Archives for Library News

February 7th: Sustainable Westchester

February 7th: Sustainable Westchester

Sustainable Westchester will be tabling in the Library's Lobby from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7th. Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit organization offering ways for renters and owners to save money on their energy bills, prioritizing low and moderate-income households. Right now, they are looking for Con Edison customers to sign up for their Community Solar opportunity to save up to 20% on their monthly electricity bills. Subscribers do not install solar panels on their homes. They will be subscribed to a Community Solar project that will provide guaranteed savings on their Con Edison bills. To subscribe,
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February 2, 2024 10:04 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: community organizations, community services, and Sustainable Westchester.

Celebrate Lunar New Year

Celebrate Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year – also known as Chinese New Year – is held in late winter or early spring, based on the lunar calendar. This year it falls on February 10th, and this year will be the Year of the Dragon! Grab & Go: Lunar New Year Starting at 10am on Friday February 2nd, there will be Grab & Go kits available for kids ages 2-6 and in grades 1-2 to pick up and take home. Since 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, the kit will be dragon-themed – don’t miss out! Family Storytime: Lunar New Year At 11am
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February 1, 2024 1:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Chinese Acrobatics, Chinese New Year, events for kids, lunar new year, Observances and Celebrations, and Programs for families.

One-Time Adventures

One-Time Adventures

Join Erica and Erika to explore one-shot, one-page role-playing games! No prior experience is necessary – the game rules are simple enough to all fit on one page – and there aren’t any long campaign commitments either, since one-shots take place in one session. Character creation, dice-rolling and gameplay can all be done in an hour – are you ready to play? This month the games will be Library Cats and Honey Heist – see below for more details! Library Cats February 7th @ 5PM in Galaxy Hall You are a team of magical house cats tasked with keeping a
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January 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: events for kids, events for kids in westchester, events for kids in White Plains, events for teens, Roleplaying game, RPG, RPGs, and tabletop roleplaying games.

February Festivities

February Festivities

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. February is… Black History Month We Are Here by Tami Charles & Bryan Collier (Preschool to 3rd Grade) Library Catalog In another groundbreaking picture book from the powerhouse creative team behind the New York Times bestselling All Because You Matter, is a stirring, poetic, and empowering follow-up that celebrates the rich history of Black and brown men and women throughout history with soaring language and stunning illustrations. Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by
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January 24, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's books, February 2024, February Festivities, and Observances and Celebrations.

New Books in the Edge: January 2024

New Books in the Edge: January 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. Wish of the Wicked by Danielle Paige Grades 7 and up Library Catalog “Centering the sole survivor of a magical coven and using “Cinderella” as a foundation, Paige (the Ravens series) weaves a dark and mysterious telling that delves into the origins of the inspiration
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January 24, 2024 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.

Holocaust Remembrance Day Author Visit

Holocaust Remembrance Day Author Visit

Holocaust Remembrance Day Author Visit: The Brave Cyclist with Amalia Hoffman Saturday, January 27th 2:00–3:00 p.m. Location: Galaxy Hall This program is aimed at youth ages 8 and up as well as their families. We invite you to join librarian Erica Roberts and award-winning author Amalia Hoffman in discussion of her Junior Library Guild and Gold Selection book, The Brave Cyclist: A True Story of a Holocaust Hero. Gino Bartali’s life provides an inspiring story that merges sports and acts of heroism. Ms. Hoffman will share her personal journey and inspiration in writing her book and talk about how Gino
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January 22, 2024 10:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Amalia Hoffman, author visit, Holocaust Remembrance, and Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Creepy Chronicles: Deephaven

Creepy Chronicles: Deephaven

For the kids looking for more dark and twisted tales, Erika is here to bring you a middle grade scare! Deephaven by Ethan Aldridge All available formats here Ready to have a fresh start in life, Nev accepts a prestigious full ride scholarship to Deephaven Academy. Of course, anything that comes free tends to come at a cost, and for Nev, the trouble has only just begun when they hear sobbing and scratches coming through the forbidden East Wing. Will Nev be able to untangle the mysteries within this boarding school while under the threat of expulsion? Scare Factor: 3
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January 19, 2024 10:23 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for kids, Creepy Chronicles, middle grade, middle grade fiction, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Good Trouble: Clothing and Activism

Good Trouble: Clothing and Activism

From the uniforms of the Black Panther Party, to slogan t-shirts, to the audacity of women wearing pants, clothing and fashion are frequently connected to activism. Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter by Aida Salazar, art by Molly Mendoza Library Catalog Perhaps you’ve heard of the legendary Chinese folk hero Mulan, who dressed as a man and goes to battle, however Jovita Valdovinos was a real person who disguised herself so she could take part in the battle for religious freedom in Mexico, and came to be known as “Mexico’s Joan of Arc.”  Filled with beautiful
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January 17, 2024 4:31 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: activism, Good Trouble, John Lewis, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Middle Grade Pick of the Month: Terry’s Crew

Middle Grade Pick of the Month: Terry’s Crew

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! Terry’s Crew by Terry Crews and Cory Thomas All available formats here Terry Crews is a kid with vision – he knows exactly what he’s going to be, and he has plans for getting there! First step is attending the elite Rock City Academy, which will help him learn the skills and make the connections he needs. But middle school can be hard, especially with determined bullies
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January 17, 2024 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.

Artist Juliana Lemin Display

Artist Juliana Lemin Display

A display by artist Juliana Lemin is on view in a case outside the entrance to the Edge, our space for teens. Juliana Lemin is a 15-year-old Sophomore at Edgemont HS. She expressed her creativity in art since she was very little. When Juliana was five, she started taking art lessons with a Russian art professor Elena Nenastina. Later she began to study with another artist and renowned art teacher, Leonid Shoshensky. Juliana uses various media including chalk pastel, oil on canvas, watercolors, and graphite pencil. She is a published artist. Her works were represented in “Celebrating Art” catalog for several years. In
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January 17, 2024 9:38 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: art, art display, and Juliana Lemin.

College and Career Edge Programs in February

College and Career Edge Programs in February

College and Career Edge Programs in February 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: Virtual College Visits in the
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January 15, 2024 10:50 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: career, college, college admissions, College and Career Club, College and Career Edge, College Prep, and The Edge.

February Trove Book Groups

February Trove Book Groups

February Book Bunch Tuesday, February 27th  @ 4:30PM Click here to register Join Caroline and Erika for a book discussion and trivia for 4th-8th graders! We will be reading Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston Just when Amari hits her lowest point of losing her scholarship and her brother being MIA for weeks, she finds a mysterious briefcase that will change her life forever. Now competing for a coveted spot in a supernatural organization, can Amari prove herself as an ally to her classmates and save her brother? The Trove will provide a free copy of the book
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January 14, 2024 3:44 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, Book discussion for kids, book discussion for middle grade students, Graphic Novel Book Club, and The Trove.

YA Graphic Novel Picks for February

YA Graphic Novel Picks for February

Graphic novels are so much fun to read. Here some new available titles: LUNAR NEW YEAR LOVE STORY by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham (Illustrator) (Graphic romance. 13-18) Library Catalog “Vietnamese American Valentina Tran loved Valentine’s Day until freshman year, when her handcrafted cards were mocked by classmates, and her father told her she was too old to still be making annual valentines on behalf of her long-dead mother. Then, during a surprise visit, her estranged paternal grandmother revealed a devastating family secret. Suddenly, Valentina’s invisible childhood companion, a sweet cupid she’d always called Saint V, transformed into an
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January 14, 2024 10:54 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: books for teens, graphic novels, manga, staff picks, staff recommendations, YA Graphic Novel Pick of the Month, and YA Graphic Novels.

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 16

Beautiful Bilingual Books, Part 16

BEAUTIFUL BILINGUAL BOOKS, Part 16 LINDOS LIBROS BILINGÜES, Parte 16 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. Better than new: a recycle tale / Mejor que nuevo: un cuento de reciclaje,
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January 13, 2024 4:12 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Bilingual, Bilingual books, books for children, picture books, spanish books, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Black History Month: Afro-Fusion Performance

Black History Month: Afro-Fusion Performance

Afro-Fusion Performance with Amanda Armenteros Saturday, February 17th, at 3:30-4:30 pm For: Children & Families Location: Auditorium The Library will be celebrating Black History Month with a performance by Amanda Armenteros. Amanda Armenteros’ focus is in African derived movements fusing traditional and modern day African dance. Afrobeats combines a fusion of modern and traditional African rhythms. This event will be held in the auditorium on Saturday, February 17th at 3:30-4:30 p.m. For more information on this event you can click this link. About Amanda: Amanda Armenteros is a versatile dancer and teacher who loves to study African dance. Amanda’s classes
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January 13, 2024 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: African Dance, black history month, dance class, dance performance, events for families in White Plains, and events for kids in White Plains.

Favorites From Best Books of 2023

Favorites From Best Books of 2023

Each year, we enjoy looking through the lists of best books of the year, looking to see which opinions we agree with (or not), and checking to see which gems we might have missed ordering earlier in the year. We rejoice when we discover many of the books already in our collection, although we always do end up finding a title or two to order. Read on to see which books on the “Best of 2023” lists were our favorites this year. Raquel’s Favorite 2023 Best Picture Book: Remember by Joy Harjo & Michaela Goade Library Catalog “As the modern
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January 11, 2024 4:34 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: best books of 2023, children's books, staff picks, staff recommendations, and YA Fiction.

Most Popular 2023 Checkouts

Most Popular 2023 Checkouts

Below is a list of the 2023 top ten 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, Karen M. McManus, Dog Man, and Disney! Fiction Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (All available formats) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (All available formats) It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (All
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January 9, 2024 6:40 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book recommendations, books, end of year lists, film, patron favorites, top checkouts, and tv.

Meet Erika Peiffer

Meet Erika Peiffer

Please join me in welcoming our newest staff member, Youth Services Librarian Erika Peiffer. What interested you in becoming a librarian? I was working in television news for about four years, but I had the desire to have more of a direct interaction with the community (and maybe a work schedule that did not require me coming in at 3 in the morning). I was always passionate about information and news literacy and a good friend who was working on their Master in Library Science (MLS) encouraged me to look into librarianship. After starting my MLS and changing gears working
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January 3, 2024 12:51 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: library staff, Meet the Staff, staff bio, and staff interview.

Celebrate Three Kings Day

Celebrate Three Kings Day

Celebrate Three Kings Day Program! Saturday, January 6th from 1-4 pm For Families and Children Location: Gallery, Igloo, Auditorium & Rotary Room Families are invited to come celebrate Three Kings Day at the Library on Saturday, January 6th starting at 1 pm! Join the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, Comite Noviembre & PRIDA and the White Plains Public Library for an afternoon full of family-friendly activities such as taking a 3D visit to a Puerto Rican Beach in the Library’s Igloo, and enjoying a special appearance by the Three Kings! At 3 pm, there will be a fun bilingual
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December 22, 2023 1:17 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: dia de reyes, events for children, events for families, and three kings day.

January Festivities

January Festivities

During the year, each month celebrates a variety of observances and celebrations that can include celebrations of food, cats, historical events, poets, etc. Observations in January include well known International days to lesser, funny (and downright strange) events celebrating things such as whipped cream, introverts and chickens.  I have highlighted a few holidays that are fun, a few that are educational and some that are cultural and historical: January 3rd is Tolkien Day The Complete Guide to Middle Earth by Rober Foster. Explore Middle Earth: a fantastical land full of Elves, Orcs, Dwarves and wizards. Who was J. R. R.
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December 22, 2023 10:13 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: books for children, books for kids, children's books, January 2024, January Festivities, and Observances and Celebrations.