Tompkins County Public Library

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Library to Host Mother/Daughter Book Club

Girls in grades five through eight and the special women in their lives are invited to attend Tompkins County Public Library’s Mother/Daughter Book Club.

The Mother/Daughter Book Club will meet once a month from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Facilitated by author and educator Emily Rhoads Johnson, the Club provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to learn about themselves and others by discussing literature in a welcoming, judgment-free environment. 

Upcoming meeting dates and titles to be discussed are:
  •  December 21—“Homecoming” by Cynthia Voigt
  • January 25—“Anastasia Krupnick” by Lois Lowry
  • March 1—“Northward to the Moon” by Polly Horvath
Participants may attend one or all of the meetings. Registration is not required, and refreshments will be served.

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

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Library to Host Fortunato for Poetry Reading

Tompkins County Public Library will host award-winning poet Peter Fortunato for a reading from his latest collection, “Late Morning:  New and Selected Poems,” December 18 at 6 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Published by Cayuga Lake Books, “Late Morning” spans more than 40 years of Fortunato’s work, including selections from his earliest published collections, “A Bell or a Hook” and “Letters to Tiohero.”  Themes of these pieces are love of nature, human love, the revelatory power of dreams and spirituality.

Fortunato was a poetry apprentice of Gary Snyder and has taught writing at both Cornell University and Ithaca College. He is the winner of numerous awards for his writing and performance work, including the Emily Dickinson Prize of the Poetry Society of America and a Pablo Neruda Prize from the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This program is free and open to the public.  Copies of “Late Morning” 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.

Library to Host Book Club for Young Adults

Tompkins County Public Library will host “Teens Read,” a monthly book discussion group for middle and high school students, December 18 from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

“Teens Read” participants will discuss books and select future titles.  Some books read by the club will be available for members to keep.

During the December meeting, club members will discuss “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel and receive copies of January’s title, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams.

“Teens Read” programs are held on the third Wednesday of each month. Refreshments are provided.

The “Teens Read,” program has been made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from the Bernard Carl and Shirley Rosen Library Fund of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County.

For more information, contact Teen Services Librarian Regina DeMauro at rdemauro@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 274.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Library Announces Holiday Hours, Enhanced Borrowing

Tompkins County Public Library may be closed for a few days this holiday season, but patrons will still have access to Library services and materials.

Along with the Library’s holiday hours, Director Susan Currie has announced plans to offer double borrowing limits on books, DVDs, CDs and audiobooks between December 16 and December 28 and said no items will be scheduled for return between December 15 and January 2.

"TCPL is so fortunate to have patrons who not only use and support the Library, but truly rely on it," Currie said.  "That's why we want to make sure that we are meeting their needs even when we are closed."

The Library will be closed:

·         Tuesday, December 24
·         Wednesday, December 25
·         Thursday, December 26
·         Sunday, December 29
·         Tuesday, December 31
·         Wednesday, January 1
·         Thursday, January 2 until 1 p.m.

Currie also noted that the Library’s online, educational and entertainment resources, including:  Mango Languages’ language-learning system, OverDrive’s free eBook and audiobook service, and TumbleBooks for children, are available 365 days a year, by logging on to the Library's website at http://tcpl.org.  A complete list of available resources can be accessed by selecting the “Virtual Library” link.

For more information about holiday hours, borrowing limits or return dates, contact Jennifer Schlossberg at jschlossberg@tcpl.org.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Library to Hold Special Storytimes

Tompkins County Public Library has announced two fun-filled December storytimes for toddlers and families.

The following storytimes are free and open to the public and will be held in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room:

Special Winter Wonderland Family Storytime:

Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to a special, hour-long family storytime at 11 a.m., December 14.  This program will feature a puppet show, stories, songs, snacks and a winter-themed craft.

All children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 275.

Toddler Storytime with special guests from the Ithaca Waldorf School:

Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to attend a puppet show storytime presented by the Ithaca Waldorf School at 11 a.m., December 17.

These storytimes have been made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from the Elmira Savings Bank.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Library to Host Senior Theatre Troupe

Tompkins County Public Library will host an encore performance by the Senior Theatre Troupe of Lifelong December 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Fear is the theme of this year’s performance, with Troupe members borrowing humorous and serious stories from their own life experiences.

Directed by Sue Perlgut, the Senior Theatre Troupe of Lifelong has been performing living history theatre in Ithaca and Tompkins County for more than 12 years.   Troupe members are:  Connie Currier, Carolyn David, Eva Luby, Ruth Mahr, Natasha Tall, Carol Santucci, Deirdre Silverman, Mark Silverman and Vi Street.

Troupe performances are simply staged to allow audiences to focus on the stories being told. The players are the characters, the scenery and the props.

For more information about the Troupe, contact Lifelong at (607) 273-1511 or visit www.closetohomeproductions.com/seniortheatretroupe.html.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Library to Host “Diary of a Library” Workshops

Tompkins County Public Library invites community members to be a part of History by participating in “Diary of a Library:  A Community Card Catalog of Pictures, Memories and Stories,” a 15-drawer repurposed card catalog being created in celebration of the Library’s 150th anniversary.

Community members are encouraged to attend one of two “Diary of a Library” mini-workshops, December 7 and December 14 from noon to 2 p.m. to create  3-by-5 inch card catalog cards depicting books discovered, memories made and lives touched by the Library.

These cards will become part of TCPL’s Sesquicentennial Art Exhibit “150 Years and Counting.”  “Diary of a Library” is being curated by artist and former Library Trustee Barbara Page and will include drawers for each of the following topics:  Children at the Library -Life Stories – Library Stories – Artists’ Books – Friends of the Library – History of the Library – Library Volunteers – Art at the Library – Library of Yesterday, Today, the Future – Library Scavenger Hunt – Community Suggestion Box – Staff- Trustees- Foundation Board and Advisory Board.

These mini-workshops are free and open to participants of all ages.  They will be held in the center of the Library. Attendees are encouraged to bring tablets and phones to take photos.  All other supplies will be provided.

From favorite books to favorite memories or photos of favorite spots in the Library, nothing is off limits as long as it captures the spirit of TCPL.  Help creating catalog cards will be available at both workshops. 

For more information about the Library’s sesquicentennial celebration, visit tcpl.org/150.  For more information about the workshops, email Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org