Archives for Library News

Lunchtime Meditation 2023

Lunchtime Meditation 2023

Our popular Lunchtime Meditation series returns to Zoom this January. This wellness program includes brief beginning instruction followed by meditation. No experience is needed. A variety of guest instructors will lead the program from 12:00–12:45 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: January 25: Sharon Lewis February 1: Seth Segall February 8: Daniel Lauter February 15: Sharon March 1: Seth March 8: Andrea Deierlein March 15: Russ Michel March 22: Sharon March 29: Dan Cayer April 12: Seth April 19: Andrea April 26: Sharon May 3: Andrea May 10: Seth May 17: Sharon May 24: Dan June 7: Seth June 14: Andrea
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January 18, 2023 9:36 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: lunchtime meditation, lunchtime meditation at the library, Meditation, meditation classes in White Plains, mindfulness, Wellness, wellness classes in white plains, Wellness programs, and Wellness Wednesdays.

Most Popular 2022 Checkouts

Most Popular 2022 Checkouts

Below is a list of the 2022 top five 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, Dog Man, and Disney! Fiction The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (Library Collection / Libby) It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (Library Collection / Libby) Verity by Colleen Hoover (Library Collection / Libby)
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January 17, 2023 1:58 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, books, end of year lists, film, patron favorites, top checkouts, and tv.

The Trove’s Winter StoryWalk

The Trove’s Winter StoryWalk

The Trove’s Winter StoryWalk: Winter, Winter, Cold and Snow By Sharon G. Palermo & Christina Song Tuesday, January 10th – Tuesday, February 28th, 2022 Come to the Trove on the second floor and enjoy our winter StoryWalk book, Winter, Winter, Cold and Snow written by Sharon Gibson Palermo and illustrated by Christina Song. Join Chickadee, Bear, Rabbit and a host of other friendly forest animals on a quiet journey through a winter day. The colorful cut-paper illustrations present a joyful depiction of the forest critters and their winter habits! Suggested Winter Activities: 31+ Winter Activities for Kids 100+ Winter Activities
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January 15, 2023 10:19 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: storywalk, The Trove, Trove StoryWalk, winter, and Winter 2023.

Short Story Discussion: January 2023

Short Story Discussion: January 2023

Join White Plains Librarian Barbara Wenglin via Zoom to explore compelling selections from the rich anthology, Stories of Fatherhood, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, c2014), along with discussion of a related film. If you haven’t registered yet for fall series, use Zoom Registration Link for January sessions. Program is supported by the Friends of the Library. All are welcome, including newcomers Stories of Fatherhood A copy of the book is on hold at the Hub Desk for reading in the Library along with circulating copies available to borrow through the catalog. Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:15 p.m.
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January 12, 2023 2:23 pm | by | 3 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Barbara Wenglin, book groups in Westchester, book groups in White Plains, Short stories, short story book discussion series, and short story discussion groups.

Why STEAM is Important

Why STEAM is Important

In our busy world, more often than not, we turn to technology to entertain our children. Are you looking for ways to get your kids off their devices and involve them in different activities? Welcome to the world of STEAM education. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education is a great way to help your child make discoveries, ask questions, and solve problems! During the holiday break, White Plains Public Library held a STEAM week for grades 6-12, where kids could drop in to do STEAM activities. The last day, the activity was Paper Airplanes. While STEAM activities are
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January 12, 2023 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: STEAM and STEAM activities.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 5

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 5

The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we will be featuring our beautiful new books in a blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le estaremos presentando nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros. A Movie in My Pillow / Una película en mi almohada, by Jorge Argueta. All available formats Un niño describe sus experiencias entre dos mundos:
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January 12, 2023 9:26 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Booklist Reader

Booklist Reader

Need help deciding what to read next? Then pick up a free copy of Booklist Reader. The Reader includes new titles, available in print and audio, top graphic novels, books on a theme–like traveling on foot–plus books for teens and children, including picture books and biographies. Included in every issue are interviews and profiles of authors and illustrators. Copies of the Booklist Reader, a publication of the American Library Association, can be found in the Hub area on the first floor as well upstairs in the Trove. Many of the titles in the Reader are owned by the Library, but
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January 11, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations and Booklist reader.

The Construction of the Kensico Dam

The Construction of the Kensico Dam

Tuesday, January 17th 2:00–4:00 p.m. Community Room Click here to register. James Maxwell, Historian at the Town of Mount Pleasant, will give a PowerPoint presentation on the building of the Kensico Dam. He will start with the original dam built in 1885, continue on to construction of the current one in the early 20th century, and end in the 1970s. The presentation's photos and postcards are from the Mount Pleasant Historical Society's collection as well as New York City's archives.
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January 6, 2023 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Kensico Dam, local history, and westchester history.

Rotary Club Events

Rotary Club Events

The Rotary Club of White Plains holds many of its programs at the Library, and everyone–Rotarians or not–are invited to attend. Follow the newsletter to keep up with presenters and dates. All programs take place in the Library's auditorium on the second floor, adjacent to the gallery. The speaker for January 17th is Robin Davies-Small, Executive Director of YesSheCan, Inc. Yes She Can Inc., a Westchester based non-profit founded in 2013, is dedicated to helping young women with autism and related disabilities develop transferable job skills and workplace social skills – through authentic work experience. We serve teen girls in
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January 4, 2023 9:59 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: Rotary Club, Rotary Club of White Plains, and YesSheCan Inc..

Banned Books Photobooth

Banned Books Photobooth

Get caught reading a Banned Book in the Library's Lobby! Take a “mugshot” holding your favorite banned or challenged book with our “crime” sign in front of our backdrop. Post your selfie to social media using the hashtag #WPFreedomtoRead OR upload your photos to our website here. We'll add your “mugshots” to this page and our gallery as they come in. We'll also have a pop-up photobooth at upcoming #WPFreedomtoRead events where staff can take your photo. “Mugshot” Gallery:
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December 31, 2022 11:26 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, banned books, Banned Books Photobooth, Banned Books Week, and library staff.

January Programs for Younger Kids

January Programs for Younger Kids

Great programs for younger children take place all month long, every month, at the Library.  See our online calendar or stop in the Trove for location information. Storytime! Ages 2-6, Families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – January 3, 10, 17, 31 Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. – January 12, 26 Stories, songs and fun with a Trove Librarian. Following Storytime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children and caregivers are invited to Toy Time in the Story Trove – a time to play and socialize! Let’s Groove! with Miss Lisa Ages 3 months – 5 years, Families Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – January 5 Join
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December 28, 2022 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Activities for children in Westchester, activities for children in White Plains, children's events, dance, January 2023, kids, live music, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

This Month in the Edge: January 2023

This Month in the Edge: January 2023

This month, we have several activities going on in the Edge. Drop-in activities will be available during Edge hours all through the month. Scheduled programs take place at specific times, linked below. Please join us for one or all! Drop-in Activities: Snowflake Window Clings Make a few snowflake window clings; bring them home, or leave them with us to decorate the Edge windows for the winter. Year Compass We love the Year Compass, a booklet designed to help you reflect on 2022 and plan for 2023. We've printed out several copies; come in and pick one up, or sit and
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December 28, 2022 10:23 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: events for teens in Westchester, events for teens in White Plains, teen programs, and The Edge.

January Freedom to Read Storytime

January Freedom to Read Storytime

FREEDOM TO READ STORYTIME Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00 pm Age group: Children 3+ with their families Location: Auditorium Join us to hear stories of courageous women fighting for the right to read and to get an education in the most dire of circumstances. Listen to two titles by Jeannette Winter: The Librarian of Basra; a True Story From Iraq; and Nasreen’s Secret School; a True Story From Afghanistan. And, have fun making a craft to take home with you! Freedom to Read Storytimes are part of the Library’s #WPFreedomToRead initiative. While the books read may not all be challenged,
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December 22, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: #WPFreedomtoRead, Freedom to Read Storytime, and storytime.

January Book Bunch

January Book Bunch

Thursday, January 26th 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 When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. When You Trap a Tiger is a novel by Tae Keller. When Lily’s family moves in with their grandmother, Lily realizes that she is not alone. A magical tiger from her Korean folktales appears to make an important deal-one that will affect Lily’s family. The tiger informs Lily that her grandmother has stolen something precious and this item
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December 21, 2022 4:29 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, and The Trove.

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime

Three Kings Day/El Día de Reyes Storytime Saturday, January 7th, 2023 at 2:00 pm Age Group(s):  For Families & Children Location: Rotary Room Come join us for a bilingual storytime celebrating Three Kings Day/Día de Reyes and also create a craft – a kid-sized crown! There will be a visit from the Three Kings too! This program is presented in conjunction with the Puerto Rican Artist Poster Exhibit on view in the Library Gallery from November 7th, 2022 through January 7th, 2023 that is curated by the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, Comite Noviembre and PRIDA. Some Fun Suggested
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December 21, 2022 4:12 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: dia de reyes, Observances and Celebrations, storytime, and three kings day.

December Middle Grade Pick of the Month

December 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! A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser Library Catalog: Print Libby: eBook June Yang, her sister, and her mother have been evicted from their apartment and landed in Huey House, a homeless shelter. She’s ashamed of their new circumstances – until she begins to make friends, especially with longtime Huey House resident Tyrell. Tyrell helps June learn the ins-and-outs of the House, while June gets Tyrell
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December 21, 2022 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.

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio

Your Voice Heard: LGBTQ+ Podcasting & Radio Teens Thursday, 6:00 p.m. – January 12 VIRTUAL Registration required – REGISTER HERE. Learn how industry quality radio, podcasts, and longer form journalism are made with Marc Sophos from Outcasting! Outcasting is a series of public radio programs by LGBTQ+ youth and their allies for the general public with a national reach of 200 radio stations. This program is offered in conjunction with the Rye Free Reading Room and other WLS libraries.
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December 21, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Journalism, LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ events in White Plains, podcasting, podcasts, radio, radio journalism, teen events, and Teen events in White Plains.

Dragons & the Ice Sorceress

Dragons & the Ice Sorceress

Talewise presents: Dragons & the Ice Sorceress Saturday, January 21 at 1:00 p.m. PreK – Grade 5 Library Auditorium Join Talewise on a quest to discover the ‘coolest’ thing in science: DRY ICE!  Volunteers from the audience will help conduct several science experiments as we explore the wondrous effects of dry ice! The science experiments are tied together by a fun, interactive tale called “Dragons & The Ice Sorceress.” The entire audience will help the performer tell the story — you’ll even get to decide what happens next! Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind learning adventure featuring stories and the science of
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December 21, 2022 7:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children, children's events, performances, programs, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, STEM learning, and Talewise.

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Meet Donna Gehlmann

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Donna Gehlmann. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I have always loved books and reading. Going to our public library as a child with my mom and sister is a happy memory for me. I have volunteered at my son's school (in the libraries) and seeing the joy on all the children's faces when they come to the library has left an impression on me! Why did you decide you wanted to work with youth? I was a 2nd grade aide for three years and loved being
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December 20, 2022 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Donna Gehlmann, library staff, Meet the Staff, and staff interview.

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

What’s New in the Edge: December 2022

As the end of the year approaches, I like to share the books in our YA fiction collection that have been most popular during the year. I've gathered the top ten most popular books in our collection that were published in 2022. After that, you'll see a few older titles that were also very popular among White Plains readers this year. YA Fiction's most popular titles published in 2022: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber Grades 9 and up Library Catalog / Libby “Wren Greenrock's parents were the king and queen of Eana before they were murdered. While
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December 20, 2022 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: A fiction, new books, new in the Edge, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA literature.