Tompkins County Public Library

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST ANNUAL STUDENT EXHIBIT

The work of some of Ithaca High School’s most talented artists will be available for public viewing beginning May 31, as the Tompkins County Public Library opens its latest exhibit, Visual Culture at I.H.S.

An annual favorite among Library patrons, Visual Culture at I.H.S is curated by art faculty for the Ithaca City School District and includes the finest student works created during the 2010-2011 academic year.

The images presented in this exhibit are personal portraits and perspectives of students and their environments-- their friends, their lives and their imaginations.  The exhibit represents a visual dialogue of these young artists’ lives.  It will be on display at the Library through June 30.

This exhibit is made possible with the support of the Fine Arts Booster Group of the Ithaca Public Education Initiative.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

LIBRARY ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY READ, SEEKS EXHIBIT SUBMISSIONS

The Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with the Cornell University New Student Reading Project, has announced E.L. Doctorow’s “Homer and Langley” as the 2011 Community Read.

Based on the now-folkloric lives of the Collyer brothers, whose bodies were found in 1947 amidst 100-ton of refuse---including newspapers, preserved human organs and a Model T Ford---in their Fifth Avenue brownstone,  “Homer and Langley” offers readers a fictionalized glimpse inside the Collyer brother’s home and an intimate, though imagined, look at their bond.

In conjunction with the Community Read, the Library is soliciting participation from local collectors of all ages willing to share a digital image of their collections.  Images will be showcased in an art exhibit at the Library during September and October.

The Library is looking for collections of all types--from fine china to bottle caps and silver spoons to sea shells. Collectors and hoarders alike are invited to send in submissions for the exhibit. Pieces from some collections will be displayed in the Library’s exhibit cases and all images received will be included on the exhibit page of the Library’s website.

For more information about the exhibit or to submit images, contact Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org.  For information about the Community Read, contact Sarah Glogowski at sglogowski@tcpl.org.

Copies of the 2011 Community Read will be available at the Library beginning Friday, July 1.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST ACCLAIMED AUTHOR, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST


The Tompkins County Public Library will host school psychologist and award-winning author Shawn Goodman for a discussion and signing of his debut novel, “Something Like Hope,” Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Written for young adults, “Something Like Hope” is an unflinchingly honest depiction of life in juvenile detention centers and earned Goodman the 2009 Delacorte Press Contest Award and a starred Booklist review.

A tireless advocate for juvenile justice reform, Goodman has written and lectured on issues related to special education, foster care and literacy.  He was inspired to write “Something Like Hope” by his experiences as a school psychologist for the Ithaca City School District and for several juvenile detention facilities.

This program is free and open to an all-ages audience and is being held in conjunction with the Library and the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation’s 2011 Local Writers Series.  Copies of “Something Like Hope” will be available for purchase at the event, with proceeds benefitting Library programs and services.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST “IS CANCER OVER-DIAGNOSED?”

The Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with the Cornell Campus Club, will host “Is Cancer Over-Diagnosed?,” a presentation by Anatomic and Clinical Pathologist Dr. William Shang, Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Director of the Allyn B. Ley Laboratory at Cornell University’s Gannett Health Services Center and the Cortland Regional Medical Center Laboratory, Shang will offer a thought-provoking discussion on a phenomenon well-known within the medical profession--- while more cancer is being detected and more people treated, paradoxically the death rate is largely unchanged for certain types of cancer.

Well-meaning advocacy groups, malpractice lawsuits, hospital, specialist and drug company marketing all encourage cancer screening, but according to Shang and many others in the medical profession, this pursuit of early diagnosis not only escalates health care costs but leads to anxiety and unnecessary-- and sometimes harmful-- treatments.

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

LIBRARY UNVEILS MURAL

From the page to the wall, storybook characters from beloved children’s classics are now portrayed in a mural in the Tompkins County Public Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room, and the public is invited to celebrate at its May 21st  unveiling.

Readers of all ages will love the vibrant mural, created by artist Mary Beth Ihnken, with the help of local teens.  The mural features a diverse group of characters from beloved children’s stories including:  Jack from “Jack and the Beanstalk,” the Chesire Cat from “Alice in Wonderland” and Humpty Dumpty.

The mural will be unveiled at 11:00 AM and will include an opportunity for attendees to meet Ihnken and the teens who helped design and paint it.   The program is free and open to an all-ages audience and will be followed by Family Storytime.

The mural was made possible by a grant from the Community Arts Partnership.

For more information, contact Sally Grubb at (607) 272-4557 extension 232.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST TECHNOLOGY “PETTING ZOOS”

Due to the popularity of previous sessions, the Tompkins County Public Library will offer two additional Technology “Petting Zoos,” Wednesday, May 11th from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM and Thursday, May 12th from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM in the Avenue of the Friends.

“Petting Zoos” allow patrons to try out the Barnes and Noble Nook and Color Nook, Amazon’s Kindle, the Apple iPad, and “100 Classic Books” for the Nintendo DSI. Librarians will also be on-hand to expertly demonstrate the devices, answer questions and provide information about the OverDrive Digital Download service.

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

LIBRARY OFFERS FREE ITHACA JOURNAL ACCESS

The Tompkins County Public Library now offers free, online access to full-text, indexed editions of the Ithaca Journal from November 26, 2002 to the present.

Users can research and read top news stories and information from specialty sections including: companies, people, products and obituaries.

The Ithaca Journal database can be accessed from any Internet-ready device through the Tompkins County Public Library website, tcpl.org. A valid library card from any Tompkins County member library--- the Tompkins County Public Library, Dryden, Groton, Lansing, Newfield and Trumansburg libraries--- is required for remote access.

The Ithaca Journal is Tompkins County’s daily newspaper and has been in print since 1815-- longer than The New York Times.

For more information, contact Lawrence Carey at (607) 272-4557 extension 256 or lcarey@tcpl.org.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

LIBRARY OFFERS WRITING WORKSHOP


The Tompkins County Public Library will host “Every Picture Tells a Story,” a four-part writing workshop for adults led by Irene (Zee) Zahava, each Wednesday in May from 10 :00 AM to noon in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Writers of all experience levels are invited to take part in this free series.  A wide variety of visual images will serve as inspiration, and works will be written and shared in atmosphere that fosters stimulation and support.

Zahava is the director of Emma’s Writing Center, where she has been leading Writing Circles for children and adults since 1994. She is the Outreach Librarian for the Durland Alternatives Library and the publisher of 2Turtles Press.

This workshop is free and open to the first 14 registered participants.  To register, contact Zahava at 607-273-4675 or zee@twcny.rr.com.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST STORYTELLERS


Join the Ithaca Area Storytellers and the Tompkins County Public Library for a celebration of mothers and motherhood Tuesday, May 3 at 7:00 PM in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

“Stories About Mothers,” is free and open to the public and will feature traditional stories and folktales about family matriarchs. This program is most appropriate for families with children ages five and older.

The Ithaca Area Storytellers is an informal group of individuals dedicated to furthering the timeless art of storytelling. Anyone interested in finding out more about the group is encouraged to attend their monthly organizational meeting. May’s meeting will be held at 6:30 PM on May 3 in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or visit http://www.ithacaareastorytellers.com/.