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Posts by Kristen, Adult Librarian
International Film Festival
Our annual International Film Festival goes virtual this summer! Watch the films on Kanopy, the Library's free streaming service, and join us for a lively discussion on Tuesdays from 2:00-3:00 p.m. on Zoom. See the schedule of films below. Click the date you're interested in for information on attending and click the film title to login to Kanopy. July 7 – Cleo from 5 to 7 (French) Agnes Varda eloquently captures Paris in the sixties with this real-time portrait of a singer (Corinne Marchand) set adrift in the city as she awaits test results of a biopsy. A chronicle of
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What to Watch This Weekend
Here are just a few highlighted films you can stream on Hoopla this weekend. Just Mercy (2019) Drama Starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson A powerful true story that follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his battle for justice as he defends a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Available as a Bonus Borrow through June 30th. Give Me the Banjo (2011) Documentary The banjo has been an emblem of American culture for centuries, yet few realize the instrument's complicated, checkered past. Narrated by Steve Martin and featuring such banjo masters as Pete Seeger,
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AARP Tax-Aide Update
The Westchester County AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites have determined that they will not reopen for this tax season. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering online options to assist taxpayers affected by the suspension of in-person services: A self-prep option, providing taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare taxes on their own, is available at signup.aarpfoundation.org/preparing-your-taxes-online/ . If taxpayers would like help completing their own taxes, they can request the assistance of a volunteer to coach them through the process via phone or computer screen-sharing. Visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide for information and updates.
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Contactless Curbside Pickup Starts June 15
We are excited to be offering Contactless Curbside Pickup as of Monday, June 15. This service is offered Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Every White Plains cardholder can request three items a day and pick them up during those hours. You can borrow books, movies, music, and audiobooks for yourself or your children. Here’s how to get started: Call (914) 422-1400. We’ll ask for your name, library card number, phone number, and email. Let us know what you are looking for. If you have a specific book or movie, great! If you want us to pick out items for
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Coming Soon: Curbside Pickup
We are working at getting the Library in order— reconfiguring our work spaces to create a better experience for staff—but we are excited that we have two milestones coming up. On Monday, June 8 our book drop will open (24/7) and we're ready for you to return materials. There will be no fines on material returned now until 30 days after the building opens to the public. Please note that all material will be quarantined for 72 hours before being checked in and reshelved, following the latest guidelines from the CDC and best practices around sanitizing surfaces. So be patient
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Pandemic Paraphernalia Photos
Calling all photographers — professional and amateur — of all ages: to celebrate National Photography Day on June 15th, we’re asking for your submissions and have provided prompts for you below. Photographs submitted will be shared in our weekly newsletters (adult submissions in This Week on Martine and kids and teen submissions in What’s the Story?), and they will be added to our Documenting COVID-19: White Plains Experiences collection. So please, take a look at our prompts, or get creative and submit your photos below. Ideas: Empty White Plains streets COVID cleaning supplies Work from home work area Home Schooling
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COVID-19, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, photography, photography prompt, and white plains.
covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, photography, photography prompt, and white plains.
Documenting COVID-19:
Corona Crisis Franken-Poem
Below is a “Dr. Covid Franken-poem” assembled by White Plains Library's Poetry Slammaster Eric “Zork” Alan. Assembled from pieces of far more fantastic source poems in our monthly poetry prompt [Poets: Romina [Age 46], Nicholas Kalaj [Age 28], Nava D. Pollak [Age 11], and anonymous. Dr. Covid Franken-poem Like a Frankenstein future made properly present Piece by piece Our scars will be seen for our next generations of usersLike wondrous wheels Socially spaced we carry heavy weight Together It’s a beautiful bicycle We ride in a worrisome winter Down empty streets Across sidewalks we are separated But somehow social Dirty
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COVID-19, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
Documenting COVID-19:
“The Dirty Glove”
“The Dirty Glove” is a poem submitted by Nicholas Kalaj, age 28. The Dirty Glove I do my job to keep these hand clean, I protect these hand from bacterias and germs that can’t be seen. I sacrifice my cleanliness for it is my job to do so, Into the green container is where the trash will go. Keeping these hands clean is my sole purpose, To clean this building is indeed a good service. Being busy is a blessing than a curse, Optimism is good because things could be far worse. Submit your own experience.
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COVID-19, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
Documenting COVID-19:
A Bicycle on the Move
A poem, “a bicycle on the move,” submitted by Romina, age 46. A bicycle on the move A bicycle on the move Maintenance, did you say? Tires are getting low Too many holes in the road Bumps have affected my shape And I am carrying a heavy weight The breeze feels refreshing but cold Cold gets into my inner emptiness Emptiness. Is that how it feels? What’s wrong? Other bikes are riding along… I have no clear path or freedom There is fog menacing my wisdom Sounds of nature are suddenly close I feel the soft soil embracing my rubbery
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COVID-19, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
Documenting COVID-19:
“A Pen” Poem
Poem submitted by Nava D. Pollak, age 11. A pen That never stops using words A unique fountain pen Who’s nib points flat down, Yet up To let ink out just right Fill it up in the color you want Make it yours Right now this pen feels alive So much extra time to write But this pen is so sad For in the wrong hands this pen Writes things learns things A poor pen shouldn’t have to know But this pen can be used by a child A child who finds the obvious topic EXTREMELY BORING In those hands
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COVID-19, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.
Documenting COVID-19:
County Center Photos
Photos of the “Westchester County Center and the temporary hospital across the street,” submitted by Anonymous. “We are ready. The temporary hospital will be operated by the New York State Health Department through nearby White Plains Hospital.” Submit your own experience.
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COVID-19, Homepage, and Library News.
coronavirus, covid-19, COVID19, photos, Westchester County Center, and white plains.
coronavirus, covid-19, COVID19, photos, Westchester County Center, and white plains.
Documenting COVID-19: WP Library Newsletters
A record of our communication with the community, the thoughts and feelings of Library staff, and the programs and services the Library provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Hoopla Staff Picks: Folk Music
Possibly our most dynamic resource offered is Hoopla, as it includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've written up recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some folk music recommendations from Adult Services librarian Kristen Thornton-De Stafeno. One of my favorite genres to browse on Hoopla is folk as it encompasses so many styles (there are well over 4,000 titles grouped under the genre); that and I used to host a folk-themed radio show. Below I highlight
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Library Launches Documenting COVID-19 Collection
We're living in unprecedented times. Many of us are working from home and adapting to shared living spaces, childcare demands, and social isolation. Others have had health challenges or find themselves unemployed. Meanwhile, we hear examples of adaptation and education, creativity and bravery. Our lives have continued in new ways. For these reasons, the Library—with your help—is creating a new collection: Documenting COVID-19: White Plains Experiences. The Library wants to hear about you, what you're doing, how you're doing, what you see outside your window. Contributions to the Library’s collection can be anything, from a three-line poem to a 200-page
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COVID-19 Writing Prompt: Community Poem
Poetry is a party on a page and poems, people and words have PERSONALITIES Words have personality and life of their own: Happy, Sad, Angry, Lazy And, in times like these, we can sometimes feel like the universe has completely changed. What if part of this change was to make us each an inanimate object…our job in this poetry prompt is to pick the object that best represents us during this strange time. And, then to breathe LIFE into that object. Every inanimate objects have a personality: stapler, scissors etc What inanimate object best represents you? Now here are the
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COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
covid-19, poetry prompt, and Zork.
covid-19, poetry prompt, and Zork.
Teen Calendar
Yes, our beautiful building at 100 Martine is temporarily closed, but it turns out there are plenty of other ways we can keep the Library open and still serve White Plains. Join us on Zoom (thanks to support from the White Plains Library Foundation) with a variety of virtual events presented by Library staff and local experts. Find a full listing of events below with details on attending. And don't forget, you can reach us Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at our new number 914-448-4859, by texting WPPL to 66746, or by emailing us anytime. Ideas for
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eNewsletter, Events, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
edge events, events, teen calendar, and virtual calendar.
edge events, events, teen calendar, and virtual calendar.
Virtual Calendar
Yes, our beautiful building at 100 Martine is temporarily closed, but it turns out there are plenty of other ways we can keep the Library open and still serve White Plains. Join us on Zoom (thanks to support from the White Plains Library Foundation) with a variety of virtual events presented by Library staff and local experts. Find a full listing of events below with details on attending. And don't forget, you can reach us Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at our new number 914-448-4859, by texting WPPL to 66746, or by emailing us anytime. Ideas for
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We Miss You!
This week is National Library Week, and while we can't quite celebrate in the usual fashion this year, we still wanted to do a little something to celebrate. So in that spirit, our staff wanted to take this time to let you know that we miss you! Now maybe you can let us know what you miss most about visiting the Library. Leave us a comment below, send your messages and photos to kthornton@whiteplainslibrary.org, or let us know on social media. Though the building may be closed, we're still offering reference assistance, virtual programs, and new content on
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Food Pantries
The following food pantries are still open: Ridgeway Alliance 465 Ridgeway, White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 949-3714 Monday 10:00-2:00 p.m. Tuesdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. Wednesdays 10:00-2:00 p.m. Fridays 10:00-2:00 p.m. (Not every Friday, should call) First Baptist Church 456 North Street White Plains 10605 (914) 946-5207 (No set hours please call) White Plains Schools Food Distribution https://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/ El Centro Hispano Operating from the Post Road School 175 W Post Rd, White Plains, NY 10606 April 16th, May 7th, May 21st, June 4th, June 18th at 3:00 p.m. Food will be distributed through the Soundview entrance. Make the Road New York 46
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eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
covid-19, food bank, food pantries, and food pantry.
covid-19, food bank, food pantries, and food pantry.
