Tompkins County Public Library

Thursday, September 30, 2010

KAKABADZE TO SPEAK AT LIBRARY

The Tompkins County Public Library will host Georgian immigrant Irakli Kakabadze for a reading from his latest book, “Land of Flowers,” and a discussion about activism and polyphonic discourse, Thursday, September 30 at 6:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Kakabadze, a writer- in- residence for the Ithaca City of Asylum and a visiting professor at Cornell University, fled the Republic of Georgia in 2006 after being beaten and arrested for protesting repressive government actions. A writer, activist and peace studies scholar, Kakabadze won the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award in 2009. The award is given annually to writers and journalists who have been forced to flee for using the power of their writing to criticize the government.

This program is being held in conjunction with the Library’s celebration of Freedom to Read Week (September 25 through October 2). It is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

LIBRARY TO HOST “ALLURING ANDROIDS” PROGRAM

The Tompkins County Public Library will host “Alluring Androids and Robots in Film, Photography and Art” a discussion by author Julie Wosk, Saturday, September 25 at 2:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Wosk, a professor of art history, English and studio painting at SUNY Maritime College, will discuss the long fascination among filmmakers, photographers and artists with the idea of artificial women that seem alive. Through an illustrated lecture, Wosk will explore provocative questions about how men and women’s views on robots differ, whether the images of female robots reveal men’s fantasies and fears about women, and what will happen when society is unable to tell the difference between real people and fabricated ones.

This program is sponsored by the New York State Council for the Humanities and is being held in conjunction with the 2010 Community Read of Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. It is free and open to the public.

Wosk is the author of "Women and the Machine: Representations From the Spinning Wheel to the Electric Age" (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001) and "Breaking Frame: Technology and the Visual Arts in the Nineteenth Century" (Rutgers University Press, 1992), as well as numerous articles and reviews. For more information, visit her website at juliewosk.com.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.

The 2010 Community Read is made possible by the Brooks Family Foundation and Cornell University.

BARNES & NOBLE TO HOST BOOK FAIR FOR THE YOUTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT

On Saturday, September 25th, the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Ithaca is hosting a book fair to benefit the Tompkins County Public Library’s Youth Services Department.

Come to Barnes and Noble to celebrate with Stories at 11:00, Game Day beginning at noon, and live music throughout the afternoon.

At no additional cost to shoppers a percentage of Barnes and Noble purchases will benefit TCPL’s Youth Services Department. Even a purchase in the cafĂ© or music/DVD department will count towards our fundraiser. Those who cannot attend the book fair but still wish to support the Youth Services Department, can shop online on September 25 and September 26 at www.bn.com/bookfairs.

The proceeds from this book fair will be directed to the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation to be used specifically for the needs of the Youth Services Department.

For more information contact the Youth Services Department at (607)272-4557 Ext.275 or 276.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

LIBRARY TO HOST CLOSING RECEPTION, DISCUSSION

Join the artists of “MARK-up” for a closing reception and panel discussion, Thursday, September 23 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the Tompkins County Public Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

The fourth installment in the Library’s Year of Art at Your Library series, “MARK-up” is an eclectic exhibit featuring the work of 17 local artists. Artists who will be participating in the panel include: Ben Altman, Jane Dennis, Andrew Gillis, Jay Hart, Barbara Page, Erica Pollack, Nancy Ridenour and Allen Smith.

Each of the artists participated in the 2008 and 2009 MARK programs, sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County. MARK is designed to help visual artists develop the professional skills necessary to better market and promote their work. By providing insight into professional traits such as: goal setting, organization, networking and presentation, MARK serves as an invaluable tool for artists looking to enhance their business skills.

The reception is free and open to the public. The panel discussion begins at 6:00 PM. Following comments from the artists, the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions.

For more information, contact Sally Grubb at (607) 272-4557 extension 232 or sgrubb@tcpl.org.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

WANSINK TO KICK-OFF LIBRARY APPEAL

Tompkins County’s bleak economic forecast coupled with increasing public demand for Library services have resulted in additional dependence on the success of the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation’s Annual Appeal.

Designed to encourage support from individuals and families, businesses and others, the Foundation’s Annual Appeal is one of the key activities undertaken by the Foundation to meet its 2010 fundraising goal of $300,000. The goal for the Appeal is $75,000.

Caroline Cox, president of the Foundation’s board of directors, said funds raised during this year’s Appeal will support three primary priority areas during 2011: programs and services for children and teens, new acquisitions, and public programming and the arts.

“The needs to be supported through this year’s appeal are compelling,” Cox said. “TCPL is a primary source for literacy and out-of-school learning for our young people. Our collections inspire, illuminate and transport readers, listeners and viewers, many of whom would not otherwise be able to afford books and audio-visual materials. And our programs in the arts, humanities and sciences -- all free and open to the public -- are what make our Library the true cultural center of the county.”

Cox will join local business owner, Jennifer Engel, and renowned author and food psychologist Brian Wansink as they kick-off the Annual Appeal Sunday, September 19 at 1:00 PM in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Engel, the owner of Cat’s Pajamas in the DeWitt Mall, will serve as chair of this year’s Appeal. A longtime Library supporter, Engel expressed her appreciation for TCPL’s contributions to the vitality of the community—especially children and families.

”The Library has always been a vital part of my family’s life,” Engel said.“When my kids were little, we spent countless hours exploring the Library together. As teens, they visited on their own and often sought the help of the expert librarians.”

Following brief opening remarks by Engel, Wansink will discuss his groundbreaking research on the concept of mindless eating—the propensity to eat based on environmental cues and habit rather than hunger. His book of the same title is an international bestseller and helped earn him the nickname “The Sherlock Holmes of Food.”

Wansink, John Dyson professor of consumer behavior at Cornell University, is the founder of the Food and Brand Lab and the Consumer Education Foundation, which have been credited with the creation of the Small Plate Movement and the launch of 100-calorie packs.

Wansink’s presentation is free and open to the public.

For more information, or to contribute to the Annual Appeal, contact Suzanne Smith Jablonski, executive director of the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, at (607) 272-4557 extension 231 or ssmithjablonski@tcpl.org.

You can listen to the September 16th WHCU podcast where Professor Wansink discusses the value of the library and his latest work on mindless eating. at http://www.whcu870.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4921716

Thursday, September 16, 2010

LIBRARY TO HOST FAMED BLOGGER

In conjunction with the 2010 Community Read of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” the Tompkins County Public Library will host recognized Philip K. Dick scholar David Gill for a presentation and discussion, Thursday, September 16 at 6:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Gill has studied Dick’s life and work for 15 years writing his master’s thesis on the novel “Time Out of Joint.” His acclaimed blog totaldickhead.blogspot.com is viewed by readers from around the world and has earned him speaking engagements at the annual PKD Festival in Colorado and at Harvard’s annual science fiction festival. Gill teaches literature and writing at San Francisco State University and regularly assigns “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” to his students. He is also part of a team currently working to edit and publish Dick’s “Exegesis,” a series of notes made by the author during the last eight years of his life.

During his Library presentation, Gill will lead a wide-ranging discussion about “Do Androids Dream. . .” which will focus on the notions of identity raised in the novel, examining human interaction with technology as a form of schizophrenia, discussing the critical approaches that can be applied to the book, connecting the novel to the work of pioneering brain surgeon Wilder Penfield and the poetry of T.S. Eliot and Matthew Arnold, and exploring America’s growing fascination with zombie movies.

This program is free and open to the public. The 2010 Community Read has been made possible by the Brooks Family Foundation and Cornell University. For more information about this or other programs being held in conjunction with the Read, contact Sarah Glogowski at (607) 272-4557 extension 255.

Monday, September 13, 2010

LIBRARY TO LAUNCH COMMUNITY READ TRIVIA

The Tompkins County Public Library announces plans to launch Community Read Trivia—an interactive feature on the Library’s Facebook page which will allow ‘fans” of the Library to win gift certificates to local retailers by answering questions about Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”

During the week of September 13 through the 17, Library staff will post three trivia questions about the book on its Facebook page. The first “fan” to respond with the correct answer will win a $25 gift certificate to Gimme! Coffee, Cinemapolis or Collegetown Bagels.

Become a “fan” of the Library by visiting facebook.com/tcplny. For more information, contact Carrie-Wheeler Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248.

The 2010 Community Read has been made possible by the Brooks Family Foundation and Cornell University.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

LIBRARY TO HOST MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSIC STUDENTS, RE-OPEN ON SUNDAYS

The Tompkins County Public Library will celebrate “Arts in Education Week” and the return of Sunday hours, September 12 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM with performances by musical ensembles from Boynton Middle School.

The United States House of Representatives has designated the second week of September “Arts in Education Week” in an effort to recognize the important role arts education plays in the development of successful, well-rounded adults. The Library strives to promote a lifelong appreciation of art and Arts in Education by offering stimulating exhibits and arts-related programs to the community.

Musical performances will take place in the Ezra Cornell Reading Room and have been made possible by the Fine Arts Booster Group, an affiliate of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative, and the Ithaca City School District music program.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CANDIDATES FORUM TO BE HELD AT LIBRARY

Tompkins County Sheriff hopefuls Ken Lansing and Incumbent Peter Meskill will have an opportunity to share their platforms with the public before the September 14 primary when the Tompkins County League of Women Voters, The Ithaca Journal and the Tompkins County Public Library hold a Candidates Forum, Wednesday September 1 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Lansing and Meskill will join local proxies representing state attorney general candidates during this informative event. The Forum will kick-off with brief statements from the attorney general proxies followed by a short question and answer period. The sheriff’s candidates will take the floor at 7:25 to discuss their backgrounds and qualifications and to field live and pre-submitted questions. A casual meet and greet will be held following the formal program.

Community members can also access links to additional candidate information by visiting tcpl.org/events-exhibits/2010/candidates-forum.php.

Attendees are encouraged to submit their questions in advance by emailing Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org or Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at cwheeler@tcpl.org.