This post has expired. Check back in June 2020 for next summer's camps or visit our teen calendar for current events. Our Summer of Making with the EDGE-ucators returns next month. Register today! Monday-Thursday (except where noted), 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. For teen entering grades 7-12 in fall 2019. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. There is a $5 materials fee that will be collected on the first day. Session 1: Constructing a City – July 1-3 All those curious how a city is designed and built from bridges to dams and buildings, come build a city with a
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Archives for Library News
May 2019 LibraryReads
Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang Published: 5/7/2019 by Berkley Jove “On the autism spectrum, Khai doesn’t feel anything for anyone. His mother recruits Esme, a young Vietnamese woman, to marry him. A realistic, humorous romance that reveals the slow path to love and a meaningful relationship. For those who loved The Kiss Quotient, The Rosie Project, and The Wedding Date.”—Jessica C. Williams, Tiffin-Seneca Public Library, Tiffin, OH The Book Woman of
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Do Gooders Summer Registration
This post has expired. Check back next June for information on our Summer 2020 volunteer opportunities or visit our post on fall 2019 volunteer opportunities. It’s time to make plans for this summer. When it comes to volunteering at the library, the Do Gooders community service group will be working on a variety of different projects. Do Gooders Teens in grades 7-12 can earn community service hours on Tuesdays from 3-5 pm, from July 9 through August 13 in the Edge Media Lab. Each week we'll work on a different project to benefit a local organization. Registration recommended; space is
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Citywide School Art Show
Join student artists and their families for a reception celebrating the art of White Plains City School children, grades K-12, on the second floor of the Library on Thursday, May 30th, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on display through June 6th. (Images below are from last year's art show.)
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art exhibit, art reception, citywide school art show, and student art.
AR Sandbox
We have a very cool temporary addition to the Edge, an augmented reality sandbox that one of our patrons built and is making available to us for a week or two. We will hold a drop-in session where you can explore the sandbox features on Wednesday, May 29th, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. White Plains resident Aaron Couts has generously made his Augmented Reality sandbox available to the Library. The AR sandbox, an open source project developed at the University of California, Davis (https://arsandbox.ucdavis.edu/) is made up of a video projector, a Microsoft K'nect 3D sensor, and of course
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AR Sandbox, Augmented Reality, Augmented Reality Sandbox, and teens.
Free Comic Book Day Photos
On Saturday, May 4 the Library celebrated Free Comic Book Day, an annual event promoting reading through comic books. During the event, Library staff and volunteers distributed 256 free comics to kids and teens. As part of the event, the Library showed the Academy Award winning animated feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, which one attendee remarked, “was a great movie!” We also had a presentation about the life and career of Marvel Comics creator, Stan Lee. In addition, there were superhero mask crafts, fun comic book coloring, and a photo booth. Summing up the general feeling of the event, one
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New Books Perfect for Book Groups
If you’re in a book group, you are always looking for a great book that can stand up to the scrutiny of your friends. Not too long, not too short. Richly detailed but not too slow. Challenging but not Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. Well here are five books—all published in the past few months—that are perfect for a book discussion: complex, nuanced and full of issues that reverberate with the present. Oh, and none are over 350 pages! The Only Woman in the Room: A Novel by Marie Benedict In her rousing historical novel, Benedict imagines lesser known aspects of Hedy
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April 2019 LibraryReads
Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. Lost Roses: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly Published: 4/9/2019 by Ballantine Books “The Ferriday family (The Lilac Girls) returns in this story of love, loss, and triumph. The voices of four compelling female characters tell of the devastating effects of the Russian Revolution and World War I. Highly recommended for book clubs and fans of Anthony Doerr, Susan Meissner, and Lauren Belfer.”—Mamie Ney, Auburn Public Library, Auburn, ME The Girl He
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Catalog Update: Tips
The Westchester libraries have completed migrating to new software, but there are still plenty of kinks to work out. Here are two pieces of advice. One, don't get frustrated, call us (914-422-1480). If something isn't working, or you are unsure of how to do something, let us help you. And two, give it a little time; this migration involved millions of books, patrons, and data, and it will take a bit longer to sort out everything. If you are having difficulties getting your PIN to work, first trying using all capitals if it is an alphabetical PIN. That should work.
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Families of Veterans Writing Workshop Returns
The adjustment for American veterans returning from war (depicted brilliantly by The Best Years of Our Lives after World War II and Coming Home and Born on the Fourth of July after the Vietnam War) extends to their families. Irvington-based telecommunications consultant Julia Rust watched how memories from World War II affected her late father David Rust in “the way he moved, the way he drove, and who he was,” and that led her and Veterans Writing Workshop (VWW) director David Surface to initiate writing workshops for family members in 2014. “I participated in the first one–the reading was held
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A New Catalog
In March, the public libraries in Westchester County will be moving to a new catalog system. For you, this means an improved interface with better—and easier—search capabilities, greater control over your notifications, and better access to what’s available through the library. Library staff members are getting an open source system, which means the libraries have more control over how the system works. Going forward, we’ll be able to customize the catalog for what works best for Westchester. But migrating to a new catalog won’t happen overnight. To facilitate the process, the catalog will be offline from March 11 to March
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March 2019 LibraryReads
Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing Published: 3/26/2019 by Berkley “An incredible, dark, twisty psychological thriller with two of the most seemingly normal but disturbingly depraved people you will read about in fiction. This brilliant debut needs to be at the top of your must-read list. For readers who like taut suspense and works by Gillian Flynn, B.A. Paris, and Mary Kubica.”—Rachel Reeves, Weatherford Public Library, Weatherford, TX Beautiful Bad by Annie
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Best Audiobooks of 2018
Every year, through the Listen List Council of the American Library Association, librarians create the Listen List, selected for both avid listeners of audiobooks and those new to the pleasures of the fastest-growing format in publishing. This juried list of twelve newly-released titles features extraordinary narrators and listening experiences. This past year jury members listened to 2,574 hours as they narrowed the field to 58 nominated audiobooks and selected winners that include fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and poetry, each an outstanding performance in terms of voice, accents, pitch, tone, inflection, rhythm and pace. Here’s the 12 that made the final cut:
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Reserve Best Picture Nominees
Interested in watching some of the films nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award this year? Just click on the DVD covers or titles below to easily request Bohemian Rhapsody, BlacKkKlansman, Green Book, and more. And don't forget to tune in to the 91st Academy Awards this Sunday, February 24th. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) A chronicle of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen during the years leading up to their appearance at the 1985 Live Aid concert. The Favourite (2018) Early 18th century England is at war with the French. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and
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Museum Passes: Family Edition
We’ve having a break in the weather, so why not head off to a museum? Highlighted here are some of the Library’s museum passes that families will enjoy. The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, located on West 83 Street, has way too much going on to describe here (Dynamic H2O; Art, Artists & You; Let’s Dance). Best of all, the museum provides plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning and activities. Visit their website for the full lineup. Trains, buses and ferries are universally fascinating, and the New York City Transit Museum has plenty on display. Check out the exhibit Ticket to
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February 2019 LibraryReads
Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Published: 2/5/2019 by Celadon Books “Led on a dark path, readers will quickly guess that there’s more to Alicia’s story than what meets the eye. But the big surprises lie in the deep betrayals and the shock of an ending. Dark, twisted, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware.”—Amy Fellows, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry
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Essential Cookbooks
This is the time of the year when librarians create lists of the best or recommended books of the year—from best picture book for children to best audiobook books for adults. And we’ll be highlighting many of these over the next few weeks. But here’s something completely new: a list of the essential cookbooks, suitable for both avid chefs as well as those just learning the rewards of making a meal. This was the first time the American Library Association ever created a list of recommended cookbooks, and I was happy to serve on the committee. And while it sounds
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Award-Winning Children’s Books
Every January the American Library Association grants awards to a variety of talented authors and illustrators that highlight the year’s many excellent works created for children and youth with their Coretta Scott King Awards, and their (Pura) Belpre, (John) Newbery, and (Randolph) Caldecott Medals. This year announcements of the winners will take place on Monday, January 28th, 2019. In celebration of these honored books, the Trove has four displays showcasing a sampling of the superlative works created for children that have won these prestigious awards and medals in past years. 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King
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January 2019 LibraryReads
Here are the top ten books published this month that librarians across the country love. Just click on a title or book cover to place it on hold. Once Upon a River: A Novel by Diane Setterfield Published: 12/4/2018 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books “A wonderfully dark and mysterious read. Something happens one stormy winter solstice evening that triggers a chain of events that changes the lives of all the main characters. Moody and mystical. For readers who love gothic fiction like The Death of Mrs. Westaway and The Clockmaker’s Daughter.”—Melanie Liechty, Logan Library, Logan, UT An Anonymous Girl by Greer
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Technology Sessions for Teens
Every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in the Edge, teens can learn a variety of skills relating to digital technology, from music creation to 3D printing and design. Known as “T(h)ech Thursdays,” the goal is to learn computer science concepts, promote creative thinking, and allow teenagers to use technologically-advanced equipment. For computer science learning in T(h)ech Thursdays, a variety of tools and applications are available to the teens. To learn coding, for example, block-based educational apps such as Scratch and Alice 2 are used, as well as more advanced, design-based applications using professional programming techniques, such as Processing. There are a
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3d printing, coding, digital technology, lan, and technology training.