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This week’s author spotlight is English writer, Neil Gaiman.  Gaiman is an accomplished writer of short fiction, novels, graphic novels, comics, and film.  I absolutely love the way Gaiman describes his characters and the worlds around them, creating dazzling visuals inside the reader’s head that stick with you long after you put the book down.  He manages to balance elements of fantasy, horror, and wit seamlessly, without clutching to the familiar clichés one would expect from those genres.  

Did you know that your soon-to-be-born baby is listening to you?

Here’s what we know from various studies (see links at the end of each quote to learn more): 

“Studies of newborn behavior show that babies get used to the music and voices they've heard in the womb. When your baby is born, if he hears sounds he's heard before birth, he may respond by appearing more alert and active. Your newborn may also pay more attention to your voice than any other.” Read more.

Good poetry fosters children’s love for language and helps them build literacy. Good poetry touches emotions. It is, therefore, a healthy way for children to express their emotions and deal with emotionally challenging situations. Good poetry sets off children’s imagination, enriches their world, and makes a space in which they can dream. Good poetry allows children to look at the world in a new way. Children obtain a wealth of developmental benefits from good poetry.

You may already know that the Library is offering a bevy of programs this summer, from Stories in the Park, to STEAM Crafternoon, to Creative Dance. But did you know that we also collaborate with community partners all over Ithaca share our love of reading, creating and hands-on fun?

TCPL offers test proctoring for students of all ages.  We have developed relationships with universities throughout the United States, in order to be certified to proctor all kinds of tests: online high school courses; real estate qualifying tests; banker promotional tests; and my favorite, a sailing captain’s qualifying test (with charts!)

Comment:  We are learning more and more screen time is bad for young kids, so as we limit it, maybe longer checkout times or renewal options for kids DVD.
Response: Recently we changed our renewal options so that all materials can be renewed once.

Summer Family Storytime (SFST) was born 2 years ago for those who can’t make it to our popular Stories in the Park program on Tuesday mornings due to scheduling conflicts.  The program is held on Saturday mornings at 11:00, and is basically a repeat of the previous Tuesday’s Stories in the Park program, but we meet inside, and I get to add a craft :) (which is practically impossible to do in the park. You never know how many people will show up - and how to cart all those supplies??).

Here are a few of the crafts we have enjoyed making at SFST so far this summer:

During the summer, Youth Services staff spend a lot of our energies reaching out to our local community organizations.  The library does not exist solely between our building’s walls - you may see us anywhere!

Have you visited our new Local History Room yet?  Located on the eastern side of the library, the Local History Room offers a wealth of material useful for genealogical research as well as general information about the history of Ithaca and the surrounding areas. 

This spring, we held our second annual memoir-writing workshop, “To Remember Is to Remake,” for writers ages sixty-five and older. All levels of writing experience were welcome, and everyone contributed their own creative perspectives and rich life experiences to creating a supportive writing community. As an intern at TCPL, and as a writer myself, I had the privilege and delight of facilitating the class from week to week.

Check out some of the books our children's librarians been reading and enjoying lately!

Enjoy!

Picture Books (E)

This season, we’re trying something a little different! In celebration of the warm summer months, TCPL is hosting a handful of outdoor events along the Green Street corridor. Whether you plan to attend or just happen to notice goings-on while you’re out and about, we hope you can participate!

TCPL Rocks Summer Reading!

http://tcpl.ny03.readsquared.com/

The 2018 Adult Summer Reading Program, LIBRARIES ROCK! is in full swing!

I’m super-excited about our summer program this year. We’re using READsquared, New York State’s new reading program software, where you log books and activities online and play games to earn points and win prizes. The theme, “Libraries Rock!” provides the platform for meshing literature and music this summer.

Looking to feel inspired by some exceptional illustrators?  Below are some personal recommendations of great new picture books published so far in 2018.  Visit the library to check them out!

They Say Blue written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
A young girl describes where she finds colors in both the world around her and beyond what she can see.

An update and what's to come in the Digital Lab at TCPL.

Hello, my name is Tom Fredette, and I am the Digital Lab Librarian with Tompkins County Public Library.  The goal of TCPL’s digital lab is to provide workshops that will help our patrons with both their digital and personal growth.  Whether this growth is educational or career oriented, or more recreational and hobbyist in nature, the library intends to provide workshops that will appeal to a variety of patron interests and encourage the pursuit of lifelong learning.