Chappaqua library

Chappaqua Library Annual Used Book Sale – 2014

May 30, 2014 by The Inside Press

Donations accepted only on:

Mon. June 2 & Tue. June 3, 10:00am – 8:00pm

We need your donations. Please sort by category before bringing items to the sale. No textbooks, condensed books, magazines, business books, computer software, cassettes or video tapes.

Sale Days June 4-8

Wed., June 4 – 6:30 – 9:00pm – Preview sale for Friends of the Library only. Become a member at the door.
Thur. June 5 – 10:00am – 8:00pm
Fri. June 6 10:00am – 8:00pm
Sat. June 7 10:00am – 5:00pm – All remaining items are half-price
Sun. June 8 1:00 – 3:00pm – All remaining items are free

Chappaqua Teens Get into the Right Zone

May 27, 2014 by The Inside Press

Who better to run a teen activity than a teen?

That’s the thinking at the Chappaqua Library’s Teen Zone, where several Horace Greeley High School students are running programs for their peers and middle-schoolers.

For Girl Scout Kate Rosenberg, sharing her love of crocheting would have been part of her Gold Award project even it wasn’t a requirement.

“I’ve always loved to crochet, and regretted the fact a large percentage of the population has no idea what crocheting is, let alone how to do it. This seemed like the perfect way to spread something I love,” she says. “I chose the library because I wanted somewhere community-oriented. It seemed like the best way to have the greatest impact on the greatest number of people.”

Another Girl Scout, Lauren Berger, channeled her love of reading into a book group for middle-schoolers. Lucas Lande, an avid player of the card game Magic: The Gathering teaches skills and strategy to classmates.

“The kids know what they like and what their friends like, so whenever a student has an idea for a program, we’re very receptive,” says Donna Pesce, Teen Librarian.

“My goal was to get more middle-school kids reading. Many think that it is “uncool” to read for fun. I wanted to get kids excited about reading and get them reading more than just what they are assigned,” says Lauren, whose monthly book club is part of her Gold Award project.

Finding a regular time and place to play Magic: The Gathering wasn’t easy for Lucas and his fellow card- game players, so his Magic sessions in the Teen Zone really fill a need, he says. They’ve gotten so popular, he’s now holding them once a week instead of once a month. Both seasoned players and newcomers are welcome.

Student Initiated Programs

“It’s fun to teach new players. I usually suggest they play one deck exclusively until they’ve memorized each card and know what to do with it,” he says. His experience in the Teen Zone has inspired him to look into starting a Magic club at school, he notes.

Other student-initiated programs include anime festivals, decoupage projects and video gaming sessions. Some programs, started a year or two ago by Teen Zone alumni, have been so popular that a new crop of student leaders took them over.

A few times each school year, Michael Sayers, a page at the Library, holds court over middle- and high-schoolers playing Halo 4 and Forza on the library’s X-Box 360. The sessions were originally organized by then-Library Page Matt Jaselove, now a college student. Michael, a long-time gamer himself, enjoys watching the kids  have fun.

“It used to be that you had to be in the same room with your friends if you were doing a multi-player game, so it was a social experience. These sessions are sort of harking back to those days,” he said.

During the summer of 2013, Teen Zone regulars decoupaged a coffee table to go with the couch in the TZ area. They enjoyed the experience so much that when the project’s coordinator, Claire Cohen left for college, current HGHS freshman Michael Friedland took it over.

“Building something as a group is fun and it’s great to see the completed project. It’s also fun teaching people how to do it,” says Michael, admitting that “getting people to listen” is the hardest part of running the program.

Alumna Cohen is scheduled to return to the Teen Zone this summer to run a series of duct-tape craft workshops. All things anime appeal to Junior Andrew Kihara so he organizes anime festivals, featuring a story-board/collage craft, origami, Japanese food and a notable film. “We used to go to the New York City Comic-Con, but then we decided to hold our own “convention” at the library,” says Andrew, who, with his mother, screens the movie in advance to make sure it’s a winner. Many participants do both the origami, a traditional Japanese craft, and the  contemporary storyboard project.

A Welcoming Environment

“The best part about running festivals like these is you get to see the kids have fun playing with foreign traditions. They get to experience a lot of Japan’s meta culture and it’s always nice to see them excited to do something new,” he notes.

“We’re happy to provide an opportunity for our teen patrons to try out their ideas in a welcoming, comfortable environment,” says Pesce. “We like to have a variety of activities to appeal to as many interests as possible. Libraries today are really community activity centers–they’re not just for reading anymore,” she notes.

Most Teen Zone programs are scheduled for Friday afternoons and occasionally Friday evenings. Pesce says it’s a good “decompression” day and the activities allow the students to make the transition from school mode to a generally less-structured weekend schedule.

Budding Authors Get A Chance to Shine

August 16, 2013 by The Inside Press

By Liora Fishman

As winter approaches, the 34th Annual Friends of the Chappaqua Library Young Writers Contest will begin to accept entries from gifted student writers in the Chappaqua school district. The contest acknowledges the wide range of exceptional and inventive writers in the community and gives all students the chance to try their hand at writing a variety of genres, from poetry to nonfiction to short stories. The contest accepts student-written literature and showcases the talent of the applicants in the form of first, second and third place prizes. Winners are presented with certificates and monetary prizes, and a bound copy of all the work is placed in the stacks of the Chappaqua Library.

The Young Writers Contest is a program offered through Friends of the Chappaqua Library, a group that meets monthly to coordinate events that enhance the community’s interaction with the Chappaqua Library. The group hopes to promote creativity and literary inspiration through the contest by “encouraging students around the district to share their writing in a more public way than just turning it in for a grade,” explained Cheryl Ehrlich, coordinator of the Young Writers Contest.

Contestants may submit one piece per category, for a total of three works. Often, students choose to submit works they have completed in school, though some choose to create their pieces outside of school. Eva Sibinga, former Greeley student and winner of the 2012 Young Writers Contest’s Fiction section, submitted her story  “A Decision at Hopewell” after completing it for her Creative Writing class. “That piece was actually the only thing I’ve ever submitted to a contest,” said Sibinga. “I regret not submitting to the YWC other years, though. I really love the Chappaqua Library, and it felt good to participate in something that they sponsor.”

For many students who often find themselves immersed in the science and math departments in school, the contest is a means for literary expression and creativity that they would otherwise be unconnected with. “At school I’m often very focused on math and science, [but] I really enjoy English and I love this outlet–it’s my way of keeping in touch with that side of me,” said Rachel Neuburger, 2012 Honorable Mention recipient for her non-fiction piece, “Confessions of an Obnoxious Vegetarian.”

The contest has a long history of maintaining integrity in regard to its choices of winners, insisting on strict procedures writers must follow in order for their piece to be reviewed by the judges. “The Young Writers Contest has been sponsored by the Friends of the Chappaqua Library for close to 35 years, and I just carry on the traditions that came before me. I’ve streamlined certain procedures, but the rules don’t change,” added Ehrlich.

One of those rules is the “blind” policy, which insists that those submitting pieces omit their names on their writing. Should a writer’s name be on his or her entry, the panel of judges will not review the piece. “In years past, some coordinators would white out the names, but really, this isn’t fair to the other submitters who follow the rules,” said Ehrlich.

However, a new element of the contest utilizes the ease of the Internet, allowing submissions to be made online. This development was first put into effect in the 2013 Young Writers Contest, setting the precedent for the future contests in hopes of being more environmentally friendly and straightforward. Students can upload their work as a PDF to the Chappaqua Library’s Submittable account.

The Young Writers Contest encourages students to create a piece of writing to take pride in and fosters creativity and experimentation in regard to students’ writing. “It’s a really positive way to get yourself out there and get some feedback on your writing, and get comfortable with the idea of sharing your form of expression, which can be scary but is often very rewarding,” said Sibinga.

Additionally, the contest showcases the student talent that would otherwise be unrecognized. “[The Young Writers Contest] shows how much talent there is in the district, and I think it inspires students to throw their work in the mix and get involved,” said Neuberger.

Ehrlich couldn’t agree more: “It’s as much about the submitting as the winning,” she explained. “Sure it’s great to win, but the act of submitting lets you feel the value in your work. You also on some level declare to yourself ‘I am a writer.’ Writing is a life skill that lets you communicate with and persuade and move others.”

The deadline for the 2014 Young Writers Contest, expected to be in late March, will be announced shortly.

Liora Fishman is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, she loved the Harry Potter books.

Chappaqua library