Archives for Featured

eBooks to Help with the Job Hunt

eBooks to Help with the Job Hunt

Looking for a new job or interested in job training assistance? We're regularly adding new eBooks to our OverDrive and Libby collections on job hunting, careers, entrepreneurship, programming languages most often required by employers, Word, Excel, and more. When we're open, some of the most frequently requested titles are Passbooks Study Guides, but did you know many are available as eBooks? Below are just some examples of the titles we've recently added to our collection. Modernize Your Resume Modernize Your Job Search Letters by Wendy Enelow Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), Mathematics Passbooks Study Guide Admission Test by National Learning
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June 23, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, CSEA, eBooks, job help, job training, passbooks, and staff picks.

COVID-19 Mindfulness Book for Children

COVID-19 Mindfulness Book for Children

As our region progresses through the phases of reopening, many parents are beginning to bring our children out into a very different world. A friend, Mandy Facchin, described the stresses of observing new COVID-19 regulations with her two-year-old at a recent pediatrician visit. Mandy, who holds a Master’s degree in education, created a printable book to help her daughter become more comfortable in a mask-wearing world. Each page of the book features a wellness-related affirmation statement and a space for children to add their own illustrations. The affirmations are lovely, a wonderful way for children to practice mindfulness during this
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June 23, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, COVID-19, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books, children, covid-19, and families.

STEAM at Home: Paper Kite

STEAM at Home: Paper Kite

Learn how to build and fly a paper kite. Materials: Paper (colorful so you can see it in the sky) String Masking Tape Thick/wide Ribbon Light Sticks Pencil Ruler Spindle (or small piece of cardboard) Instructions: Hold the piece of paper horizontally (landscape) and fold it in half. Keep the crease to the left side. Measure 1” along the top from the crease and make a mark. Measure 3” along the bottom, from the crease, and make a mark. Line up the ruler on the right side of the 2 marks and fold the paper over the ruler. Flip your
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June 22, 2020 10:01 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, and videos.

WLS on Systemic Injustice

WLS on Systemic Injustice

WLS Stands with NYBLC and BCALA in condemning violence and racism towards Black people and all People of Color. The Westchester Library System condemns both the recent violence and the systemic injustice against Black people and people of color in the United States. We are committed to anti-racist practice and will use our skills and resources to advance the production of knowledge for social justice. We stand in solidarity with the New York Black Librarians Caucus (NYBLC) and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). Read the NYBLC statement and BCALA statement to learn more.
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June 19, 2020 11:23 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: statements, systemic injustice, and WLS.

Summer Programs and Events for Kids, Teens, and Families

Summer Programs and Events for Kids, Teens, and Families

While we might not be able to hold them in the Library, that doesn’t mean we’re not offering a lot of great programs in July and August! For full details on each program, and to get Zoom links, visit our Online Calendar. Of course, we also have our annual Summer Reading Game to take part in, and tons of fantastic reading recommendations in our Reading Lists! Family Fun Fridays – Fridays, July 10-August 14, 11:00 a.m. A great performance for children and families every Friday. More information here. Illusionist Leon Etienne – Wednesday, July 22, 6:30 p.m. World-class magician Leon
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June 18, 2020 11:30 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's events, Edge, edge events, events, family events, Family Fun Fridays, kids, performances, STEAM, STEAM Camps, STEM, storytime, summer programs, summer reading, summer reading game, teen events, teens, trove, and trove events.

Summer of Making

Summer of Making

The Library will be holding our free summer camps virtually this year. Thanks to a generous grant from Verisk Analytics to the White Plains Library Foundation we will continue with another Summer of Making. Starting on June 29th and going through August 6th, there will be 6 1-week mini-camps held on Zoom for teens in grades 7-12. Registration is required, and you must be able to attend all programs in the week you register for. This year we have Carolina Melo and Michael Brand teaching our camps. Carolina Melo is an artist and interdisciplinary designer based in New York. She
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June 18, 2020 11:21 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: edge events, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEAM Camps, STEM, Summer of Making, summer programs, teen events, teen programs, and The Edge.

STEAM Programs for Middle Grades

STEAM Programs for Middle Grades

STEAM Programs for Middle Grades: Tuesdays and Thursdays in July, we'll offer a wide variety of virtual STEAM mini-camps for grades 4-6. Participants must be able to attend both sessions. Registration is required. To register, click on the date(s) you're interested in attending. Supplies will be provided by the Library. When they are ready you will be contacted to pick them up via contactless curbside pickup. June 30 & July 2 – 4:30-5:30 p.m. – Conor McFinn – Storyboarding and Storytelling Learn about Storyboarding and Storytelling for film in this 2-day workshop. Conor McFinn will teach techniques and secrets of
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June 18, 2020 10:48 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: edge events, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEAM Camps, STEM, summer programs, teen events, teen programs, The Edge, trove events, and Verisk Analytics.

ConEd STEAM Camps: Gr. 4-6

ConEd STEAM Camps: Gr. 4-6

STEAM Camps for Grades 4-6 in August Thanks to the generous support of the White Plains Library Foundation and Con Edison, the Library is offering two free week-long virtual STEAM Camps in August. These camps will be taught by instructors from STEM Alliance Larchmont-Mamaroneck. Space is limited, and registration for the full week is required. Registration is on the first date of each camp in the Online Calendar starting July 6. To register, click the title of the camp(s) you're interested in. “STEM Superheroes” Camp – August 3-6, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Youth in grades 4-6 will learn about the historic inventors
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June 18, 2020 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Con Edison, edge events, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEAM Camp, STEAM Camps, STEM, STEM Camp, summer programs, teen events, teen programs, and The Edge.

July & August Tabletop Games

July & August Tabletop Games

Join librarians Ashley and Erik from the Trove and the Edge to play fun virtual table top games this summer! We use the platform boardgamearena.com to play the games while we have a conversation on Zoom. Kids and teens that haven’t come to the program before will need to create a free account on boardgamearena.com. Note: Boardgamearena.com does have a for-pay premium service. Please take care when creating your account to not incur any unwanted charges. On the day and time of each program, simply login to your boardgamesarena.com account and join us on Zoom using the links for the
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June 18, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: board games, children's events, edge events, event, summer programs, tabletop games, teen events, teen programs, The Edge, and trove events.

Juneteenth: Children’s Books

Juneteenth: Children’s Books

On June 19, 1865, two months after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, Union General Gordon Granger and approximately 1,800 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Granger read General Orders No. 3, which declared in part: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked the effective end of slavery in the United States.
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June 17, 2020 2:14 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, Juneteenth, Observances and Celebrations, and virtual book display.

Juneteenth: YA Fiction

Juneteenth: YA Fiction

I didn’t expect to have much trouble gathering some historical fiction titles telling celebratory stories about emancipation. I found one promising book that turned out to be narrated by the daughter of a Texas plantation owner complicit in concealing the news of emancipation—not at all what I was looking for. I continued searching. I found books about slavery during the Revolutionary War, time travel mysteries, and one alternate history featuring Civil War zombies, but I had a hard time finding a perfect fit for Juneteenth. I ended up reading Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. It’s told over the span
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June 17, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Juneteenth, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA Fiction.

STEAM Project: What’s in an Apple?

STEAM Project: What’s in an Apple?

Sometimes a simple activity can teach children a lot about science. For example, dissecting an apple is a hands-on STEAM project that can help young kids understand basic botany. Also, it’s good to use resources that are readily available to you in your home (such as fruit). In addition, you can help your child understand vocabulary words, like seed, core, stem, flesh, and skin. This project will also prepare young children for dissection in biology class. For this STEAM project you will need: An apple (or two) Child-friendly knife and/or scissors A plate Paper Pen, crayons, or markers Procedure: Wash
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June 17, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.

STEAM at Home: Roto Copter

STEAM at Home: Roto Copter

Learn how to build and fly a roto copter. Materials: Paper template Scissors Paper clip Masking tape Rubberband Spindle Instructions: Cut out the template, then cut along the line between boxes 2-3. Fold up along the dashed line over box one. Take a paperclip and slip it over the fold of box one, and tape the top of the paperclip, so that the bottom of the paperclip makes a loop. Next fold boxes 2 and 3 along the dashed line to make a small rectangle with a loop of the paperclip sticking out the bottom. Next cut ¼” below the
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June 15, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, and videos.

AARP Tax-Aide Update

AARP Tax-Aide Update

The Westchester County AARP Foundation Tax-Aide sites have determined that they will not reopen for this tax season. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering online options to assist taxpayers affected by the suspension of in-person services: A self-prep option, providing taxpayers with free access to software so they can prepare taxes on their own, is available at signup.aarpfoundation.org/preparing-your-taxes-online/ . If taxpayers would like help completing their own taxes, they can request the assistance of a volunteer to coach them through the process via phone or computer screen-sharing. Visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide for information and updates.
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June 10, 2020 11:42 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: AARP Foundation Tax Aide and taxes.

Parenting: Kids and Masks

Parenting: Kids and Masks

As New York begins to move through the phases of reopening, one of the most challenging things for many parents is getting your child to wear a mask. Please remember, though, children under two should not wear masks as it can be detrimental to their health. But getting children older than two—especially those with special needs—to wear a mask can be daunting, to say the least. So what I’ve done is put together some quick tips that can help you get your children to not only wear a mask, but to keep it on. Use simple words to explain to
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June 10, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, masks, parenting, parenting tips, and pointers 4 parents.

Antiracism YA Fiction

Antiracism YA Fiction

Typically, when choosing books for my Dive into Diversity posts, I mostly try to avoid titles that focus on racism, police or gun violence, or other trauma. Instead, I prefer to highlight books that show a diverse range of teens dealing with everyday life. In this moment, though, it's time to feature books that demonstrate the impact of violence and oppression on teens. These stories are heavy, but they are important. Especially if you don’t identify with the protagonist, I challenge you to read and consider the character’s situation with an open mind. Let these stories be windows into another
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June 10, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Antiracism, Antiracism Reading List, Dive into Diversity, diversity, eBooks, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Great Graphic Novels for Kids

Great Graphic Novels for Kids

What’s not to love when it comes to graphic novels? They’re a ton of fun and I’ve noticed that the majority of kids absolutely adore reading them! From Dog Man by Dav Pilkey to Smile by Raina Telgemeier, I am constantly being asked if we have some of the most popular graphic novels currently in the library. The kids get this look of pure joy when they find out that we do! Our graphic novel section is a well loved area and I enjoy recommending various books to eager readers. Without further ado, enjoy some of these great graphic novel
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June 9, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: graphic novels, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Best Friends Day

Best Friends Day

June 8 celebrates National Best Friends Day, a day to honor that one special person you call your “best friend.” This day is a time to show your best friend how much you appreciate them, how special and important they are to you, and how you cherish their friendship. To help you celebrate your friendships, I’ve compiled a list of books and craft ideas below. My Friend Suhana: A Story of Friendship and Cerebral Palsy, by Shaila & Aanyah Abdullah. (Available as eBook on OverDrive) The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate. (Available as eBook & Audiobook on OverDrive
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June 8, 2020 10:21 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Best Friends, Best Friends Day, Friends, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, and virtual book display.

STEAM at Home: Build-a-Bridge Challenge

STEAM at Home: Build-a-Bridge Challenge

Try to build a bridge using only toothpicks and marshmallows. What if you don’t have toothpicks and/or marshmallows? Improvise! Use spaghetti and clay. Materials: small marshmallows toothpicks two objects that are the same height Getting Started: Set your objects 10”-12” apart. Start thinking about your bridge’s design. What shapes can you create with these materials that will hold a structure together to span the traverse between your objects? Try sketching your design on paper to see what it might look like. Does it look sturdy? Take out your marshmallows (try not to eat them all) and toothpicks and start building.
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June 8, 2020 9:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, and videos.

A Call for Antiracism: Children’s Titles

A Call for Antiracism: Children’s Titles

In her June 1, 2020 article, “Black Lives Matter Book List for Kids and Teens,” Bianca Schulze writes eloquently, “No one person’s life is worth a higher value than another. It’s time to get uncomfortable, it’s time to immerse ourselves in the stories of others so that we may know and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” I was inspired by her article, and If you would like you can read it here. We are living in deeply troubling times and sadly we are fighting the same battles for equality, human dignity, and justice that have plagued the United
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June 4, 2020 3:05 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, Antiracism Reading List, children's books, children's literature, and Racism.