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Borrow a Laptop

Borrow a Laptop

To read this post in Spanish, click here / Para español, haga clic aquí. Do you need internet access or know someone who does? We are now circulating laptop “bundles,” which consist of a laptop and mobile hotspot, each with a power source. The hotspot will allow you to access the internet wherever T-Mobile/Sprint provides 4G LTE cellular coverage. This lending program was made possible through generous donations to and funding by the White Plains Library Foundation. Laptop bundles are available exclusively to White Plains Library cardholders 18 and older in good standing. Bundles may be placed on hold. To
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May 26, 2021 10:22 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: circulation, laptops, and technology.

Grown Up Comic Series on hoopla

Grown Up Comic Series on hoopla

I’ve enjoyed comics for a long time, but I admittedly do not like the process of waiting for new issues, new collections, and the length of time to find out what happens!?!?! These fantastic series, most definitely intended for grown-ups, are all available currently on hoopla and completely finished – just waiting for you to binge read them! Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips A lushly illustrated pulp noir thriller mashed up with Lovecraftian horror? It’s as amazing as it sounds, from one of the greatest writers in comics today. I have long wanted the cover of Volume 1:
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May 18, 2021 10:00 am | by | 3 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.

Goodbye AcornTV

Goodbye AcornTV

I hope you got plenty of use out of AcornTV, because effective May 14 we will no longer offer it. The decision wasn't ours; apparently Acorn decided they no longer wanted to be in the library market. This is one of the downsides of the digital world. Unlike a print book, or a DVD, libraries don't own the eBooks and streaming content they offer. Typically, we can only lease them. Which makes us vulnerable to whatever decision a vendor might make. If you were a fan of AcornTV, this is a good time to get to know another streaming service,
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May 4, 2021 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: AcornTV, hoopla, staff picks, staff recommendations, television, and tv.

May Gardening Events

May Gardening Events

Spring is here and if you are struggling with starting a garden, you might want to think about attending one of our upcoming events with Master Gardener Jacqui Bergonzi or Co-Founder of Fruition Seeds Petra Page-Mann. Vegetables Love Flowers Wednesday, May 12th 11:00–11:45 a.m. Click here to register. Jacqui Bergonzi, Master Gardener, will discuss how vegetables and pollinators thrive when vegetable gardens are abundant with beautiful flowers. This mutually beneficial relationship must be understood within the context of what goes on below the ground where billions of microorganisms feed and care for plant roots. This presentation will cover tips on
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April 28, 2021 11:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: container gardening, events, gardening, library programs, and seeds.

Library Reopening April 29th

Library Reopening April 29th

To read this text in Spanish, click here / Para español, haga clic aquí. We are very pleased that the Library reopened on Thursday, April 29th. A huge thanks goes to all of our patrons for their patience as we navigated this past year. Some facts about our service updates: We reopened with the exact same level of service we offered over the summer: Patrons are welcome to browse the first floor collections and check out material. Appointments are no longer required to visit the Trove. We will still be mindful of the number of people using the space at
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April 27, 2021 3:38 pm | by | 17 Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: covid-19, COVID-19 update, COVID19, library hours, library reopening, and library services.

May 2021 LibraryReads

May 2021 LibraryReads

Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Find out more here. People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry Library Catalog: Print OverDrive & Libby: Audiobook “An aching slow-burn romance focused on chaotic sprite Poppy and buttoned up Alex and their twelve years of summer vacations. Set in present day Palm Springs and interspersed with flashbacks from the previous vacations, this story is full of yearning, friendship, and discussions of what it means to find a home. For fans of This Time Next Year, One Day in December, and Waiting for Tom
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April 27, 2021 3:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: books, Library Reads, LibraryReads, reading list, and recommendations.

Lynda.com is Becoming LinkedIn Learning

Lynda.com is Becoming LinkedIn Learning

Starting Wednesday, April 14th at 9:00 a.m., the Westchester Library System will begin migrating library patrons from Lynda.com to LinkedIn Learning. The migration is expected to complete in a few days. There will be no access during this process. After the migration is complete, you will be able to login using your library card number and PIN without needing to create a new profile. If you use Lynda.com and have never used the library card number and PIN access method before, your account information will not migrate. Before Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., your account must be accessed using your library
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April 13, 2021 3:17 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: library resources, LinkedIn, LinkedIn learning, and lynda.com.

Stand Against Racism

Stand Against Racism

This year, the Library is a sponsor of the YWCA's annual campaign Stand Against Racism. The theme is “Racism is a Public Health Crisis,” something we all witnessed this past year and which has been driven to the forefront of our national consciousness partly by the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. Understanding and addressing systemic racism from a public health perspective is crucial to eliminating racial and ethnic inequities, and to improving opportunity and well-being across communities. You can show your commitment to eliminating racism by participating in this year’s Stand Against Racism campaign in several different ways.
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March 29, 2021 4:50 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, covid-19, COVID19, public health, Racism, Stand Against Racism, and YWCA.

Blood Pressure Monitor Loaner Program

Blood Pressure Monitor Loaner Program

Blood pressure management is more important than ever during the pandemic. The Library will begin loaning blood pressure monitors on March 15th. The monitor comes with a cuff, instructions, and a log the patron may keep for recording daily readings. The monitors can be placed on hold by any Westchester County library card holder in good standing and may be kept for 14 days. Patrons may pick up and return the device to White Plains Public Library only. Cuffs can be placed on hold here. High blood pressure is often the first domino in a chain or “domino effect” leading
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March 11, 2021 9:58 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: blood pressure cuffs, health, Heart Association of Westchester, and library of things.

Battle of White Plains, the Movie

Battle of White Plains, the Movie

In anticipation of our country’s 250th birthday in 2026, we have uploaded “The Battle of White Plains,” the movie, to our YouTube Channel. The 25-minute black and white film, which re-enacts the battle, was made over two weekends in the fall of 1977 near Silver Lake. It debuted at the White Plains Public Library on June 1, 1978. According to Joe Ryan, founder and president of the Living History Education Foundation, who played a Continental soldier in the movie, “The film was created on a limited budget with a lot of local volunteer help. It provided valuable experience for those
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March 8, 2021 3:04 pm | by | 3 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Local History.
Tags: film, local history, Observances and Celebrations, revolutionary history, The Battle of White Plains, U.S. History, white plains, and white plains history.

WandaVision & Marvel

WandaVision & Marvel

WandaVision is a current cultural phenomenon and a hit that proves longer-form stories and a move to the smaller screen can work for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Take a deep dive into the roots of the show’s funny, magical, dark, twisty, trauma-filled story with these: Vision (2015-2016) Hoopla / Library Catalog House of M Hoopla Vision and the Scarlet Witch: the Saga of Wanda and Vision Library Catalog Marvel-verse: Wanda & Vision Hoopla / Library Catalog Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982) Hoopla / Library Catalog Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985-1986) Hoopla Scarlet Witch (2015-2017) Hoopla /
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March 8, 2021 11:03 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Marvel, Scarlet Witch, staff picks, staff recommendations, and WandaVision.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide

The White Plains AARP Tax-Aide program will not be able to offer the kind of in-person service taxpayers have become used to for so many years. The primary concerns remain the health and safety of taxpayers and preparers, and the protection of confidential taxpayer information. White Plains will operate a no-contact, electronic service, which involves the transmittal of instructions, forms, permissions, and scans of tax documents using email. After the initial contact, taxpayers will receive an email with instructions and documents to print, fill out and return for tax preparation. Documents will need to be scanned and attached to the
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February 23, 2021 11:52 am | by | 5 Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: AARP Foundation Tax Aide, tax assistance, tax filing, and taxes.

Bridgerton Forever!

Bridgerton Forever!

Did you bingewatch Netflix's Bridgerton in one weekend and are now impatiently awaiting season two? If so, why not cozy up with a readalike or watch another sizzling period drama? Below we've collected a few recommendations for similar books, shows, and films to tide you over until the spring. Should you wish to get a sneak peak at what Lady Whistledown will get up to next, you can read or listen to the Bridgerton novels here on OverDrive. Books Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore Library Collection OverDrive & Libby “A bright, penniless
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January 26, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Bridgerton, fiction, film, historical fiction, period dramas, period piece, regency era, romance novels, staff picks, staff recommendations, and television.

Who is Amanda Gorman?

Who is Amanda Gorman?

Perhaps, like me, you were awestruck during the inauguration on January 20. Not just by the glass-ceiling shattering of Kamala Harris, the transfer of power and workings of democracy, the pomp and circumstance, the (mostly) excellent fashion, but primarily by the words of the young poet, Amanda Gorman.  Or, perhaps, you saw her during the opening of Super Bowl LV on February 7, a strikingly different, yet powerful, opening to the sporting event.  However you've come across her, perhaps you want to know more about who she is – her amazing story and her brilliant artistry. A self-proclaimed “Wordsmith. Change-maker,”
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January 21, 2021 11:53 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Amanda Gorman, inauguration, national poetry month, national youth poet laureate, poet, poet laureate, poetry, Poetry Month, poets, and writers.

Winter/Spring Short-Story Discussion Series

Winter/Spring Short-Story Discussion Series

Join White Plains Librarian Barbara Wenglin via Zoom to explore compelling stories from the exciting, rich and bold anthology used last fall: 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories Edited by Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015) Marking the centennial of the Best American Short Stories annual series, this collection celebrates the diversity of the genre and the American experience from 1915-2015. Available in print collection through our Catalog and as an eBook in Hoopla, as well as OverDrive and Libby. Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:15 p.m. on Zoom Selected stories deal with dramatic, often unsettling
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January 19, 2021 1:00 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book discussion, book groups, Short stories, short story, and Short Story Book Discussion.

Top Ten Checkouts

Top Ten Checkouts

Below is a list of the 2020 top 10 most popular fiction, nonfiction, CD audiobooks, films, and TV shows based on the number of times they've been checked out from our collection. We told you what our staff loved this year, well, here's what was most popular among your fellow Library patrons. Top 10 Fiction Books: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng The Guardians by John Grisham The Night Fire by Michael Connelly Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout Moral Compass by Danielle Steel A Minute to Midnight
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January 5, 2021 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, books, cd audiobooks, end of year lists, film, patron favorites, top checkouts, and tv.

Browsing Suspended, Grab & Go Continues

Browsing Suspended, Grab & Go Continues

In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Westchester County, the Library is suspending browsing in the building. This means there will be no access to our first floor collections or the Trove beginning Friday, November 27. We will continue to offer reference services via phone, text, and email. Our Grab & Go services have changed. To utilize Grab & Go pickup services, place items on hold through our catalog and you will be notified when they are available. Give us a call at 422-1490 when you are heading to the Library and we will place your items
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December 28, 2020 10:00 am | by | 4 Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: building update, closures, coronavirus, covid-19, COVID19, library services, and library update.

COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

COVID-19 Vaccine Scams

The following information is taken from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Reports on the release of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year are promising, but plans for distribution are still being worked out. Here’s what we know currently: The vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech has been authorized for Emergency Use while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving towards finalizing the Emergency Use Authorization of Moderna’s vaccine. Additional vaccine manufacturers are expected to apply for FDA authorization in 2021. The distribution of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to federal- and state-approved locations has begun. For most people living in the U.S.,
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December 18, 2020 10:08 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: covid scams, covid vaccine, covid-19, COVID19, scam, scams, vaccine, and vaccines.

2020 Best Book Lists

2020 Best Book Lists

In case you're as curious as we are about what different publications deem the “Best Books of 2020,” we've compiled a list below. What were your favorite reads this year? Leave us a comment letting us know. Some of the titles named the Best of 2020 are listed below; you'll find a much wider selection at Overdrive, here. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Library Collection: Print, Large Print, and CD audiobook OverDrive and Libby: eBook and audiobook The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson Library Collection: Print, Large Print, and CD audiobook OverDrive and Libby: eBook and
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December 16, 2020 4:56 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: best books, best of 2020, book recommendations, books, and year end lists.