Archives for eNewsletter

May Virtual Open Mic

May Virtual Open Mic

On Saturday, May 30th, the Library will host another Virtual Open Mic. This event will take place from 5:00 to 5:50 p.m. To attend, access Zoom with this link on 5/30. If you submitted anything for our comic or poetry prompts, or for our Documenting COVID-19 collection and would like to share your pieces at the event, please join us. Writing is a solitary activity, and as we are socially distancing it can become even more solitary if we don’t have a place to share our work collectively. In the past I have done readings in Westchester and New York
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May 18, 2020 11:45 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: events and virtual open mic.

Author Event: Astronomer Dr. Julia Kregenow

Author Event: Astronomer Dr. Julia Kregenow

Dr. Julia Kregenow is an astronomer and Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State University. She will be presenting two programs in May for families related to children’s books she has written and her study of astronomy. You can borrow some of Dr. Kregenow’s books in eBook format from the Library through OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla. Thursday, May 21, 2:00 p.m. Register in advance here. Dr. Kregenow will read from her book Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I Know Exactly What You Are and lead a family sing-a-long for mixed age groups, singing several different verses from her book and giving additional scientific
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May 15, 2020 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: astronomy, author event, and author visit.

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 2

Parenting: Sensory Needs at Home Part 2

As promised, this week I am giving some more tips for children who need sensory stimulation. Most of these activities require a little bit of prep, but are still fairly easy. Let’s start with items to keep in the house for when children just need a little calming. Good things to keep around include a smooth stone to hold, and a combination lock and/or old keys to manipulate. These items can be held and played with to give children that sensory experience. Other good calming techniques are brushing and pressure. One trick that always works with my son is taking
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May 13, 2020 2:43 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: parenting tips, sensory-friendly, special needs, and special needs parenting.

Explore NYC from Home

Explore NYC from Home

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to, now that my daughter is older and doesn’t have a daytime nap, is exploring New York City with her. We were planning on starting this spring doing just that – taking the Metro North and having Big Apple Adventures. However, those plans are a bit on hold. Luckily, we live in a time where technology makes many things possible, and while it does not replace actually being somewhere, virtual tours and experiences are aplenty. NYC is filled with museums, art galleries and wonderful sites. Just because you’re safe at home, doesn’t
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May 13, 2020 2:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: NYC, staff recommendations, and virtual tour.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Chapter Books

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Chapter Books

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. Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is celebrated during the month of May. I had been wanting to read Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly for a while now. It won the Newbery Medal in 2018! It was a potential pick
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May 13, 2020 1:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, and staff recommendations.

Virtual Book Display: Jewish American Heritage Month

Virtual Book Display: Jewish American Heritage Month

President George W. Bush established May as National Jewish American Heritage Month in 2006. The month-long celebration highlights the many contributions of Jewish Americans to American history, and celebrates Jewish cultural heritage. To celebrate, here are some fun and noteworthy Children’s and Young Adult titles. Children's Picture Books: Children’s Chapter Books: Children’s Nonfiction: Young Adult Fiction:  
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May 12, 2020 3:14 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Jewish American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, staff recommendations, and virtual book display.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: YA Fiction

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: YA Fiction

Having missed out on Star Trek as a child, I first heard of George Takei about ten years ago when he began posting hilarious memes on Facebook. More recently, he’s been known for his political activism and for sharing his childhood experience in an internment camp during WWII. This is the topic of his 2019 graphic novel They Called Us Enemy. Takei relates the circumstances of his family’s forced removal from their Los Angeles home and the four years they spent behind bars. He tells the story as he experienced it as a child, layered with facts he learned from
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May 11, 2020 4:35 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Jewish American Heritage Month: Chapter Books

Jewish American Heritage Month: Chapter Books

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. May is Jewish American Heritage Month and I enjoyed reading the delightful My Basmati Bat Mitzvah by Paula J. Freedman, which Kathlyn suggested I try. Read on to find out more about why your child may have fun reading it as
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May 11, 2020 3:22 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Jewish American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, and staff recommendations.

Jewish American Heritage Month: Picture Books

Jewish American Heritage Month: Picture Books

Jewish American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions Jewish Americans have made to America since they first arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654. The Library of Congress website states that, “On April 20, 2006 President Bush issued the first Presidential Proclamation which designated May 2006 as Jewish American Heritage Month.” The National Museum of American Jewish History has a great website to explore resources that highlight American Jewish history, art, and culture and their virtual resources can be explored here. Highlighted below are three notable picture books geared towards younger readers that explore the history and culture
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May 11, 2020 1:34 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Jewish American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, and staff recommendations.

STEAM at Home: Creepy Candy

STEAM at Home: Creepy Candy

To celebrate Eat Anything You Want Day and Twilight Zone Day (May 11), I thought it would be fun to experiment with creating some creepy candies: dancing worms, growing gummy bears, and rainbow candy art. I have always been fascinated by creepy crawlies and I have a sweet tooth, so a project that combined experiments with candy sounded like lots of fun. I also love researching STEAM projects and learning the creative science behind the process. As an adult, it’s a really fun way to get in touch with your inner child. And as a parent or caregiver these experiments
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May 11, 2020 1:23 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.

Jewish American Heritage Month: YA

Jewish American Heritage Month: YA

While making a list of potential titles for this month, I was drawn to In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton. It’s historical fiction, set in Atlanta in 1959 (rather than WWII, as many other YA historical fiction titles are). I just had to see what the author would do with this setting and time period. When Ruth’s father suddenly dies, her mother resettles the family in a guest house belonging to her own wealthy parents. Ruth’s grandmother is heavily invested in the local debutante scene and encourages Ruth not to mention her Jewish faith around her new
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May 11, 2020 10:32 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: digital audiobooks, eBooks, hoopla, Jewish American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, OverDrive, and YA Fiction.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949 by the Mental Health America organization. In her Publisher’s Weekly article, “Mental Health and Middle Graders,” Shannon Maughan writes, “A 2019 article in JAMA Pediatrics cites data revealing that one in six youths ages six to 17 experience a mental health disorder in a given year, and that in 2016, 16.5% of U.S. youths ages six to 17 (7.7 million people) experienced a mental health disorder.” To read her article in full click here. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I have gathered together noteworthy books for younger
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May 8, 2020 2:57 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: digital audiobooks, eBooks, hoopla, libby, Mental Health Awareness Month, Observances and Celebrations, OverDrive, and virtual book display.

Library Launches Documenting COVID-19 Collection

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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May 7, 2020 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: collection, coronavirus, covid-19, and local history.

Hoopla Staff Picks: American Songbook & Broadway

Hoopla Staff Picks: American Songbook & Broadway

Possibly our most dynamic digital resource, Hoopla includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've gathered staff recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some album recommendations from Adult Services & Local History Librarian Austin Duffy and Adult Services Librarian Sharon Rothman. The Great American Songbook picks from Austin: Bing Crosby. Bing Sings the Great American Songbook. Short, breezy covers of classics like “Manhattan” and “I’ve Got A Crush On You.” Nancy Wilson. The Great American Songbook. Elegant,
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May 6, 2020 11:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: hoopla, music, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Census: Not too Late to Count

Census: Not too Late to Count

During this time when it can be difficult to find a way to help our city, there is a very important thing you can do to support it – and the best part is that it can be done from your own home. If you haven't responded to the Census yet, take 10 minutes to shape our future for the next 10 years. Online, phone, and mailed self-responses continue through October 31st. Complete the Census online here or call (844) 330-2020. Have questions? Give us a call at (914) 448-4859.
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May 6, 2020 10:13 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter and Library News.
Tags: 2020 Census and census.

Hoopla Creative Writing Resources

Hoopla Creative Writing Resources

Writing can be a cathartic and stress-reducing activity, making it well suited to our current reality. Just as reading a good book can be a comfort right now, getting lost in a writing prompt can also be a portal into another world. Luckily, Hoopla offers a wealth of resources for writers of all ages, from children to adults. I’ll start by recommending a creative writing book by one of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine. I’ve loved her books since middle school, when I read Ella Enchanted, an original fairy tale about a girl who is cursed with the gift
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May 6, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: creative writing, hoopla, and writing.

STEAM at Home: Trove Kinetic Sculpture

STEAM at Home: Trove Kinetic Sculpture

I know there are a lot of people out there who are big fans of the kinetic sculpture in the Trove. The sculpture was created by Jeffrey Zachmann, a kinetic sculptor from Minnesota. Interested in knowing more about the creator of the Trove’s kinetic sculpture? Watch this interview where Mr. Zachmann discusses his work. At the end of each week’s What’s the Story? Safe At Home newsletter, I’ve been sharing videos of a variety of really cool kinetic sculptures and marble runs as an homage to the kinetic sculpture in the Trove. Those videos I have shared so far have
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May 6, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Jeffrey Zachmann, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, and Trove Kinetic Sculpture.

Mother’s Day Book Display

Mother’s Day Book Display

Mother’s Day is traditionally celebrated on the second Sunday in May, which falls on the 10th of May this year. Usually in the Spring, Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world! The day honors mothers and grandmothers for their love, nurturing, and care. If you are interested in creating some lovely hand-made flowers for the special moms and grandma’s in your life join Lina Cavalcanti’s craft program by watching the video here. To celebrate the mothers and grandmothers in our lives, I have gathered a collection of fun and noteworthy titles below:  
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May 5, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Mother's Day, Observances and Celebrations, and virtual book display.

Make a Flower Gift for Mother’s Day!

Make a Flower Gift for Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day will be here soon! If you’d like to make something for your mom(s) or grandma(s), watch the video below as Lina Cavalcanti shows you how to create hand-painted, paper flowers for your special someone(s). Looking for some books to read with your loved ones? Then check out this collection of Mother's Day themed eBooks I recommended. Using a few basic materials, you can create a unique gift – and have fun in the process! In this craft program video you’ll learn how to hand paint the paper, cut out the petals, and embellish your flowers to make something
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May 5, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Mother's Day, Observances and Celebrations, STEAM, STEAM activities, and STEAM at home.

STEAM at Home: Lava Lamp

STEAM at Home: Lava Lamp

Make a Lava Lamp using materials found around your home. Then experiment with it. Materials: Clear glass cup Water Vegetable oil Food dye Alka Seltzer Light – flashlight or lamp Procedure: Fill the glass ¼ full with water. Add some food dye. Fill the rest of the glass with vegetable oil (but not all the way to the top). Break up the Alka Seltzer tablet into 4 pieces. Drop 1 piece of Alka Seltzer into the glass and see what happens. Once it has worked, turn off the rest of the lights in the room and place the glass over
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May 5, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.