Archives for 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: Homepage Foundation, Library Foundation, and Library News.

Meet the String Quartet

Sunday, May 19th 2:00 p.m. Grades 1-6 Library Auditorium White Plains Public Library and Downtown Music present: Meet the String Quartet! Join The Ondine Quartet, sponsored by Chamber Music America, featuring Ariana Cappon & Cindy Lan (violins), Chloe Kim (viola), and Sarah Song (cello), for an educational afternoon about the instruments in a string quartet and how they work together to produce glorious music.  
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Categories: 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, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

SWBOCES Fashion Show

Thursday, May 16th 4:00 p.m. Library Auditorium The Library is excited to collaborate with the SWBOCES Fashion Design & Merchandising Program to host a special runway event showcasing the work of students throughout the year.  The show, titled “Fashion in Toyland,” was originally inspired by student interest and enjoyment of the Barbie film last summer.  Students then took field trips to FAO Schwarz and Toys R Us to gain more ideas for fashion designs inspired by toys. In conjunction with the Fashion Show, an exhibit of student artwork and designs will be on display in the Library’s Gallery from May
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Categories: Gallery and Library News.

Trove Battle of the Books 2024

The Trove is excited to announce we will be forming a team this year for Battle of the Books! Kids entering grades 4-7 in the 2024-25 school year that have a passion for reading and trivia are invited to join our team! If you are interested or have any questions, please email Erika at epeiffer@whiteplainslibrary.org. For more information about the tournament itself, check out the Westchester Library System’s Battle of the Books page. The 2024 Battle of the Books Titles: Ophie’s Ghost by Justina Ireland All available formats Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside.
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

May 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. Some programs require advance registration, while others may require a ticket. If registration is required, details will be provided for how to register on our online calendar. If a program requires a ticket, tickets will be handed out on a first come, first served basis starting 30 minutes before the program. Bilingual Family Night Ages 3+, Families Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. – May 1 Families will listen to a bilingual story, sing bilingual songs
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

What’s Next in the Edge: May 2024

Read on to find out about the activities we've planned for grades 7-12 this spring. From our College and Career Club to the monthly After Hours for grades 9-12, we have a range of options available. Stop by anytime during Edge hours to say hello and find out more about the Edge. Edge Hours: Monday – Thursday: 3:00-8:00 p.m. Friday: 3:00-6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 1:00-5:00 p.m. Drop-in Activities: No registration is required for these ongoing programs for grades 7-12. Movie Monday Join us for a movie on Mondays at 4:00 p.m. Tech Tuesday Youth in grades 4-12 will learn
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Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

May K-6 Programs at The Trove

For our elementary schoolers, please join us for our K-6 programs! We will be exploring the great outdoors in the comfort of the Igloo to learn about moose, the stars, and jellyfish! Plus, we’ll have crafts to go along with stories about colors and dinosaurs. Under The Trees VR May 2nd @ 4:30PM Experience Virtual Reality (VR) without a headset in the library's newly installed panoramic content room. Views from 360° content and we will read stories, sing songs and learn facts about the forest and the animals that live there. Technology installed by Igloo Vision and funded by the
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Categories: Events, Featured, 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.

May is…

May Moments Each month a variety of observances and celebrations take place, from well-known holidays to much lesser known fun (and downright funny or strange!) observances. Celebrated in May ____ is… May The Fourth Be With You! Star Wars Day is May 4th Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown All available formats Sith Lord and leader of the Galactic Empire–now faces the trials, joys, and mood swings of raising his daughter Leia as she grows from a sweet little girl into a rebellious teenager. Smart and funny illustrations by artist Jeffrey Brown give classic Star Wars moments a twist by
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

May Trove Book Club

May Chapter Chats May 13th  @ 5:00PM For kids in Grades 3-6 looking for a quiet area and time dedicated to reading, join us for our sit-in read and chat book club! We will have 20 minutes of reading time and then come together to discuss our books. Don’t have a book in mind? Here are some recommended reads: Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith All available formats In a world where girls have magic and boys become knights, nonbinary Callie has always been determined that their gender will not be able to stop them from
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Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

May College and Career Edge Programs

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

New Books in the Edge: April 2024

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. Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal by Gretchen Schreiber Grades 7 and up Library Catalog “A teen with a rare illness struggles to bridge her hospital and school relationships. Ellie Haycock insists that her high school friends—especially her boyfriend, Jack—never know how thoroughly VACTERLs affects her
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.

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! Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow All available formats here Simon is probably the only tween in existence to be actually sort of excited to be moving into a town where technology and Internet access is limited – but then again, he and his family are hoping for a fresh start. Simon relaxes into making friends out of the shadows of his past and figuring out
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

Good Trouble: Environmental Activism

Earth Day takes place annually on April 22.  We’ve created many Earth Day related blog posts, reading lists and activities over the past several years and I urge you to look through them for some great ideas and great reads. Below find some reads related to the formation of Earth Day and climate and environmental activism.   The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement by Barry Wittenstein, art by Jessie Hartland Library Catalog A shockingly true story about how on a day in the summer of 1969 the Cuyahoga River
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Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, and Library News.

May the 4th Be with You

Stop by the Trove on Saturday, May 4 and pick up some great Star Wars reads!  In addition, while supplies last, grab a fun Star Wars sticker! Be sure to check out some of the great Star Wars content we’ve posted over the years, including activities, reading lists and much more:  https://whiteplainslibrary.org/tag/star-wars/
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Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, 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.

Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration

The Library is excited to present its first annual Lee Palmer Storytelling Celebration – a two-day event consisting of a workshop for librarians and educators and a storytelling celebration for children and families. The Storytelling Workshop will take place on Friday, April 12th, at 1:00 p.m. in the Library’s Auditorium. This free workshop for adults, entitled “Off the Page: Storytelling Craft and Technique,” will be presented by storyteller Rachael Harrington. Refreshments will be available. This interactive workshop will equip you to bring favorite stories off the page to become oral storytelling experiences. Participants will explore story selection, methods of storyboarding,
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Categories: Library News.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 19

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 19 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 19 The Library has a lovely collection of bilingual Spanish/English books. To celebrate reading in two languages, we are featuring our beautiful new books in a monthly blog – so enjoy practicing your Spanish and English skills with these picture books. La Biblioteca tiene una colección hermosa de libros bilingües en inglés/español. Para celebrar leyendo en dos idiomas, le presentamos nuestros lindos libros aquí. Así que disfrute practicando sus destrezas en ambos idiomas con estos libros ilustrados. Children’s Day/Book Day is celebrated nationwide on April 30th. To celebrate this day, the
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Categories: Authors & Books, Español, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.

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.