Archives for Library News

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican-American Heritage!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican-American Heritage!

Cinco de Mayo marks the unlikely defeat of a large, well-trained French invading force by an undermanned Mexican army in the Battle of Puébla on May 5,1862. The victory against the French forces prevented Emperor Napoleon III from helping the Confederacy win the American Civil War. Dave Roos, on the History Channel’s webpage, “How Cinco de Mayo Helped Prevent a Confederate Victory in the Civil War,” writes,“Napoleon figured if he could get his hands on Mexico, it could become the first colony in a new French stronghold in North America. Abraham Lincoln was busy fighting the Civil War, so the
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May 5, 2021 10:10 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: Cinco de Mayo, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

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 the Fourth Be with You!

May the Fourth Be with You!

Happy Star Wars Day! For additional reads and activities to celebrate, check out our previous May the Fourth Be With You blog posts! Below find some newer Star Wars books, along with some fun activities. Stars Wars Books for Younger Readers Star Wars Galactic Storybook by Calliope Glass, illustrated by Katie Cook eBook / Library Catalog A fun retelling of Skywalker Saga for younger readers with exceedingly cute illustrations. A Jedi You Will Be by Preeti Chhibber, illustrated by Mike Deas eBook / Library Catalog Experience training with Luke Skywalker on Dagobah and receive Jedi wisdom from Master Yoda in
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May 4, 2021 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: eBooks, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, Star Wars, and STEAM.

Hoopla Bonus Borrows for May

Hoopla Bonus Borrows for May

Hoopla Bonus Borrows are back from May 1 – 31! Choose from hundreds of titles in Hoopla's Bonus Borrows collection. Find some staff highlights below or see the full list here. Adult Materials Books Heiress for Hire (Part 1 of the Duke's Heiress series) by Madeline Hunter eBook Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her home, she doesn't swoon or simper. Instead she wallops the rogue over the head and ties him up-only to realize he is Chase Radnor, the man who nearly got her convicted of her
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May 3, 2021 10:14 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: books, children's books, hoopla, hoopla Bonus Borrows, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Turtle Dance Music: Swing into Spring!

Turtle Dance Music: Swing into Spring!

Turtle Dance Music presents: Swing into Spring! A Virtual Music, Bubble and Comedy Show! Thursday, May 20, 11:00 a.m. Children, families, all ages welcome! Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. “It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!” The Music, Bubble and Comedy Show: Swing Into Spring! engages children with comedy, swing music, jazz music, songs, poems, bubbles, music technology and children's stories which foster literacy, storytelling and a lifelong love of your local library! The show is crafted to
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April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Autism, Autism Acceptance Month, children's events, dance, kids events, trove events, and Turtle Dance Music.

TaleWise presents: Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress

TaleWise presents: Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress

TaleWise presents: Dragons: Return of the Ice Sorceress Tuesday, May 18, 3:30 p.m. Grades K-8 Access the program here. Note: a free registered Zoom account is required to access the Library’s youth programs. Get a Zoom account here. A long time ago, in a faraway world, two brave villagers go on a daring journey to save the kingdom from the evil Ice Sorceress. When things don’t go as planned, however, they need to look to themselves (and to science!) for the answer. Don’t miss this fun fantasy adventure exploring the science of dry ice! Check out a trailer for the
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April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: children, children's events, performances, programs, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, STEM learning, and Talewise.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. While putting together last week’s Peculiar Picks for Earth Day, I noticed I had several tree-centric books. It only made sense, then, with Arbor Day on April 30, to compile an Arbor Day list. On the last Friday each April, National Arbor Day celebrates planting trees and what that tree will provide into the future: “clean air and water,
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April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Arbor Day, children's books, music, Observances and Celebrations, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Hands-on Crafts for All Ages

Hands-on Crafts for All Ages

This spring, we’re offering hands-on craft programs for all ages! Learn a beautiful and fun origami technique from Talo Kawasaki, who has decades of experience as an origami artist and teacher. For Instagram examples of his work, see @talo.kawasaki. Later in the month, YA Librarian Kat will be teaching hand-sewing basics with a small decorative sewing project. Adults, stay tuned–we're working on adding a crochet class for the June installment of our monthly Quick n Easy craft series, regularly scheduled on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Join us to enjoy some mindful crafting this spring. Origami
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April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: arts and crafts, crafts, Origami, Quick n Easy, and sewing.

Space Travel Grab & Go Kits

Space Travel Grab & Go Kits

In celebration of Star Wars Day, May 4th, I have dedicated this month's STEAM Grab & Go Kits for middle graders and teens to space travel, because one day isn’t enough to celebrate the Star Wars franchise, it deserves an entire month. The kit for grades 4-8 includes paper strips and straws to make an airplane (pictured left) shaped like the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. This will test if that oddly shaped spacecraft could actually fly. The kit for teenagers is a mini-paper air rocket (pictured top left) designed by NASA. This includes instructions and a straw that teens
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April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: everyday STEAM, Grab & Go, Grab & Go kits, Star Wars, STEAM, STEAM learning, and STEM.

May Events for Younger Kids

May Events for Younger Kids

Some great regular events for younger children take place all month long. See below for times and access. Note: All youth-focused virtual programs require a registered Zoom account. Creating an account is free and easy at http://zoom.us/signup. Grab & Go: Kits Grab&Go: Kits are fun and educational activities to do at home. Kits are available in a variety of age ranges throughout the month, including AtoZ and special themed PreK level Kits. Dates that new Kits are available for pickup can be found on our online calendar. Trove Storytimes Ages 2-6, families Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – May 4, May 11,
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April 29, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's events, dance, kids, live music, May 2021, music, performances, programs, storytime, The Trove, trove, and trove events.

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.

Celebrate Moms & Grandmas Around the World!

Celebrate Moms & Grandmas Around the World!

This year, Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 9th. Moms and grandmas are special the world-over! Scholastic has put together a nice article on Mother’s Day traditions around the world which I thought would be worthwhile sharing here: “Mother's Day Traditions Around the World”. I also recommend taking a look at Charnaie’s diverse and inclusive booklist on her Here Wee Read blog, “I'll Always Love My Mama – 25 Picture Books to Celebrate Mom on Mother's Day or Any Day”. Celebrating the moms and grandmas in your life this year may be challenging, but hopefully this booklist of picture
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April 27, 2021 12:18 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, Mother's Day, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive Into Diversity: Classic Reimaginings

Dive Into Diversity: Classic Reimaginings

White Plains is a wonderfully diverse community! Parents, children and teens have expressed an interest in titles that reflect the diversity in the community, and Ashley, Kathlyn, and Raquel's “Dive Into Diversity” column will spotlight noteworthy children's and teen titles that are inclusive, diverse and multicultural to fulfill that interest. Ashley's portion is aimed at readers in grades 4-6. Classic literature can be great but their protagonists are more often than not usually white. I’m really impressed with the writers of the following diverse classic reimagining books and excited to read the ones I haven’t yet since they all sound
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April 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, children's literature, Dive into Diversity, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Dive into Diversity: YA Graphic Novels

Dive into Diversity: YA Graphic Novels

In 2021, my Dive into Diversity posts about young adult books will focus on a different genre each month. I’ll highlight books with characters that represent a range of experiences and identities. I’ll also feature #ownvoices authors, or authors who share an aspect of their characters’ identity, as much as possible. In honor of Free Comic Book Day on May 1, this month’s column is all graphic novels. If you love graphic novels, stay tuned for more information about our upcoming summer graphic novel book club for grades 4-8. This month, I read a new Project LIT pick, Flamer by
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April 27, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Dive into Diversity, Free Comic Book Day, graphic novels, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Fiction, and YA literature.

Asian Pacific American Stories for Children

Asian Pacific American Stories for Children

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The Library of Congress offers more context about this celebration here. Below, Trove Librarian Tata has curated a list of books that honor the experiences and contributions of Asian/Pacific Islander Americans. These stories highlight Asian/Pacific Islander American cultures, traditions, experiences and more–allowing us to share in our common humanity. The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf Library Catalog OverDrive Lizard’s Tale by Weng Wei Chan Library Catalog OverDrive The Ocean Calls: A Haenyo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho Library Catalog OverDrive
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April 26, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, children's books, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

April and May Book Discussions for Kids and Teens

April and May Book Discussions for Kids and Teens

Calling all readers! Join our Youth Services librarians in reading and discussing some truly awesome books. Each month, we host two Project LIT book discussions: one for kids, and one for teens. Note: you must have a Zoom account to attend these programs; sign up for a free account here. Project LIT Book Club for Kids and Tweens In April, our Project LIT Kids Book Discussion group will be meeting on Wednesday, April 14th at 4:30 p.m. We will be reading The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez! Children in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade are invited to
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April 23, 2021 9:27 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book club, book discussion, kids book club, Project Lit, and teen book club.

On-Demand TaleWise April Show

On-Demand TaleWise April Show

Did you miss the STEAM-azing show, Earth Day: Revenge of the Toxic Robot, presented by TaleWise on April 22, or perhaps you want to watch it again? You can view the show, for free, on-demand, through August 31, 2021! In addition to the stream of the show, you will have access to educational resources, experiments and STEAM activities related to the program! Here’s how to access the on-demand show: Visit Earth Day: Revenge of the Toxic Robot. Create a new, free, TaleWise account or sign in with Google, Facebook or an existing TaleWise account. TaleWise respects your privacy and will
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April 23, 2021 9:25 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: children, children's events, Observances and Celebrations, performances, programs, STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, STEM, STEM learning, Talewise, Talewise On-Demand, and The Trove.

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks

Peculiar Picks are a selection of odd, funny, interesting, curious, moving, irreverent, and otherwise wonderfully awesome, but perhaps not well known, reads. Peculiar Picks are books for younger readers and their grown-ups, handpicked by the Library's Youth Services Manager, Joshua Carlson. Earth Day is celebrated annually in April. Here are some Peculiar Picks to celebrate, as well as to reflect on the importance of our planet and to perhaps begin making a difference for the betterment of the Earth. We truly live in a wonderful world, let’s keep it that way. Click here for more Earth Day recommended reading and
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April 22, 2021 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Earth Day, music, Observances and Celebrations, Peculiar Picks, staff picks, and staff recommendations.