GPL's September/October Newsletter |
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With the arrival of fall, you will see landscaping in progress at the front of the library where a patch of grass is being transformed into a small garden. The garden was proposed to the Town and the Library by the Barbara Giordano Foundation, whose Director, Virginia Giordano, sought to provide recognition of the contributions of women who have served our nation. The garden is intended to be a place where all community members can enjoy a moment of beauty, peace, reflection and gratitude for the service of others.
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The Barbara Giordano Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the emotional, economic and physical wellness of women veterans. The vision of the Foundation is for the garden to become the model for other communities as a way to honor women veterans.
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The library also sees the garden as a way to further engage the community in our ongoing educational programs particularly on issues impacting women veterans. Local Girl Scout Troops, recruited by long-time Scout advocate, Alison Bergman, have volunteered to keep the garden flourishing with year-round guidance from a horticulturist. The library hopes to provide instructional gardening programs on a seasonal basis. |
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The Library has replaced two trees at the corner of Knollwood Road dated from the 1950's that succumbed to age and disease. The first replacement tree, a black tupelo, was funded by grant from the Arbor Day Foundation, and in recognition of Greenburgh's designation as a "Tree City USA". In the years to come, just behind the Greenburgh Library sign, you will be able to watch the tree grow.
The second replacement tree, a Japanese Maple, was planted at the library driveway entrance off of Rte.119 and will be dedicated to the memory of our beloved colleague and friend, Nancy Larrabee, who passed away this past Spring. Learn interesting facts about trees and the Town of Greenburgh's tree management program here.
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Return to school with plenty of resources to help you and your student succeed in the midst of continued COVID-19 health concerns and physical distancing restrictions.
With your Greenburgh Library card, you can access a robust collection of electronic learning, research, and support resources to help learners of all ages at no charge. Following are a few of our favorites but we encourage you to explore further at greenburghlibrary.org. As always, feel free to reach out to either Youth or Adult Services staff for help navigating these resources or for finding appropriate and exciting reading suggestions and activities.
For parents and home educators:
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Our Homeschooling Help Guide provides a variety of resources, programs, and websites to inform, educate, and help the homeschooling community.
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Wide Open School - Offers expertly curated collections of learning activities for pre-K to grade 12, as well as tips and resources for distance learning for parents/caregivers and teachers. Hay recursos en español.
For Students of All Ages:
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Tutor.com - With a Westchester Library card, learners from kindergarten through early college, as well as adult learners and job seekers, can access live, on-demand one-on-one tutors from 9 am - 10 pm, Monday - Friday PLUS 24/7 services such as test prep, writing review, skills practice and MORE! También hay tutores que hablan español.
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Linkedin Learning - Your Westchester Library Card also provides access to the Lynda.com video library of over 16,000 engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts. You have unlimited access to the entire collection 24/7 from within the library or from home!
For Preschool and Elementary Learners:
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Tumble Book Library is a fun and interactive library of animated, talking story books for children from kindergarten to 6th grade. Read along and listen or read on your own. Hay libros en español
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Sprout Early Learning Backpacks are Here! |
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The Greenburgh Public Library’s Children’s Room has Sprout Early Learning Backpacks available to borrow and bring home to enhance and support your child’s learning.
Little Sprout Backpacks are developed for infants/toddlers (ages 1-3), while Sprout Early Learning Backpacks are designed for children ages 3-8. Each backpack is based on a theme or concept and includes an easy-to-follow activity guide along with several books and developmentally appropriate games and toys that support various concepts that are beneficial for school success.
Sprout backpacks are great for parents, caregivers, and teachers and help make learning fun. Backpacks are available to check out in person from the Children’s room with a library card and can be kept for 21 days.
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Libraries are institutions that evolve to suit the needs of our patrons. While many recognize and associate a library with just books, the library contains a large selection of programs and services, including magazines, newspapers, databases, digital programs, digital reference, and more! In addition to traditional items, the Greenburgh Public Library offers its patrons a unique selection of non-traditional items. The collection of these non-traditional items, often called the Library of Things, includes Windows 10 laptops and Chromebooks, mobile WiFi hotspots, Amazon Fire TV Sticks, Launchpads for kids, and museum passes.
Laptops and hotspots - When most public libraries closed, Greenburgh patrons who relied on the library for their digital needs were presented with an alternative - laptops and mobile hotspots. Broadband service, provided with the use of a mobile WiFi hotspot, allowed for a stable and reliable Internet connection. Bundled with one of our Windows laptops or Chromebooks, patrons can continue to access essential services that were previously only offered online, such as rental assistance, unemployment benefits, telehealth, school, and more.
Our Windows 10 computers come preloaded with essential software, including Zoom and Adobe Reader. Chromebooks are also available as a great alternative to a Windows computer, as they provide a simpler interface directly through the web browser. If a patron lacks broadband access, the library can supply a mobile hotspot providing 4G LTE coverage. Our laptops and mobile hotspots are available for three week loans to GPL cardholders 18 years and older.
Amazon Fire TV Sticks - GPL was the first library in the Westchester Library System to provide Amazon Fire TV Sticks. Our Amazon Fire TV Sticks come preloaded with Netflix, Disney+, and Acorn TV subscriptions. In addition, Fire TV Sticks have a web browser and include movies from Vudu and MoviesAnywhere that may not be on digital streaming platforms. Fire TV Sticks are available for loan to GPL cardholders 18 years and older for two week periods.
Launchpads by Playaway - Launchpads are interactive tablets for kids and families which are preloaded with learning apps, videos, games, and more. Launchpads can be loaned for seven days. to GPL cardholders 18 years and older. Call 914-721-8227 or visit the Children's Room to learn more and reserve yours.
The Library of Things is a vital service for patrons of all needs. It provides patrons and the community the resources and tools that they might not be able to purchase for themselves. GPL's Library of Things collection will continue to grow to meet the needs of our community. To learn more about our non-traditional collection, visit the Library website, or speak to a library staff member.
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GPL Kindness Week 9/11- 9/17/21 |
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No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted. (Aesop)
The Greenburgh community, along with library staff, came together for Kindness Week from September 11-17. On September 11th, a day of remembrance and reverence, we hosted Rock Painting on the Patio. Over 80 patrons from small children to grandparents created rocks festooned with art and words of kindness.
Earlier this year, the library lost a long-time staff member, Nancy Larrabee. One of Nancy's favorite programs was Kindness Week and rock painting. She had a passion for art and loved to paint in her spare time. The rocks that were painted will be spread around the Japanese Maple tree that was planted on library grounds in Nancy’s honor. More information on a tribute ceremony to come.
Other activities during Kindness week included a film discussion of It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, kindness sidewalk chalk, Qi Gong and Meditation programs to cultivate balance and relaxation and a virtual talk, "Choosing Love with Scarlett Lewis" which emphasized the transformative power of choosing to respond with love and kindness, no matter our circumstances. View the Choosing Love program on our Recorded Events page.
Lastly, for Kindness Week and throughout the month of September as Hunger Action month, GPL partnered with Feeding Westchester to gather food donations for our neighbors in need. Many thanks for the generosity of all who donated!
If you missed this year’s Kindness Week activities, rest assured it will return next September. In the meantime, we can all do our part and practice kindness to ourselves and others to cultivate a safer, more peaceful and loving world.
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Great for fans of Fredrick Bakman and anyone who likes a book packed with emotion! This one will make you laugh and cry.
-Amanda, Adult Services
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Five kits visit a mysterious older vixen and are drawn into her chilling tales of survival and friendship. Highly recommended for thrill seekers of all ages.
-Nicole, Youth Services
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Its a Murderbot Diary! If you haven't read them yet you must - you will love it -It's not what you think! It's all about being human!
-Kathy, Administration
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I highly recommend this book. It's a story that puts you in the shoes of the people who had to live under Nazi rule in the British owned, Channel Islands. Also includes a nice love story.
-Diana, Adult Services
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A gripping thriller and social commentary on inequality in sports and misogyny. I couldn't put it down!
-Emily, Youth Services
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A nice little book about hummingbird rescue and conservation. Montgomery always delves deep into her subject without getting too academic.
-Laura, Circulation
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As the cooler weather arrives, honor your creative spirit with Creativebug, our online resource offering thousands of award-winning arts & crafts videos and classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. Available to Greenburgh Library card holders at no cost, creative projects are available for all skill levels! Watch this quick video to learn more about Creativebug.
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Come See Us!
The Library is now open to the public without occupancy restrictions or appointments:
- Mondays & Thursday - Saturday: 10am* - 5pm
- Tuesday & Wednesday: 10am* - 7pm
- *Beginning Tuesday, October 12th, the library will open at 9:30am Monday-Saturday
Masks are required for all patrons two years old and older. Curbside pickup remains available throughout the day; please refer to our Curbside pickup instructions.
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This newsletter is made possible through the valuable contributions of the entire library staff. Editorial and layout contributions by Christa O’Sullivan and Janet Heneghan.
September/October 2021
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