Tompkins County Public Library

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST CANDIDATES FORUM

Candidates vying for the Democratic spot on the November ballot for City of Ithaca Mayor will have an opportunity share their platforms with the public Tuesday, August 30 as the Tompkins County Public Library, the Tompkins County League of Women Voters, The Ithaca Journal and the MLK Community Build host a Candidates Forum from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Mayoral hopefuls J.R. Clairborne, Pam Mackesey and Svante Myrick will offer brief opening statements prior to answering questions from the audience. Following closing remarks, the candidates will hold a meet and greet with event attendees.

Community members are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org or Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at cwheeler@tcpl.org. Questions will also be accepted from the floor and over a live internet feed during the event.

A second forum featuring all of the Mayoral candidates will be held at the Library on Wednesday, October 19 at 7:00 PM.

LIBRARY TO HOST LUNCH AND LEARN


Have an iPad, iPhone, Droid, or other app-based device and want to download free library books? Learn how during the Tompkins County Public Library’s “Lunch and Learn: OverDrive Apps for eBooks and eAudiobooks,” Tuesday, August 30 from Noon to 1:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room-East.

Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch and their devices for a user-friendly tutorial of the OverDrive Digital Download Service. Facilitated by reference librarians Jennifer Schlossberg, Sarah Glogowski and Cassandra Shortle, this program will offer personal assistance and tips for downloading books to smartphones and iPads.

Participants should bring a library card or sign up for a free card on the day of the event. A photo ID with a current, local address is required to receive a library card.

This program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jennifer Schlossberg at (607) 272-4557 extension 254 or jschlossberg@tcpl.org.

LIBRARY, HANGAR PARTNER FOR STORIES IN THE PARK

The Tompkins County Public Library will partner with the Hangar Theatre for a special Stories in the Park Tuesday, August 30 from 11:30 to Noon at the DeWitt Park Farmer’s Market.

TCPL will share its regularly-scheduled storytime—the final Stories in the Park of 2011--- with actors from the Hangar’s Kiddstuff performance of “Goodnight Moon,” which is based on Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s book of the same name. The actors will give an animated reading of the book before turning things over to TCPL’s own Kelly Doolittle for more fun-filled stories and songs.

Stories in the Park programs are most appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. In the event of rain, storytime will be held in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

The Hangar Theatre will present “Goodnight Moon” September 1 through September 3 at 10:00 AM and at Noon.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST WORKSHOP ON DECLUTTERING

Minimizing “stuff” and maximizing space will be the focus of “Controlling Clutter Before It Controls You,” a free workshop led by Professional Organizer Robin Schwartz being held from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, Saturday, August 27 in the Tompkins County Public Library’s BorgWarner Community Room Saturday.

This program is offered in conjunction with the 2011 Community Read of E.L. Doctorow’s “Homer and Langley,” which is 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.

While the Collyer’s story is extreme, Schwartz said most people have more in their house than is comfortable for them.

“Every day we bring items into our homes without regularly taking out an equal number of items” Schwartz said. “The result is too much stuff and not enough space! This invariably leads to an inability to find anything, more time spent cleaning, a loss of efficiency, and all around stress.”

During her workshop, Schwartz will explore why people collect so many items and offer practical solutions for decluttering.

Schwartz has been a professional organizer since 1987 and also serves as the program director for the Community Arts Partnership. For more information about her workshops, visit robindeclutter.wordpress.com.

The Library program is open to the public. For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.

The 2011 Community Read has been made possible by Cornell University and the Brooks Family Foundation.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST POLESKIE FOR DISCUSSION/SIGNING

The Tompkins County Public Library and the Tompkins County Civil War Sesquicentennial Celebration Commission will host much-acclaimed artist and author Stephen Poleskie for a reading and signing of “The Balloonist: The Story of T.S.C. Lowe---Inventor, Scientist, Magician and Father of the U.S. Air Force,” Thursday, August 25 at 6:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Fans of aviation and quirky historical icons will delight in Poleskie’s book---the first full-length biography of Thaddeus Lowe. Best known for organizing the Civil War’s Army of the Potomac Balloon Corps, Lowe was a true eccentric whose love of magic and science helped him mastermind a number of inventions that might well have succeeded if not for his utter lack of organization.

Poleskie is an artist, writer and photographer. His art can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He has taught or served as a visiting professor in 27 colleges and art schools throughout the world, and his writing has appeared in countless journals and reviews. He is a former Pushcart Prize nominee and has completed five full-length novels.

The Library program is free and open to the public. Copies of “The Balloonist. . .” will be available for purchase at the event.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org. To learn more about Poleskie, visit http://www.stephenpoleskie.com/.

LIBRARY TO HOST PROGRAM FOR NEW KINDERGARTENERS

New kindergarteners and their caregivers are invited to shake the first-day-of-school jitters before the school year begins, as the Tompkins County Public Library hosts “My First Day of Kindergarten,” Thursday, August 25 from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Open to all children entering kindergarten in the Ithaca and surrounding school districts, this free program will include stories, songs and a craft.

For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 275.

Monday, August 8, 2011

LIBRARY TO OFFER COMMUNITY READ TRIVIA

Fans of the Tompkins County Public Library’s Facebook page will have an opportunity to turn their knowledge of this year’s Community Read into prizes when the Library launches Community Read Trivia Monday, August 8.

Facebook fans who have read this year’s Community Read---“Homer and Langley” by E.L. Doctorow---should visit the Library’s Facebook page on August 8 and August 22 to test their book knowledge by answering that day’s trivia question.  Winners will receive a $50 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

“Homer and Langley” is 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.

For more information, contact Sarah Glogowski, Community Read coordinator, at sglogowski@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 255.

The 2011 Community Read is made possible with support from Cornell University and the Brooks Family Foundation.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

EXPLORE CULTURES OF THE WORLD THIS SUMMER WITH THE DIDGERIDOO

Celebrate culture and summer reading as the Tompkins County Public hosts a fun-filled workshop on playing and making didgeridoos as part, Saturday, August 6 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Participants of all ages are welcome to join Library staff as they learn about and make these aboriginal instruments, which are native to Australia, as part of their celebration of this year’s summer reading theme, “One World, Many Stories.”

This program is free and open to the public; however, materials for creating a didgeridoo are limited, so pre-registration is recommended.  No registration is necessary to learn about and listen to the didgeridoo performance, and attendees are welcome to attend the performance without attending the workshop.  To register, contact the Youth Services Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 275.

The 2011 Summer Reading Program is made possible with the support of the Gannett Foundation, the M&T Bank and by a grant from Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds.

Friday, August 5, 2011

LIBRARY TO HOST GALLERY NIGHT RECEPTION

A trio of inspiring art exhibits will be on display on the south side of Green Street during downtown Ithaca’s Gallery Night Friday, August 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

The Tompkins County Public Library, Gimme Coffee and the Creek Walk are all showcasing outstanding pieces from local and regional artists.

In addition to viewing the current exhibit, “The Saltonstall Spirit,” at TCPL, art lovers will have an opportunity to meet and talk to curator Dan Larkin and are encouraged to stay for 6:00 PM readings by featured artist and poet Fran Markover and Saltonstall Artist in Residence Helen Rubenstein.

Curated by Dan Larkin, “The Saltonstall Spirit is a multi-media exhibit featuring the work of nine artists and writers with connections to Ithaca’s Saltonstall Foundation and Artist Colony. The exhibit includes the work of photographers Dan Larkin, Adam Vincentz, Angela Kelly and Joe Ziolkowski, printmaker Judy Barringer, poet Fran Markover, painters Marianne Barcellona and William Benson and drawings by Joy Nagy. Each of the featured pieces describe, depict or are inspired by Ithaca and the surrounding landscape.

Access to the Library during Gallery Night will be available by using the BorgWarner Community Room door, which is adjacent to Green Street’s TCAT bus shelter and Gimme Coffee.

The Library exhibit runs through September 29 and is made possible in part by grant support from the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.

LIBRARY TO PARTICIPATE IN GALLERY NIGHT

The Tompkins County Public Library will host a special reception and poetry reading for the exhibit “The Saltonstall Spirit” in conjunction with downtown Ithaca’s Gallery Night, Friday, August 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

Curated by Dan Larkin, this multi-media art exhibit features the work of nine artists and writers with connections to Ithaca’s Saltonstall Foundation and Artist Colony.  The exhibit includes the work of photographers Dan Larkin, Adam Vincentz, Angela Kelly and Joe Ziolkowski, Printmaker Judy Barringer, Poet Fran Markover, Painters Marianne Barcellona and William Benson and drawings by Joy Nagy. Each of the featured pieces describe, depict or are inspired by Ithaca and the surrounding landscape.

During this free reception, Larkin will be available to discuss the exhibit and featured artist Markover will present a 6:00 PM reading of her poetry.

After 5:00 PM, access to the exhibit will be available by using the BorgWarner Community Room door, which is adjacent to Green’s Street’s TCAT bus shelter and Gimme Coffee.

The exhibit runs through September 29 and is made possible in part by grant support from the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.

LIBRARY TO HOST FANTASY WRITING SERIES

Aspiring fantasy, science fiction and comics writers ages 9 to 16 are invited to join award-winning author Chris Moriarty as she hosts “Let’s Write Fantasy,” a five-class  writing series at the Tompkins County Public Library.

This workshop, which will be held from 3:30 to 5:00 PM on August 5, 9, 12, 16 and 19 in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room, will focus on the fun aspects of writing-- brainstorming story ideas and avoiding writer’s block-- and will offer insight into the writing secrets of well-known writers.

Chris Moriarty is a professional science fiction and fantasy writer, winner of the 2007 Philip K. Dick Award and author of the critically acclaimed NYPD Inquisitors books. Guest teachers will include comic book creator Barry Deutsch, author and illustrator of 2011 Eisner Award finalist, Hereville” and Sarah Prineas, author of the critically acclaimed Magic Thief.”

There is no charge for this program; however, advance registration is requested.  To register, contact the Youth Services Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 275.  For more information about Moriarty, visit www.inquisitorsapprentice.com.