Archives for Featured

Why STEAM is Important

Why STEAM is Important

In our busy world, more often than not, we turn to technology to entertain our children. Are you looking for ways to get your kids off their devices and involve them in different activities? Welcome to the world of STEAM education. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education is a great way to help your child make discoveries, ask questions, and solve problems! During the holiday break, White Plains Public Library held a STEAM week for grades 6-12, where kids could drop in to do STEAM activities. The last day, the activity was Paper Airplanes. While STEAM activities are
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January 12, 2023 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM and STEAM activities.

Booklist Reader

Booklist Reader

Need help deciding what to read next? Then pick up a free copy of Booklist Reader. The Reader includes new titles, available in print and audio, top graphic novels, books on a theme–like traveling on foot–plus books for teens and children, including picture books and biographies. Included in every issue are interviews and profiles of authors and illustrators. Copies of the Booklist Reader, a publication of the American Library Association, can be found in the Hub area on the first floor as well upstairs in the Trove. Many of the titles in the Reader are owned by the Library, but
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January 11, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Booklist reader.

Rotary Club Events

Rotary Club Events

The Rotary Club of White Plains holds many of its programs at the Library, and everyone–Rotarians or not–are invited to attend. Follow the newsletter to keep up with presenters and dates. All programs take place in the Library's auditorium on the second floor, adjacent to the gallery. The speaker for January 17th is Robin Davies-Small, Executive Director of YesSheCan, Inc. Yes She Can Inc., a Westchester based non-profit founded in 2013, is dedicated to helping young women with autism and related disabilities develop transferable job skills and workplace social skills – through authentic work experience. We serve teen girls in
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January 4, 2023 9:59 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Rotary Club, Rotary Club of White Plains, and YesSheCan Inc..

Banned Books Photobooth

Banned Books Photobooth

Get caught reading a Banned Book in the Library's Lobby! Take a “mugshot” holding your favorite banned or challenged book with our “crime” sign in front of our backdrop. Post your selfie to social media using the hashtag #WPFreedomtoRead OR upload your photos to our website here. We'll add your “mugshots” to this page and our gallery as they come in. We'll also have a pop-up photobooth at upcoming #WPFreedomtoRead events where staff can take your photo. “Mugshot” Gallery:
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December 31, 2022 11:26 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Banned Books Photobooth, Banned Books Week, and library staff.

January Freedom to Read Storytime

January Freedom to Read Storytime

FREEDOM TO READ STORYTIME Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00 pm Age group: Children 3+ with their families Location: Auditorium Join us to hear stories of courageous women fighting for the right to read and to get an education in the most dire of circumstances. Listen to two titles by Jeannette Winter: The Librarian of Basra; a True Story From Iraq; and Nasreen’s Secret School; a True Story From Afghanistan. And, have fun making a craft to take home with you! Freedom to Read Storytimes are part of the Library’s #WPFreedomToRead initiative. While the books read may not all be challenged,
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December 22, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, Freedom to Read Storytime, and storytime.

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime Saturday, January 7th, 2023 at 2:00 pm Age Group(s):  For Families & Children Location: Rotary Room Come join us for a bilingual storytime celebrating Three Kings Day/Día de Reyes and also create a craft – a kid-sized crown! There will be a visit from the Three Kings too! This program is presented in conjunction with the Puerto Rican Artist Poster Exhibit on view in the Library Gallery from November 7th, 2022 through January 7th, 2023 that is curated by the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, Comite Noviembre and PRIDA. Some Fun Suggested
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December 21, 2022 4:12 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: dia de reyes, Observances and Celebrations, storytime, and three kings day.

December Middle Grade Pick of the Month

December 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! A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook June Yang, her sister, and her mother have been evicted from their apartment and landed in Huey House, a homeless shelter. She’s ashamed of their new circumstances – until she begins to make friends, especially with longtime Huey House resident Tyrell. Tyrell helps June learn the ins-and-outs of the House, while June gets Tyrell
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December 21, 2022 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.

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio Teens Thursday, 6:00 p.m. – January 12 VIRTUAL Registration required – REGISTER HERE. Learn how industry quality radio, podcasts, and longer form journalism are made with Marc Sophos from Outcasting! Outcasting is a series of public radio programs by LGBTQ+ youth and their allies for the general public with a national reach of 200 radio stations. This program is offered in conjunction with the Rye Free Reading Room and other WLS libraries.
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December 21, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Journalism, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ events in White Plains, podcasting, podcasts, radio, radio journalism, teen events, and Teen events in White Plains.

Dragons & the Ice Sorceress

Dragons & the Ice Sorceress

Talewise presents: Dragons & the Ice Sorceress Saturday, January 21 at 1:00 p.m. PreK – Grade 5 Library Auditorium Join Talewise on a quest to discover the ‘coolest’ thing in science: DRY ICE!  Volunteers from the audience will help conduct several science experiments as we explore the wondrous effects of dry ice! The science experiments are tied together by a fun, interactive tale called “Dragons & The Ice Sorceress.” The entire audience will help the performer tell the story — you’ll even get to decide what happens next! Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind learning adventure featuring stories and the science of
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December 21, 2022 7:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children, children's events, performances, programs, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, STEM learning, and Talewise.

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Donna Gehlmann. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I have always loved books and reading. Going to our public library as a child with my mom and sister is a happy memory for me. I have volunteered at my son's school (in the libraries) and seeing the joy on all the children's faces when they come to the library has left an impression on me! Why did you decide you wanted to work with youth? I was a 2nd grade aide for three years and loved being
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December 20, 2022 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Donna Gehlmann, library staff, Meet the Staff, and staff interview.

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

As the end of the year approaches, I like to share the books in our YA fiction collection that have been most popular during the year. I've gathered the top ten most popular books in our collection that were published in 2022. After that, you'll see a few older titles that were also very popular among White Plains readers this year. YA Fiction's most popular titles published in 2022: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Grades 9 and up Library Catalog / Libby “Wren Greenrock's parents were the king and queen of Eana before they were murdered. While
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December 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: A fiction, new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA literature.

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books

January Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 January 19th at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Virtual Registration required. Register here. Note: All of our youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account to attend. Sign up for a free Zoom account here: http://zoom.us/signup. As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a year-long celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) The Library’s celebration of banned books will feature a variety of programs for adults, teens, and children throughout the year. Join us at the Trove for
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December 16, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, book discussion for teens, books for children, and juvenile fiction.

2022 Staff Favorites

2022 Staff Favorites

The White Plains Library Staff have assembled their picks for the year, featuring mystery, audiobooks, fantasy, and more. It's a wonderfully wide-ranging list, full of lots of surprises, and should help with your holiday shopping or just some entertainment for yourself. Enjoy! Below you'll find a list with links to the catalog or resource where they're available as well as a blurb on why staff enjoyed it. Fiction Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Library Catalog This is the sixth novel in the Martin Beck series, Beck being the go-to detective in Sweden's National Homicide Squad
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December 14, 2022 10:00 am | by | 6 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Local History.
Tags: staff favorites, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 4

The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a 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 estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. El niño de maíz / The Boy of Maize, by Mario Bencastro. Library Catalog Inspirado en el mito maya de la creación, este
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December 14, 2022 9:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

This Month in the Edge

This Month in the Edge

This month, we have several activities going on in the Edge. Drop-in activities will be available during Edge hours all through the month of December. Scheduled programs take place at specific times, linked below. Please join us for one or all! Drop-in Activities: Holiday Cards Make holiday cards for your family and friends. We've got all the card-making supplies you'll need, plus some video tutorials for making cards to celebrate various winter holidays. A holiday card example is featured above. Gift Wrapping We've set up a gift wrapping station with wrapping paper and ribbon. We sourced our supplies secondhand from
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December 12, 2022 10:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Observances and Holidays, teen programs, and The Edge.

New in the Edge

New in the Edge

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. How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow Grades 9 and up Library Catalog “Queer Jewish love stubbornly blooms despite the cold of a Washington, D.C., winter. Fresh off a cataclysmic first semester of college, Shani is determined to pass her winter break internship
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November 22, 2022 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.

Edge Advisory Board

Edge Advisory Board

Edge Advisory Board Grades 7-12 Saturdays, 11:00 – 11:55 a.m. – February 11, March 11, and April 1 Edge Media Lab Teens in grades 7 – 12 are invited to join an advisory board to help shape the future of the Edge. The board will help plan and organize Edge programming, among another initiatives. Teens may earn community service for meaningful participation. Please contact Kathlyn Carroll at kcarroll@whiteplainslibrary.org with any questions.
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November 21, 2022 11:37 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Edge Advisory Board, events for teens in Westchester, programs for teens, and The Edge.

Crafts for the Holidays (Gr. 7-12)

Crafts for the Holidays (Gr. 7-12)

Crafts for the Holidays Grades 7-12 Thursdays, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – December 1, 8, 15 Edge Media Lab Stop by and make a craft to celebrate the winter holidays. We'll have supplies to make holiday cards, tiny watercolor paintings, and snowflake window decorations. This event is open to grades 7 and up on a first come, first served basis.
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November 21, 2022 11:32 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: arts and crafts for teens, events for teens in Westchester, programs for teens, and The Edge.

Opening of Optimum Technology Room

Opening of Optimum Technology Room

This morning, the Library hosted a ribbon cutting for our new Optimum Technology Room, which uses Igloovision, software that provides an immersive experience. Imagine being in a room in which the walls serve as your computer display, effectively putting you inside a wrap-around 12k television. Or think of a room as a giant walk-in Virtual Reality (VR) headset, except one in which the immersive experience can be shared with one or more others. This is the concept behind the Igloo, an immersive workspace created by Igloovision. Any kind of digital content can be shown on the walls of an Igloo:
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November 16, 2022 11:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Altice, Optimum Technology Room, press release, technology, and white plains library.

December Book Bunch

December Book Bunch

Thursday, December 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register for our Book Bunch Join Caroline for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Stargazing by Jen Wang. This is a perfect read to celebrate the holiday season. Stargazing is a graphic novel by Jen Wang. The book is about a friendship between two Chinese American girls Christine and Moon. Soon the two girls become best friends and share their favorite books and videos, and confide in each other. When Moon tells Christine a secret (that she has visions from celestial beings),
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November 15, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, and The Trove.