Archives for Evergreen

Talkin’ Tech: Modern Multilinguals

Talkin’ Tech: Modern Multilinguals

Let’s talk about technology. Since the invention of the wheel, tools have become more and more complex – and today it can be hard to keep up! In the “Talkin' Tech” column, we will discuss the ever-changing trends in the modern digital arena. From artificial intelligence to Zuckerberg, join Austin in examining all things tech from our vantage point in the 4th industrial revolution: the imagination age! Have you ever wanted to try your hand at coding? Coding, or computer programming, is the way we talk to computers and tell them what to do. It is like learning a second
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March 17, 2020 1:11 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: coding, digital technology, STEAM, and STEM.

Reading Around the World: Irish Culture

Reading Around the World: Irish Culture

With Tata's “Reading Around the World” book picks, younger patrons and their families will enjoy reading about the different cultural celebrations around the world. Easy holiday Picture Books and easy Folklore stories will introduce young readers to the world outside the U.S. Simply click on a title or cover to place it on hold. Irish lore and traditions are cherished by all. The contributions of our Irish immigrants have carved a path into our very identity. Enjoy these titles full of wit, humor and tradition. And may we all enjoy the luck of the Irish! PICTURE BOOKS The Leprechaun Under
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March 17, 2020 1:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, Irish folklore, Reading Around the World, and St. Patrick's Day.

Online Tutoring

Online Tutoring

If your schooling and learning support options have been affected by COVID-19, remember—as always—Tutor.com is available to help. Students will be able to connect with tutors from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, until June 15. Access for free through our website here: https://whiteplainslibrary.org/trove/tutor-com-info/
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March 14, 2020 11:34 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: education, learning, school, tutoring, and tutors.

Letter from the Library Director

Letter from the Library Director

Dear Library Patrons, As you know, Westchester County is experiencing an outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. A respiratory illness, it is spread from person to person and is occurring in countries around the world. The White Plains Public Library is committed to the health and well-being of both the public and the Library’s staff. At present, there is no change in our hours, operations or procedures. However, we are taking some preparatory steps: Throughout the Library, you will find hand sanitizers. There are wall-mounted sanitizers in the Lobby, the Café, the Edge, and on the second
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March 5, 2020 4:44 pm | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Director's Corner, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Library News.
Tags: coronavirus.

Coronavirus [COVID-19] Facts

Coronavirus [COVID-19] Facts

The Library has gathered a list of trusted sources to provide factual information on the virus and steps to protect yourself. Bookmark these sites and return to them regularly for information you can trust: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] will provide updated information as it becomes available, in addition to updated guidance. Local information from the Weschester County Department of Health. Information from the New York State Department of Heath. World Health Organization‘s continuous updates with helpful information for individuals and the workplace. Information from the National Library of Medicine. Go to “Statistics and Research” for numbers
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March 5, 2020 2:18 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Library News.

African Folktales

African Folktales

The African continent is home to many peoples and cultures. This sample covers only 6 diverse peoples from Africa, leaving many more to explore. Whet your appetite with these stories and visit the Trove to find many more. Enjoy! Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile, by Won-Ldy Paye “A clever chicken outwits a hungry crocodile by convincing the reptile that she is her sister. This trickster tale is smart and funny. It comes from the Dan people of Liberia and this illustrated version is perfect for a younger audience.”—School Library Journal Beautiful Blackbird, by Ashley Bryan “Because they don't have
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February 28, 2020 2:06 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

African American Tradition

African American Tradition

The African American tradition of storytelling helps bring together collective experiences and wisdom through well-known characters and stories as in the ones selected here. Enjoy these stories of hope, humor, kindness, cleverness, and more. Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, by Joel Chandler Harris “The folktales collected by Harris from former slaves at the end-of-the-century constitute a valuable contribution to African American folklore. The illustrations, full-page portraits of the character and their antics, are in pen-and-ink and watercolors. They match the text in humor and vigor.”—School Library Journal The Headless Haunt and Other African-American Ghost Stories, by James Haskins “A
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February 27, 2020 4:24 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: african american tradition, black history month, children's books, folk tales, ghost stories, Observances and Celebrations, and storytelling.

Girl Power in Picture Books

Girl Power in Picture 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. Raquel's portion is aimed at readers up to Grade 3. A good web resource for book ideas to celebrate Women’s History Month is the A Mighty Girl website, which “features over 3,000 girl-empowering books.” Here are a few of the great picture books for young readers to celebrate Women’s History
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February 27, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: picture books and womens history month.

Pointers 4 Parents: The Breaking News

Pointers 4 Parents: The Breaking News

Lauren's “Pointers 4 Parents” column features tips, tricks, and resources for caregivers with a specific focus on children with special needs. In light of all the terrible news that we see daily, be it on the news, social media, or in real life, here are some resources to help you talk to your children. Caroline Knorr of Common Sense Media suggests tips for talking to kids about violence, crime, and war at different ages. Common Sense Media is an amazing online resource for parents in general, not just for this topic. It gives parents information about nearly everything media related
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February 27, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and pointers 4 parents.

Life Hacks: Journaling

Life Hacks: Journaling

Erik‘s Life Hacks column gives teens advice on adulting. Journaling is a really great way to keep track of ideas, reminders, emotions, decisions, and goals. Keeping a journal will help you organize your life, relieve stress and remember important events. Here are some tips to get you started and things to write about: • Buy a cheap notebook, no need to make this an expense early on. • Keep it with you, or have it easily accessible. • Set time at the end of the day to write. It’s important to jot things down all throughout the day, but set
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February 14, 2020 2:48 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: adulting, journaling, and life hacks.

Short Story Discussion Resumes March 12

Short Story Discussion Resumes March 12

After a winter break, White Plains librarian Barbara Wenglin resumes her short story discussion series on Thursday, March 12, at 2:00 p.m. in the Library’s Galaxy Hall (second floor). The first selection to be explored is Barbara Kingsolver’s “Islands on the Moon” from the series anthology, Stories of Motherhood, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, 2012). The theme of this story is single motherhood and pregnancy, while other aspects of what moms face will be taken up in subsequent discussions by authors Elizabeth Bowen, Tillie Olsen, Anita Desai, Louise Erdrich, and Hortense Calisher. Renowned novelist Amy Tan wraps
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February 10, 2020 5:05 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Evergreen, and Library News.
Tags: book discussion, short story discussion, and Stories of Motherhood.

Writing Tips for Young Writers: Writing Blocks

Writing Tips for Young Writers: Writing Blocks

Caroline's “Writing Tips for Young Writers” column will feature fun writing prompts/props to motivate students in grades 3-6 to pursue creative writing. This month's column is “Writing Blocks: Find a Writing Buddy!” Do you find yourself hitting a writing block—a feeling of not being able to write—even if you have to work on an assignment? Do you love to write for fun but feel as if you are climbing Mount Everest with each blank page? As someone who loves to read and has been published, I still feel intimidated by the blank pages that await me. However, I’ve learned that
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February 7, 2020 11:22 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: creative writing and writing tips.

Dive into Diversity: Celebrating Black History Month with Picture Books

Dive into Diversity: Celebrating Black History Month with Picture 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. Raquel's portion is aimed at readers up to Grade 3. A great resource for parents and educators looking for the newest, excellent titles for children by African-American writers and illustrators is The Brown Bookshelf’s 28 Days Later: A Black History Month Celebration of Children’s Literature at 28 Days Later. Highlighted
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February 1, 2020 10:37 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: black history month, children's books, Dive into Diversity, diverse reads, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Pointers 4 Parents

Pointers 4 Parents

Lauren's “Pointers 4 Parents” column features tips, tricks, and resources for caregivers with a specific focus on children with special needs. As an introduction to this column, let’s start with some tips for reading to or with your child(ren). An Ohio State University study suggests that children who have five books a day read to them enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than children who aren't read to. Listen, I understand that life happens. There are days for every parent when there’s just no time for anything you want to do. Some days you may not get
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January 30, 2020 12:24 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Kids, and Library News.

Doing Good in the Edge: Project Linus

Doing Good in the Edge: Project Linus

Kathlyn's “Doing Good in the Edge” column highlights projects from the Do Gooders teen community service group agencies and organizations in the community Doing Good. The Allstate Foundation supports the Do Gooders in their work. Sewing handmade blankets for Project Linus has been one of the Edge’s longest-running service projects, even before the Do Gooders community service group formed. Project Linus is a nationwide, volunteer-led organization that collects handmade blankets and distributes them to children in hospitals and shelters. Adele Shapiro, Chapter Coordinator for Project Linus in Westchester, says the handmade blankets bring warmth, love, and security to children in
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January 30, 2020 12:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Evergreen, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: community service, Do Gooders, Project Linus, and volunteers.

2020 American Library Association Youth Media Award Winners

2020 American Library Association Youth Media Award Winners

Below find a selection of this year’s ALA Youth Media Award winners which represent the year’s best works for children and teens. The full list of this year’s winners, as well as video of the award ceremony, can be found here. John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature: New Kid written and illustrated by Jerry Craft. Newbery Honor Books: The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander and, illustrated by Kadir Nelson Scary Stories for Young Foxes written by Christian McKay Heidicker and illustrated by Junyi Wu Other Words for Home written by Jasmine Warga Genesis Begins Again
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January 29, 2020 3:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Evergreen, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: ALA Youth Media Awards.

Talkin’ Tech: Microchips Ahoy!

Talkin’ Tech: Microchips Ahoy!

Let’s talk about technology. Since the invention of the wheel, tools have become more and more complex – and today it can be hard to keep up! In the “Talkin' Tech” column, we will discuss the ever-changing trends in the modern digital arena. From artificial intelligence to Zuckerberg, join Austin in examining all things tech from our vantage point in the 4th industrial revolution: the imagination age!     A computer can only understand two things: “on” and “off.” It’s called binary, and it is the basis for all things digital. As the Digital Media Specialist at the library, it
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January 27, 2020 12:24 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: binary code, digital technology, STEAM, STEM, STEM learning, tech tuesdays, and technology.

Fantastic Nonfiction for Fourth to Sixth Graders

Fantastic Nonfiction for Fourth to Sixth Graders

There are so many amazing books published for fourth to sixth graders. Each month in Ashley's column “So You Want Your Fourth to Sixth Grader to Read Fantastic Books,” recommendations of great stories will be given to caregivers that will have their kids begging to visit the library to check out more awesome books! If you'd like to place this book on hold, simply click on the title or cover. Freaking Fantastic Nonfiction: Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children's Ship” by Deborah Heiligman I’m surprised I picked a nonfiction book to start off
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January 23, 2020 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book review, Deborah Heiligman, SS City of Benares, and staff book review.

Reading Around the World: Chinese New Year

Reading Around the World: Chinese New Year

With Tata's “Reading Around the World” book picks, younger patrons and their families will enjoy reading about the different cultural celebrations around the world. Easy holiday Picture Books and easy Folklore stories will introduce young readers to the world outside the U.S. This month you can learn about Chinese New Year. Simply click on a title or cover to place it on hold. Chinese New Year is celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar and falls on Saturday, January 25 this year. This begins the Year of the Rat. The Rat is considered the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac. Therefore,
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January 22, 2020 9:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Evergreen, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, Chinese New Year, and Reading Around the World.

SCORE at The Library

SCORE at The Library

We are pleased to announce that SCORE Westchester has moved its offices to the Library. Their new home is located on the mezzanine level (ask at the Welcome Desk for directions.) SCORE Westchester, the local chapter of a national, nonprofit, volunteer organization, is a natural fit with the Library, and dramatically expands what we can offer the business community. SCORE is focused on providing mentoring and workshops for the small business community. While the mentoring will be conducted at the Library, SCORE's robust programming schedule includes events at the Library as well as locations across the county. David Kellogg, Chairman
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January 8, 2020 2:25 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: business mentoring and SCORE.