Monthly Archives May 2021

National Dinosaur Day

Dinosaurs roamed our planet sixty-five million years ago and children are fascinated by these ancient creatures. Whether it’s because of their size, movie lore, or epic extinction, dinosaurs have always been popular among children. To celebrate International Dinosaur Day on June 1, we put together some Grab & Go kits for a fun dino egg experiment. The project is geared toward children in kindergarten through third grade, but older kids might find it fun as well. The Experiment: The kit includes a plastic dinosaur, a balloon, and instructions for how to create and hatch your own dinosaur! Around the house,
Read More

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

TaleWise: The Mummy at Mystery Mansion

TaleWise presents: The Mummy at Mystery Mansion Tuesday, June 15, 3:30 p.m. Grades K-8 Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. Frankie and Casey visit their uncle for his annual costume party, only to find out that a creepy mummy has been scaring everyone away! Some say the house is haunted, but Frankie and Casey have a different idea. Join them on their adventure to unravel the mystery of the mummy! Along the way, you’ll explore some spooky and exciting science concepts about blackouts,
Read More

Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Kids.

Turtle Dance Music: Tails & Tales

Turtle Dance Music presents: Tails & Tales! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show! Thursday, June 17, 11:00 a.m. Children, families, all ages welcome! Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. Flap your wings, jump up and down like five little monkeys jumping on the bed and roar like a polar bear! The Tails & Tales performance celebrates famous children's stories and songs about animals including a few written by adults on the autism spectrum! The show will also celebrate biodiversity – the more
Read More

Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Book Bunch Comics

Calling all readers! Join Youth Services librarians Ashley and Kat in reading and discussing some truly awesome graphic novels. This summer, we're kicking off a mini-series of graphic novel book discussions for grades 4 through 8. Below, you'll find information about the July and August editions of the series. Note: you must have a Zoom account to attend these programs; sign up for a free account here. In July, we'll meet on Wednesday, July 7th at 4:30 p.m. We will be reading Guts by Raina Telgemeier! Guts is the third installment in a series graphic novels based on Raina Telgemeier's
Read More

Categories: Library News.

June Events for Younger Kids

Some great regular events for younger children take place all month long. See below for times and access. Note: All youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library Summer Reading at the Library kicks off Monday, June 28th. Logging Summer Reading will be done online using the READSquared platform again this year and will feature programs for three age groups PreK, Grades K-6, and Grades 7-12. More information is coming soon! Grab & Go: Kits Grab&Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do
Read More

Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Regeneration Art Exhibit

This new exhibit will be on display in the Library's newly renovated Museum Gallery on the second floor starting Tuesday, June 1st, through Friday, September 3rd. The gallery is accessible during normal Library hours. “Regeneration” looks at a future focused on climate justice. The exhibition includes drawing, collage, mixed media, photography, painting and poetry. Participating artists are Stephanie J. Alvarado, Isabella Bannerman, Diane Brawarsky, Carlos Mateu, Gina Randazzo and Ed Young.   Artwork from left to right: Ed Young, Fish, 2020, Multimedia on Masonite, 5”x8”x3” Fish symbolizes “Sparingness” in which we celebrate the time of our gift of fellowship, harvest,
Read More

Categories: Events, Featured, Gallery, Homepage, and Library News.

Borrow a Laptop

To read this post in Spanish, click here / Para español, haga clic aquí. Do you need internet access or know someone who does? We are now circulating laptop “bundles,” which consist of a laptop and mobile hotspot, each with a power source. The hotspot will allow you to access the internet wherever T-Mobile/Sprint provides 4G LTE cellular coverage. This lending program was made possible through generous donations to and funding by the White Plains Library Foundation. Laptop bundles are available exclusively to White Plains Library cardholders 18 and older in good standing. Bundles may be placed on hold. To
Read More

Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

Great Podcasts for Kids: Part 1

With the long Memorial Day Weekend coming up, and summer vacation on the horizon, perhaps you’re going to be taking a long car trip. Podcasts are great for that time, or any time! Here’s a selection of excellent podcasts for kids and families selected by Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. All of these should be available on any service you use to listen to podcasts, such as Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, etc. If you have some additional great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Podcast Potpourri Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl Forget the annoying,
Read More

Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Celebrate Pride 2021 with Children’s & YA Books!

LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and all of the other sexualities, sexes, and genders that aren't included in these few letters) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City. The Stonewall riots marked the beginning of a movement to abolish discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQIA+ persons in the United States, which continues to our present day. Pride celebrates the achievements of LGBTQIA+ Americans, and it highlights the work that continues in order to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for those in the LGBTQIA+
Read More

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

8 Ways to Elevate Your Job Search

8 Ways to Elevate Your Job Search and Networking on LinkedIn Wednesday, May 26th 7:00–8:30 p.m. Click here to register. Learn how to get the most out of your LinkedIn account. Cheryl Lynch Simpson will cover the importance of visibility, 8 ways to stand out more, and will give live demonstrations of key tasks and resources.
Read More

Categories: Library News.

The Fight for Voting Rights

The fight for the right to vote has been an ongoing struggle in the United States since this country's founding, and continues to this day. Right now, we are living in the midst of an important historical moment in our country’s fight for democracy, and I hope this blog can offer parents and students resources for understanding the past and our present history. I found The Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Things Explained: The History of U.S. Voting Rights” video to be a helpful, condensed kid-friendly video that explains this country’s voting rights struggles (especially the struggles of our country’s Black citizens).
Read More

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Robots may be machines, but these stories about robots teach us a lot about being human. Here are some robot books filled with humor, joy, kindness, empathy, and heart. Ultrabot’s First Playdate by Josh Schneider Library Catalog A young girl and the giant robot next door is the basic premise of this awesomely illustrated book. Ultrabot is worried and
Read More

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Library News.

Grown Up Comic Series on hoopla

I’ve enjoyed comics for a long time, but I admittedly do not like the process of waiting for new issues, new collections, and the length of time to find out what happens!?!?! These fantastic series, most definitely intended for grown-ups, are all available currently on hoopla and completely finished – just waiting for you to binge read them! Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips A lushly illustrated pulp noir thriller mashed up with Lovecraftian horror? It’s as amazing as it sounds, from one of the greatest writers in comics today. I have long wanted the cover of Volume 1:
Read More

Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

May Genealogy Events

Getting the Most Out of Your Ancestry.com DNA Results Monday, May 17th 7:00–8:00 p.m. Click here for the zoom link. DNA test results offer so much more than just finding out your ethnicity percentage. Gain a greater understanding of how you inherit you DNA and the difference between your genetic family tree vs your genealogical family tree. Find out how to analyze DNA matches and explore the benefits of Ancestry.com Thrulines. Presented by Sarah Gutmann. A Rosenberg is a Rosen is a Rose: How and Why Our Ancestors Changed their Names Monday, May 24th 7:00–8:00 p.m. Click here to register.
Read More

Categories: Library News.

Grab & Go Craft Kits: CD Artwork

Which Craft? Wednesday has been phased into Grab & Go Craft Kits! Instead of finding materials around the house, teens in grades 7-12 can pick up a kit with project supplies at the Library, then follow along with the instructional video below to make the project. Or, you can find the materials around your home and follow the video to make the project. Kits are first come, first served, and will become available on Monday, May 17th in the Library lobby. For this month’s project, we’re making reflective art from old CDs. The kit includes painted CDs and some mini
Read More

Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

New Movies Streaming in May

Maybe you're already familiar with our streaming services Hoopla and Kanopy, but did you know that they add new content each month? Find a list below of some exciting new titles available on each platform this month. Hoopla Another Round (2020 Danish drama/comedy) Directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Milland. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Four friends, all teachers at various stages of middle age, are stuck in a rut. Unable to share their passions either at school or at home, they embark on an audacious experiment from an obscure
Read More

Categories: Featured and Library News.

Twilight Zone Day

Celebrated each year on May 11, Twilight Zone Day is a fun way to enter a dimension where dolls protect those they love, aliens can be deceiving, and a man who loves to read never has any time to do so. The Twilight Zone was created, written, and narrated by Rod Sterling. The show premiered on October 1, 1959, and ended its run in 1964. Watching a marathon of The Twilight Zone has become a New Year’s Eve tradition for many fans; however, this wacky, and wonderful show can be viewed and enjoyed at any time of the year. The
Read More

Categories: Library News.

Taller de Escritura en Español

Comparta sus historias e ideas en este taller de escritura creativa, que se enfoca en descubrir la belleza de cada historia mientras discute los temas y la cultura. Cada sesión está diseñada para brindarles a los participantes la oportunidad de probar varios géneros mientras aprenden habilidades clave y técnicas de escritura. Los participantes aprenderán sobre la formación de personajes, el diálogo, las descripciones vívidas, la voz, el tiempo y más en poesía, prosa y escritura de no ficción. Duración: 6 semanas Fecha: martes 13 de abril hasta el martes 25 de mayo del 2021 (Todos los martes) Hora: 7:00 pm.
Read More

Categories: Library News.

Broadway Musicals with Barbara Brilliant

A Jewish American Heritage Month Special Event Behind the Scenes with Barbara Brilliant, Creator and Executive Producer of Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy The Library is delighted to announce an exciting program in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month on Sunday, May 23rd from 2:00-3:30 p.m., via our Zoom platform. We invite you to meet Barbara Brilliant, the Creator and Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning film, Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, in conversation with Librarian Barbara Wenglin. Please register here. With film clips and fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Ms. Brilliant will describe the making of this extraordinary documentary which explores
Read More

Categories: Library News.

Metaliteracy & Disinformation Workshop

Truth Vs. Disinformation: Turning the Tide Against Social Media Manipulation Monday, May 24th 7:00–8:00 p.m. Click here to register. Professor Tom Palmer will provide metaliteracy tools that attendees can use to help friends and family examine information shared online. Professor Palmer will introduce metaliteracy principles for observing and detecting the origin of disinformation and how it expands through social media channels via unsuspecting citizens. As a media critic and news deconstructionist, Palmer's experience with multimodal forensics draws upon three-decades of news editing, photojournalism, picture editing and design directing in the news industry. His research and writing also focus on text-image
Read More

Categories: Library News.