library Archives - Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk: The Magazines for New and North Castle

North Castle Library Receives State Grant

October 24, 2018 by The Inside Press

The North Castle Public Library has been awarded a $135,000 grant for building improvements to its main branch in Armonk. The grant, part of $24 million in capital funds set aside for public library construction and other infrastructure projects in the 2017–2018 state budget, was announced in August by State Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-Westchester) and State Senator Shelley Mayer (D-Westchester).

The North Castle Library “has put forward innovative plans for improving the infrastructure of their library building,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “It has been very proactive in making sure they are a 21st century institution.” Buchwald noted that while many libraries apply for grants, the process is very competitive, and not all libraries that apply receive funding. The North Castle library, he said, has successfully positioned itself as an innovator in library spaces and programs.

Additionally, the grants require matching funds from local supporters. “New York State has an interest in supporting libraries where the local community has been part of supporting its library as well; this ensures both state and local dollars go further,” he said.

The grants allow libraries to “expand the critical services they provide for the community,” said State Senator Mayer. “They are centerpieces of our communities in Westchester and throughout the state providing programming for children, seniors, and families.»

(L-R): Sean Ryan, Assemblyman David Buchwald and Marilyn Heimerdinger at the opening of the Friends Gallery at the North Castle Public Library.
PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF
ASSEMBLYMAN DAVID BUCHWALD

Sean Ryan, president of the North Castle Public Library Board, said the funds have been put toward an improvement initiative that was established in 2013 and implemented in 2014. At that time, the library trustees assessed the needs of the community, and put together a wish list of improvement projects totaling more than $1.5 million. This is the fifth grant the library has received from the state, and according to Ryan, the library’s current ‘to do’ list has projects extending into 2020 for both its main Armonk branch and satellite North White Plains branch.

Ryan noted that infrastructure improvements were critical for libraries to maintain the type of programming that is relevant in today’s fast-paced world of new media.

“Libraries are reinventing themselves,” he said. “Just ten years ago they were books on shelves. Now, they are social centers for educational and cultural activities.”

“The North Castle Public Library is thrilled to receive this library construction grant which enables us to renovate spaces dedicated to support our library’s programs for children, young adults and adults,” he added. This support “allows libraries to transform to meet current and future needs of our patrons.”

The North Castle Public Library has seen a dramatic increase in attendance since the improvement projects began. Last year, more than 163,000 people visited the library, and more than 35,000 attended its programs, which is twice as many as attendees recorded in 2012. The library currently runs more than 2,000 programs a year, and ranks third in the county for program participants.

The most recent grant has already been put to good use. A Friends’ Gallery, which will be used for adult programming and as a gallery space, has already been completed. In June, the room was dedicated to the Friends of the North Castle Public Library in appreciation for their contributions to the library. The gallery’s first exhibit featured a historical retrospective of the group, who in 1961 established the Armonk Outdoor Art Show as a way to raise funds for the library. The exhibit chronicled how the show, originally held in a small churchyard, grew to more than 185 artists from around the world. Other gallery shows will feature the artists Natalya Aikens and Doris Mady, woven and pottery art, and local photographers.

The grant also covers the creation of a New Young Adult room that will provide more space for teens to use the library facilities, and a new café offering drinks, light snacks, and a relaxing environment for everyone in the community. The final project covered by this grant is the expansion of the children’s room, where 600 square feet of dedicated program space will be added.

“These grants support library programs that equip children and young adults with lifelong learning and literacy skills,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “I’m pleased our libraries continue to develop new facilities and programs that enrich our communities.”

For more information on upcoming programs and exhibits, visit www.northcastlelibrary.org.

Celebrating Spring in the Castles

March 8, 2018 by Stacey Pfeffer

Call me a curmudgeon but I was deeply disappointed when the groundhog said we wouldn’t have an early spring this year. I know I’m supposed to relish these last few weeks of winter but frankly I don’t. We aren’t a skiing or snowboarding family so the thought of more snow, icy roads and school closures is enough to drive me batty and have me counting the days until the official start of spring.

But there are subtle signs of spring all around us. I start to notice more joggers out on Quaker Road without hats and gloves, the streams bubbling with running water instead of frozen ice. As I pass the duck pond, I see that it is slowly starting to melt and is that a crocus growing in my front yard?

One of my favorite parts of being an editor of this magazine is meeting residents and hearing their stories. The idea of doing an article on some of the expats that live in this community had been germinating in my mind for quite some time. As a former expat living in London, I was highly attuned to accents that I would hear in the library or at a local coffee shop. I wanted to highlight what an enriching experience it can be living in the Castles and from what I learned these expats are fully acclimated to the community and you just might bump into them on the soccer field or in your local park this spring. Be sure to give them a warm welcome!

With spring’s arrival, maybe it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and try your hand at surviving in the wilderness. A great course offered by New Castle Recreation and Parks can teach you how to build a fire, create a temporary dwelling or compass reading. If that doesn’t suit you, catch up with a friend on a walk around town or on the North County Trailway and soak in some early spring sun. Be sure to stop for a delicious (perhaps iced?) coffee afterwards. Check out Amy Kelly’s story for some local suggestions.

As soon as April showers begin, I’ve got one thing on my mind: CAMP! Preparing for my older two to attend sleep-away for the first time and trying to figure out what to do with my youngest. Luckily Shauna Levy’s article offers some tips as you plan for summer.

So how do you plan on celebrating spring in New Castle? Write to me at stacey@insidepress.com and your idea just might turn into an article for a future edition. I love hearing from readers who have story suggestions.

Enjoy,

It’s All Happening at the North Castle Public Library

August 25, 2016 by The Inside Press

By Deborah Raider Notis

The North Castle Public Library is much more than a place to borrow books. It is a hub of exciting, innovative programming. It is a community center filled with opportunity to grow, flourish, meet new people, and to feel an even greater connection to this community.

“We aim to offer totally comprehensive programming with the whole interests in mind,” notes North Castle Public Library Director Edie Martimucci. Martimucci, who has worked in the library system for more than 18 years, has been director of the North Castle Public Library since April 2016. She helps to bring the highest quality of free programming to both the Armonk and North White Plains branches of the library.

The creative, intellectual, and community-enhancing programming at The North Castle Public Library has one other added benefit. Nearly all of these programs are free to the public. For the past 70 years, the funding for many of these free programs can be attributed to the Friends of the North Castle Library. The Friends of the North Castle Library funds special programming that makes the library a greater draw for residents of both North Castle and the greater Westchester area.

They are responsible for the Sunday Music Concert Series, teen programs including a songwriting program, family programs like Family Chess, and various health and wellness programs. The Friends of the North Castle Library also sponsors bi-annual productions of The Armonk Players, a community theater group. Additionally, the Friends of the North Castle Library provided funding for the original library building, Whippoorwill Hall, and various other building renovations. The Friends of the North Castle Library’s annual Art Show, one of the most prestigious art shows in the United States and their largest fundraiser, helps to support many of these programs.

Over the past year, attendance at library programs went up astronomically, but Martimucci is hoping to spur even greater community participation in library events going forward. She has helped to bring diverse programs into the library, including weekly Tai Chi, art history, and Italian language and culture programs, all of which are exceptionally well-attended. This year, the North Castle Public Library also added weekly Bridge lessons.

North Castle Public Library Director Edie Martimucci

For the younger set, the North Castle Public Library offers everything from yoga for mothers with children ages one to four to sewing to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) programs. According to Megan Dean, Director of Youth Services for the North Castle Public Library, “We are looking at the future of libraries. Thus far libraries have been all about circulating books.

Now we are looking at different programming and circulating other materials that allow for exploration and trial and error. We want to find new things and ways that the library can contribute to the community.” To that end, the library has added maker programs, science labs, Photoshop and print-making programs for middle schoolers, and 3-D printing workshops for middle and high school students. These programs meet once a week and typically have between 10 and 20 participants.

Dean has also started a program through which maker kits are circulated for two weeks to library members. With so many options, Dean hopes to encourage more members of North Castle’s younger community to become active at the library.

Knowledgeable instructors, including Pace University professor Val Franco and Alka Kaminer, who runs a weekly Chair Yoga class, give these programs even greater appeal.

“We have quite a few independent teachers who love to teach and enjoy our library community,” states Martimucci. Unique programming, like cooking classes sponsored by the White Plains Hospital in conjunction with the library and the Sunday Music Concert Series, has been a significant draw, and both the “A Taste of Sinatra” and “Love Songs of World War II” concerts packed the house with approximately 175 attendees each.

Martimucci has great aspirations for the library for the coming year. She hopes to build the library’s academic reputation, making it an educational hub for the North Castle community. Adding four-week continuing education classes, on any topic from history to science, is a high priority for Martimucci.

“The library should open up endless possibilities. I want to help to incite people’s desire to learn.”

She would also like to implement an annual community spelling bee. Structurally, she wants to reconfigure the rooms throughout the Armonk branch to allow for programming. “If we create more dedicated spaces, programming won’t interfere with studying,” notes Martimucci. She hopes that this will encourage even greater participation in programming.

But most importantly, Martimucci wants input from the community. She encourages people to provide the powers that be at the library with their ideas and feedback.

Go onto the library’s website and submit suggestions to the virtual suggestion box. And show up. The North Castle Public Library is a phenomenal resource that is open to the whole community.

Whether you’re interested in nutrition, cooking, physical well-being, music, academics, science, youth programming, or the arts, the North Castle Public Library has something for you.

Deborah Raider Notis lives in Westchester with her husband, four boys, and her dog. She is the co-owner of gamechangernow, LLC (gamechangernow.com), a free referral service connecting Westchester families to instructors. You can find Deborah’s writing for the Inside Press and on suburbanmisfitmom.com.

Event at North Castle Library

March 14, 2016 by The Inside Press

Welcome to the Chappaqua Library!

August 5, 2015 by The Inside Press

Our mission is to provide information, programming and access to resources and materials for your educational and recreational needs. Your library card gives you access to our physical collection located in our 26,000 square foot facility and our downloadable resources from the comfort of your own home.

The library is open seven days a week during the school year: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m-5 p.m. Our catalog, online resources and downloadable e-books and e-audio titles are available to patrons 24 hours a day either through our website, chappaqualibrary.org, or our mobile app.

INSIDE The library:

A wide assortment of bestseller, popular and classic DVDs, and music
Extensive adult, teen and children’s programming, book discussions, lectures, concerts, storytimes, movies, and more
Wireless access to the Internet including wireless printing capability from your home computers, tablets, or smartphones
Art exhibits in our gallery
Museum passes
Public access computers
Online research databases
E-books
Full text digital magazines
Downloadable and streaming music
Audio books you can borrow or download

We offer friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you with all your research needs.The Chappaqua Library is part of a consortium of 38 public libraries in Westchester County with a shared online catalog and daily delivery service. Your library card gives you borrowing privileges at each, plus the ability to reserve an item and have it delivered locally for your convenience.

We look forward to serving you.

Regards,

Pamela Thornton

Director

Ellen Smithberg

Library Board President

Our local Chappaqua Library hosts a slew of exciting and engaging programs throughout the year. Here’s a taste of their annual offerings. For more information on dates, attendance and/or registration for any of these wonderful events, please visit chappaqualibrary.org

Annual KenKen Tournament

Founder of KenKen Puzzle Co. and local resident Robert Fuhrer invites KenKen enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to come together to match wits and challenge each other for accuracy and speed. Founded in 2010, the Chappaqua Library KenKen tournament is held annually every December (exact date will vary year to year). This event is free of charge, and open to the public.

Annual Used Book Sale

Held every June (exact dates will vary year to year), this event is sponsored by Friends of the Chappaqua Library as a way to promote and share reading throughout the community. Town members can donate books in good condition on designated donation days. Please sort by category before bringing items to the sale. No textbooks, encyclopedias, condensed books, magazines, computer software, cassettes, LPs, or videotapes.

AARP Free Tax-Aide

Specially trained AARP members are on hand at the library annually from February-April 15 (exact start date will vary year to year), to assist patrons in filling out their tax forms. Though anyone is welcome, this service is primarily for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to those aged 60 and older.

Big Truck Day

Held annually every Spring (exact date will vary year to year), Big Truck Day is exactly what it sounds like. Come see an exciting display of various “big trucks”–including, but not limited to, Chappaqua and Millwood firetrucks, Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps van, Chappaqua Transportation school buses, motorcycles, and assorted construction vehicles–right outside, in the Chappaqua Library parking lot! The event is free of charge and open to the public, and town members of all ages are welcome!

Community Reads

This community-wide literary event began in 2008 after the library applied for a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host such an event. The entire community is encouraged to read and share a single literary work by a specific author. Also, anyone may participate in various programs sponsored by the library relating to that author. Past authors have included Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain and Gertrude Stein. Held every other year in October (exact date will vary).

Foreign Policy Discussion Group

Meets at the library once a week every other week, for 16 sessions. Topics by a wide variety of guest speakers vary session to session and year to year. Meetings are free of charge and open to the public.

Friday Hangout

Held every Friday during the school year (September through June, except for school vacation days), the library hosts a different drop-in program each week for students in grades 7-12. Past offerings have included author visits, book discussions, poetry readings, arts-and-crafts projects, and a communal game of Magic:The Gathering.

Friends of the Chappaqua Library

A non-profit organization promoting financial support for the Chappaqua Library through various fundraising, donations, and membership fees. Meetings to discuss programs and funding are held monthly at the Chappaqua Library, and the public is invited to attend. Membership is open to any individual 18 years or older, and the fee is $30. Members are entitled to a special preview of books the evening before the annual June used book sale.

Mini-Anime Festival

Chappaqua Library hosts an afternoon-long event, featuring origami and other Japanese crafts, anime drawing, a Japanese dinner, and a screening of an anime film. Held annually on a Friday in February (exact date will vary year to year). Open to students in grades 7-12.

Museums at the Library

Held every Spring (exact date will vary year to year). An open house-style event wherein various local museums set up booths and participants can learn about each museum and take part in creative, fun hands-on activities. Booths in art, nature, history, music and more! The event is free of charge and open to the public; all ages are welcome! Town members aged 18 years or older can obtain special passes to these museums (and more throughout NYC) if they hold a library card and have no outstanding fines.

Rising Stars Concert

Held annually in April or May (exact date will vary year to year). A music festival featuring young Asian-American student performers. Classical and contemporary works from West to East, followed by light refreshments. Co-sponsored by Organization of Chinese Americans of Westchester and Hudson Valley.

Teen Study Hours

Held during exam weeks in January, May & June (exact dates will vary year to year). The library extends its hours until 10 p.m. for high school students to stay. The theater is also open for study groups and meals at this time.

Young Musicians’ Festival

Gathering of local music students sharing solo, chamber, or small ensemble pieces, followed by a selection of light refreshments. Held annually on a Saturday in May (exact date will vary year to year). Open to teens in grades 7-12.

Other Events

The Chappaqua Library also hosts a variety of other exciting events, including film screenings, poetry readings, book signings, writing workshops, discussion groups, and more!