Archives for Library News

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

On April 20th, 2006, President Bush issued the first proclamation designating May 2006 as Jewish American Heritage Month. Since then, the month of May is dedicated to celebrating the many contributions of Jewish Americans in the last 369 years and encourages everyone to learn more about the history, culture, accomplishments, and diversity of the American Jewish community. A great wealth of resources for families to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month are the programs and exhibits of the Jewish Museum on 5th Avenue at 92nd Street in NYC. Check out their family events here. To celebrate the month, I have gathered
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April 26, 2023 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Jewish American Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

May Author Visit Storytimes

May Author Visit Storytimes

We have three local author visit storytimes scheduled this May. Join us to hear these authors read their stories, and chat with them about their books in person! Author Visit Storytime: Sophie’s Special Story by Gabriella Gizzo Saturday, May 13th at 2 pm Library Catalog This book is about the special bond between an owner and her dog, Sophie. This unique story line expresses Sophie's adventures as she journeys through life with Gabriella. The purpose of this book was to creatively target speech and language goals through Sophie's experiences. Throughout the story, Sophie's development is revealed through her descriptors. These
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April 26, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: author discussion, author event, author storytime, author storytimes, children's books, meet the author, and trove events.

May is Latino Books Month

May is Latino Books Month

Latino Books Month was launched by Rhode Island Latino Arts (founded in 1988 & today is Rhode Island’s leading nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development and cultivation of Latino arts) and has been sponsored by the Association of American Publishers (AAP).  Latino Books Month began in 2004 and has been celebrated ever since. It is dedicated to all Latino authors, illustrators and books, including fiction, poetry, drama, autobiography and art. It is meant to inspire literacy amongst the Latino community, promoting English and Spanish reading and highlighting Latino countries and cultures. Latino Books Month encourages librarians, teachers,
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April 25, 2023 6:15 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Latino Books Month, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

New Books in the Edge: April

New Books in the Edge: April

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. Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby Grades 7 and up Library Catalog / Libby “In a far future with quantum communication and teleportation, something goes terribly wrong. After 6 years apart, it’s time for 17-year-old Jessica to be reunited with her parents—but at the cost
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April 25, 2023 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.

This Month in the Edge: May

This Month in the Edge: May

This month, we have several activities going on in the Edge. Drop-in activities have more open availability during the month. Scheduled programs take place at specific times, linked below. Please join us for one or all! Drop-in Activities: Nintendo Switch We'll have our Switch available to play during Edge hours on Tuesdays and Fridays in May. Do Gooders Need to earn some community service credit? Drop in and make some cards for Meals on Wheels. Every Saturday in May. Scheduled Programs: Poetry Slam and Open Mic Wednesday May 3 at 7:00 p.m. Virtual Teens, Adults Join Zork and Kristen for
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April 24, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: events for teens in Westchester, events for teens in White Plains, teen programs, and The Edge.

David Elcott and Tobias Cremer in Conversation

David Elcott and Tobias Cremer in Conversation

Monday, May 15, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Auditorium Every day, religion informs public discourse in democracies worldwide, and fuels societal polarization. Join the White Plains Public Library for a fascinating presentation and conversation about the roots of this trend, and how, surprisingly, religion can be used to support liberal democracies. Featuring our own White Plains native David Elcott and Tobias Cremer from Germany, authors of Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy (Library Catalog). About the Book In Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy, authors David Elcott, C. Colt Anderson, Tobias Cremer and Volker Haarmann present a pragmatic and
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April 22, 2023 9:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: author event, book discussion, David Elcott, meet the author, and Tobias Cremer.

April Tweens Talk Banned Books

April Tweens Talk Banned Books

April Tweens Talk Banned Books Grades 4-6 April 27th at 4:30-6:00 p.m. Location: Galaxy Hall Registration required. Register here As cases of censorship have grown more widespread throughout the U.S., the Library has kicked off a celebration of banned books – #WPFreedomToRead – that started during Banned Books Week (September 18-24 2022.) Join us at the Trove for a bi-monthly book club designed for tweens in grades 4-6, Tweens Talk Banned Books, to discuss challenged books!  Our book discussion series seeks to engage in open and honest conversations about diverse books and sometimes difficult material as an alternative to book
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April 21, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: 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.

April Middle Grade Pick of the Month

April 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! Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook This novel in verse tells the story of a young girl whose move to a new state causes her normal stream of words to almost entirely dry up when her classmates make fun of her accent. The only place she feels safe enough to talk is fishing with her grandfather – but what is she
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April 21, 2023 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.

May Book Bunch

May Book Bunch

Thursday, May 18th at 4:30 p.m. Click here to register for our Book Bunch Join Caroline and Donna for a book discussion and trivia game for 4th through 8th graders! We will be reading Sheets by Brenna Thummler. Marjorie and Wendell are different from their peers. Marjorie Glatt runs her family’s laundromat while surviving middle school. Wendell is a ghost who escapes the Land of Ghosts and ends up in Marjorie’s world. Sheets, written by Brenna Thummler, explores an unlikely friendship between Marjorie and Wendell. Even though they are not from the same world they share an unforgettable friendship that
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April 20, 2023 11:05 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, and The Trove.

Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month

Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month

Celebrate Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month With Great Picture Books! Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month began in 1977 as a ten-day celebration of Asian Pacific American contributions to the United States. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed a law expanding the celebration to the entire month of May. The observance started by commemorating two events: The arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, largely built by Chinese immigrants, on May 10, 1869. The month-long celebration of Asians and Pacific
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April 20, 2023 9:23 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month, children's books, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Celebrate National Humor Month

Celebrate National Humor Month

April is National Humor Month! National Humor Month was created by Larry Wilde in 1976. He wanted to demonstrate how humor can lift our spirits and relieve stress: “The idea of laughing and the use of humor as a tool to lift ailing spirits is growing. Scientific research now indicates that the curative power of laughter and its ability to relieve debilitating stress and burnout may indeed be one of the great medical discoveries of our times.” The average adult laughs 17 times a day. That works out to one chuckle per hour. Let’s see if we can increase that
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April 17, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: improv events, improv events in westchester, jokes, laughter yoga, and national humor month.

April-May Graphic Novel Book Club

April-May Graphic Novel Book Club

Monday, April 24, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. in the Castle (in the Trove). Grades 3-6 The third book for the GNBC has been chosen: Bunnicula: the graphic novel by James Howe. Registration required. Register here. Copies of the book are on hold at the Compass desk (the Trove) to check out. “In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1979 book, two intelligent house pets investigate a suspiciously vampirelike bunny living among them. The story, introduced as Harold the dog’s manuscript for publication, begins on a dark and stormy night. Harold’s owners, the Monroe family (mother, father, two young boys), adopt a
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April 17, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: book clubs for kids, Graphic Novel Book Club, graphic novels, and The Trove.

Bilingual Family Night / Noche bilingüe de familia

Bilingual Family Night / Noche bilingüe de familia

Bilingual Family Night / Noche bilingüe de familia For Children & Families / para niños y sus familias Wednesdays / miércoles, 7:00 p.m. May/mayo 3, June/junio 7 July/julio 5, August/agosto 2 Please join us for Bilingual Family Night – a program series in English & Spanish for the entire family, with stories, songs & a craft that is held once a month. Disfrute con nosotros de la Noche bilingüe de familia, un programa en inglés y español para toda la familia, con cuentos, canciones y una manualidad que ofrecemos una vez al mes. The Library has a lovely collection of
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April 12, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Beautiful Bilingual Books, Bilingual, Bilingual books, Bilingual Family Night, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day

“I have learned you are never too small to make a difference.” — Greta Thunberg Earth Day Reads 2023: Be Water-Wise, Super Grover! Library Catalog Fight Pollution, Big Bird! Library Catalog It’s Earth Day, Cookie Monster! Library Catalog, ebook Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, Oscar! Library Catalog My friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan Library Catalog Tall, tall tree by Anthony D. Fredericks Library Catalog Thank you, Earth: a love letter to our planet by April Pulley Sayre Library Catalog We are water protectors by Carole Lindstrom Library Catalog ebook 101 ways to be an eco hero by Kait Eaton Library Catalog
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April 12, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, Earth Day, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Meet Lilian Boyd

Meet Lilian Boyd

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Lilian Boyd. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I began working in libraries as a library page and loved learning about the library and all the new books. After a year I was promoted to Information Assistant. As an information assistant I created many programs for the community. The response to the programs and support of colleagues inspired me to become a librarian. Why did you decide you wanted to work with youth? I decided I wanted to work with youth because I believe in the importance
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April 10, 2023 5:18 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured and Library News.
Tags: library staff, Lilian Boyd, Meet the Staff, and staff interview.

Celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month

Celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month

National Arab American Heritage Month takes place in April; and it celebrates Arab American heritage & culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans. In April 2021, President Biden and the U.S.Department of State recognized April as National Arab American Heritage Month. The President wrote in his letter commemorating the event, “The Arab American community exemplifies so much of what our country stands for: hard work, resilience, compassion, and generosity… Diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and it is essential that we continue celebrating, promoting, and educating others about the myriad ways that the
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April 10, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Arab-American Heritage Month, children's books, Observances and Celebrations, Observances and Holidays, picture books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA Fiction.

Book Clubs for Teens

Book Clubs for Teens

Join us for a series of book club events for teens! We have a range of options for tweens and teens from grades four through twelve. We hope to see you there! From Page to Picture The Edge Grades 7-12 Each month we'll pick a YA book/movie pairing. Read the book before the event, then join us to watch the movie and debate the relative merits of each medium. Sunday April 30 at 1:15 p.m. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon Library Catalog / Libby Friday May 26 at 3:30 p.m. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Library
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April 10, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book clubs, book clubs for teens, The Edge, and YA Fiction.

April is National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month

The Library will be celebrating National Poetry Month with a few programs that are educational and fun for the whole family. Events: Magnetic Poetry Daily during library hours in April The Trove All Ages One of the ways the Library will engage children with poetry is to give them the opportunity to write their own poetry with poetry magnets throughout the entire month in the Trove. There will be a magnet board on display so that children will be able to play and arrange words to make a magnetic poem. Poetry Month Grab & Go Kits Available beginning April 3
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April 9, 2023 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: creative writing, events for children, events for children in westchester, events for children in white plains, national poetry month, Observances and Celebrations, poetry, The Trove, and writing.

2023 Foundation Gala Photos

2023 Foundation Gala Photos

The White Plains Library Foundation hosted its first gala in several years, attracting a strong showing of Library supporters. Held on Saturday, March 25th, the Gala, entitled Celebrating the Freedom to Read, addressed censorship and book banning. After dinner on the Library's first floor, attendees headed to the auditorium to honor White Plains resident Oren J. Teicher, former CEO of the American Booksellers Association, Board member of National Coalition Against Censorship, and 2019 recipient of the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. In keeping with the theme, the Foundation also welcomed special guest
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March 29, 2023 10:32 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events and Library News.
Tags: 2023 Foundation Gala, 2023 Library Gala, 2023 White Plains Library Gala, Foundation Gala, white plains, White Plains Library Foundation, and White Plains Public Library Gala.

Author Visits in April

Author Visits in April

We have three author visits scheduled this April. Join us to hear these authors read their stories, and discuss with the authors in person! Dental Health Storytime and Author Visit Thursday April 6 at 11:00 a.m. Galaxy Hall Ages 2-6 Meet Joanne Roos, RDH from Main Street Pediatric Dentistry and author of Who Visits Me from A to Z. She will do a short reading of her book, a short demonstration on dental health, and a movie. All participants will receive a goody bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste and an activity sheet. Author Visit Storytime: My Dad and the Dragon
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March 28, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: author visits, storytime, storytime for children, storytime for kids, and The Trove.