Archives for Featured

2019 Resolutions: Books & Tips

2019 Resolutions: Books & Tips

This is the time of year when we focus on improving the quality of our lives. We know the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, but why beat yourself up at the start of a new year with another diet you won't commit to? This year, start off with some self care, mindful approaches to a healthy routine, and take some time to appreciate a good book or a local museum. Keep reading for a few book recommendations and tips to begin a new journey to a better year and a better you. Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Read More

January 2, 2019 9:25 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: dieting, new year's resolutions, and self help.

STEM Buddies

STEM Buddies

Join us every other Thursday at 4:30 p.m. beginning January 10th for STEM Buddies. During this program children in grades 1-4 can sign up at the Compass Desk in the Trove to work on STEM activities in small groups for 30 minutes with teen volunteers or college students. Sign-up will start at 4:00 p.m. STEM = Science Technology Engineering Math Read more about STEM and STEAM here.
Read More

January 2, 2019 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: STEM and STEM Buddies.

The Jewish Museum Pass Now Available

The Jewish Museum Pass Now Available

The White Plains Public Library is pleased to announce the addition of The Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Avenue NYC to the Museum Pass Program.  The Library pass provides free admission for two adults of and all children 18 and under. Located on New York City’s Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum is a museum at the intersection of art and Jewish culture for people of all backgrounds. Founded in 1904, the Museum was the first institution of its kind in the United States and one of the oldest Jewish museums in the world. The Museum maintains a unique collection of nearly
Read More

December 22, 2018 4:13 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Jewish Museum and museum passes.

EDGE-Versary 2018

EDGE-Versary 2018

On December 14, the Edge invited teens to attend an after-hours party celebrating the 5th anniversary of our teen library. Activities included six modern and retro video game tournaments with prizes, a Harry Potter mystery to solve, table-top games, a craft table with button making and Perler beads, a technology playground full of electronics to tinker with, robot races with prizes for the winners, and a Virtual Reality cooperative puzzle challenge. Feedback from those who attended was overwhelmingly positive, with one teen remarking, “I thought the event was incredible. Seeing all the family from the Edge united made me really
Read More

December 18, 2018 2:43 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Edgeversary and The Edge.

Five Years of Teen Services: A R-Edge-rospective

Five Years of Teen Services: A R-Edge-rospective

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the Edge, the Library’s teen space. Before the Edge opened, there was only a small collection of materials for teens in the Library, and with a staff of only one teen librarian we held just one program each week. Not surprisingly,  few teenagers used the Library. Since opening the Edge in December 2013,  the number of teens who come to the Library has grown immensely. Our Young Adult collection has expanded in print and electronic formats to meet the needs and interests of teenagers.  We offer innovative and creative programs for teens throughout
Read More

December 12, 2018 4:28 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Library News, and Teens.

Best Books of 2018 Poll

Best Books of 2018 Poll

Here are the top ten books published this year that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. When you're done reading the list, make sure to vote for your favorite! We'll be sharing the results in one of our upcoming newsletters. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Published: 2/20/2018 by Random House “In her memoir, Westover recounts her childhood growing up in a strict Mormon family, ruled by an erratic father, and living off the grid in Idaho. Westover compellingly sketches her years growing up, her relationships with siblings,
Read More

November 28, 2018 1:20 pm | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, and Featured.
Tags: books, Library Reads, and poll.

Art Exhibit: Akimie Worrell

Art Exhibit: Akimie Worrell

Join us on Saturday, November 17 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for the opening reception of Akimie Worrell's art exhibit “No Longer Hidden: Being—without—Being Sick Cell.” “No Longer Hidden: Being-without-Being Sickle Cell“, is an exhibit comprised of mixed media art portraying to the perils, small comforts, and life, one faces when: navigating the world with the horrific pain of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Akimie Worrell grew up in Barbados, and graduated with a M.S. from The College of New Rochelle. She was born with the inherited, debilitating blood disorder SCD. Worrell navigates life between worlds of fashion, art and illness. She states
Read More

November 2, 2018 1:58 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Gallery, and Library News.
Tags: art reception and museum gallery.

Museum Passes: Fall Exhibits

Museum Passes: Fall Exhibits

At the Frick: The Charterhouse of Bruges: Jan van Eyck, Petrus Christus, and Jan Vos (through January 13, 2019). “For the first time in twenty-four years and only the second time in their history, two masterpieces of early Netherlandish painting…are reunited. These works…are shown with a selection of objects that place them in the rich monastic context for which they were created.” The Guggenheim is exhibiting the stunning paintings of Hilma af Klint, (through April 23, 2019). “When Hilma af Klint began creating radically abstract paintings in 1906, they were like little that had been seen before: bold, colorful, and
Read More

November 2, 2018 12:16 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, and Featured.
Tags: museum exhibits, museum passes, and museums.

Fall Gala 2018 with Ron Chernow

Fall Gala 2018 with Ron Chernow

On October 20, over 200 guests enjoyed the Foundation’s 2018 Fall Gala, An Evening with with Ron Chernow. Thank you to everyone who supported the event and help raise funds for the Library! A special thank you to Vino 100 of White Plains and the fabulous venues, restaurants and businesses that donated raffle prizes for the Gala: Bowlmor of White Plains, California Pizza Kitchen, Capers Restaurant, Captain Lawrence, Chef Jonathan Kava, Copper House Restaurant, Edible Arrangements, Philip Johnson Glass House, Kee Oyster House, The Library Hotel, Moleskine, Out of Print Clothing, The Puzzle Parlour, Penguin Random House, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater,
Read More

October 24, 2018 3:43 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: Fall Gala, photos, ron chernow, and White Plains Library Foundation.

Automatic Renewal

Automatic Renewal

Here’s some good news: from now on, we will automatically renew your material before it becomes due. Why are we doing this? Because the number one reason most people don’t use the Library is that the loan periods are too short (and difficult to keep track of). And because when life gets hectic—and when isn’t it?—the first thing we forget to do is to renew our library books, movies, and music. Here’s how automatic renewal works: The day an item becomes due, you will receive an email stating: “The following items have been renewed for you (title, new due date).
Read More

August 1, 2018 3:54 pm | by | 6 Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

A Major Improvement to Our Overdrive Platform

A Major Improvement to Our Overdrive Platform

If you read eBooks or audiobooks using Overdrive, then there are some changes underway. Until recently, each public library in Westchester had its own Overdrive account. So too did the Westchester Library System (WLS). So if you were a White Plains cardholder, and were searching for a title, you had to check both our White Plains account and the WLS account. This week, the Overdrive collections from the 38 public libraries in Westchester, along with the WLS collection, have come together to share our digital books and become, effectively, one collection. Why is this a good thing? It means that
Read More

June 27, 2018 11:54 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured and Homepage.

We’re Fine Free!

We’re Fine Free!

We want kids to read. So we are eliminating one of the biggest impediments kids face: late fees on children’s and young adult materials. A public library’s most important responsibility is to develop readers. And research has shown that having books in the home is a critical factor in becoming a reader. But the sad fact is, too many young people can’t borrow books because of outstanding fines. But even though we are removing fines, kids and their caregivers will still be responsible for returning all library material—or else risk having their account suspended. How this works: We expect all
Read More

June 15, 2018 11:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

Café Opening

Café Opening

We're excited to announce that the Everyday Healthy Café will officially open on Wednesday, May 9th. (although if you are around next week take a look—they may open early.) In addition, this also brings us the new home of the Friends Bookstore as well as the completion of The Hub for adults, with the new Community Room. “When’s the café opening?” has probably been the number one reference question this spring. Some of you may be familiar with the Everyday Healthy Café since there are two located in White Plains Hospital. Part of Peter Herrero’s NY Hospitality Group (which includes
Read More

April 27, 2018 1:49 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

Stamford Museum & Nature Center Pass Now Available

Stamford Museum & Nature Center Pass Now Available

We're pleased to announce the addition of Stamford Museum & Nature Center in Stamford, CT to our Museum Pass Program.  The Library pass provides free admission for two adults of the same household and all children under 18 to the Museum and its grounds.  The pass also covers free parking and a 10% discount at the Museum Gift Shop. This 118 acre facility has much to offer: Heckscher Farm, a wonderful New England working farm; Heckscher WILD!, a live-animal exhibit; the Museum galleries; the Observatory; and over 80 acres of hardwood forest with miles of nature trails. To reserve a
Read More

March 23, 2018 4:23 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

New Movie Streaming Service Available: Kanopy

New Movie Streaming Service Available: Kanopy

We're excited to now offer Kanopy, a streaming movie service.  Kanopy offers a unique and compelling collection of films ranging from documentaries, indie and foreign films to must-see classics and blockbuster movies. But don’t take our word for it, go to the site itself and take a look. When you first access Kanopy, you must register with your name, email address and password. A verification message will be sent to the email address provided. It will contain a link that takes you to Kanopy to finish the registration process. At that point, you enter your library card number and PIN,
Read More

January 10, 2018 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Featured and Homepage.

Family Films Showing December 2017 in the Trove

Family Films Showing December 2017 in the Trove

Sunday Cinema continues at the Trove this month with a great selection of new and classic family films. Here’s a quick look at some of the titles we’ll be showing at 2:00 p.m. in Galaxy Hall throughout the month of December. Note: we have one extra weeknight film on Wednesday, December 20. Descendants 2 (2017) – December 3 This is the very popular sequel to the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants and it continues with an exciting story and great soundtrack. Rated TVG, 111 minutes. Frozen (2013) – December 10 The wildly popular animated Disney hit for all ages. It
Read More

December 1, 2017 1:31 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, and Kids.

Boscobel House and Gardens Pass Now Available

Boscobel House and Gardens Pass Now Available

The White Plains Public Library is pleased to announce the addition of Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison NY to the Museum Pass Program. The Library pass provides free admission for one adult and three guests of any age, plus a 10% discount in Boscobel’s gift shop. Boscobel House and Gardens is considered one of the leading historic house museums in the United States. Its Neoclassical mansion holds an exceptional collection of New York furniture from the Federal period. Situated in the Hudson Valley, fifty miles north of Manhattan, Boscobel directly overlooks the Hudson River, Constitution Marsh and West Point.
Read More

November 29, 2017 12:39 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Featured and Library News.

Storm King Art Center Passes Now Available

Storm King Art Center Passes Now Available

The White Plains Public Library is pleased to announce the addition of Storm King Art Center at 1 Museum Road, New Windsor NY to the Museum Pass Program. The Library pass provides free admission for two adults and all children under 18 living in the same household. Widely celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center has welcomed visitors from across the globe for over fifty years. Located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley, its 500 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and fields of native grasses and wildflowers
Read More

October 13, 2017 11:02 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: museum passes and Storm King Art Center.

Meet Bobby Calero

Meet Bobby Calero

We are excited to welcome librarian Bobby Calero as the newest addition to the Trove. Bobby comes here from the Children's Library Discovery Center of the Queens Library in Jamaica, Queens. Despite the fact that he’s only five feet and six inches—and weighs about a 140 pounds—he was once the bouncer at an all-night jazz club in the West Village. But today he says that he “loves singing ‘The itsy-bitsy spider’ to two-year-olds at 10:30 a.m.!” Bobby is a big fan of children’s book authors Yuyi Morales, Emily Hughes, and Neil Gaiman. He also loves Roald Dahl, particularly The Witches.
Read More

August 30, 2017 9:21 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured and Library News.

Meet Libby

Meet Libby

If you’re just starting out with library ebooks or audiobooks (and for the rest of this post, “books” will mean both), you may have planned to download OverDrive onto your tablet or smartphone. Well, don’t. Use the new Libby app instead. Libby is actually created by OverDrive (the company) as well, but it is so much simpler to install and borrow books with than the old app.  With Libby, it takes just one tap to borrow and download the book—there’s no need to choose a format. Libby also has many new features you can play with, like tags to create
Read More

July 3, 2017 4:17 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Technology.