Library to Present Pixar Movie Marathon

Be Incredible!  Be “Brave.” Be at the Tompkins County Public Library January 26 for a family-friendly Pixar Movie Marathon featuring, “The Incredibles,” “Brave,” and volumes one and two of “Pixar Short Films.”

Presented by the Library’s Teen Advisory Group (TAG), this event is free and open to young adults and families of all ages.  The program begins with an *11 a.m. screening of “The Incredibles,” followed by “Pixar Short Films, Volume One” at 1 p.m., “Brave” at 2 p.m. and a 3:30 showing of “Pixar Short Films Volume Two.”

Participants are invited to attend one or all of the films.  Refreshments will be provided; however, audience members are welcome to bring their own snacks.

For more information, contact Regina DeMauro-Axel at (607) 272-4557 extension 274.

*Start times are approximate.

 

Library Announces New Board Members

Tompkins County Public Library has announced the appointment of the latest Executive Committee to its Board of Trustees.

Library Director Susan Currie said board members voted recently to name Aloja Airewele president, Bruce Ryan vice president, Cynthia Nicholson treasurer, and Peter McCracken secretary.

Airewele, of Freeville, is a legislative assistant for Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, Advocacy Coordinator for Loaves and Fishes and a consultant for the Tompkins County Chapter of the American Red Cross.  He served as a family physician in his native Nigeria and as a founder and pastor of the New Covenant Church in Edmonton, London, before moving to the United States with his family in 1997.  He is a recognized speaker and storyteller and has spoken at Cornell and Harvard Universities.

A Lansing resident, Ryan is the Dean of External Relations for Tompkins Cortland Community College.  He holds a doctorate in Leadership in Higher Education from Capella University, a master’s in Public Relations from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Radio from Ithaca College.

 

Nicholson, of Caroline, is a civil engineer and senior manager for TetraTech Architects and Engineers.  She has been an active community member, serving as a board member for the Ithaca Downtown Partnership—now Downtown Ithaca Alliance—, Plants for Life, Leadership Tompkins and as a volunteer for the Ithaca Festival.

 

McCracken, of Ithaca, holds two masters degrees, one in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and another in maritime history from East Carolina University.  He is the co-founder and director of content and business development for ShipIndex.org.  He previously co-founded Serials Solutions, which helps libraries manage electronic resources, and before that was a reference librarian at both the University of Washington and East Carolina University.

With approval from the Tompkins County Legislature, the Board also welcomed new members: Kristine Altucher, Kenneth McClane, Tracy Mitrano, Molly Salky, and Timothy Scott.

For more information, contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at  (607) 272-4557 extension 248.

 

Library, AAUW to Host Rhian Ellis

Tompkins County Public Library and the American Association of University Women will host author Rhian Ellis for a discussion of her debut novel, “After Life,” January 19 at noon in the BorgWarner Community Room.

A suspense-filled, page-turner, “After Life,” merges the uncertainties of mysticism and the supernatural with universal themes of death, spirituality and love to create an engaging read.  Ellis will offer an interactive discussion of the book and the history of spiritualism in New York state during her Library talk.

A program of the AAUW—Ithaca Branch’s Book Group, this program is free and open to the public.

The American Association of University Women—Ithaca Branch promotes equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research and provides a community for women to share common interests, develop friendships and act on issues of vital importance.

Library to Host Presentation on Financial Aid

Tompkins County Public Library will host “Financial Aid:  What You Need to Know” for high school students and their caregivers from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. January 9 in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

A representative from Ithaca College’s Office of Financial Aid will provide information on the types of aid available, filing information, and answer participant’s questions regarding financing a college education.

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact the Youth Services Department at (607) 272-4557 extension 275.

 

Library to Host Download Training

Digital devices were among the most gifted holiday items this year, and Tompkins County Public Library is offering instruction for making the most of these new gadgets with the OverDrive Digital Download service.

TCPL will offer free training sessions on downloading eBooks and audiobooks to Kindles, Nooks, iPads, smartphones and other app-based devices through the OverDrive service Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and 11:30 a.m..

These 30-minute sessions are open to the public; however space is limited and registration required. To register, call the Reference Desk at (607) 272-4556.

Participants will need a valid Library card and password to download items to their devices. Apple users will need their Apple ID, Kindle users will need their Amazon account information, Nook users will need their Barnes & Noble account information, and Android users will need their Google Play ID.

Sessions will be held at the Adult Services Reference Desk.

For more information, contact Jennifer Schlossberg at (607) 272-4557 extension 254.

Library to Screen Serials

Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with Ithaca Made Movies, will host “Serial Saturday 4,” the latest installment in its monthly film series, January 5 at 1 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Made popular in the mid-1900s, serial films—also known as chapter plays—were feature films broken into short segments or chapters.  Theaters would show one chapter, typically ending in a cliffhanger, one week and patrons would return for the next segment the following week.

Serial Saturdays programs are hosted by Ithaca Made Movies Founder Terry Harbin and feature episodes of rare films from the first part of the 20^th century.  Audience feedback helps determine which films are shown during these fun, free events.

For more information, visit http://www.ithacamademovies.com.

Library to Showcase Animals in Art During Gallery Night

For thousands of years, art and animals have had a unique and important connection. Tompkins County Public Library invites art lovers to celebrate the bond between the art world and the animal kingdom as it presents “Animalia in Art,” and “Birds, Beasts and Books:  Animal Illustrations in Literature,” during Downtown Ithaca’s Gallery Night from 5 to 8 p.m., January 4.

From the first cave paintings of dun horses and charging aurochs to vibrant images of today, animals are an ever-present muse for artists.  Curators Jenny Pope and Nancy Green will explore that ever-evolving relationship with their fascinating exhibits.

Pope, a printmaker, is the curator of “Animalia in Art,” which features animals in a variety of realistic and fantastic scenarios.  From deer browsing a chew-line to a mythical, wolf-headed monster suckling a black cat, the exhibit explores animals in art through a variety of mediums.

Featured in Pope’s exhibit are the charcoal drawings of Margaret Reed, the photography of Dede Hatch, the drawings of Karen L. Allaben-Confer, and the printmaking works of Sylvia Taylor, Craig Mains, and Pope herself.  The exhibit is made possible by grant support from the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County. 

The artists will discuss their work at 6:30 p.m. .

Curated by Green, the Gale and Ira Drukier Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art, “Birds, Beasts and Books: Animal Illustrations in Literature” features a special edition of “Alice in Wonderland”-- with illustrations by Barry Moser--, as well as new editions of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” which feature the illustration plates created by Sir John Tenniel for the original publications.

For more information about Gallery Night or the exhibits, contact Sally Grubb at sgrubb@tcpl.org. Both exhibits will be on display through mid-March.

Entry to the Library during Gallery Night will be available by using the BorgWarner Community Room door, located behind the TCAT bus shelter on Green Street.

Library to Host Baby and Toddler Playtime

Families of babies and toddlers are invited to enjoy free play and socialization each Friday during Tompkins County Public Library’s Baby and Toddler Playtime.

An hour-long, unstructured play and social time for children and adults, Baby and Toddler Playtime offers a warm, child-friendly play space with coloring supplies, books, music and a variety of age-appropriate toys.

Playtimes are held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30  a.m. from January 4th through March 22 in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room. The room features a lively fairytale-themed mural designed to encourage a love of books and imagination.

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

Library to Feature Exhibits, Artist Talk During February Gallery Night

Birds of a feather will flock—and exhibit—together.  Visit Tompkins County Public Library during Downtown Ithaca’s Gallery Night February 1 to view and learn about TCPL’s current animal-themed exhibits.

“Birds, Beasts and Books:  Animal Illustrations in Literature,” curated by Nancy E. Green, and “Animalia in Art,” curated by Jenny Pope, will be available for viewing from 5 to 8 p.m., and wildlife artist Karen Allaben-Confer will present “Living With Relics of the Pleistocene:  Adventures of an Artist in Residence for the California Condor Reintroduction Project at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona” at 6 p.m. in the BorgWarner Community Room.

Allaben-Confer will discuss her contributions to the “Animalia in Art” exhibit and share stories from the two years she spent handling, observing and drawing released, captive-bred condors.

Access to the Library after 5 PM on Gallery Night is through the BorgWarner Community Room door on the East side of the Library behind the TCAT bus shelter on Green Street.

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

Library to Offer Family Science Program

Tompkins County Public Library and Cornell University’s Center for Materials Research will host “Families Learning Science Together”: Bridge Building from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

Families will learn about structural engineering and what engineers have to consider when designing bridges. They will see how stresses are concentrated in materials and then try to build a drinking straw bridge to certain specifications.

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 once a month through April 2013.

Families Learning Science Together programs are free and open to the public, but space is limited. To register, contact Kaleigh at outreach@ccmr.cornell.edu or (607) 255-9547.

Library to Offer Remote Access, Enhanced Borrowing

A marriage between new technology and old fashioned customer service will ensure that Tompkins County Public Library patrons have access to their favorite books, music, DVDs and online resources this holiday season.

Library Director Susan Currie announced this week that the Library will double borrowing limits on books, cds, dvds and audio books between December 17 and December 29 and that no items will be scheduled for return between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

"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."

Currie also stressed that patrons will be able to take advantage of its many online educational and entertainment resources, including Mango Languages,language-learning system, OverDrive, free music and video download service, and TumbleBooks for children, by logging on to the Library's website at http://tcpl.org--choose the “Virtual Library” link to see a complete list of resources available.

TCPL is scheduled to be closed, December 23 through December 26.  It will re-open December 27 through December 29 before closing again December 31 and January 1.  The Library will re-open at 1 p.m. on January 2.

The Library's drop boxes will be open throughout the entire holiday season.

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

Library to Host Mother/Daughter Book Club

Girls ages 8 through 12 and the special women in their lives are invited to read and discuss books in a judgment-free group setting during the December 15 meeting of Tompkins County Public Library’s monthly Mother/Daughter Book Club.   

The Mother/Daughter Book Club is facilitated by children’s author Emily Rhoads Johnson.  Rhoads Johnson is the author of “Spring and the Shadow Man,” “A House Full of Strangers” and “Write Me If You Dare.”

The Club provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to learn about themselves and others by discussing literature. There are no right or wrong answers during Club meetings, simply open discussions where all input is valued.

The group will meet once monthly through May from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room.

The title to be discussed for December is “Touch Blue” by Cynthia Lord.

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

Library to Screen “Lord of the Rings Trilogy”

In celebration of the much-anticipated film debut of “The Hobbit,” teens are invited to catch-up, refresh, and renew their love of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings Trilogy” with a free movie marathon December 15, beginning at 10 a.m., in the Tompkins County Public Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

Experience Jackson’s film adaptations of the J.R.R. Tolkien classics, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King.”  “The Fellowship of the Ring” will begin promptly at 10 a.m. with the other films starting at approximately 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. .

Attendees are invited to stay for one or all of the films.  Refreshments will be provided.

These movies have been selected with a teen audience in mind; however, parents are encouraged to review ratings of the films prior to allowing their teen to attend. The Library does not restrict admittance based on age.

This program is made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through generous support from the Brodhead Memorial.

Library Cookbook Still Available for Purchase

From the library table to under the tree, TCPL’s cookbook makes a perfect holiday gift.

 

A spiral-bound cookbook, “The Library Table:  Recipes from Readers, Food for the Mind,” includes nearly 180 recipes from more than 100 community members and provides a glimpse into the kitchens of library patrons, employees and trustees.

 

Food lovers will enjoy the “notes” sections, which include stories about submitted recipes, and literature lovers will devour the featured food-related quotes.

 

The book was a project of the Library and the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation and was published by Morris Press Cookbooks of Nebraska.  It includes recipes for appetizers and beverages, soups and salads, vegetables and side dishes, main dishes, breads and rolls, desserts, cookies and candies, and this and that.

 

Copies are available for $10 at the Library’s Circulation Desk with all proceeds benefitting Library outreach programs and services.

 

For more information about the cookbook, contact Debbie Collier at (607) 272-4557 extension 249 or dcollier@tcpl.org.