Battle of the Books is back! For adults we have a virtual talk from Minidoka National Historic Site, demystifying Medicare and tips on energy saving at home. The whole family can visit museums, join us for stories and dances from Colombia, and explore our AAPI month resource list.

For all this and more, please see below or check our calendar. 

Programs with a 💻 icon will be on Zoom and programs with a 🏛 icon will be held at the Library.

New Museum Passes

Our Museum pass program allows residents with a valid adult Pelham library card to visit local museums in the area for free. Our museum passes can be reserved digitally through this site. Some passes must be picked up and returned to the Library while others can be printed from home. We have recently added a few new passes to our list so please click here to check them out. Our reference librarians are also just a phone call or visit away to help you reserve your passes.

New at the Library: Fiber Fridays!

Love to knit or crochet? Gather your needles, hooks, and yarn, and join us every Friday afternoon for an informal adult needlework group. Knitters and crocheters of all abilities are welcome, but please note that no instructors will be present.

Every Friday, 1-3:30 pm 🏛

Demystifying Medicare

This informative in-person only event is designed to help those not yet enrolled in Medicare understand the complicated system. This is open to those interested in applying or helping others apply. Registration is required and can be done in person or over the phone. For those who do not wish to attend an in-person event, please visit the WLS website anytime for comprehensive audio presentations of the program.

Thursday, May 9, 5:30-8:45 pm 🏛

Saving Energy at Home

Do you know how to be eco-friendly in your home? Join us to learn through activities related to saving energy, composting, nurturing our ecosystem, and measuring our carbon footprints. We’ll explore ways that we can reduce, reuse, and recycle to conserve natural resources, protect the environment, and save money. This program is presented in collaboration with Sustainable Westchester, the Pelham Sustainability Advisory Board, the Village of Pelham, and the Town of Pelham Public Library. This program will take place in-person, and registration is required. Click here to register.

Saturday, May 11, 1-2:30 pm 🏛

English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL) for Intermediate Students

Join us for a series of ESL classes for adults with Pelham resident, EJ Sepp!

This class is intended for low-intermediate to advanced students who are learning English as a second or foreign language. (No beginners please!)

EJ Sepp has taught ESL for 20 years and is the co-author of English Express New York: A Cultural Reading & Writing Text for English Language Learners.



These classes are walk-ins that do not require preregistration or attending all sessions.

Mondays, May 6, 13, and 20, 6-6:45 pm 🏛

Food as Medicine with Dr. Kaushik

This series from Dr. Somesh N. Kaushik discusses the effect of food on the body and its healing abilities. With over 35 years’ experience as an Ayurvedic physician, Dr. Kaushik is one of the most experienced Ayurvedic physicians in North America. Dr. Kaushik recently founded the Institute for the Advancement of Ayurvedic Sciences, a research and teaching institution. This program will take place on Zoom, and registration is required. Click here to register. The Zoom link will be emailed to you before the presentation.

Tuesday, May 14, 7-8 pm 💻

Virtual Ranger Talk from Minidoka National Historic Site

During World War II, more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated without due process of law. The Minidoka concentration camp once held over 13,000 Japanese Americans in the Idaho desert. Of the 10 incarceration camps in the United States, Minidoka had the highest percentage of incarcerees to serve in the military: over 950 people, who either volunteered or were drafted, served their country after being incarcerated at the camp.

This program will take place on Zoom, and registration is required. Click here to register.

Thursday, May 16, 7-8 pm 💻

Crafty Adults: Button Booklets

Join our resident artist/instructor Sara Mallach as we say goodbye to April showers and hello to May flowers with lovely little Button Booklets as a sweet spring keepsake.

This event will take place in-person at the Library and separate registration is required for each attendee. Click here to register. Sign up early, as space and supplies are limited.

Please note: Time change to 7:15 pm for Crafty Adults classes. Please arrive on time as late arrivals disrupt the class.

Monday, May 20, 7:15-8:15 pm 🏛

Tuesdays are Digitizing Days

Our Time-Warp Tuesdays have started. This new program for digitizing photos has been a great success. Bring in your family photos and our librarians will assist you with scanning them to a USB drive using our new high-speed scanner. Appointments are required for a 45-minute session. To learn all of the details and to register, please click here.

Check Out Our Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Resource List

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month we have compiled a list of books, movies and eBooks available through the Library. Check out the list for suggestions for both adults and children. To access the list, click here.

The Library Will Be Closed in Observance of Memorial Day.

We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26 for our regular hours. We will also have a Memorial Day quiz available at the circulation desk from Monday, May 20 through Friday, May 31.

Closed Monday, May 27

Calling All Avid Readers: Battle of the Books

Will you be in the 4th-12th grade in September 2024? If so join us for Battle of the Books. Battle of the Books is a book-based trivia tournament for Westchester youth. The Pelham Library plans on having a 4th-6th grade team and a 7th-12th grade team. We will compete against teams from other Westchester libraries. The competition format is similar to Jeopardy! and questions are based on the five books you will need to read in your age bracket. If you are interested in joining the 4th-6th grade team please reach out to Erin (emaloney@pelhamlibrary.org), or Kathy (kpalovick@pelhamlibrary.org) if you are interested in joining the 7th-12th grade team or call 914-738-1234. For more info click here.

Practices occur in August, September, and October with the Battle being on Saturday, October 26, 2024. 🏛

Community Craft Table: Mother's Day Cards

Come to the community craft table to make a mother's day card for a mom, grandma, or other mother-like figure in your life!

Wednesday, May 1 through Saturday, May 11 🏛

Kids Craft: Mother's Day Bracelets

Don't have a gift for mom or the mother figure in your life? Come make a bracelet! We're back with our popular jewelry-making program for kids ages six and up. This event will take place in person at the Library. First come, first served.

Wednesday, May 8, 3:30-4:30 pm 🏛

Stories and Dances from Colombia with Maria Rosell and Tumbaga

Join us for an afternoon of Colombian stories, music, and dance! We'll be joined by local author Maria Rosell, and by dancers from the Tumbaga Colombian Dance Company of New York, who will show us some traditional dances and costumes, and teach us a few dance moves too. Fun for all ages!

Saturday, May 18, 1-3 pm 🏛

Story Time with Pelham Middle Schoolers: Famous People in History

Join us for this very special Story Time offered by Pelham Middle School students as part of their community project. Check next month's newsletter for more details.

Saturday, June 1, 2 pm 🏛

The Library would like to thank the Friends of the Town of Pelham Public Library for program support.

Current Library Hours are as follows:

• Monday: 1 pm-8 pm
• Tuesday: 10 am-5 pm
• Wednesday: 10 am-5 pm

• Thursday:10 am-8 pm
• Friday: 10 am-5 pm
• Saturday: 10 am-4 pm

• The Library building is open to patrons for browsing and checking out materials. Computers, printer, and study areas are also available to patrons. Social distancing and wearing masks is greatly appreciated.
• We also continue to offer contactless, curbside pickup (you can place holds using the Westchester Library System app or through our online catalog.)
• You can visit our digital library and select ebooks, audiobooks through Overdrive (including the Libby App) and Hoopla or stream movies through Kanopy.
• Our librarians are always available to answer reference questions, give book recommendations, and provide technology help. Notary services are generally available during Library open hours. Please call in advance to confirm.
• Please call the library at 914-738-1234 or email library@pelhamlibrary.org with any questions.