Monthly Archives June 2021

Summer Staff Picks

Summer Staff Picks

Whether you're looking for a steamy romance or a great rib recipe, Adult Services & Marketing Librarian Kristen has compiled a variety of titles for you to enjoy this summer. If you're looking for something different, leave us a comment below with the genre or theme you're looking for and we'll give you a personalized recommendation! Beach Reads Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin Library Catalog: Print OverDrive & Libby: eBook / Audiobook “A self-made Black millionaire invites her three goddaughters for a last Martha's Vineyard summer–at the end of which one will get the mansion. In the first
Read More

June 30, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: beach reads, staff picks, staff recommendations, and summer reading.

Remembering 9/11 Writing Workshop

Remembering 9/11 Writing Workshop

Tuesdays July 13th through September 14th* 7:00-8:30 p.m. Click here to register. *Class will not be held on August 24th. In this workshop, we will explore memories of and around the events of September 11th, 2001. Around the country, twisted bits of metal from the Twin Towers are displayed in memorials with the words “Never Forget.” But what exactly do we want to remember about that day? What should we remember? Join us for a deep but gentle dive into our memories around the tragedy, and how we’ve grappled with it in the twenty years since. You will be given
Read More

June 30, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: 9/11, creative writing, September 11th, writing, and writing workshop.

Reserve a Study Room

Reserve a Study Room

The Library has three study rooms available that individuals or a group of two can use to work. Here's what you need to know: To book an appointment online, you can use your White Plains library card. If you have a library card from another Westchester library, please call 422-1400 and we can reserve an appointment for you. You must have a library card in good standing to use a Study Room. Appointments are for two hours. You can only reserve one appointment at a time, up to thirty days in advance. Once the original appointment is completed, you may
Read More

June 30, 2021 9:44 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: library services, library updates, meeting rooms, and study rooms.

The Westchester County Jail Riots of 1981

The Westchester County Jail Riots of 1981

Thursday, July 8th 7:00–8:00 p.m. Click here to register. Jails and prisons that offer little in the way of rehabilitation. Drug laws that unfairly target people of color. These conditions plague today’s criminal justice system. Forty years ago, they were also the focus of complaints by Westchester County Jail inmates, leading them to stage an unprecedented uprising. Seth Kershner, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts, discusses the July 1981 uprising at Westchester County Jail–three riots in three days that caused one million dollars in damage. Although inmates hoped to amplify complaints about racism in the county’s criminal justice system,
Read More

June 29, 2021 12:13 pm | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Library News.
Tags: criminal justice, local history, local history programming, prison system, and Westchester County Jail Riot of 1981.

Summer STEAM Kit: Seashells

Summer STEAM Kit: Seashells

After the Summer Solstice on Sunday, June 20th, summer will officially be underway! We’re celebrating with a summer-themed Grab & Go STEAM kit, available for pick-up on June 28th. The kits will contain a seashell, googly eyes, and colored sand. You can make the design above or use these instructions for more ideas as you create your own unique craft. Whether you love to go to the beach, love art, or just want to unplug, this activity can provide a wonderful learning experience. For a STEAM enrichment activity, see if you and your child can identify your unique seashell using
Read More

June 28, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Grab&Go Kits, STEAM, STEAM learning, STEM, summer, and The Trove.

Great Podcasts for Teens

Great Podcasts for Teens

Continuing our new series on Great Podcasts, here are some recommendations of Great Podcasts for Teens from YS Librarian, Erik! Most 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 great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Books, Games & Comics Shonen Jump Podcast Listen to discussions on the latest releases, interviews, and background stories of you favorite Manga series. IFanboy This weekly podcast focuses on comic books, comic book publishing, and comic book creators. Josh Flanagan, Ron
Read More

June 24, 2021 11:29 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for teens, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Tiny Tales Videos On-Demand

Tiny Tales Videos On-Demand

Tiny Tales are short “bite-sized” song and story videos. Watch one for a little early literacy break, or a few for a whole storytime! All 36 Tiny Tales videos created by Trove librarians are available on the Library’s YouTube channel and social media (Facebook, Instagram). Trove librarians are on hiatus from creating new Tiny Tales videos for the summer, but look out for new ones coming in September! Start Watching Now!
Read More

June 24, 2021 11:27 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: storytime, The Trove, Tiny Tales, and videos.

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reading

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reading

White Plains is a wonderfully diverse community! Parents, children and teens have expressed an interest in titles that reflect the diversity in the community, and Ashley, Kathlyn, and Raquel's “Dive Into Diversity” column will spotlight noteworthy children's and teen titles that are inclusive, diverse and multicultural to fulfill that interest. Ashley's portion is aimed at readers in grades 4-6. Did you know that we have a section in the Trove with tons of suggestions for children and tweens based on what grade they’re in? Starting with Pre-K and going up to grade 6, it’s a really handy resource and many
Read More

June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, staff picks, staff recommendations, and summer reading.

Dive into Diversity: YA Historical Fiction

Dive into Diversity: YA Historical Fiction

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature books written by authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity, as much as possible. This month, with the Fourth of July approaching, I'm highlighting some great YA books in the historical fiction genre. Not all of them are set in the United States, but many of the titles below examine events in U. S. history from a perspective that's different from the dominant
Read More

June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, historical fiction, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA literature.

Turtle Dance Music July & August Events

Turtle Dance Music July & August Events

July date CANCELED – will be rescheduled at a later date Turtle Dance Music presents: Songs that Count! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show! Do your kids love to count? Do they love to read books? Do they love making original hip-hop beats? Songs That Count: Add To The World! engages children with a fun, high-energy performance that includes exciting hands-on music, movement and counting activities. The performance will include exciting books, music technology, and visuals about counting, addition and subtraction. The show is crafted to be inclusive for all children, including children on the Autism Spectrum, and a
Read More

June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, dance, music, performing arts, summer 2021, trove events, and Turtle Dance Music.

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reads

Dive Into Diversity: Summer Reads

Summer is here! To celebrate the season, I have gathered together some great, diverse books about summertime. Parents might also like checking out Rebekah Gienapp’s blog, Summer Reading: 15 Diverse Picture Books Kids Will Love. Listed below are books for both younger and older children available as eBooks and audiobooks on OverDrive, Hoopla, and also in the Westchester Libraries. Enjoy! For Younger Readers: Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child, Gordon Jourdain & Jonathan Thunder (Grades K-2) Library Catalog “Ojibwe protagonist Windy Girl and her new dog, Itchy Boy, enjoy many good times, but none are so good as when they
Read More

June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, staff recommendations, summer, and summertime.

TaleWise July & August Events

TaleWise July & August Events

TaleWise presents: Unicorns: Break the Cage Tuesday, July 20, 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. Join us on a wild adventure about two kids who visit the city zoo and discover all sorts of incredible animals, including a horse who knows in its heart that it’s truly a unicorn! The animals join forces to stand up to the tyrannical Zoo Owner — but do they have what it takes to leave their cages forever? The fun animated story segues
Read More

June 24, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's events, performing arts, Talewise, teen events, and trove events.

Great Podcasts for Parents & Caregivers Pt. 1

Great Podcasts for Parents & Caregivers Pt. 1

I recently highlighted some staff recommendations for Great Podcasts for Kids, in this post, however, you'll find some Great Podcasts for Parents and Caregivers! We will highlight below some excellent podcasts in the topics of Parenting & Caregiving and Books, Reading and KidLit. You can find all of our published podcast related posts here – more to come! If you have some great podcast recommendations, leave them in the comments below! Most 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. PARENTING & CAREGIVING
Read More

June 23, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Great Podcasts, Great Podcasts for parents and caregivers, parenting, podcasts, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

The Trove’s Summer StoryWalk

The Trove’s Summer StoryWalk

Who Am I? by Armando & Frederick Monday, July 12th – Friday, August 20th Take a stroll in the Garden Plaza and along your way enjoy the book, Who Am I? written by Armando and Frederick. Who Am I? is a cute and healthy story about fruits and vegetables that is perfect for the summer! There will be kits available in the Library’s lobby that will include a follow-up STEAM activities sheet and a craft (some seeds too!)* for you and your family to do and enjoy at home or outdoors. *craft and seeds available while supplies last. Below you
Read More

June 21, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: storywalk, summer 2021, summer programming, The Trove, and Trove StoryWalk.

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Cigar Boxes

Grab & Go Craft Kits: Cigar Boxes

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, June 21st in the Library lobby. For this month’s project, we’re using decoupage to decorate cigar boxes. Your kit contains a cigar box, Mod Podge, a foam brush, and some magazine pages. You’ll need to provide scissors, and you might want to use paper
Read More

June 21, 2021 9:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: crafts, crafts for teens, and Grab & Go kits.

Genealogy Workshop: African Americans in Records

Genealogy Workshop: African Americans in Records

African Americans in Public Records Prior to 1870 Monday, June 14th 7:00–8:00 p.m. For information on attending, click here. In this presentation, genealogist Cynthia Maharrey covers: Things to consider before and during your research General information about African American genealogical records An abbreviated case study Examples of records from Reconstruction to the 1840s that hold genealogically significant information concerning free and enslaved African Americans
Read More

June 10, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: african american genealogy, Black History, genealogy, local history, and records.

Presentation on Coach Vince Lombardi

Presentation on Coach Vince Lombardi

TOLERANCE: Coach Vince Lombardi's Winning Formula Sunday, June 20th 2:00–3:00 p.m. Click here to register. One of the greatest coaches in pro football, Vince Lombardi's leadership skills resulted in ten winning seasons and five championships. The Super Bowl trophy is appropriately named after him. His management keys of diversity, tolerance and attacking bigotry proved well in Green Bay. Lombardi broke down barriers for athletes of color in Wisconsin's NFL outpost. It should be no surprise Lombardi employed the same successful tactics in changing the Washington Football Team's culture for gay players. John Vorperian, a published sports historian & host of
Read More

June 9, 2021 12:37 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: history, library events, library programs, sports, sports events, and vince lombardi.

Baking Bagels with Avery Robinson

Baking Bagels with Avery Robinson

Wednesday, June 16 6:00–7:30 p.m. Click here to register. In a 75-minute virtual workshop, Avery will guide participants in how to make the best bagels you've had since H&H (the original) and also how to make homemade gravlax that'll save you a trip to Russ and Daughters. The lesson is accessible to most any kitchen novice—it is no harder than making challah—and no special equipment is required. The class is a bake-along where Avery coaches participants in how to roll, boil, and bake bagels with him in real time and also how to make their own gravlax with a slicing
Read More

June 9, 2021 11:35 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: bagels, baking, cooking, cooking lessons, culinary arts, and library events.

Summer Events for Teens

Summer Events for Teens

Check out the Library’s lineup of programs in July and August for Grades 7-12! Note: 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: 6/28 – 8/20 Summer Reading at the Library kicks off Monday, June 28 and runs through Friday, August 20. Reading activity will be logged online with READSquared. More information on Summer Reading at White Plains Public Library can be found here. Grab&Go: Kits Grab&Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do at home. Kits are available in a variety of
Read More

June 8, 2021 1:30 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book discussion, chess, edge events, games, gaming, performing arts, STEAM, STEAM learning, technology, and teen events.