lego Club - Tuesday, June 17th @ 4:20PM Lego Club is so nice we're doing it twice! Join us for our second Lego Club session of the month in the meeting room and put your building skills to the test. We have tons of bricks, minifigures, and interesting pieces for...
Managing Hypertension & Cholesterol: What do I need to know? Wednesday, June 18th, 10 am - 11:30 am HACKENSACK MERIDIAN - HYPERTENSION/BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING Do you know your numbers? Join us and learn how to manage your blood pressure and control your cholesterol. Learn the difference between good and bad...
Newly added items from all STELLA consortium members, available for pickup at MAPL.
Additional new items listings are available on our New Material page
I love being here, the wonderful team is always ready to help, I am very grateful to you, especially to the computer room assistant Rick, with his light hand 🙂 I can do something important for myself and those around me! Thank you!!!
So many great activities, and easy to find information online. They also have an app you can get for free ebooks.
Josephine was very helpful and advised me of all the incredible programs the offer, many of which are free. They have a vast array of literature, DVDs as well as online courses and other zoom classes.
Small town libraries are the best libraries but even the big ones don't have their own Gus. Come see Gus in the children's room.
My 5 and 3 year old love the craft on the go program. They used to enjoy the train table and crayon tables a lot, before COVID. I have been to Middletown library which may have more stuff but the Aberdeen library has most inviting environment, and more interactive librarians.
I love this library. It's small but has a great staff, interesting programs and is part of a larger consortium of libraries to make many more books, audio books, videos, etc. easily available.
I moved to the area last year and finely got around to visiting the library . They were SO very nice in helping me obtain a library card and answering any questions. They made me feel so welcome . It’s so refreshing to have such a great experience. I’m looking forward to visit more often 🙂
I love a good library. Okay, I am lying. I love a great library. The Matawan Aberdeen Public Library (MAPL) is one of my favorite libraries. It houses many reference books and magazines that are physical and via electronic resources. There are plenty of places to work and study. It should be noted they do not have a quiet room, however. They have many of the most current and popular magazines.They offer interlibrary loans (ILL) on DVDs, books, and audio books. For those who don't know what ILL means, MAPL can obtain it from another library outside of their system to fill our requests. This library also carries the very latest titles, Oprah's and Reese Witherspoon's choices for book clubs, latest nonfiction, manga, and children's books. If they do not carry it, I simply fill out a card and they will consider purchasing it. They have not just DVDs but Blu-rays and Playaway(™) audios . The latter is vital for me because of my long commutes. This library also has a warm and caring staff. How many times have I frequented this library and everyone I have seen returning or checking out materials, the staff always have light and fun conversations with the patrons. They get to know you and welcome you with smiles and laughter. Several circulation staff are also exceptionally knowledgeable in their books. They are quick with some suggested titles. If you have any questions, the reference librarians are always try their best to answer your queries. Sometimes you just have to wait a tad bit because they can be tied up doing something. If that is the case, just let the circulation staff or the tech guy know and they will find a librarian for you. They offer a barrage of programs for both children and adults. If you want to learn how to knit, chair tai chi, join a book club, play mahjong, storytime, learn about coding, make slime, they've got you covered. With all that is wonderful, why only four stars then? While it is wonderful the staff loves to make you feel welcomed, sometimes there is a line that forms and sometimes you are in a hurry. While I personally don't have a problem with waiting, I have seen some disgruntled patrons. Once they are up and being serviced, the smiles are quickly found again.
I have lived in Aberdeen for a while now, and I have been to the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library many times. Yes, it may be small, but the staff is very kind and caring. I have been to a few of the events offered as well, and they are quite the experience to go to.
I've gone here since I was little. Great for books for little kids. Some of the events are very cool and interesting. My favorite person who works there is Ruby. I've seen her at shoprite multiple times as well. However, the library is pretty small and my dad says that the people who work there always try to force him to do all kinds of events and raffles and such.
Friendly staff. Welcoming and informative as to new and not so new programs. Each time I have visited, I received a high level of service. Another review mentioned "rudeness", but we all know that you tend to get what you give, so maybe there was some of that "give". It isn't a large branch; fitting of this small town I'd say, but with the larger system of county libraries at your call from within, this branch is larger than its looks. Hey .... did you know that they have NYC museum passes?! Sure do! That'll knock the price down for a day trip.
I moved to Matawan recently and have been to the library a few times. Each time, I was met with kindness and helpfulness. The people there are great and each experience was a joy! I just got my library card today and look forward to taking part in the many interesting events and enjoying many happy and peaceful times at my local library!
This is a gem in Matawan Aberdeen. Great people, helpful and using the inter-library loan system you are able to get whatever books you need. Also they hold some nice meetings in the library.
MAPL is a member of STELLA (formerly LMxAC), a nonprofit membership organization providing a wide range of services to its member libraries. The Consortium was established in 1986, and currently consists of 47 public libraries in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Union counties, and the Middlesex College Library. Patrons can borrow items from any STELLA member library for pickup at MAPL.
165 Main St., Matawan, NJ 07747
Phone: 732-583-9100
Email: info@mapl.org
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday
10am – 9pm
Tuesday & Friday
10am – 6pm
Saturday
9am – 1pm (summer)
9am – 5pm (after Labor Day)
Sunday
12pm – 5pm
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If you don't already have a library card, stop by the library to register - or you can complete our online form and we will provide you with a card number and PIN within about 24 hours.