Spotlight On
A rotating showcase for topics of interest: current, historical, local, global. At the Library,
find a physical display highlighting materials in the collection that deepen one’s
understanding of and give context to the featured subject.
“Spotlight On” is also home to “Staff Picks,” where patrons will find reading, viewing,
and listening recommendations, and a forum for book clubs and other groups
in the community to share what they’re enjoying.
New Travel Books
Whether you are planning a trip or just dreaming about the possibilities, the Library has recently acquired numerous updated guides for 2024. Check out some of the titles highlighted below and visit the Library to view the entire collection.
Jeanne Bastone, Reference Librarian
DK Eyewitness Portugal 2024
A beautifully illustrated guide offering expert advice and recommendations. Includes sample itineraries, detailed maps, suggested walks and much more. A very comprehensive guide.
Europe Through the Back Door 2024
Rick Steves
Rick Steves is a renowned travel expert with over 40 years of experience. He offers introductions to the most popular destinations in Europe and suggestions on itinerary planning, what to pack, how to maximize your time, dealing with language barriers, cultural differences and much more.
Fodor’s Barbados & Saint Lucia 2024
A Fodor’s InFocus edition that has been fully redesigned with fresh information and lovely photos.
Fodor’s Paris 2024
Researched and written by local experts, it provides an easy-to-read format. In addition to recommendations for multiple itineraries, hotels, restaurants, etc., it includes a special feature section on the Louvre and Versailles.
Frommer’s Hawaii 2024
Fully updated and covering most of the Hawaiian Islands, the guide was researched by experienced travel journalists with recommendations on what to do to get the most out of your trip.
Rough Guide to the Netherlands 2024
A great resource for independent travelers; it covers all the must-see sights, sample itineraries, hotel and restaurant suggestions and more.
Prize Winning Books
Rabbit is Rich
John Updike
The third in Updike’s Rabbit series, this is Updike at the height of his powers.
True History of the Kelly Gang
Peter Carey
Carey breathes life into the Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly, in this novel.
Sacred Hunger
Barry Unsworth
An historical drama and a moral tale about an English slave ship during the height of England’s empire.
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Jesmyn Ward
A story that brings the American road novel into the 21st century.
Explore More…
Interested in The New York Times best sellers? See them here!
Not sure what to do with leftover solar eclipse glasses? Please consider donating to one of the organizations that is collecting them for distribution to other countries that have upcoming eclipse events. Follow this link for more information.
For those of you who attended any of the summer series at the Library, “The Drs. Clarke and Their Circle,” you may be interested in a podcast that was featured in the “Goings On” column of the September 4th issue of The New Yorker magazine. Here is a brief description: In 2020, Vann R. Newkirk II and The Atlantic (where Newkirk is a senior editor) released “Floodlines,” a majestic, artfully produced, Peabody-winning podcast series about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in New Orleans. With similar sensitivity, finesse, and attention to exacting detail, this year’s ambitious “Holy Week: The Story of a Revolution Undone” chronicles the tumultuous period of agony and uprisings that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1968. The show skillfully weaves together original reporting by Newkirk with vivid archival audio and sophisticated sound design to tell the stories of families, activists, and politicians in Washington, D.C., and beyond. We follow some of their struggles to cope and to find faith during a historic moment that’s often overlooked—and that reveals much about our own time.—Sarah Larson
Watch a Youtube video from the Social Security Administration about scam awareness.
200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature from The Center for Fiction
Meet Libby, the library reading app that has now replaced the OverDrive app. Upgrade to Libby today. You’ll find the same great titles and all of your loans, holds, and wish list items waiting for you. Watch a video about Libby to get started.
The New York State Department of Labor is partnering with Coursera to offer free classes to unemployed New Yorkers.
The Westchester-Putnam Career Center Network (WPCCN) and Westchester Community College (WCC) are actively recruiting men and women, 18 and up, who reside in Westchester, NY and are interested in exploring careers in healthcare with free training. Follow this link for more information.
Visit Westchester Library System’s website for Seniors to see library programs and services just for seniors. This includes information on VisionLabs, a program designed to find new ways for libraries to serve patrons with visual impairments and emerging vision loss.
The Television News Archive, launched September 2012, is an archive of hundreds of thousands of hours of news programming from 20 different networks, made sharable and searchable through closed captioning data. Follow this link to check it out.
The Internet Archive’s Democracy’s Library is working to provide free and open access to government materials in an online catalog for the public.
You can now turn your smart phone into a mobile PDF scanner! Download the free Adobe Scan app and scan any text, convert to PDF or JPEG, edit and share easily.
Westchester Library System and Other Events