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Greater Mental Health of New York

Mental health is a vital component of overall well-being, influencing how individuals think, feel, and act in their daily lives. Despite its importance, many communities face significant barriers in accessing the mental health care they need. Financial constraints, social stigma, and a lack of local resources often prevent individuals from seeking help, exacerbating the challenges they face. In response to these issues, the White Plains Public Library and Greater Mental Health of New York have instituted a weekly service that enhances community well-being through accessible mental health resources. Every Tuesday, from 12:30-4:00 p.m., two peer specialists are available in the
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Categories: Featured and Homepage.

Neighborhood Nights – Thursdays, July & August

We have a great lineup of family events taking place on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m., July 11- August 22! This series is made possible with support from the White Plains Library Foundation.
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Healthy Summer Meals

Starting July 1, and running Monday-Friday through August 30, the Library is excited to offer healthy meals in partnership with the White Plains City School District. Meals are available only for youth up to age 18 and must be eaten in the Library’s Gallery.  Meals will be provided, while supplies last, 11:30am – 1:00pm.  
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

On Display: Life is Beautiful in Color Exhibit

Maria Tavares first knew she was an artist when she was just six years old, telling her dad that she wanted to paint. In fact, at age eight she was offered a scholarship to go to art school in Mexico, but her parents could not afford the extra expenses and they needed her to stay home. However, Tavares was not deterred to continue painting. She used to paint in bakery shop store windows, where they would pay her in cookies.   What inspires Tavares the most is color and happiness. She tears up as she explains to us that she
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Categories: Events, Featured, Gallery, Homepage, and Library News.

Forward & Out

Forward & Out is composed of 49 episodes, was made for the LGBTQ+ community, and was produced by the White Plains Cable station. The show was produced from 1993 through 1996, and was broadcast from January 1994 through January 1997. At its peak, Forward & Out was broadcast via cable and over-the-air to 1.2 million households in primarily the NY/NJ/CT area and as far away as Philadelphia. The show’s mission was to stimulate pride and raise self-esteem within the LGBTQ+ community by promoting a positive image, and to encourage greater tolerance and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. Forward & Out hosted
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Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Local History.

Summer College and Career Edge Programs

College and Career Edge Programs in the Summer The Edge at the White Plains Public Library is happy to announce our new College and Career Edge series this summer. 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
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

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. June 6 “The Thistles in Sweden” by William Maxwell (p.213) June 20 – Film
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Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

Thank you, 2024 Gala Supporters

Thank you to everyone who supported the Foundation’s Gala on May 4, 2024. Your participation helped us raise funds for year-round Library programs for all ages. Special thanks to our Sponsors and Raffle Donors. Click Here to view the Gala Journal slide show and scroll down to see photos from the event. MAJOR SPONSORS: Abrams Fensterman, John & Janet Bailey, Bermello Ajamil Partners, Phyllis Honig, Beth & Gene Kava, LRC Construction LLC, Diane H. Tabakman & David W. Rhodes, Julie & Graham Trelstad BENEFACTOR SPONSORS: Renate & Cormac Daly, Kristine & Steve Holden, Kibo121, Peter & Hela Kindler, The Kass
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Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Foundation, Library Foundation, and Library News.

Swing Dance Workshop

Juneteenth: Dance Performance with Amanda Armenteros Sunday, June 23rd at 2:00–3:00 pm For: Children & Families Location: Library Auditorium The Library will be celebrating Juneteenth with dance performers featuring Amanda Armenteros on Sunday, June 23rd from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Join us for a special Juneteenth Swing Dance Workshop! Dive into the vibrant world of Jazz and Swing Dance and explore their profound impact on African American culture and beyond. This engaging workshop will not only teach you how to swing and rock step with a partner but also delve into why these dances hold a special place in African American history
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

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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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, and Library News.

The Library’s TTRPG Collection

Did you know the Library has a collection of tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) books you can borrow?  They are located just outside the Edge, our teen library (though anyone can check them out!).  Holds cannot be placed on the titles, but you can pick them up at the Library and borrow them for three weeks! Titles in the growing collection include (by game system – Will be updated as new titles are added. Links for unlinked items will be added as they become available.) What’s a TTRPG? A tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) is a system of rules so that a
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Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

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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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

White Plains After Hours for Grades 9-12

Friday, June 2, 2023 marked the launch of a new citywide initiative aimed at offering dedicated spaces and events in the evening for White Plains residents in grades 9-12. The Library came together with various City departments and White Plains based organizations after local teens expressed an urgent need for a place to hangout in the evening. White Plains Teen After Hours is a collaboration between ArtsWestchester, the City of White Plains, El Centro Hispano, White Plains Recreation & Parks, the White Plains Youth Bureau, and the White Plains Public Library. City agencies and other organizations are invited to submit their
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

Artist Juliana Lemin Display

A display by artist Juliana Lemin is on view in a case outside the entrance to the Edge, our space for teens. Juliana Lemin is a 15-year-old Sophomore at Edgemont HS. She expressed her creativity in art since she was very little. When Juliana was five, she started taking art lessons with a Russian art professor Elena Nenastina. Later she began to study with another artist and renowned art teacher, Leonid Shoshensky. Juliana uses various media including chalk pastel, oil on canvas, watercolors, and graphite pencil. She is a published artist. Her works were represented in “Celebrating Art” catalog for several years. In
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Categories: Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Teens.

Most Popular 2023 Checkouts

Below is a list of the 2023 top ten most popular fiction, nonfiction, films, children's books, and YA titles based on the number of times they've been checked out from our collection. We told you what our staff loved last year, well, here's what was most popular among your fellow Library patrons. I'm sure you'll notice a few trends – our patrons really love Colleen Hoover, memoirs, Karen M. McManus, Dog Man, and Disney! Fiction Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (All available formats) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (All available formats) It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (All
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.

Meet Erika Peiffer

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Erika Peiffer. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I was working in television news for about four years, but I had the desire to have more of a direct interaction with the community (and maybe a work schedule that did not require me coming in at 3 in the morning). I was always passionate about information and news literacy and a good friend who was working on their Master in Library Science (MLS) encouraged me to look into librarianship. After starting my MLS and changing gears working
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Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

2023 Staff Favorites

The White Plains Library Staff have assembled their picks for the year, featuring literary fiction, audiobooks, fantasy, music, 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 as well as a blurb on why staff enjoyed it. Fiction Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah All available formats From the opening page you are hooked, violently, by this book. In this dark, dystopian future, prisoners held within the privatized penal system fight to
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.