Archives for Library News

Poetry for Children

Poetry for Children

By Raquel Cavalcanti, Trove Librarian. National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996. In order to celebrate National Poetry Month, I would like to highlight the diverse poetry collections available on Libby and Hoopla for kids with a three-part series showcasing six great titles. What are Libby and Hoopla? Libby and Hoopla are both easy-to-use apps that allow you to borrow eBooks and audiobooks with your library card for free. Both apps have thousands of adult, teen, and children’s titles that you can borrow using your iPad, tablet, or phone by downloading the apps
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April 7, 2020 11:58 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, national poetry month, Observances and Celebrations, poetry, Poetry Month, and staff recommendations.

Lynda.com for Teens

Lynda.com for Teens

By Kathlyn Carroll, Edge Librarian. As we enter week three (has it only been three weeks?) of quarantine, you may find yourself with some extra time on your hands. Now’s the time to get the hang of that new skill you’ve always wanted to learn, or spend some serious time on a project you’ve been hoping to finish. I’ve selected some beginner-friendly videos on a range of topics from Lynda.com. If you don’t see your specific interest here, feel free to browse the list of subjects. Once you login here, you can search for the courses listed below. Photography Photography
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April 6, 2020 3:48 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: lynda.com, tutorials, and youtube.

Middle Grade Fiction for Autism Acceptance Month

Middle Grade Fiction for Autism Acceptance Month

By Raquel Cavalcanti, Trove Librarian. April is Autism Awareness & Acceptance month. In the United States, the Autism Society held the first National Autism Awareness month in April of 1970, and World Autism Awareness Day takes place on April 2nd every year, a date chosen by the United Nations General Assembly. To mark Autism Awareness and Acceptance month, enjoy the following middle-grade books that present unique and compelling kids on the autism spectrum: A Boy Called Bat (also: Bat and the Waiting Game & Bat and the End of Everything) by Elana K. Arnold All 3 titles available as eBooks
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April 3, 2020 4:24 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Autism, Autism Acceptance Month, book recommendations, middle grade fiction, Observances and Celebrations, and staff recommendations.

Picture Books for Autism Acceptance Month

Picture Books for Autism Acceptance Month

By Raquel Cavalcanti, Trove Librarian. April is Autism Acceptance Month. The following notable picture book titles about children on the autism spectrum have all been deftly written by authors who are on the autism spectrum themselves or are parents or siblings of family members who are on the autism spectrum. For some more recommended titles, I found this May 2019 Book Riot article, “Understanding the Spectrum: 7 Great Picture Books About Autism,” by Rachel Rosenberg to be worthwhile. A Friend For Henry By Jen Bailey & Mika Song E-book on OverDrive Libby E-book on Hoopla “A boy on the autism
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April 3, 2020 4:20 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Autism, Autism Acceptance Month, book recommendations, Observances and Celebrations, picture books, and staff recommendations.

Poem a Day

Poem a Day

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we'll be sharing a poem a day from Zork's archived footage of our monthly Poetry Slam, which started in 2004. Check back here or on Facebook and Twitter each day for the latest poem added to the archive. First up is Shannelle the Artist with her poem “Intuition,” which she performed for us back in January.   Day 2 is AJ with her reading from March 2015.   Day 3 is James Larkin with his Slam performance from July 2015.   Day 4 is Connor Browne with his Slam performance from February 2015.
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April 3, 2020 12:15 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: national poetry month and poetry slam.

Battle of the Books Inspired Reading List

Battle of the Books Inspired Reading List

By Ashley Bressingham and Deb Gaffey, Trove staff. Your Westchester librarians are avidly working to pick amazing books for the Battle of the Books trivia competition for the fourth to sixth grade teams! Deb and I have picked some of our favorites from the nominations and these are all available in either audio or eBook format through the Westchester Library System. Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks Hoopla: Audio Overdrive: eBook Ravi has just moved to America from India and is entering the fifth grade in the town where Joe has lived all of his life.
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April 3, 2020 11:53 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: battle of the books and book recommendations.

Tasty Picture Books

Tasty Picture Books

By Raquel Cavalcanti, Trove Librarian. This blog is the first in a two-part series about food-themed picture book eBooks available on OverDrive and on Libby. What is Libby? Libby is an easy-to-use app that allows you to borrow eBooks and digital audiobooks with your library card for free. Libby has thousands of adult, teen, and children’s titles that you can borrow using your iPad, tablet, or phone by downloading the app from your app store. Picture book eBooks are a great way for parents and caregivers to read-aloud beautifully written and illustrated stories with their pre-readers and beginning readers and
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April 2, 2020 4:33 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: A Fine Dessert, Aisha Saeed, Anoosha Syed, Bilal Cooks Daal, Emily Jenkins, libby, picture books, and Sophie Blackall.

Virtual Book Bunch with Author!

Virtual Book Bunch with Author!

Are you ecstatic about reading and discussing Carlos Hernandez’s absolutely wonderful book Sal and Gabi Break the Universe? Prepare to be even more psyched because the author will be joining us during our virtual Book Bunch! Perhaps he’ll even give us a sneak peek of the sequel Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, which is expected to publish on May 5th!  Virtual Book Bunch will take place on Wednesday, April 15th from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we recommend this title for those in 4th through
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April 2, 2020 2:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch and Carlos Hernandez.

Stuck at Home Part 3

Stuck at Home Part 3

Some of the sites listed here may be offering some content free of charge or may be offering free access currently in response to the virus, but will move to a charge model again in the future. Please take care when using these sites to avoid unwanted charges. Previous Installments in this Series Stuck at Home Staff Picks 1 Stuck at Home Staff Picks 2 Stuck at Home Staff Picks: Teens Edition Great Ideas for Activities and Experiences Need Virtual Elmo Hugs? Sesame Street has New COVID-19 Resources for Kids. Fun Things to Do at Home from Today’s Parent. Virtual
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April 2, 2020 2:50 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: at home learning, covid-19, safe at home, staff recommendations, and stuck at home.

Offline Tech Activities

Offline Tech Activities

Digital Media Specialist Austin Olney put together this list of fun and education offline tech activities. If you're looking to learn more online, check our virtual calendar for a schedule of tech programs that Austin will be leading throughout April. ANIMATION DESIGN How to Create a Phenakistoscope How to Make a High-Quality Flip Book AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) How to Make a Holographic Illusion Pyramid CODING Code a Lego Maze GAME DESIGN DIY Maze for Kids to Make How to Make a 3D Topographic Map GRAPHIC DESIGN How to Make Collage Art Using Magazine Clippings HACKING DIY Cipher Device LOGICAL THINKING
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April 2, 2020 2:49 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, Technology, and Teens.
Tags: covid-19 and offline tech.

Parenting in a Pandemic

Parenting in a Pandemic

Are you the parent of a child with special needs? Chances are you feel like you have been abandoned by everyone in this quarantine climate. Quite honestly, in some cases, that is true. Everyone, teachers, students, special education providers, work at home parents—we are all struggling to adjust. Children with special needs often have way more trouble adjusting and this is our struggle. We are going to see behaviors we thought our children had outgrown–they are going to be frustrated, we are going to be frustrated. There is some good news. If your child is under three, under the jurisdiction
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April 2, 2020 2:01 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, parenting tips, and special needs parenting.

Stress, Anxiety, Your Child, and COVID-19

Stress, Anxiety, Your Child, and COVID-19

By Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Is it all getting to be a bit much? Trying to balance #WFH; home learning; shared space; concern about safety, health, wellbeing; social distancing – the list goes on. Do you feel like your children are driving you insane? If online memes and videos are anything to go by, families went crazy within one day of being at home together. Take a deep breath. This pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives immeasurably, but consider the disruption to your child’s life: routines, school, activities, friendships, and their mental and emotional health. Your child may not
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April 1, 2020 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: anxiety and covid-19.

April Wellness Programs

April Wellness Programs

Now more than ever, you may feel the need to center yourself and relieve stress. Join us for one or more of our virtual Wellness programs. Practitioners from a variety of backgrounds–Zen, Reiki, Alexander Technique, Yoga–will be leading Lunchtime Meditation programs on Wednesdays at Noon. Evening programs will cover Reiki, Mindfulness practice, and the Breath-Body-Mind Technique. To join, click on the Zoom link the day of the program. (You may wish to join a few minutes early to get the technology part sorted out.) Contact Christiane Deschamps with any questions. FOR ADULTS Lunchtime Meditation @ the Library Wednesdays 12:00-12:45 p.m.
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April 1, 2020 3:39 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Events, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Meditation, mindfulness, reiki, Wellness, and Wellness programs.

Kanopy Films: Comedies

Kanopy Films: Comedies

Kanopy is a video streaming service that you can access from home with your White Plains Public Library card. With Kanopy, you can choose from thousands of movies, documentaries, foreign films, and more. And starting this month, users can watch up to 20 films instead of the usual 10! In this blog post, we’re going to take a peek at some of the movies Kanopy offers, this time focusing on Comedy. Hunt For The Wilderpeople Runtime: 102 mins Year: 2016 Rated PG-13 Starring: Julian Dennison, Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, Sam Neill Language: English Directed by acclaimed New
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April 1, 2020 2:24 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: comedies, film recommendations, and Kanopy.

Virtual Museum Visits

Virtual Museum Visits

While local museums may be closed (meaning our museum pass program is temporarily unavailable), many of them have virtual tours and other programs you can experience from the comfort of your own home. Take a virtual trip to one of our participating museums listed below: Boscobel House and Garden Highlights of the House, the Collection and the Gardens and Grounds. Children’s Museum of Manhattan Videos, sing-a-longs, games and so much more for you to do together with your family. Cooper Hewitt Museum View collection online. Videos on interviews with designers, public programs and stories from behind the scenes. Frick Collection
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April 1, 2020 12:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: museums.

PandemiComic

PandemiComic

Calling all writers and artists! White Plains Public Library is collecting comic strips that illustrate a day in the life of social distancing. We're accepting submissions from adults, kids, and teens. Check out the prompts below for your age group. KIDS/TEENS: Here are some things to think about… How are you learning from home? Is it interactive/fun? Have you picked up any new hobbies like cooking, reading, playing a new game? How are your caretakers/siblings/relatives dealing with the pandemic? What are some pros and cons of spending so much time with family? Aside from the big stuff, what unexpected changes
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April 1, 2020 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: art, comic submissions, comics, kids, and teens.

3D Printers Donated to Hospital

3D Printers Donated to Hospital

Dr. Stephen Erosa from St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers reached out to Westchester libraries with a call to action. Dr. Erosa has started a 3D printer farm at the hospital and asked Westchester Libraries to contribute their machines. He will be printing out pieces for face guards for hospital staff and essential workers. The White Plains Public Library stepped up and donated its two 3D printers, the Ultimaker 2+ extended and the Flashforge Creator Pro, along with six rolls of filament to help out the cause. On Thursday, Librarian Erik Carlson picked up the equipment and met with Dr.
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March 31, 2020 4:07 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: 3D Printers, 3d printing, Con Edison, covid-19, Edge, and The Edge.

Stuck at Home: Staff Picks Part 2

Stuck at Home: Staff Picks Part 2

Stuck at home with kids and teens due to the virus? The White Plains Public Library has you covered with these suggestions from Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Some of the sites listed here may be offering some content free of charge or may be offering free access currently in response to the virus, but will move to a charge model again in the future. Please take care when using these sites to avoid unwanted charges. Great Ideas for Activities and Experiences Family Maker Camp – free projects and ideas Smithsonian’s Fun Stuff for Kids Cincinnati Zoo Home Safaris
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March 26, 2020 10:50 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: at home learning, safe at home, staff recommendations, and stuck at home.

Sch-EDGE-uled Videos

Sch-EDGE-uled Videos

Do you miss the Edge as much as we do? Librarian Erik Carlson has been bringing a bit of the Edge to Instagram and Facebook every day, giving you a daily dose of the Edge while at home. Follow @theedgewppl on Instagram where you’ll find a daily schedule posted each morning around 11:00 a.m. The sch-Edge-ule always has a joke of the day, riddle of the day, and afternoon read aloud. And there is more! Librarian Carlson posts a Which Craft? Wednesday program, he’s working on online Uno games, and is working with Austin Olney, aka Schmiegel, on putting together
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March 25, 2020 4:42 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Edge and videos.

RPGs at Home

RPGs at Home

By Joshua Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Role Playing Games are a fantastic way to work on creative, shared storytelling. Allowing all players to build their characters, help to direct the story, and use their imaginations, RPGs are not only fun, but a wonderful way to engage each other while stuck at home. And, you don’t have to even be stuck at home together! Apps such as Discord provide an easy-to-use system with text and chat to allow the game to take place virtually, as if you players were in the room together. No dice? There are apps for that,
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March 25, 2020 2:38 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: RPGs and tabletop games.