Archives for covid-19

Documenting COVID-19:
A Bicycle on the Move

Documenting COVID-19: <br />A Bicycle on the Move

A poem, “a bicycle on the move,” submitted by Romina, age 46. A bicycle on the move A bicycle on the move Maintenance, did you say? Tires are getting low Too many holes in the road Bumps have affected my shape And I am carrying a heavy weight The breeze feels refreshing but cold Cold gets into my inner emptiness Emptiness. Is that how it feels? What’s wrong? Other bikes are riding along… I have no clear path or freedom There is fog menacing my wisdom Sounds of nature are suddenly close I feel the soft soil embracing my rubbery
Read More

May 27, 2020 2:26 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.

Documenting COVID-19:
“A Pen” Poem

Documenting COVID-19: <br />“A Pen” Poem

Poem submitted by Nava D. Pollak, age 11. A pen That never stops using words A unique fountain pen Who’s nib points flat down, Yet up To let ink out just right Fill it up in the color you want Make it yours Right now this pen feels alive So much extra time to write But this pen is so sad For in the wrong hands this pen Writes things learns things A poor pen shouldn’t have to know But this pen can be used by a child A child who finds the obvious topic EXTREMELY BORING In those hands
Read More

May 27, 2020 2:26 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: community poem, covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, poem, poetry, and white plains.

Documenting COVID-19:
Garbage Truck Story

Documenting COVID-19: <br />Garbage Truck Story

Story and photo submitted by Robin Cohen. During the 2020 pandemic my daughter, her husband, and two young sons moved out of the city to live with me. Every morning the seven year old has school at nine. I take the under two grandson for long walks. On our walks one of his favorite things to see is garbage trucks. Every time we pass one, the driver honks and the sanitation workers wave. It really feels like a connection. The attached picture is of a sweater I knit for him to always remember this. Submit your own experience.
Read More

May 21, 2020 11:20 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, COVID19, Documenting COVID-19, photo, and white plains.

Pause…and Reflect Writing Workshop

Pause…and Reflect Writing Workshop

Pause…and Reflect: Stories from Your Side of the Window. Join us for this 8-session online creative writing workshop beginning June 2nd. Through exercises and supportive evaluations, you’ll learn techniques that will help you get at the heart of your stories from the pandemic. At the conclusion of the workshop, you are invited to have your story recorded and preserved on film to show us how, for all the distance, the walls and windows, the lack of touch, we are still intimately connected. Ultimately, these stories will become part of the new collection, Documenting COVID-19: White Plains Experiences, created by Library
Read More

May 20, 2020 11:15 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, creative writing, Documenting COVID-19, events, and Pause and Reflect.

Documenting COVID-19:
County Center Photos

Documenting COVID-19: <br />County Center Photos

Photos of the “Westchester County Center and the temporary hospital across the street,” submitted by Anonymous. “We are ready. The temporary hospital will be operated by the New York State Health Department through nearby White Plains Hospital.” Submit your own experience.
Read More

May 14, 2020 3:37 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, COVID19, photos, Westchester County Center, and white plains.

Documenting COVID-19:
Never A Miss Poem

Documenting COVID-19: <br />Never A Miss Poem

“Never A Miss,” a poem submitted by Gina. “I lost my father to COVID-19. I began to write down what it felt like from the moment we had to leave him at the hospital to 16 days later when he lost his life.” Never A Miss You were never a miss They didn’t know Rushed inside while they waited for more rows Failing miserably on the account of all others Your dignity and pride now tossed aside Unable to speak as voices disappear Pleading for breath but life was so unclear You were never a miss Mind like no other
Read More

May 12, 2020 3:51 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Featured, and Homepage.
Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, COVID19, poem, and white plains.

Library Launches Documenting COVID-19 Collection

Library Launches Documenting COVID-19 Collection

We're living in unprecedented times. Many of us are working from home and adapting to shared living spaces, childcare demands, and social isolation. Others have had health challenges or find themselves unemployed. Meanwhile, we hear examples of adaptation and education, creativity and bravery. Our lives have continued in new ways. For these reasons, the Library—with your help—is creating a new collection: Documenting COVID-19: White Plains Experiences. The Library wants to hear about you, what you're doing, how you're doing, what you see outside your window. Contributions to the Library’s collection can be anything, from a three-line poem to a 200-page
Read More

May 7, 2020 10:47 am | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: collection, coronavirus, covid-19, and local history.

COVID-19 Writing Prompt: Community Poem

COVID-19 Writing Prompt: Community Poem

Poetry is a party on a page and poems, people and words have PERSONALITIES Words have personality and life of their own: Happy, Sad, Angry, Lazy And, in times like these, we can sometimes feel like the universe has completely changed. What if part of this change was to make us each an inanimate object…our job in this poetry prompt is to pick the object that best represents us during this strange time. And, then to breathe LIFE into that object. Every inanimate objects have a personality: stapler, scissors etc What inanimate object best represents you? Now here are the
Read More

April 29, 2020 2:27 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: covid-19, poetry prompt, and Zork.

eBooks to Help Children Understand COVID-19

eBooks to Help Children Understand COVID-19

This crisis is difficult for everyone to comprehend. Children, especially, may be having a hard time understanding what is going on – what the virus is, why we are isolating at home, and how to deal with their anxieties and fears. Below are some free downloadable ebooks that talk about what the pandemic is and responses to it. Rainbows in Windows – A Book about Big Imaginations, Big Feelings, and Sheltering in Place During a Pandemic. Link also includes a video of Donald Sutherland reading the book. Coronavirus: A Book for Children St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Learn About Coronavirus
Read More

April 28, 2020 10:29 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, coronavirus, covid-19, and eBooks.

DIY Masks and FAQ

DIY Masks and FAQ

Over the past few weeks, recommendations on the use of fabric masks have evolved rapidly. At first, there was skepticism that homemade alternatives were effective. However, since the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone should wear a fabric face cover in public, I’ve seen an explosion of mask-making information online. With Governor Cuomo's new decree requiring everyone to cover their mouths and nose in public, we will likely see even more. Sorting through the sheer number of patterns, and the contradicting information about the effectiveness of various filter materials, has been overwhelming and even
Read More

April 15, 2020 11:00 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, mask tutorial, and masks.

Food Pantries

Food Pantries

The following food pantries are still open: Ridgeway Alliance 465 Ridgeway, White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 949-3714 Monday 10:00-2:00 p.m. Tuesdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. Wednesdays 10:00-2:00 p.m. Fridays 10:00-2:00 p.m. (Not every Friday, should call) First Baptist Church 456 North Street White Plains 10605 (914) 946-5207 (No set hours please call) White Plains Schools Food Distribution https://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/ El Centro Hispano Operating from the Post Road School 175 W Post Rd, White Plains, NY 10606 April 16th, May 7th, May 21st, June 4th, June 18th at 3:00 p.m. Food will be distributed through the Soundview entrance. Make the Road New York 46
Read More

April 14, 2020 5:16 pm | by | 3 Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, food bank, food pantries, and food pantry.

Resources for Seniors

Resources for Seniors

Supermarket Special Hours/Lanes Whole Foods—Customers over 60 can shop one hour early, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. each day. Stop and Shop (both on Westchester Avenue and on North Broadway)—Customers over 60 as well as customers with compromised immune systems can shop from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. each day. ShopRite in City Center—Customers over 60 can shop from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. each day. Trader Joe’s in Hartsdale—Seniors have a special shopping line from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. each day. Store is closed April 20th for a deep clean but will reopen on April 21st. Check this
Read More

April 14, 2020 3:01 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, and seniors.

Safe at Home

Safe at Home

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 3 Stuck at Home Staff Picks: Teens Edition Great Ideas for Activities and Experiences Children’s Museum of Manhattan At Home Daily Activities Long List of Virtual Activities and Experiences for
Read More

April 13, 2020 9:56 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: at home learning, covid-19, safe at home, staff recommendations, and stuck at home.

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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

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
Read More

April 1, 2020 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: anxiety and covid-19.

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.
Read More

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.