Tompkins County Public Library

Friday, January 29, 2016

Library to Host ESL Snack and Chat


Beginning Wednesday February 24, non-native English speakers are invited to attend Tompkins County Public Library’s weekly “ESL Snack and Chat Conversation Groups.”

These informal, drop-in sessions will be held each Wednesday through April 20, from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room and offer a relaxed setting for practicing conversation and listening skills. Snack and Chat meetings will help participants discover and access language-learning resources at the Library and in the community and provide a forum for information sharing.

Snack and Chat sessions are free and open to individuals with the desire to improve their English or willing to serve as conversation partners for others. Participants of all ages and abilities are welcome. Light refreshments will be provided.

There will be no Snack and Chat program on March 30.

For more information, contact Teresa Vadakin at (607) 272-4557 extension 272 or tvadakin@tcpl.org or Stephen Salino at 607-272-4557 extension 249 or ssalino@tcpl.org.

Library, Tompkins Workforce Partner for BEAM Program


Tompkins County Public Library and Tompkins Workforce Development will partner Wednesday, February 17 for “Going Back to Go Forward: Let Us Help You Return to School,” a free workshop being held at 6 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Adults ages 19 through 30 are invited to learn about Workforce Development’s Bridge to Employment and Academic Marketplace (BEAM) program, which is designed to help build better futures through continuing education. BEAM helps individuals succeed by offering career guidance, help with financial aid applications and other resources for young adults interested in returning to college.

The BEAM program is made possible by a Workforce Innovation Fund grant provided by the Unites States Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

For more information contact Sarah at Tompkins Workforce Development at 607-272-7570 extension 115 or sarahbonawitzbeam@gmail.com.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Library to Host Advocacy Day Information Session for Teens and Their Caregivers

Area teens are invited to champion New York State’s libraries by joining library advocates from throughout the region as they travel to Albany March 2 for Library Advocacy Day 2016.

Library Advocacy Day is an annual opportunity for library users, supporters and employees to meet with state representatives and encourage their legislative support for TCPL and libraries through New York.

Teen participation has been a vital component of TCPL’s Advocacy Day efforts for the past several years, and interested teens and their caregivers are invited to learn more about the trip during a special meeting of the Library’s Junior Library Advisory Council, Wednesday, February 3 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

TCPL Director Susan Currie and Sarah Glogowski, director of the Finger Lakes Library System, will be available to answer questions about this free trip, provide talking points and share inspiring information about what makes Advocacy Day such an important annual event.

The Library’s Junior Advisory Council meets monthly to offer support, advice and promotion of Library services to young adults and teens.  The group helps selects books, plans events, decorates the library and participates in an assortment of Library projects and programs.  New members are always welcome.

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





Library and Kitchen Theatre Partner for “Peter and the Starcatcher” Program


Tompkins County Public Library will partner with the Kitchen Theatre Company for a special “Peter and the Starcatcher” program for children ages 8 through 12, Saturday, February 6 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room-East.

Cast members from the Kitchen’s upcoming dramatic production of the Dave Berry and Ridley Peason novel, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” will share dramatic readings from the book, lead participants in a series of fun-filled theatre and improvisational games and share a related-craft during this free library program.

“Peter and the Starcatcher” serves as a backstory to J.M. Barrie’s beloved character, “Peter Pan,” and a prequel to his book “Peter and Wendy.”  The stage adaptation will be presented by the Kitchen Theatre Company from January 31 to February 21.  For showtimes and ticket information, visit http://www.kitchentheatre.org/starcatcher.html.

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

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Library and Alpha Phi Omega to Partner for Teen Public Speaking Program

Tompkins County Public Library and Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity will present “Public Speaking for Teens,” a three-part skill-building program for students in grades six through 12,Tuesdays, February 2, 9 and 23 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Through a series of fun-filled exercises and activities, teens will have an opportunity to learn about the art of public speaking in a safe, judgment-free setting.

These workshops are part of several life-skills programs being planned and facilitated by Cornell University’s Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-educational community service fraternity committed to providing volunteer and community service to the Cornell University campus, the local community and throughout the nation.


Registration is appreciated but not required. To register, visit http://bit.ly/TCPLAPO.  For more information, contact Teen Services Librarian Regina DeMauro at rdemauro@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 274.

Library to Celebrate Final Season of “Downton Abbey” With Exhibit, Programs

In recognition of the sixth and final season of PBS favorite, “Downton Abbey,” Tompkins County Public Library has announced plans to celebrate the award-winning show with an exhibit and thematic programming during the month of February.

“Downton Abbey” is a historical drama set in England and explores the British social hierarchy through the lives of an aristocratic family and their domestic servants. 

“Hats, Shoes and Accessories of the ‘Downton Abbey’ Era,” an exhibit featuring clothing worn in American during the early 1900s, will be on display in the Library’s Avenue of the Friends through February 29.  Items featured in this exhibit have been made available by Cornell University’s Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, The History Center in Tompkins County and the Lansing Historical Society.

A guided tour of the exhibit will be provided by Cornell University Alumna Catherine Blumenkamp Saturday, February 6 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. during “Tea, Tour and Gossip.”

“Tea, Tour and Gossip” will provide Downton fans of all ages with an opportunity to enjoy tea, and scones and muffins donated by Wegmans, while sharing predictions and hopes for the show’s final season with fellow fans. Members of the Ithaca Lace Guild will also be on-hand to demonstrate tatting and bobbin lace crochet.  Downton-themed costumes are encouraged.

Young fans will have an opportunity to accessorize their costumes in advance of “Tea, Tour and Gossip,” during a Downton-inspired headband making workshop, Thursday, February 4 at 7 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Facilitated by local costume and accessory designer Jenny Leigh DuPuis, this program will encourage young Downton fans to explore their creativity by designing their own Art Deco-style headbands. To register, visit http://bit.ly/TCPLheadband or contact Teen Services Librarian Regina DeMauro at (607) 272-4557 extension 274 or rdemauro@tcpl.org.

The fun continues Wednesday, February 10 with a 6 p.m. screening of “Gosford Park.”  Set in the 1930s, “Gosford Park” follows an all-star cast of upstairs guests and downstairs servants as they investigate a murder during a shooting party at an English country home. 

The film will be shown in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.


For more information, contact Information and Learning Services Librarian Teresa Vadakin at tvadakin@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 272.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Library to Host Gallery Night Exhibit Opening

Tompkins County Public Library will celebrate the opening of “Project for a Re-volution in New York,” a multi-media exhibit created by Todd Ayoung and Krishna Ramanujan, Friday, February 5 from 5 to 8 p.m..

“Project for a Re-volution in New York,” inspired by the novel of the same name by Alain Robbe-Grillet, features the work of 22 local, national and internationally-exhibiting artists who were asked to consider the meaning of the word “revolution” in all of its connotations—as a rotation, an overturning, in the Marxist sense and as an action of a whirling mechanical device.

The exhibit opening will include a variety of artist-developed components, including “Poetry Readings from a Soapbox,” by Melissa Tuckey, award-winning author of “Tenuous Chapel,” from 6 to 6:10, 6:30 to 6:40 and 7 to 7:10 in the Library’s North Reading Room; a screening of the 1961 film “Last Year at Marienbad,” directed by Alain Resnais and written by Robbe-Grillet, with live, improvised musical accompaniment from GK2, from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room and “Informal Interventions,” presented by the Aaron Burr Society.
“Project for a Re-volution in New York” will be on display at TCPL through April 9, 2016, and has been made possible with support from the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation and the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.  
Also on display during Gallery Night, will be “Hats, Shoes and Accessories from the ‘Downton Abbey’ Era,” and winning submissions from the Tompkins County Office of Human Rights’ MLK Poster Contest.
Gallery Night after-hours access to the library will be available through the BorgWarner Community Room entrance, adjacent to TCAT’s East Green Street bus shelter.
For more information, contact Exhibit Coordinator Sally Grubb at (607) 272-4557 extension 232 or sgrubb@tcpl.org.
Tompkins County Public Library, through its collections, exhibits and programming, serves as a center for community conversations and supports literary, artistic and individual freedoms of expression.  Ideas presented in our collections, exhibits and programming, however, do not necessarily reflect those of the Library staff and should not be seen as an endorsement or statement of Library support.

Library to Host Inter-Generational Craft Program

Library lovers of all ages are invited to attend “Valentine Crafternoon,” a multi-generational craft program, Saturday,January 30 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

During this free program, participants of all ages will create Valentine’s Day cards and decorations.  All materials will be provided.

For more information, contact Information and Learning Services Librarian Teresa Vadakin at tvadakin@tcpl.org or (607) 272-4557 extension 272.


Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Library to Host Winter Session of 4 Seasons Book Club

Tompkins County Public Library will host a discussion of the award-winning novel, “Fortune Smiles” by Adam Johnson, during the winter session of its “4 Seasons Book Club,” Thursday, February 4 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room-West.

Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for his acclaimed novel about North Korea, “The Orphan Master's Son,” Johnson is one of the most acclaimed authors of the 21st century.  A collection of short stories, “Fortune Smiles” is subtly surreal, darkly comic and both hilarious and heartbreaking.

Participating in the “4 Seasons Book Club” is available online and in-person. Face-to-face meeting dates in 2016 are scheduled for February 4, April 21, June 2 and October 6. Online discussions are ongoing and by invitation only.  The online “4 Seasons Book Club” is available through Goodreads, a "free website for book lovers.”  To register on Goodreads, visit http://www.goodreads.com.


For more information or to register, contact Information and Learning Services Librarian Teresa Vadakin at (607) 272-4557 extension 272 or tvadakin@tcpl.org.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Library to Host "Downton Abbey" Headband-Making Workshop for Teens

Tompkins County Public Library will launch a month-long celebration of the final season of “Downton Abbey” Thursday, February 4 at 7 p.m. with a headband-making workshop for middle and high-schoolers.

Facilitated by local costume and accessory designer Jenny Leigh DuPuis, this program will encourage young Downton fans to explore their creativity by creating their own Art Deco-style headbands.  Participants will have an opportunity to create a flapper-style feather fascinator on a band or a comb or a jewelry-inspired chain with a dangling focal piece.

DuPuis is an Ithaca-based designer who has created costumes for Cirque du Soleil, Circus Smirkus and the Las Vegas productions of “Rock of Ages” and “Spamalot.” She toured internationally with the musical “Hairspray.”  Her whimsical creations can be found on her Etsy site, jennyleighdupuis.etsy.com.

“Downton Abbey” is a historical drama set in England and explores the British social hierarchy through the lives of an aristocratic family and their domestic servants.  Now in its sixth and final season, Downton Abbey airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS.

This program is free and open to the public, and all supplies will be provided.  To register, visit (http://bit.ly/TCPLheadband or contact Teen Services Librarian Regina DeMauro at (607) 272-4557 extension 274 or rdemauro@tcpl.org.


Support for this program has been provided by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through funding from the Phyllis and Charles Brodhead Memorial Endowed Fund and the Michael Kammen Children's Fund.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Library to Offer Family Science Program

Tompkins County Public Library and Cornell University’s Center for Materials Research will host “Electrostatics,” Saturday,February 13 from 1-2 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Families will explore the phenomena and properties of slow-moving or stationary objects. They will be able to see a Van de Graaf generator in action, as well as make a static flyer and an electrophorus.

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.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Library to Screen “The Martian” During Teen Movie Night

Area teens are invited to attend a free screening of the 2015 blockbuster film, “The Martian,” during Tompkins County Public Library’s Teen Movie Night, Friday, January 22 from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name, “The Martian” chronicles the wit, ingenuity and indomitable spirit of, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), an astronaut who was presumed dead and left behind by his crew during a manned mission to Mars, as he tries to find a way to signal to Earth that he is still alive.

This screening is free, and popcorn and refreshments will be provided. This is a teen program, all adults must be accompanied by a teen or tween in grades 6 through 12.

This movie has been selected with a teen audience in mind; however, parents are encouraged to review ratings of each movie prior to allowing their children to attend. The Library will not restrict admittance to films based on age or maturity.

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

Support for this event has been provided by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through funding from the Phyllis and Charles Brodhead Memorial Endowed Fund and the Michael Kammen Children's Fund.






Upgrade to Cause Temporary Interruption of Library Catalog Services

A scheduled upgrade to Tompkins County Public Library’s Polaris computer system will cause a temporary interruption of service for Library patrons, Wednesday, January 20.

The system will be unavailable from 8 a.m. to noon, preventing patrons from searching the Library’s catalog, reviewing account information, renewing materials, placing holds and Inter-library loan requests and searching Library databases.  Access to the OverDrive Digital Download Service will not be affected by the upgrade.

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.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Library to Host Storytimes

Tompkins County Public Library has announced the February return of its weekly 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 February 5 through April 29 for music, rhymes, movement and books.  This storytime is followed by an hour-long “Baby & Toddler Playtime.”

“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 February 2 through April 26 during “Toddler Storytime.” “Toddler Storytime” will be followed by an hour-long “Baby & Toddler Playtime.”

“Family Storytime,” Saturdays at 11 a.m.:
From February 6 through April 30, 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.

Library to Host Family Movie Matinee

Tompkins County Public Library will host a free screening of “Minions” Monday, January 18 at 2 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Families are invited to enjoy popcorn and drinks while enjoying the fun-filled antics of the minions, complete with voice work by Sandra Bullock, John Hamm and Michael Keaton.


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

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Library to Host Art Club for Shadow Program

Tompkins County Public Library will host “Shadow Portraits/Shadow Films: Somewhere Between Darkness and Light,” an all-ages, drop-in art program on the art and imagery of shadows, Wednesday, January 27 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Art Club was developed to strengthen the bonds within the local artistic community by offering creatives fun, social opportunities to share with like-minded individuals.  The Club also provides artists with inspiration, support and creative encouragement while bringing the community together for art events, parties, curated exhibits and community-based art projects.

During their Library event, Art Club members will facilitate hands-on experiments with shadows using hands, headdresses, movement, mayhem, curios, contours, film and fascination.

This program is free and open to the public.

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


Wednesday, January 6, 2016

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,” Friday. January 22 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.

Participants who pre-register for the program will receive a free copy of “Wiggle” by Doreen Cronin. To register, please visit the Library’s website: http://tcpl.org/kids/programs-sensory-storytimes.php

“Sensory Storytime” has been made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from Elmira Savings Bank and through funding provided by the Bernard Carl and Shirley Rosen Library Fund of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County and Tom and Maria Eisner’s Fund of the Community Foundation of Tompkins County.

Library to Host Sensory-Friendly Film

Tompkins County Public Library will host a free, sensory-friendly screening of “Minions,” at 11 a.m., Monday, January 18, in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

During this showing, especially for children with sensory challenges, TCPL will keep the lights on, the volume low, and offer noise-canceling earmuffs, weighted lap pads and fidgets. Children and families are welcome to move, sing, shout and otherwise make themselves at home during the film.


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

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Library to Host Coloring Program for Adults

Adults are invited to explore their creativity and reduce stress by participating in Tompkins County Public Library’s new, monthly Adult Coloring for Grownups program, the third Thursday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m., beginning January 21.

Adult Coloring programs will take place in the BorgWarner Community Room-West.  Colored pencils, markers and coloring sheets will be available; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own supplies and coloring books.

Refreshments will be provided.

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