library
Welcome to the Chappaqua Library!
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!
A Literary Event Like No Other: The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
By Sarah Jane Weill
Booklovers, rejoice! On October 5, 2013, the Bell Middle School parking lot will be filled with more than 70 children’s book authors all armed and ready to meet their readers. It will be an event never before seen here in Chappaqua, and is definitely something to get excited about!
The idea for the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival (or CCBF) stemmed from Tarrytown’s Sunnyside Book Day, an annual event lasting 15 years during which 50 to 60 children’s book authors and illustrators gathered at Washington Irving’s house to meet their fans. The beloved event was a great opportunity for writers and young readers to mingle in a unique environment. However, this past year Sunnyside announced that it would no longer be continuing the event. This unfortunate announcement had one positive effect: it led to the inspiration to bring about something similar to New Castle.
Come One, Come All
The premise of the CCBF is to create an event that will attract a wide spectrum of readers throughout Chappaqua as well as surrounding towns. With an impressive goal of around 3,000 attendees, the CCBF will be a strong community event. “We want this to be an event when everyone comes out,” commented Dawn Greenberg, one of the event’s volunteer organizers who helped bring this idea to life. The event will be a great place to meet people and a chance for the long-time Chappaqua families and the newer families to meet.
The schedule for the event is casual, flexible and accessible to all. Authors and illustrators will have their own tables and be available for book signings and conversations with fans, along with having books for sale. Some authors will be partaking in readings that are open to everyone; there will also be arts and crafts activities to enjoy. Local restaurants and food trucks will provide the food; in addition, all desserts will be literary-themed and sold by the Great American Bake Sale. Admission is free, so families are encouraged to come and go as they please, enjoying as much as they want in the fashion they want to.
Coming Together
The most exciting part about this event is the list of authors and illustrators expected to be in attendance; to name just a couple, Tony Abbott, author of the Secrets of Droon series, and Victoria Kann, author and illustrator of Pinkalicious, will both be there. With 70 authors already signed up and more on a waiting list, a wide range of books from all genres will be represented. All of the authors on the list are from around the area; a great number of fantastic children’s and Young Adult authors who live in Chappaqua are attending the event.
Many of the authors were originally a part of the Sunnyside Book Day; other authors have either been recruited by friends already planning on attending or by relatives living in the area who heard about the event. Most of these authors work from home, and are therefore thrilled to get the opportunity to interact with their fans. Their enthusiasm, coupled with the excitement of young readers, will make the CCBF that much more thrilling and rewarding.
A Group Effort
Getting an event like this up and running is no easy task. The entire preparation for the CCBF has been run completely through no-pay volunteer efforts, as the CCBF is run by a non-profit organization. All of the money needed for the event has been acquired through various fundraisers such as a special tea with some of the authors and an art auction that sold off pieces created by some of the illustrators.
People from all parts of the town have come together to help out with the preparations; Greenberg recalled that once she got the idea for the festival, she called her friends and immediately got positive responses. “This job is only possible because of the enthusiasm,” she remarked. The organization of the CCBF has largely been a group effort; the community’s excitement over this upcoming event clearly shows how hard people have worked to make the event a success.
Adding to the event’s remarkableness is its great efforts to give back to the literary community in the area. Three charities that work to promote literacy and encourage reading and writing–LitWorld, Behind the Book, and Pace Literary Center–will have their own spaces at the event. These charities are all crucial in the literary community, and the mutual support between them and the CBFF will come to benefit everyone.
Looking forward, if all is successful, those responsible for the CCBF are hoping to make this an annual event. This would not only make our town stronger, but it would also connect Chappaqua to the outside literary world; it could become a huge aspect of the fall festivities in town.
“October is the perfect time of the year, as it’s the lull between back to school and Christmas,” added Greenberg. It is an event that is very much needed in our community; it can be something that readers, writers, and people from all throughout Westchester can look forward to. So, book lover or not, mark your calendars and get ready for a new, exciting event here in Chappaqua!
Activities & Resources Abound at the Chappaqua Library
Article and Photo by Ronni Diamondstein
A public library is a strong reflection of its community and the Chappaqua Library is no exception. Catering to the entire community and in particular to those with special needs, the Chappaqua Library is in the forefront of services in Westchester. “We’re the only library in the county that provides a special program for children and extensive resources,” says Pamela Thornton, Library Director. “For me and the library staff, it is a basic service for us to provide for our patrons.”
One of the special needs activities that Thornton applauds is a monthly program sponsored by the Children’s Room, Saturday Specials. Miriam Budin, Head of Children’s Services, started the program three years ago when she saw that some parents felt uncomfortable bringing their children to the library’s regular children’s programs. “I wanted them to feel welcome at the library. I wanted to get to know their children better so that I could provide better library service to them going forward,” says Budin. “We’ve had children with hearing loss, cerebral palsy and autism.” Families must register for these thematic programs that include stories, songs, sensory activities, schmoozing and surprises. “The program is open to all,” says Budin “and provides a fun environment for the whole family.” Such fun includes puppets and sensory activities like painting with shaving cream, stringing beads and playing with balloons.
Frequently parents come in to the library with a particular concern and they can find a wide selection of books at all levels to deal with difficult topics. The Parenting Collection includes picture books on tough topics from divorce and bullying to toilet training. The regular library collection contains many books for older children that deal with a wide range of topics like death, disabilities and other special needs. One of the many knowledgeable library staff members will happily help patrons find just the right book.
Another source of Thornton’s pride is The Learning Center, a wide-ranging collection of materials that provides resources on all aspects of human learning. “It started as a collection of materials for vision and hearing concerns,” explains Deb Donaldson, the head of Technical Services who oversees The Learning Center. “The collection is quite extensive and covers topics from ADHD, Autism and Asperger’s to Executive Functioning,” says Donaldson whose own child had Learning Disabilities. “The collection has branched out as things come up,” says Donaldson. There are now over 1900 materials–books in English and Spanish, DVDs, CDs, books on tape and periodicals–on a wide range of topics from Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia and Borderline Personality Disorder to Gifted Education. Information on popular therapies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy is also available. “There are resources for kids who are not necessarily on the spectrum, but may have some sensitivity. We’re looking for solutions,” says Donaldson who works closely with the Special Education Committee of the Chappaqua Parent Teacher Association.
Materials from The Learning Center are frequently inter-library loaned to other residents in Westchester. Thornton, a board member of Westchester Institute of Human Development, is proud that her staff offers these services to the community. “There are 17,000 developmentally disabled people living in Westchester County,” says Thornton “and we’re here to help.”
Ronni Diamondstein, owner of Maggie Mae Pup Reporter, is a Chappaqua based freelance writer, PR consultant, award-winning photographer and a School Library Media Specialist and teacher who has worked in the US and abroad.
The Chappaqua Challenge at the Chappaqua Library
The Chappaqua Library has begun registering for the Chappaqua Challenge. This highly popular, low-key reading program has been an annual event since 1983. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders form teams of 3-4 people, take four months to read from a list of twelve selected books, and write questions about one of the books. During the actual Challenge, which will take place on March 16th, 2013 at 2 p.m., the teams will quiz each other. No score is kept and there are no winners or losers. Each participant will earn a gift certificate to a local bookstore, and there’s a party immediately afterwards.
Space is limited, so those interested in participating should register as soon as possible. Please see our website, www.chappaqualibrary.org, or call the Children’s Room of the Chappaqua Library at (914) 238-4779, ext. 3, for more information.
