Published in the Westchester Guardian, February 2015
The New Rochelle Public Library (NRPL) http://www.nrpl.org. Main Library 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle, 10801. Tele: 914-632-7878. Huguenot Children’s Library Branch 794 North Avenue, New Rochelle, Tele: (914) 632-8954. Chartered in 1894, this library has been serving New Rochelle in its own building since 1979.
Our Mission: The New Rochelle Public Library is a community resource that seeks to improve the life of every citizen in our city. It is dedicated to encouraging learning in all stages of life, to protecting intellectual freedom and to providing fair and equal access to information.
General Events. Ongoing activities include performances in their own 138 seat theater named after the late actor Ossie Davis. The wide variety of entertaining events occur on a regular basis and are sponsored by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library, There is a suggested donation of two dollars per adult per event. Films, based on a particular theme are also shown in the theater with “Surround-Sound”. Discussions usually follow. Also occurring in the theater are lectures and author visits. In the ‘hopefully arriving soon’ summer there is International dance and music representing regional talents.
Many smaller events occur in other locations throughout this modern three story building. These include book discussions meeting every third week in the conference room. Venues also include Craft Workshops on Saturdays focusing on knitting, crocheting, etc. from September to June. Computer classes covering a large spectrum for beginners to those who just want to brush up on their skills – also free. For those who enjoy reading words imprinted on paper, The Friends of the Library have a monthly book sale and in the lobby there are always a few hundred books for sale all at bargain prices. Don’t forget to check out the bookstore open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 pm to 3:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., except for Book Sale days.
Occurring every spring and fall is the biweekly Current Events discussion led by Dr. Vincent Bonelli, Professor of History and Political Science, Bronx Community College of the City University of New York. And keep an eye out for those How-to seminars and classes. The League of Women Voters sponsor and host debates, classes and conferences through “Coffee and Conversations” get-togethers on Friday mornings, from January to May and September to November. They also host debates between candidates for City’s School Board of Education and the library’s Board of Trustees. Again, all free.
Programs and Services: Further contributions to our great community of New Rochelle and Westchester, the Library offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes offered by Westchester Community College. The class is free but textbook purchase is $35. There are four different levels of intensity.
AARP free tax help is occurring now on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 2 pm and ending in mid-April. This program has trained volunteers from the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. The County Clerk’s Mobile Office has staff that visits the library assisting residents with requests such as applying for permits, passport applications and confirming the licenses of contractors.
For those unable to come to the library, homebound services are offered through home delivery of materials every three weeks. Want to know more about caregiving and assisting loved ones, the Westchester County Department of Senior Services – Family Caregiver Support Program, maintains a Caregiver’s Resource Center on the third floor. Finally, there is the Senior Benefits Help Center where assistance can be garnered in areas such as Medicare health and prescriptions, HEAP, food stamps, minor home repairs, tax relief, etc. The Senior Benefits Information Center at the BTOP Help Center on the second floor is free, confidential with access to material via hardcopy and online. Just drop in every Friday from 10am to 1pm.
Another free offering are Family Museum Passes available to Library cardholders who are residents of New Rochelle, over the age of 18 and in good standing. The museums participating include the Bruce Museum, the Children’s Museum of Art, The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, El Museo del Barrio, the Guggenheim and Hudson River Museums, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, and the Museum of the City of NY.
One of my favorite areas is The Bliss Music Center located on the third floor, with its collection nearly 4,000 titles ranging from Jazz, Spanish, pop, musicals, movies and rock, country, spiritual, and folk and more! Not too sure what you want, the Center is equipped with Listening Stations that allow patrons to preview their music before making a borrowing decision. For downloading (Free!) music, other audios and videos, their computers have selected resources allowing patrons to record on their “I-Pod or MP3 compatible device, including iPhone® and music-enabled mobile phones.)
Other online listening includes the “Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican American Music, digitized from largest repository of Mexican and Mexican-American vernacular recordings in existence”. “Fifty seconds of any recording is available.” The Belfer Cylinders Digital Connection, provides “online access to digital audio files of cylinders in the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive at Syracuse University. Belfer’s cylinder collection includes over 22,000 cylinders, 12,000 of which are unique titles.” Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, contains “audio from the turn of the 20th century digitized from the earliest commercial sound recording format, cylinders. Popular music, early jazz and blues, opera and classical music from University of California, Santa Barbara, Davidson Library, Department of Special Collections.” Finally, The Global Music Archive, is a multi-media reference archive and resource center for traditional, popular, music, song and dance of Africa and the Americas. There is so much to experience and discover, why limit ourselves to what is popular, but look deeper, experiment, learn and enjoy.
Exhibits: Local Organizations including the New Rochelle Art Association, The New Rochelle Council on the Arts and Our Children, Our Artists promote exhibits at the library’s Lumen Winter Gallery. From fine art to crafts, outstanding works in various are nearly always on display.
New Rochelle Art Association exhibiting since 1914 presents four exhibitions each year. New Rochelle Council on the Arts, founded in 1975 by New Rochelle City Council, “is an arts advocacy organization that stimulates and encourages the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts.” Our Children, Our Artists, since 1980, promotes art created by children in New Rochelle City School District schools have exhibited since 1980 works by school children. Other times there are shows by local artists, cubs and cooperatives even by individual artists.
Courses and Classes. I could incorporate all that partakes in the classes for children, teens and adults into an article unto itself. Preschool programs and other children activities can also occur at the Huguenot Children’s library. For preschool there are Bouncing Babies, Nursery Rhyme Time, Toddler TimePre-School Story Time, and more for all the preschool age ranges. For children slightly older you have Vacation Week Programs, Seasonal Programs and Events and International Dance and Music etc. The library also presents Homework help, Fun web sites, the summer reading game, resources for parents and Spanish resources.
For teens you have Anime & Gaming Clubs, Seasonal Programs and Summer Reading Programs and Activities. “When school’s out during the summer, the library offers a cool retreat for free workshops—including cooking, dance, films, and other programs suggested by and for teens, entering grades 6–12. All are free and available on a drop-in basis, usually after 4:00 pm.”
The teen environment besides the above programs include Real life issues, suggested reading and writings, web connections, college and test prepping and the Science cafe. The college and test prep web connection includes access to 14 other sites and the real life section offers connection to over 20 sites dealing with sexual issues to smoking, drugs, eating disorders and pregnancy, suicide and family issues to drive, and money. It shouldn’t be missed by any teen or parent of a teen.
Adult programs covers all events discussed earlier, i.e. concerts, films, lectures and author visits, as well as web connections which includes ‘Good Reads’ for all ages containing more than 20 e-newsletter and interviews with more than 1,500 authors. One can join or always start their own book club. And don’t overlook the Spanish resources. A little extra effort may make our reading a lot more enjoyable.
For adults, teen and children there are courses and classes offered throughout the week and month. Don’t miss these various opportunities.
For Your Business. I need to mention the business resources and databases that are available: the Handelman Business Opportunity Center, Business & Company Research containing ‘AtoZdatabases’, ‘Morningstar-In.Library Access’, Newspaper and Magazine Articles databases, Career Help with Learning Express, First Find and WEBS Counseling services. Business and Employment workshops include SCORE Free Small Business Help. Again, should I dare say – it’s free!
As with all libraries please see so much that is offered on their web sites. And I didn’t even mention the volume and selection of books.
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Glenn Slaby Blog