Archives for Featured

How to Fight Censorship & Book Bans

How to Fight Censorship & Book Bans

On Monday, April 24, 2023 the first national Right to Read Day was held. Organized by the American Library Association (ALA), and kicking off National Library Week, Right to Read Day was established as a call to action in response to the past few years of attacks on access to, and even the existence of, certain books – overwhelmingly those with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ characters, themes, and information (check out the top 13 challenged books of 2022 to see what I mean). While ALA’s Unite Against Book Bans, and other organizations, highlighted going to the library and checking out banned
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April 25, 2024 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, activism, banned books, book banning, book bans, censorship, community activism, fight for the first, first amendment, and freedom to read.

Meet the String Quartet

Meet the String Quartet

Sunday, May 19th 2:00 p.m. Grades 1-6 Library Auditorium White Plains Public Library and Downtown Music present: Meet the String Quartet! Join The Ondine Quartet, sponsored by Chamber Music America, featuring Ariana Cappon & Cindy Lan (violins), Chloe Kim (viola), and Sarah Song (cello), for an educational afternoon about the instruments in a string quartet and how they work together to produce glorious music.
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April 24, 2024 12:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's event in white plains, Downtown Music, Meet the String Quartet, music event in White Plains, and The Trove.

May Programs for Younger Kids

May Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Some programs require advance registration, while others may require a ticket. If registration is required, details will be provided for how to register on our online calendar. If a program requires a ticket, tickets will be handed out on a first come, first served basis starting 30 minutes before the program. Bilingual Family Night Ages 3+, Families Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. – May 1 Families will listen to a bilingual story, sing bilingual songs
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April 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, kids, live music, may 2024, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

SWBOCES Fashion Show

SWBOCES Fashion Show

Thursday, May 16th 4:00 p.m. Library Auditorium The Library is excited to collaborate with the SWBOCES Fashion Design & Merchandising Program to host a special runway event showcasing the work of students throughout the year.  The show, titled “Fashion in Toyland,” was originally inspired by student interest and enjoyment of the Barbie film last summer.  Students then took field trips to FAO Schwarz and Toys R Us to gain more ideas for fashion designs inspired by toys. In conjunction with the Fashion Show, an exhibit of student artwork and designs will be on display in the Library’s Gallery from May
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April 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Gallery, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: art exhibit, art gallery, Fashion show, and SWBOCES.

What’s Next in the Edge: May 2024

What’s Next in the Edge: May 2024

Read on to find out about the activities we've planned for grades 7-12 this spring. From our College and Career Club to the monthly After Hours for grades 9-12, we have a range of options available. Stop by anytime during Edge hours to say hello and find out more about the Edge. Edge Hours: Monday – Thursday: 3:00-8:00 p.m. Friday: 3:00-6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 1:00-5:00 p.m. Drop-in Activities: No registration is required for these ongoing programs for grades 7-12. Movie Monday Join us for a movie on Mondays at 4:00 p.m. Tech Tuesday Youth in grades 4-12 will learn
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April 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: events for teens in Westchester, events for teens in White Plains, teen programs, and The Edge.

May K-6 Programs at The Trove

May K-6 Programs at The Trove

For our elementary schoolers, please join us for our K-6 programs! We will be exploring the great outdoors in the comfort of the Igloo to learn about moose, the stars, and jellyfish! Plus, we’ll have crafts to go along with stories about colors and dinosaurs. Under The Trees VR May 2nd @ 4:30PM Experience Virtual Reality (VR) without a headset in the library's newly installed panoramic content room. Views from 360° content and we will read stories, sing songs and learn facts about the forest and the animals that live there. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the
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April 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, children's events in White Plains, events for children in westchester, events for children in white plains, and events for kids.

Cowboy Carter & Black Country Artists

Cowboy Carter & Black Country Artists

Have you been listening to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter on repeat since it dropped? Are you interested in learning more about the history of Black Country music and those that inspired Beyoncé to make this album – and in some cases are even featured on it? Then check out our staff-curated list of books, music, and film on the musicians that inspired Cowboy Carter. BOOKS:  ADULT My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future by Alice Randall Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions by Francesca Royster Country Soul: Making Music and Making Race in the American
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April 23, 2024 2:25 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Beyonce, Black Country music, Cowboy Carter, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May is…

May is…

May Moments Each month a variety of observances and celebrations take place, from well-known holidays to much lesser known fun (and downright funny or strange!) observances. Celebrated in May ____ is… May The Fourth Be With You! Star Wars Day is May 4th Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown All available formats Sith Lord and leader of the Galactic Empire–now faces the trials, joys, and mood swings of raising his daughter Leia as she grows from a sweet little girl into a rebellious teenager. Smart and funny illustrations by artist Jeffrey Brown give classic Star Wars moments a twist by
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April 23, 2024 1:19 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's books, may 2024, May festivities, and Observances and Celebrations.

5 Decades on Martine

5 Decades on Martine

During the summer of 1974, the White Plains Public Library moved from a brick building on Grand Avenue to its current location at 100 Martine Avenue. Below are some photos from the construction on Martine, the interior in the early 1980s, and an image of the initial White Plains Public Library. The Foundation Gala is the evening of May 4, 2024 and we'll be celebrating the Library's 50 years at its current location! Click HERE to learn more and RSVP.  
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April 23, 2024 10:19 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Local History.
Tags: 2024 Library Gala, White Plains Library Foundation, and White Plains Library Foundation Gala.

After Hours for White Plains Teens in Grades 9-12

After Hours for White Plains Teens in Grades 9-12

As part of a citywide initiative to provide more evening activities for high schoolers, the Library is excited to offer regular evening programming for teens. Monthly, the Library will host After Hours at the Library. This is a special event, when the Library is not open to the general public, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm for high school students who live in the city of White Plains. Teens are invited to just come hang out or take part in one of a number of activities that will change from month to month!  Here's some examples of After Hours events and
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April 23, 2024 8:01 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Teens.
Tags: After Hours, events for teens, events for teens in White Plains, events in White Plains, Library events for teens, Library programs for teens, programs for teens, programs for teens in White Plains, The Edge, White Plains After Hours, and White Plains teen after hours.

May Trove Book Club

May Trove Book Club

May Chapter Chats May 13th  @ 5:00PM For kids in Grades 3-6 looking for a quiet area and time dedicated to reading, join us for our sit-in read and chat book club! We will have 20 minutes of reading time and then come together to discuss our books. Don’t have a book in mind? Here are some recommended reads: Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith All available formats In a world where girls have magic and boys become knights, nonbinary Callie has always been determined that their gender will not be able to stop them from
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April 22, 2024 1:55 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, Graphic Novel Book Club, and The Trove.

May College and Career Edge Programs

May College and Career Edge Programs

College and Career Edge Programs in May The Edge at the White Plains Public Library is happy to announce our new College and Career Edge series this fall. We'll be using our new Igloo room to host a variety of virtual and in-person programs. In the Igloo, students can experience Virtual Reality (VR) without a headset in the library's newly installed panoramic content room. Views from 360° content and more will be provided in this fun series of programs. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the Library Foundation/Optimum. College and Career Edge Series: Financial Literacy We will be
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April 22, 2024 1:46 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: career, college, college admissions, College and Career Club, College and Career Edge, College Prep, may 2024, and The Edge.

Trove Battle of the Books 2024

Trove Battle of the Books 2024

The Trove is excited to announce we will be forming a team this year for Battle of the Books! Kids entering grades 4-7 in the 2024-25 school year that have a passion for reading and trivia are invited to join our interest meeting later this month, April 23rd at 5PM in the Igloo. If you are interested but cannot attend this meeting, or have any questions, please email Erika at epeiffer@whiteplainslibrary.org. For more information about the tournament itself, check out the Westchester Library System’s Battle of the Books page. The 2024 Battle of the Books Titles: Ophie’s Ghost by Justina
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April 22, 2024 1:35 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: battle of the books and Battle of the Books 2024.

New Books in the Edge: April 2024

New Books in the Edge: April 2024

One of the best parts of my job is ordering new books for the Edge–reading the reviews, seeing what popular authors come up with next, or finding out about an upcoming sequel to an old favorite. Read on to find out about some of the new YA fiction titles coming to our shelves this month. Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal by Gretchen Schreiber Grades 7 and up Library Catalog “A teen with a rare illness struggles to bridge her hospital and school relationships. Ellie Haycock insists that her high school friends—especially her boyfriend, Jack—never know how thoroughly VACTERLs affects her
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April 22, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

April Middle Grade Pick of the Month

April Middle Grade Pick of the Month

Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group! Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow All available formats here Simon is probably the only tween in existence to be actually sort of excited to be moving into a town where technology and Internet access is limited – but then again, he and his family are hoping for a fresh start. Simon relaxes into making friends out of the shadows of his past and figuring out
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April 21, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: middle grade, middle grade fiction, Middle Grade Pick of the Month, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Short Story Discussion Series: Spring 2024

Short Story Discussion Series: Spring 2024

Join Librarian Barbara Wenglin to explore compelling selections from the rich anthology, New York Stories, ed. by Diana Tesdell, (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, 2011). These vibrant and varied works by acclaimed authors provide a colorful vision of “the city that never sleeps.” A copy of the book is on hold at the Hub/Reference Desk for reading in the Library with circulating copies available to borrow through the catalog. Zoom Register Here for full series and attend when you can. Newcomers welcome! Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:15 p.m. May 2 “Master Misery” by Truman Capote (p.99) May 16 “Children Are Bored on
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April 18, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Barbara Wenglin, book groups in Westchester, book groups in White Plains, Short stories, short story book discussion series, and short story discussion groups.

Book ‘Em 2023-2024

Book ‘Em 2023-2024

Join us for the return of Book ‘Em, our popular crime fiction book group. We will continue to meet on Zoom; check our online calendar for the link. Book ‘Em meets from 2:30-3:30 p.m. To request or check out a title, click on your preferred format. We hope to have more copies and formats available in the future. Some titles have yet to be published so we will add catalog links as they become available. Click here for a printable PDF of dates & titles. Book ‘Em 2023/2024 Schedule May 15, 2024 Shari Lapena: Everyone Here is Lying Available Formats
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April 17, 2024 10:00 am | by | 3 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Director's Corner, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Book 'Em, book discussion, book group, mystery, mystery book discussion, mystery book group, and mystery books.

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Earth Day takes place annually on April 22.  We’ve created many Earth Day related blog posts, reading lists and activities over the past several years and I urge you to look through them for some great ideas and great reads. Below find some reads related to the formation of Earth Day and climate and environmental activism.   The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement by Barry Wittenstein, art by Jessie Hartland Library Catalog A shockingly true story about how on a day in the summer of 1969 the Cuyahoga River
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April 12, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, climate activism, environmental activism, environmentalism, Good Trouble, greta thunberg, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 19

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 19

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 19 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 19 The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we are featuring our beautiful new books in a monthly blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these picture books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le presentamos nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. Children’s Day/Book Day is celebrated nationwide on April 30th. To celebrate this day, the
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April 8, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New: Text Notifications for Teen Events!

New: Text Notifications for Teen Events!

We're excited to announce that you can now sign up to receive texts about events for teens in White Plains! We'll be sending texts about events going on in White Plains, including those sponsored by the Library and other City agencies. Teens and parents are encouraged to sign up. For instructions on how to sign up, read on. If you need help, feel free to come to the Edge and we'll help you with the process. And for organizations that would like to submit their events for teens to be featured through text alerts and our After Hours page, please
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April 3, 2024 12:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: events for teens in Westchester, events for teens in White Plains, teens, The Edge, and YA.