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New Playaway Launchpads

New Playaway Launchpads

We just added over 30 new Playaway Launchpads to the Trove's collection. The new ones are in two types – video content (blue Launchpads) and apps (orange Launchpads) on various themes. We added several that are language-learning focused (ESL, learning Spanish, and learning Chinese), STEM concepts, and early literacy. Every Playaway Launchpad is pre-loaded with high-quality, ad-free learning apps and games, providing hours of interactive learning and play. Apps are grouped onto Launchpads by subject area, theme, grade level, and age. Featuring popular characters and brands, apps content spans subject areas from math and science to critical thinking and creativity,
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August 12, 2019 5:51 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: launchpads.

One Book, One White Plains

One Book, One White Plains

This September and October, White Plains will come together as a community to read Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You. A gripping page-turner and striking family portrait, the novel follows a Chinese American family in 1970s small-town Ohio as they try to understand the death of the oldest daughter, Lydia. It explores “alienation, achievement, race, gender, family, and identity” (Amazon.com). Writes the New York Times Book Review: “If we know this story, we haven’t seen it yet in American Fiction, not until now.” How to participate? If you have a book group, make Everything I Never Told You your
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August 10, 2019 1:28 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book discussion and One Book One White Plains.

July 2019 LibraryReads

July 2019 LibraryReads

Here are the top ten books published in June that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman Published: 7/9/2019 by Berkley “Nina likes her bookish life just fine. She works in a bookstore and is on a highly competitive trivia team. She is funny and snarky and great company (says this reader). Suddenly, a father she never knew dies and leaves her with a pack of brothers and sisters and Nina may be forced out of her comfortable reading chair.
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August 1, 2019 2:20 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Library Reads.

English as a Second Language Registration

English as a Second Language Registration

White Plains Public Library, in partnership with Westchester Community College, is pleased to offer English classes again this Fall. Classes are offered mornings, evenings and weekends; and focus is on speaking, listening, reading and writing English. Registration dates for the upcoming semester: Wednesday, August 21, 6:00 PM Saturday, August 24, 1:30 PM Monday August 26, 10:30 AM Tuesday, August 27, 10:30 AM At registration, everyone is interviewed and evaluated to determine the best class level. For additional information, please contact Westchester Community College at 914-606-5656. We hope you’ll join us!
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July 26, 2019 11:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Classes, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: english classes and ESL.

Donations for Children & Teen Events

Donations for Children & Teen Events

The Trove and Edge are asking for donations of items to be used in their upcoming programs. All items need to be in good condition. Donations can be brought to the Trove any time during our hours of operation. Items needed: Barbies, Kens, and similar sized dolls, as well as doll clothes that fit those dolls Matchbox or Hot Wheels type cars Action Figures – any kind Board Games and RPG manuals Construx, Mega Blox, KNEX, always accepting LEGOs
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July 15, 2019 4:32 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: donations.

Tech Wednesday for Adults

Tech Wednesday for Adults

Austin Olney leads Tech Wednesdays for Adults at 12:00 p.m. each Wednesday. Tech Wednesday is a weekly, hour-long meetup for adults who wish to learn about various digital technologies. Whether it is app design or Virtual Reality, beginners can explore a wealth of different topics relating to the modern digital revolution. Each week, a particular branch of computer technology is presented in the form of a quick workshop to give patrons knowledge about new technical trends and possibilities. Registration for each session is required; to register, visit our online calendar (you can click on each topic below) or call us
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July 10, 2019 4:30 pm | by | 1 Comment
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: digital technology and technology.

June 2019 LibraryReads

June 2019 LibraryReads

Here are the top ten books published in June that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. Evvie Drake Starts Over: A Novel by Linda Holmes Published: 6/25/2019 by Ballantine Books “Relationships are hard, whether with a spouse, a best friend, a new love interest, or ourselves. Evvie navigates all of these after a life-changing series of events. An engaging novel that explores relationship nuances without being too dark or too cutesy. For fans of Jenny Colgan, Cecilia Ahern, and Sophie Kinsella.”—Maribeth Fisher, Scotch Plains Public Library, Scotch Plains,
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July 3, 2019 2:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Library Reads.

Welcome to Summer Reading

Welcome to Summer Reading

The Library's 2019 Summer Reading Game kicks off July 2 and runs through August 9! In the Trove, families with children up to Kindergarten age will take part in a bingo-style game – reading, coming to Library programs, and completing activities to fill out their bingo board. Completed boards will enter families into raffles for fun grand prize packages in August. Children in Grades K-6 will use a game board, keeping track of their reading and attendance at Library programs, to get to the end of the board. Completed game boards will enter kids into a raffle for a back-to-school
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June 26, 2019 2:21 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: summer reading.

The Artists’ Loft Returns

The Artists’ Loft Returns

On the last Wednesday of each month from February through September, join Art Bennett and other guest teaching artists for evenings of fun, creativity, and community. Musicians are welcome every month, with all musical skill levels welcome. Bring your instrument and any tunes you want to work on, or just bring your ears to relax and listen. An electric piano and a PA will be available. A few times through the year, guest teaching artists will come and run workshops focused on visual arts, dance, and/or hip-hop in parallel to Art’s music workshop. These sessions are modeled after musician and
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June 17, 2019 2:41 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: art, jazz, live music, and music.

Do Gooders Summer Registration

Do Gooders Summer Registration

It’s time to make plans for this summer. When it comes to volunteering at the library, the Do Gooders community service group will be working on a variety of different projects. Do Gooders Teens in grades 7-12 can earn community service hours on Tuesdays from 3-5 pm, from July 9 through August 13 in the Edge Media Lab. Each week we'll work on a different project to benefit a local organization. Registration recommended; space is limited. This program is supported by the Allstate Foundation. Please note that all volunteer slots for Reading & STEM Buddies have been filled.
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May 30, 2019 10:00 am | by | 12 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: community service, teen volunteers, volunteer, volunteer opportunities, and volunteering.

Citywide School Art Show

Citywide School Art Show

Join student artists and their families for a reception celebrating the art of White Plains City School children, grades K-12, on the second floor of the Library on Thursday, May 30th, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through June 6th. (Images below are from last year's art show.)  
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May 24, 2019 9:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Gallery, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: art exhibit, art reception, citywide school art show, and student art.

AR Sandbox

AR Sandbox

We have a very cool temporary addition to the Edge, an augmented reality sandbox that one of our patrons built and is making available to us for a week or two. We will hold a drop-in session where you can explore the sandbox features on Wednesday, May 29th, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. White Plains resident Aaron Couts has generously made his Augmented Reality sandbox available to the Library. The AR sandbox, an open source project developed at the University of California, Davis (https://arsandbox.ucdavis.edu/) is made up of a video projector, a Microsoft K'nect 3D sensor, and of course
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May 22, 2019 2:23 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: AR Sandbox, Augmented Reality, Augmented Reality Sandbox, and teens.

Free Comic Book Day Photos

Free Comic Book Day Photos

On Saturday, May 4 the Library celebrated Free Comic Book Day, an annual event promoting reading through comic books. During the event, Library staff and volunteers distributed 256 free comics to kids and teens. As part of the event, the Library showed the Academy Award winning animated feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, which one attendee remarked, “was a great movie!” We also had a presentation about the life and career of Marvel Comics creator, Stan Lee. In addition, there were superhero mask crafts, fun comic book coloring, and a photo booth. Summing up the general feeling of the event, one
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May 9, 2019 4:31 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Free Comic Book Day.

New Books Perfect for Book Groups

New Books Perfect for Book Groups

If you’re in a book group, you are always looking for a great book that can stand up to the scrutiny of your friends. Not too long, not too short. Richly detailed but not too slow. Challenging but not Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. Well here are five books—all published in the past few months—that are perfect for a book discussion: complex, nuanced and full of issues that reverberate with the present. Oh, and none are over 350 pages! The Only Woman in the Room: A Novel by Marie Benedict In her rousing historical novel, Benedict imagines lesser known aspects of Hedy
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March 27, 2019 9:34 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations.

April 2019 LibraryReads

April 2019 LibraryReads

Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. Lost Roses: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly Published: 4/9/2019 by Ballantine Books “The Ferriday family (The Lilac Girls) returns in this story of love, loss, and triumph. The voices of four compelling female characters tell of the devastating effects of the Russian Revolution and World War I. Highly recommended for book clubs and fans of Anthony Doerr, Susan Meissner, and Lauren Belfer.”—Mamie Ney, Auburn Public Library, Auburn, ME The Girl He
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March 25, 2019 4:33 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Library Reads.

Catalog Update: Tips

Catalog Update: Tips

The Westchester libraries have completed migrating to new software, but there are still plenty of kinks to work out. Here are two pieces of advice. One, don't get frustrated, call us (914-422-1480). If something isn't working, or you are unsure of how to do something, let us help you. And two, give it a little time; this migration involved millions of books, patrons, and data, and it will take a bit longer to sort out everything. If you are having difficulties getting your PIN to work, first trying using all capitals if it is an alphabetical PIN. That should work.
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March 20, 2019 3:00 pm | by | 12 Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: catalog.

Meet George Guidall

Meet George Guidall

Join us on Sunday, April 7 at 2:00 p.m. for The Art & Artifice of Audiobook Narration with three-time Audie Award Winner, George Guidall. His recordings have been delighting listeners for over 20 years and the New York Times called him the “undisputed king of audiobooks.” The event is free but registration is required. Click here to RSVP. If you’re new to borrowing digital audiobooks, arrive early, any time after 1:00 p.m., and Library staff will get you set up. It’s easy – all you need is your device and library card number, or visit our website for instructions.
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March 7, 2019 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, and Library Foundation.
Tags: audiobooks and George Guidall.

A New Catalog

A New Catalog

In March, the public libraries in Westchester County will be moving to a new catalog system. For you, this means an improved interface with better—and easier—search capabilities, greater control over your notifications, and better access to what’s available through the library. Library staff members are getting an open source system, which means the libraries have more control over how the system works. Going forward, we’ll be able to customize the catalog for what works best for Westchester. But migrating to a new catalog won’t happen overnight. To facilitate the process, the catalog will be offline from March 11 to March
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February 27, 2019 3:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: catalog.

March 2019 LibraryReads

March 2019 LibraryReads

Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing Published: 3/26/2019 by Berkley “An incredible, dark, twisty psychological thriller with two of the most seemingly normal but disturbingly depraved people you will read about in fiction. This brilliant debut needs to be at the top of your must-read list. For readers who like taut suspense and works by Gillian Flynn, B.A. Paris, and Mary Kubica.”—Rachel Reeves, Weatherford Public Library, Weatherford, TX Beautiful Bad by Annie
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February 25, 2019 4:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Library Reads.