Tompkins County Public Library

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Library to Host Lego Program

Elementary-aged children can build more than a lifelong love of reading at Tompkins County Public Library this winter.

Children in grades kindergarten through five are invited to attend “Legos in the Library,” a weekly free-build program, Saturdays, through January 31, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

“Legos in the Library” encourages children to use their imaginations or Lego books from the TCPL collection to create their own Lego art.  The Library will provide the Legos, and pieces created will be displayed at the Library for one week.


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

Library, Civil War Commission to Host Screening of “Lincoln”




Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with the Tompkins County Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Commission will host a free screening of Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed film, “Lincoln,” January 31 at 1 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Being held in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the passing of the slavery-ending 13th Amendment, the screening will be preceded by remarks from Eric Acree, director of Cornell University’s Africana Library, and Lance Heidig, Outreach and Learning Services Librarian at Cornell.

“Lincoln,” which received 12 Academy Award nominations in 2013--including Best Performance by a Lead Actor (Daniel Day Lewis), Best Performance by a Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), Best Performance by a Supporting Actress (Sally Field) and Achievement in Directing (Spielberg)-- offers a fictional account of how the 13th Amendment was passed by the House of Representatives on January 31, 1865.

This program is free and open to the public.  The film is rated PG-13; however, the library will not restrict admittance based on age.

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


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Library to Host Sensory Storytime

Children ages 3 through 7 are invited to move, sing and play at Tompkins County Public Library’s “Sensory Storytime,” January 24 at 3:30 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

This program is free and open to children of all abilities, however, it is especially designed for children with sensory integration challenges. “Sensory Storytime” features interactive books, songs, and activities to stimulate the senses and promote learning. Children who have previously struggled to sit through other storytimes may find “Sensory Storytime” a better fit.

Pre-registration is required. To register, visit the Library’s Youth Services Department, call (607) 272-4557 extension 275, or email Youth Services Librarian Kate DeVoe at kdevoe@tcpl.org.


“Sensory Storytime” has been made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from Elmira Savings Bank and support from the Michael Kammen Children’s Fund.

Library and AAUW to Host Panel Discussion on Pakistan and Education for Girls

Tompkins County Public Library and the American Association of University Women’s Ithaca Branch will present “Pakistan and Education for Girls,” a panel discussion, January 24 at 11 a.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Inspired by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai’s acclaimed book “I Am Malala,” this program will highlight the importance of education for girls in the United States and abroad.

Pakistani panelists Arzoo Gauhar and Samar Deen will offer a glimpse at the education system for girls in their country.

Gauhar is a Fulbright Scholar at Cornell University and is currently studying for a master’s degree in international development.  She has worked for the World Wide Fund for Nature in Pakistan and is the co-founder of a charity committed to providing medical assistance to impoverished children.  Gauhar is currently studying gender issues and the role of micro-credit in empowering rural women of Pakistan.

Deen is a Ph.D candidate in Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources.  She has worked for the planning and development department of the Punjab Government, UNICEF, the Polio program as a monitoring and evaluation officer and at the World Bank. She has also worked as a teaching assistant at the Center for Economic Research Pakistan and was an environmental consultant at Hagler Bailly LTD, a private oil and gas environmental consultancy based in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) promotes equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. The Ithaca membership affords local women the opportunity to share common interests, develop friendships, and act on vital issues.

For more information about AAUW, visit www.aauw-ithaca.org or contact Sarah Johnson, president, at sljithaca@aol.com
                                                              
The Library program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Library to Host Author/Filmmaker Michael Tobias


Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with Zorba Press, will present “How to Save our Earth:  An Evening With Michael Tobias” January 20 at 6 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

A global ecologist, philosopher, activist, author and filmmaker, Tobias will share a short film anthology, spanning his more than three-decade career in ecological filmmaking, and host an informal discussion with audience members about the future of biodiversity and the ethics implicit to life throughout the planet.

Tobias is the president of the Dancing Star Foundation. He has helped to shape public policy and worked to save habitats, species and individuals in more than 100 countries and advocated--through more than 100 films and 50 books--for an all-inclusive future.

This program is free and open to the public.

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

Library Seeks Poetry Submissions

In anticipation of “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” Tompkins County Public Library is seeking original works from local poets.

“Poem in Your Pocket Day,” held in recognition of National Poetry Month, is an initiative designed to spark interest and excitement in poetry by sharing free poems with the community.  TCPL librarians will distribute free cards, featuring submitted poems, in the Library, on the Downtown Ithaca Commons and in additional locations throughout Ithaca on April 30.  Poems will also be available at the Library’s Adult Services Reference Desk.

Individuals, creative writing groups and classes are encouraged to submit poems for consideration on or before February 28.  Due to size limitations, short works--including haiku and couplets--or excerpts of larger pieces are requested.

Launched in New York City in 2002, “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” celebrates the rich history of pocket poems—from commonplace books during the Renaissance to pocket-sized publications carried by World War II soldiers.  Since 2008, bookstores, schools, libraries, parks and businesses across the country have embraced “Poem in Your Pocket Day” by encouraging open readings of pocket poems.
Submissions should be sent to Readers’ Services Librarian Teresa Vadakin at tvadakin@tcpl.org, mailed to Vadakin at 101 East Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 or brought to the Library’s Adult Reference Desk.

For more information, contact Vadakin at (607) 272-4557 extension 272 or tvadakin@tcpl.org.




Library Announces Temporary Service Interruption


Due to the relocation of the Finger Lakes Library System, Tompkins County Public Library has announced a planned interruption of computer services on January 20.

During this day-long interruption, patrons will be unable to search the Library’s catalog, review account information, renew materials, place holds or inter-library loan requests, use Library databases or access the Library’s wireless internet service.  Access to the OverDrive Digital Download Service will not be affected.

The Finger Lakes Library System is relocating from its current home within Tompkins County Public Library to a larger space at 1300 Dryden Road. 

During the transitional week, no items will be delivered to fulfill hold requests.  Deliveries are expected to resume the week of January 26.

For more information, contact Jennifer Schlossberg, head of the Library’s Access and Circulation Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 254 or jschlossberg@tcpl.org.

The Finger Lakes Library System is a cooperative library system, chartered in 1958 by New York State, to serve the public libraries in Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties.