And We're Rolling!

If you’ve been in the Library recently, you may have found yourself in the middle of a film shoot. The crew from 40 North, a forthcoming series for Hulu, used the Library for several scenes. Based on the book The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, the show examines the events leading up to the tragic 9/11 attacks.

This wasn’t the first time the Library has hosted a film crew. Look closely at the first episode of Billions. Recognize the room where U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades holds his press conference? That’s the Library’s auditorium.

We’re always happy to support the growing film industry in White Plains, which helps, in myriad ways, to bring revenue to town. But before we commit to allowing the Library to be used, we make certain that the filming will only minimally impact library users and that no programs will be affected or collections made unavailable. At the most, we might all have to freeze for a minute or two during “action.” But that’s part of the fun!

Meet Bobby Calero

We are excited to welcome librarian Bobby Calero as the newest addition to the Trove. Bobby comes here from the Children's Library Discovery Center of the Queens Library in Jamaica, Queens. Despite the fact that he’s only five feet and six inches—and weighs about a 140 pounds—he was once the bouncer at an all-night jazz club in the West Village. But today he says that he “loves singing ‘The itsy-bitsy spider’ to two-year-olds at 10:30 a.m.!”

Bobby is a big fan of children’s book authors Yuyi Morales, Emily Hughes, and Neil Gaiman. He also loves Roald Dahl, particularly The Witches. “I am sure that for certain sensitive and creative children that book confirms that the adult world is run by these secret villains, with their motto concerning all children: ‘Squish them and squiggle them and make them disappear.’”

Bobby’s two year old son Ben also loves books and constantly makes his librarian Dad re-read Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry. According to Bobby “I think he likes listening to Dada make farm animal noises and
beep like a car horn. Just last night, I read him the beautiful picture book A River by Marc Martin and he was so excited! With all the dramatic suspense and wonder he was experiencing, you would think he was watching a Spielberg film. I had to read it two more times before bedtime.”

Right: Bobby Calero with his son, Ben.

Libby, an App Worth Knowing

If you’re just starting out with library ebooks or audiobooks (and for the rest of this post, “books” will mean both), you may have planned to download OverDrive onto your tablet or smartphone. Well, don’t. Use the new Libby app instead.

Libby is actually created by OverDrive (the company) as well, but it is so much simpler than the old app.  It takes just one tap to borrow and download the book—there’s no need to choose a format.

Libby also has many new features you can play with, like tags to create lists of books you want to read, highlighting and annotation options, and a timeline that shows your borrowing, returns, and holds history. It also shows all the books you have borrowed on one shelf, even if they’re from different libraries. So if you borrow some books from the White Plains collection and others from the Westchester Library System, you can see them all at once. The same is true for any holds you have.

Libby is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. In terms of operating systems, it’s compatible with Android 4.4, iOS 9, Windows 10 or higher.  If your device is old, it may not be able to install Libby.

If you already have the OverDrive app, you can install Libby and use both apps at the same time. But don’t remove OverDrive from your device yet, because it still has features Libby lacks, like accessibility for the visually impaired, the Recommend to Library feature, and a multilingual interface. OverDrive (the company) plans to add these features to Libby by the fall of 2017. 

New Museum Pass: MoMA

The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 are committed to sharing the most thought-provoking modern and contemporary art in the world, and encouraging visitors of all ages and experiences to join in exploring the art, ideas, and issues of our time. The collection includes masterpieces like Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Andy Warhol’s Gold Marilyn Monroe, along with works by Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, and many other modern masters and cutting edge contemporary artists.

The MoMA membership is a more substantial investment than the other museum passes. But it is one of the most visited museums in the world, and we regularly receive requests that MoMA be added to our offerings. Furthermore, our museum pass program has steadily grown in popularity. So make use of our MoMA membership and tell your friends and neighbors!

To reserve a Museum Pass, you can visit the reservation page here OR call us at 914-422-1480.  

Note: The Museum Pass Program is for White Plains Public Library cardholders only.

Summer Reading Gets Edgy

Edge librarian Kathlyn Carroll is going to great lengths to inspire teens to read this summer. She's not exactly pulling her hair out, but as part of the Edge Summer Reading Game she's going crazy with Tish & Snooky’s Manic Panic vegan hair color.

Here’s how the Edge Summer Reading Game works: Every time a teen reads a book they will receive a piece of candy, a Post-It note, and one raffle ticket for a chance to win a Kindle, an iPod Shuffle, or tickets to the movies.

Those who read the most books will be invited to a “Make Your Own Pizza Party” at Uno Chicago Grill AND to watch Kathlyn dye her hair a wacky color upstairs in the Trove’s castle.

Most importantly: All who participate get to vote on Kathlyn’s color! Choices include Violet Night Purple, Enchanted Forest Green, Mermaid Blue, Vampire Red or Cotton Candy Pink.

We had a few questions for Kathlyn about her plan:

Q: What made you decide to color your hair as a way to get teens reading?

A: I suggested it to a couple of kids in the Edge and they really got excited about the idea.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair before?

A: In high school and college I just colored the ends bright purple, but I've never dyed my whole head. It's great to have a job where it's O.K. to do it!

Q: Do you think coloring hair wild, bright colors is a rebellious act?

A: I think it used to be, but if you go to the American Library Association meetings everyone is doing it. Teenagers want to express themselves. This is a way of experimenting with who you are and expressing yourself to the world.

A: He's probably going to laugh! He can say the word “purple” but this might help him really learn the meaning.
 

Left: Kathlyn Carroll with her dog.

Six Fall Books Not to Miss

You’ll want to reserve these titles A.S.A.P.  Just click on the cover to place a hold. 


Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke.  Mystery.  September.
In this superb, atmospheric first book in a new series by a producer and writer for the TV show Empire, African American Texas Ranger Darren Matthews investigates racially-charged crimes in a small town in the lone star state.




Going into Town:  A Love Letter to New York by Roz Chast.  Nonfiction Graphic Novel.  October.
What began as the celebrated New Yorker cartoonist's guide to Manhattan for her college-bound daughter evolved into a joyous celebration of the Big Apple's quirks and charms.





Grant by Ron Chernow.  Nonfiction.  October.
Nearly 1,000 well-researched pages on Ulysses S. Grant from the Pulitzer-prize winning author of Washington: A Life and Alexander Hamilton.  History buffs, rejoice!





Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.  Fiction.  September.
From the author of the award-winning Everything I Never Told You, another gem of a novel about a mother and daughter who disrupt the orderly suburban life of their new landlord.




Strange Weather:  Four Short Novels by Joe Hill.  Fiction.  October.
Hill's father and brother, Stephen and Owen King, have earned props for their forthcoming creepy thriller Sleeping Beauties, check it out next month, but don't overlook Hill's latest offering of hair-raising, spine-tingling tales of horror.  Just in time for Halloween.  




Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks.  Fiction.  October.   
He can act, but can he write?   Early reviews point to yes.  Oscar-winner Hanks, who was recently filming on location in White Plains, collects typewriters, and each of the stories in his wide-ranging debut collection features a different model.