New City Library

Hungry for Love

Karen Ostertag — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:01:59 +0000

"The sensuality of her cooking did strange things to him. He couldn't stop thinking of the woman in the kitchen who wielded such power and magic. Did she possess the alchemy to distill brutal longing and infuse her food with it? Or did she serve forth undiluted desire disgused as nothing more alarming than a dish of creme caramel? ... When he ate, there was only the food. And there was only the cook."
- Sherry Thomas, Delicious

In my family, food has always meant love. The cups of cocoa my grandmother shared with me after school, the last cookie she'd save especially for me, were just as much expressions of her love as her hug at the door. My mother's special birthday dinners, holiday baking, my father's weekend pancakes-- all love, clearly spoken, even when the words themselves felt awkward to say aloud. "I care about you." "I want to see you happy." "I love you."

Service Update Revised

Gail Seidenfrau — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:52:57 +0000

My previous blog gave a long explanation about hold pickup dates. I also mentioned that our new software system keeps evolving; well it evolved a bit more today so I pulled that post. Here is the most current explanation of what happens when your hold becomes available at the library. All holds generate a wrapper with the first 4 letters of your last name and the last 4 digits of your barcode. The item is wrapped, banded and shelved that day. Email notices go out the same day and include a pick up until date. As of February 6, all reserves will be held for 5 days from the day they become available. If you are notified by our automated phone system, the call is placed the day after a hold is available and remains on our shelf for 4 days from the date of the call. Starting February 6, Roboguy will give you a pick up date. If you check your account online, place your mouse over the green exclamation point. You'll see the date the item became available and you have 5 days from that date to pick up your hold.

Free Practice SAT Coming Saturday, Feb. 4

Mary Phillips — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:15:00 +0000

The library is offering a free Practice SAT for high school students next Saturday, Feb. 4 from 9-1 in the Meeting Room of the library. All students must register in person, online or by phone, 634-4997, extension 126 or 125. This four-hour SAT from the Princeton Review gives students the opportunity to experience the test and discover what score they can expect. The student needs several #2 pencils and a calculator. You can also bring a small snack and resealable beverage for the short break time. The Scores Back session will be Tuesday, March 6 at 7 pm. That session is open to both parents and students, and the tests will be returned at that time for a quick review of the exam. For those students who can not pick up their scores on that date, the library will hold the results until the end of June at the adult reference desk.

Rescheduled Program

Sally Pellegrini — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:07:41 +0000

Due to the current weather conditions, the library will plan to open at noon. Stay tuned for further closing decisions.

The scheduled Genealogy Society's program, Military Records, with Tony Lauriano is postponed. A new date will be announced as soon as it is confirmed.

Enjoy the snow!

All Aboard! Storytime at Congers Train Station

Kathy Bachor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:01:08 +0000

Join Mrs. B for a six-week Winter session at the Congers Train Station. We will begin our weekly program on Tuesday January 24 at 10:00am and our last session will be Tuesday February 28. Remember to bring your floor mat and a grown-up! Come to as many sessions as are convenient for you. No registration is necessary. This storytime is appropriate for preschoolers 3 and up. Hope to see you there! (Please check the library website during inclement weather, in case we get stuck in the snow and can't meet!)

eReaders are Here

Charles McMorran — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:24:59 +0000

E-book readers have come to the New City Library. Today, Friday the 13th, the library has added 25 eReaders to our collection for checkout by New City and West Nyack cardholders. Each eReader edition is preloaded with 8 to 10 titles by genre. As an example, the eReader dedicated to Legal and Espionage titles has the following books to be read:

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarre, The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd, Bloodmoney by David Ignatius,The WholeTruth by David Baldacci, Rain Fall by Barry Eisler, Innocent by Scott Turow,The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly,The Confession by John Grisham,The Last Innocent Man by Phillip Margolin, and Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein.

Other subjects for the eReaders are Popular, Horror, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mysteries, Romance and others. Five of the eReaders are dedicated to Children’s and Teen titles.

It is truly a revolution in how we read and the New City Library is proud to be a part of it. Come in today and check us out.

Chapters: A Winter Pastime

Sally Pellegrini — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:46:02 +0000

It's January and the hustle bustle of the holidays is over. Ah....to sit down with a good book but, you want to discuss it with someone else. Here is the perfect opportunity. Join the fiction book club at the library. Chapters is the name of the group that meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7:15 PM. Each month, there will be an informal discussion of the chosen selection. All opinions are respected and title suggestions are always welcomed. Selections range from the classics to more current fiction. For more information, call 634-4997 ext 139. Chapters is proud to announce that it is nearing its 8th-year anniversary! Be a part of this active group.

Beyond Books - In the Movies

Harriet Wollenberg — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:21:02 +0000

So, you may be asking, what does the audiovisual librarian for the New City Library do on her Christmas vacation break? She goes to the movies, of course!

Over this past vacation I got to see several movies. Here are my thoughts and comments on five new movies (in alphabetical order):

The Descendants - I agree with the critics on this one; I thought it was a winner. George Clooney is wonderful as the father/husband who has to come to terms with the way he has led his life and the choices he has made in the past. His growing recognition of what he is and what he now needs to be for his family makes for a wonderful film. His older daughter, played by Shailene Woodley, gives a terrific performance also.

Heavenly Bodies

Karen Ostertag — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:56:04 +0000

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you all good health and good reads for the coming year. I've seen a number of "best of 2011" lists circulating on the web this week (if you're interested, click here for a collection of lists), but today, on the cusp of the New Year, I'm more interested in looking forward than looking back. I don't know about you, but I'm already anticipating a lot of great books and new series slated for 2012. What new genre trends would YOU like to see in the coming year?

Here's my big prediction: I think paranormal romance is due for a major shake-up. Shapeshifters are still going strong, but the vampire craze is on the way out. They're not quite dead yet (if you'll excuse the pun), but it's beginning to feel like all the possible changes have been rung on tall, dark, and toothsome heroes. Zombies were fun, but they don't really cut it as romantic leads. (Sure, they'll give you their hearts-- literally-- but then they want to eat your brains, and that makes a "happily ever after" kind of hard.) I'm certainly ready for something new.

Mobile Catalog Debuts

Marianne Silver — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:20:33 +0000

The mobile version of our new Enterprise catalog, BookMyne, is now available for iOS (iPhones, iPads, and iPods) and Android. Find the app in iTunes or Android Market. Please have a look at the User Guides for Android and iOS and take it for a spin!