Monthly Archives October 2017

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 1

Local History: Addicts & Addiction Pt. 1

The past few years, drugs and addiction have been in the headlines. Stories about opiates, the legalization of marijuana, and criminal justice reform have all made drug use and addiction the subject of a national conversation. Just as the civil rights and women's rights movements had historical roots in time periods when those issues were not the focus of public debate, American society has been dealing with addicts and addiction since the 18th century. Here's a look at some resources in the White Plains Collection that you can consult to see how people used to think about these issues. You
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October 30, 2017 11:24 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Local History.
Tags: addiction, addicts, alcoholics, alcoholism, bloomingdale, bloomingdale asylum, keeley institute, local-history, mental health, mental illness, nellie bly, new york presbyterian, white plains collection, and white plains history.

A Lively Evening at the Library

A Lively Evening at the Library

To celebrate the re-opening of the first floor, the Foundation held its annual fall Gala in the Hub on the evening of October 21st. Nearly 200 people attended the event, which marked the Foundation's 22nd anniversary. A highlight of the program was hearing from author Sloane Crosley who spoke about growing up in White Plains. All guests received a copy of Crosley's most recent book, the bestselling novel, The Clasp. Her work has appeared in Elle, Esquire, GQ, New York Magazine, Bon Appétit, The New York Times, Vanity Fair and more. Crosley's next book,  Look Alive Out There, will be published
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October 27, 2017 11:43 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events.
Tags: Fall Gala and Sloane Crosley.

Spy Books Old and New

Spy Books Old and New

Looking for a good spy novel or nonfiction read? Look no further than the curated list below. Just click the title to put a copy on hold. The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal by David E. Hoffman (2015) Dead drops. Secret meetings. Suicide pens. Fact that reads as thrilling as fiction about Russian engineer Tolkachev who daringly passed critical military secrets to the CIA case officers in Moscow in the early days of the Cold War, eluding the KGB just blocks away. For a while at least… Defectors by Joseph Kanon (2017) Not
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October 23, 2017 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books.

Art in the Castle Returns This Week

Art in the Castle Returns This Week

Art in the Castle is rolling out its second season with the help of Lily Fearon, a talented Bachelor of Fine Arts candidate at Purchase College. The monthly art classes offer 3rd-5th grade White Plains residents the opportunity to try their hand at a variety of artists' media including pencil, oil pastels, charcoal, collage material, water color and acrylic paints. Fearon displays library books on famous artists from various periods to encourage conversation in a nurturing and fun environment. She teaches the children new techniques at each session covering concepts such as mixing colors, brush stroke, still life studies, shading
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October 18, 2017 1:24 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events and Kids.
Tags: art.

Storm King Art Center Passes Now Available

Storm King Art Center Passes Now Available

The White Plains Public Library is pleased to announce the addition of Storm King Art Center at 1 Museum Road, New Windsor NY to the Museum Pass Program. The Library pass provides free admission for two adults and all children under 18 living in the same household. Widely celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center has welcomed visitors from across the globe for over fifty years. Located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley, its 500 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and fields of native grasses and wildflowers
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October 13, 2017 11:02 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: museum passes and Storm King Art Center.

Local History: Rosa Kittrell

Local History: Rosa Kittrell

October 10 has been designated World Mental Health Day by the World Health Organization. In honor of it, here is a story about a White Plains resident whose activism on behalf of people with mental illness had a national impact. Rosa Kittrell worked hard to redefine the way we view and treat the most vulnerable members of society. Through her tireless activism, personal struggles with mental illness, and belief in the power of education, Kittrell developed a motto: “Others, Lord, others.” Like so many black women in America, Kittrell was intersectional in her activism before anyone ever heard of that
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October 10, 2017 11:53 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Local History.
Tags: activism, African-American History, Black History, clifford beers, day care, feminism, local history, mental health reform, mental hygiene, mental illness, rosa kittrell, social justice, thomas p brennan, white plains collection, white plains history, and world mental health day.

Board Meeting Documents for October 11th, 2017

Board Meeting Documents for October 11th, 2017

Approved Library Board Meeting Minutes – 10-11-17 10-11-17 Combined-Agenda-Documents 10-11-17 Library Board Agenda Agenda Item #1a – 09 13 17 Regular Library Board Minutes Agenda Item #2a – Budget Report – 09-30-17 Agenda Item #3 – Claim List 4 Agenda Item #3 – Claim List 5 Agenda Item #4 – Adult Services Report – September 2017 Agenda Item #4 – Assistant Directors Report September 2017 Agenda Item #4 – Collection Management Report – September 2017 Agenda Item #4 – Community Outreach Report – September 2017 Agenda Item #4 – Library Systems Report – September 2017 Agenda Item #4 – Youth
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October 5, 2017 12:01 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Trustee Documents.

What’s Battle of the Books?

What’s Battle of the Books?

The Trove and the Edge are busy preparing for an epic battle taking place this fall…the Battle of the Books! Teams of children and teens at libraries all over Westchester are busy reading the same sets of books and practicing trivia questions. They’ll come together in October for a reading-based trivia tournament. Two teams will represent White Plains at this year’s battle: the Raging Pages (grades 4-6) and Team KnowlEDGE (grades 6-10). Battle of the Books is designed to encourage a love of reading and to expose kids and teens to diverse reading material. This year, titles range from classic
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October 5, 2017 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Kids and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books and The Edge.

Leer, Escribir, Aprender (Reading, Writing, Learning) Returns

Leer, Escribir, Aprender (Reading, Writing, Learning) Returns

Nuestra clase de educación para adultos en español regresará el miércoles, 18 de octubre. Esta clase enseñará lectura, escritura y matemática para hablantes nativos de español. Las clases se llevarán a cabo los miércoles de 10:15 a.m. a 1:00 p.m., del 18 de octubre al 15 de noviembre. Para más información, llame a Mariel Perez al 914-422-6982. Our Reading, Writing, Learning adult education class returns this month on Wednesday, October 18th. The class will teach reading, writing, and math to native Spanish speakers. The class will run on Wednesdays from 10:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., October 18th through November 15th.
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October 2, 2017 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Classes.
Tags: literacy and Spanish.