Tompkins County Public Library

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Library to Host Young Adult Book Club

Tompkins County Public Library will host its Young Adult Book Club, a monthly book discussion group for middle and high school students,Thursday, October 22 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room-East.

During October’s session, Club members will discuss “The Martian” by Andy Weir, which inspired the upcoming major motion picture of the same name starring Matt Damon.

Limited free copies of the book are available for Club participants at the Youth Services Reference Desk.
This meeting is perfect for new and returning Club members ages 11 to 18, as participants will select titles to be read and discuss during future meetings.

Advance registration is preferred but not required. To register online, visit http://www.libraryinsight.com/EventSignUp.asp?t=495985924&jx=nnv&lmx=743422.
Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

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


Library to Host Screening of Silent Films


In celebration of Silent Movie Month, Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with Ithaca-Made Movies, will host a silent movie matinee Saturday, October 24 at 2 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room-East.

Terry Harbin, founder of Ithaca-Made Movies will facilitate a screening of serial films starring famed “Serial Queen” Pearl White. Films being shown will include “The Perils of Pauline,” “The Exploits of Elaine,” “The Romance of Elaine,” and newly-discovered footage from the 1918 thriller, “The House of Hate.”

Harbin will field audience questions and provide historical information about film-making in Ithaca during the 20th century.

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.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Library to Host Murtagh for Talk on New Commons, Urban Planning

Tompkins County Public Library will host “Walkable City: A Local Perspective,” a presentation by Second Ward City of Ithaca Common Council member Seph Murtagh, Thursday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Being held in conjunction with the Library’s Truth Be Told Non-Fiction Book Club’s November 4 discussion of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time” by Jeff Speck, Murtagh’s talk will address the development and potential of the new Ithaca Commons and explore the City’s push for more urban density.

Murtagh serves as Common Council representative for several downtown communities and is the chair of the Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee, which oversees issues related to housing, land use, historic preservation, and economic development.  A former government reporter for the “Ithaca Times,” he won the 2009 

Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize from the Missouri Review for his writing about teaching in the New York State prison system. He has taught writing at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Auburn Correctional Facility and currently works as a communications coordinator for Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton. 

Murtagh’s library talk is free and open to the public.

“Walkable City” presents a plan for American cities that focuses on making downtowns walkable and less attractive to drivers through smart growth and sustainable design.

For more information on Murtagh’s presentation or to learn more about the Truth Be Told Book Club, contact Tom Burns at tburns@tcpl.org or Stephen Salino at ssalino@tcpl.org.


Thursday, September 24, 2015

Library Seeking Teens for Junior Library Advisory Council

Area teens are invited to develop leadership skills, complete community service hours and strengthen their college applications, while helping to enhance Tompkins County Public Library’s services for teens, by participating in monthly meetings of TCPL’s Junior Library Advisory Council.

JLAC is a service-oriented group of area students helping to develop and expand library services for young adults by advocating for and advising the library on areas important to young people.  Council members share ideas about library programs, services, collections and trends.

The next JLAC meeting will be held Wednesday, October 7 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room. Young adults ages 11 to 19 are invited to attend.

Applications can be found at the Youth Services Reference Desk and online at http://tcpl.org/teens/documents/jlac-app.pdf. Nominations are also accepted at http://tcpl.org/teens/documents/tag-nom-form.pdf.
For more information, contact Young Adult Services Librarian Regina DeMauro at (607) 272-4557 extension 274 or rdemauro@tcpl.org.

Library, AAUW Partner for International Day of the Girl Child Display

Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with the American Association of University Women of Ithaca, will showcase a week-long book exhibit dedicated to titles about girls, their lives, achievements and potential.

On display from October 4 through October 11 in the Library’s Youth Services Department, this inspiring display will feature a variety of titles appropriate for young readers and teens, including books by Beah E. Richards, Maya Ajmera, Jeannine Atkins and Malala Yousafzai.

In 2011, the United Nations declared Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthday--October 11--the International Day of the Girl Child in recognition of girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.  Designed to empower and provide meaningful participation of girls in the decisions that effect their lives, the International Day of the Girl Child was developed with a goal of eradicating poverty and breaking cycles of discrimination and violence against girls and women through promotion and protection of their civil rights.

The AAUW is a leading local, national, and international voice promoting equity and education for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. Since its founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on current fundamental issues, including educational, social, political and economic rights.


For more information about AAUW-Ithaca, contact Sharon Turecek, membership vice president, at sturecek416@gmail.com or Muriel Everhart, president, at meverhart@earthlink.net.  To learn more about the Library’s display, contact Sarah O’Shea at soshea@tcpl.org.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Library to Offer Family Science Program

Tompkins County Public Library and Cornell University’s Center for Materials Research with host “Chemical Reactions,” Saturday, October 10 from 1-2 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Participants will learn—through hands-on experiments--about types of chemical reactions, including gas-forming and precipitation-forming reactions.  The session will end with some exciting demonstrations.

Families Learning Science Together is a free program designed to help children develop an early love of science through hands-on participation. These programs are offered at the Library on the second Saturday of each month.

Families Learning Science Together programs are free and open to the public, but space is limited. To register, email ccmr_outreach@cornell.edu. Please include the name and age of all children in the email. 

More information about Families Learning Science Together workshops can be found at https://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/lending-library-chemistry.


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Library to Host STEAM Book Club

Middle-graders are invited to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math through lively book discussions and hands-on activities during Tompkins County Public Library’s monthly STEAM Book Club.

Beginning with a Wednesday, October 28 discussion of “Wild Wings” by Gill Lewis, the STEAM Book Club will encourage area third, fourth and fifth graders to improve their understanding of current core competencies through critical thinking and book-related activities.

“Wild Wings” follows “Isis,” an endangered osprey, during its winter migration from Scotland to Africa and the two school-aged children determined to protect her from poachers.  

Club members will discuss the book and explore the dangers wildlife face by recreating an oil spill with household items.  Participants will observe the oil’s effect on feathers, wood and other natural materials and experiment with strategies for cleaning up after a spill.

The STEAM Book Club is free and open to all third, fourth and fifth graders.  October’s program will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Copies of “Wild Wings” can be picked up at the Youth Services Reference Desk.

For more information or to register, contact Kate DeVoe at (607) 272-4557 extension 277 or kdevoe@tcpl.org.


Funding for STEAM programming is provided by the Ujeni Grants for Advancing Public Education Fund of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County and the Erin Aljoe Schlather Dedicated Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County.

Library to Host “Avengers” Screening

Tompkins County Public Library will host a free screening of “Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Saturday, October 3 at 2 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Cheer on Tony Stark and the entire Avengers team as they work together to defeat “Ultron,” a mechanical villain with artificial intelligence and a mission to destroy the world.

“Age of Ultron” is rated PG-13. 


For more information, contact Tom Burns at tburns@tcpl.org.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Library to Host Film Screening

Tompkins County Public Library will offer a free Wednesday, September 30 screening of cult classic film, “The 4th Man,” at 6 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room-East.

Directed by Paul Verhoeven, this 1983 thriller follows a man struggling with a sense of pending danger and the mistress who might lead him to his doom.

“The 4th Man” was selected as the Dutch entry for Best Foreign Film at the 56th Annual Academy Awards, but finding a quality, unedited digital copy has been difficult in recent years.

This film is unrated and intended for an adult-only audience.


For more information, contact Tom Burns at tburns@tcpl.org.

Library to Host Non-Fiction Book Club

Tompkins County Public Library’s Truth Be Told Non-Fiction Book Club will meet Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Library’s Tompkins Trust Company Study Room for a discussion of Jeff Speck’s,“Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time.”

“Walkable City” presents a plan for American cities that focuses on making downtowns walkable and less attractive to drivers through smart growth and sustainable design.

The Truth Be Told Non-Fiction Book Club is free and open to the public.  Limited copies of the book are available for new and existing Club members at the Library’s Information and Learning Service’s Reference Desk.


For more information, visit http://tcpl.org/events-exhibits/book-clubs-nonfiction.php or contact Tom Burns at tburns@tcpl.org or Stephen Salino at ssalino@tcpl.org.

Library to Host Weekly Facebook Book Chat

Tompkins County Public Library has announced “Break for Books,” a weekly opportunity for book lovers to share what they’re reading and learn about new titles from their personal computer or mobile device.

Facilitated by Access and Circulation Services Librarian Asia Bonacci, “Break for Books” encourages readers to visit the Library’s Facebook page each Wednesday from noon to 1:00 p.m. to experience the shared bond of reading through a lively, guided discussion.

For more information, contact Bonacci at abonacci@tcpl.org.


Friday, September 18, 2015

Library to Host Street Art Exhibit


Tompkins County Public Library will bring street art inside during its Friday, October 2 Gallery Opening Night featuring the multi-media exhibit, “Streetscapes.”

Curated by graphic designer, Jay Potter, “Streetscapes” features a collection of work which draws creativity and inspiration from urban surroundings. Using a mixture of diverse media, featured artists Jay Stooks, Jeff Szuc, Margaret Reed, Sean Chilson, Jim Garmhausen, Nick Gilbert and Jay Potter will explore the influence of the urban environment through color, energy, movement and personal experience.

Work from several of the artists featured in this exhibit can also be seen on buildings and parking garages throughout Ithaca.

Downtown Ithaca’s Gallery Night takes place from 5 to 8 p.m., with after-hours access to the Library available through the BorgWarner Community Room entrance.


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

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Library to Host Teen Writing Workshop Series

Area teens are invited to exercise their creative muscles during free, weekly writing workshops at the Tompkins County Public Library, each Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. from October 8 through November 19.

These hour-long classes will be facilitated by Ithaca College writing student Amanda Livingston and encourage creative writing through a variety of prompts and exercises.

Participants are invited to attend one program or return each week.  Advance registration is preferred but not required.  To register, visit http://www.libraryinsight.com/eventdetails.asp?jx=nnv&lmx=741989&v=3.

There will be no workshop on October 15.

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

Library to Host Family Movie Matinee

Tompkins County Public Library will host a free screening of “Cinderella” Monday,   October 12 at 2 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Families are invited to enjoy popcorn and drinks while watching the 2015 live-action version of this beloved fairy tale. 

TCPL’s next family movie program will be a Wednesday, November 11 screening of “Inside Out” at 2 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.


For more information, contact the Library’s Youth Services Department at (607) 272–4557 extension 275.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Library to Host Graffiti Artists for Mural Painting


Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with Cap Matches Color and Ironlak AVT Paints, will present the return of “Get-Up State,” three days of live, mural painting, featuring some of the world’s most acclaimed and recognizable graffiti artists, September 25 through 27.

More than 50 artists from the United States and overseas will converge on the Cornell University Press Services building at 770 Cascadilla Street to celebrate and create street art during this fun-filled community event.

Spectators are encouraged to watch the transformation from dawn to dusk each day and witness the amazing talent of some of the best artists on today’s graffiti scene.

Community members will have a unique opportunity to meet the artists and purchase prints of their work during a public reception, September 26 at Lot 10.  Additional details about the reception will be announced in the coming days.

“Get-up State” made its Tompkins County debut during “Unbound from the Underground:  An Ithaca Community Celebration of Hip-Hop Culture” in 2013.  For information, photos and videos of the first event, visit Get-Up State on Facebook. 

All wall space is reserved and spectators are expected to respect the artists and their work areas.  Limited on-site parking is available; however, the use of TCAT services is strongly encouraged.

For more information about “Get-Up State 2015,” contact Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 232, or visit Get-Up State 2015 on Facebook.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Library to Celebrate Freedom to Read With Banned Book Mugshots

Tompkins County Public Library will celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week 2015 (September 27 through October 3) by taking “mugshots” of patrons with their favorite banned or challenged books.

Free photos will be taken at the library and in the new Ithaca Commons Reading Room. Participating patrons will receive a digital copy of their photo via email, and a printed copy will be displayed in the Library’s Avenue of the Friends in conjunction with TCPL’s Freedom to Read exhibit through October.

Photos will be taken at the Library on the following dates:

·         September 24 from 11 a.m. to noon
·         September 25 from 2 to 3 p.m.
·         September 26 from 11 a.m. to noon
·         September 27 from 2 to 3 p.m.
·         October 1 from 2 to 3 p.m.
·         October 2 from 11 a.m. to noon

Photos will be taken at the Ithaca Commons Reading Room from noon to 2 p.m., September 28. In the event of rain, photos will be taken at the Commons Reading Room from noon to 2 p.m., September 30.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is the American Library Association’s annual event in celebration of free and open access to information.  By highlighting continued efforts to restrict or remove certain titles from public circulation, Banned Books Week draws attention to the perils of censorship.  While books have been, and continue to be, banned or challenged, part of the focus of Banned Books Week is to celebrate that--in the majority of cases—challenged titles have remained available due to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students and community members who speak out for the freedom to read.

For more information on the Library’s photo program or Banned Books Week 2015, contact Teresa Vadakin at tvadakin@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 272.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Library, History Center to Host Local History Lunch Series

Tompkins County Public Library and The History Center in Tompkins County will partner for “Exploring and Doing Local History,” a hands-on, monthly history program facilitated by Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen and Rod Howe, executive director of The History Center in Tompkins County.

These free, 75-minute drop-in sessions will be held at noon on the second Thursday of each month from October 8 through April 14, with program locations alternating monthly between the Library’s large study room and The History Center’s map room. The first session will take place at the Library.

Howe will introduce exploratory themes and topics, and Kammen will assist participants in conducting their own local history, by documenting past events, people or groups, and provide information on how to conduct research. She will introduce local documents for group discussion. The format will include time for open discussion.

Kammen is an award-winning historian, a published author and editorial writer for “History News,” the journal of the American Association for State and Local History. She has taught at Ithaca High School, Tompkins Cortland Community College and is retired from teaching at Cornell University. She lectures widely around the country to historical organizations and consults for a number of historical societies.

Howe has strong generational ties to the Tompkins County. Prior to his work with The History Center, Howe worked at Cornell University in an extension and outreach role focused on community and economic development. He has a diverse educational background that includes architecture, sociology, planning, theology and history.

No registration is required, and participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch.  Beverages will be provided.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 ext. 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org or Kayla Sewell at 607-273-8284, ext. 227 or community@thehistorycenter.net.


Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Library to Host Family Science Program

Tompkins County Public Library invites parents to cultivate a lifelong love of science Sunday, September 27 as the Library partners with Cornell University’s Science, Engineering and Educational Development (SEED) program for a hands-on workshop about electricity and magnetism.

Families with children ages five and up will learn about electricity by designing their own circuits and working on other fun-filled activities.

This free program begins at 2 p.m. in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.


For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at 607-272-4557 or Brenna Funfar at brf38@cornell.edu.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Hospicare and Library Partner for Programs on Dying

Hospicare & Palliative Care Services, in partnership with the Tompkins County Public Library, will present two programs to engage public dialogue on end-of-life issues.

“A Conversation with Dr. Robert Wood about “Dying and the Compassionate Choices We Can Make” will be presented Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room. This program is free and open to the public.

As the inaugural program of the Sandra Lipsitz Bem Lecture Series on Compassionate Care and End-of-Life Issues, Wood’s talk will be facilitated by Nina Miller, former executive director of Hospicare. Through a question and answer format, the talk will explore the distinctions between hospice care, palliative sedation and physician-assisted suicide.

Wood is a faculty member of the University of Washington and practiced internal medicine for 40 years. He spent more than two decades as director of HIV/AIDS for Public Health of Seattle and King County and is a member of the board for Compassion and Choices of Washington.
  
The Bem Lecture Series has been made possible through an endowment by Daryl Bem, husband of noted psychologist, Sandra Bem.  Through an annual lecture, given by outstanding professionals in the field of end-of-life issues, Hospicare endeavors to raise community awareness of death, dying and the possibilities and limits of contemporary medicine.

The second program is a community reading of Atul Gawande’s best-selling book, “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.”  Dr. Gawande’s book strives to expand understanding of the facts about mortality and the limits of contemporary medicine.

In a review of “Being Mortal,” Oliver Sacks proclaimed, “‘Being Mortal’ is not only wise and deeply moving, it is an essential and insightful book for our times, as one would expect from Atul Gawande, one of our finest physician writers.”

Copies of the book are available in multiple formats at TCPL, and volunteers will be available to facilitate discussions for existing book clubs. Book club members interested in scheduling a volunteer-guided discussion of the book for their club should contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.

These programs are designed to encourage respectful, engaged dialogue on this important topic.


For more information about hospice, contact Melissa Travis Dunham at mdunham@hospicare.org or 607-272-0212. For more information about TCPL, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.

Library to Host Storytimes

Tompkins County Public Library has announced the October return of its weekly fall storytimes for babies, 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:

“Baby Storytime” Fridays  at 10:30 a.m.

Caregivers and newborns up to 18-months-old are invited to join Library staff Fridays at 10:30 a.m. from October 2 through December 11 for music, rhymes, movement and books.  This storytime is followed by an hour-long “Baby & Toddler Playtime” from 11 a.m. to noon.

“Toddler Storytime,” Tuesdays at 11 a.m.:

Caregivers and toddlers will have an opportunity to enjoy stories, songs, and fingerplays each Tuesday at 11 a.m. from October 6 through December 8. “Toddler Storytime” will be immediately followed by an hour-long “Baby & Toddler Playtime.”

“Family Storytime,” Saturdays at 11 a.m.:

From October 3 through December 12, children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to attend Family Storytime each Saturday at 11 a.m. for great books and fantastic family fun.

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


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