Library News
- NOW OPEN FOR BRIEF IN-PERSON BROWSING – One person or family at a time will be scheduled in 30 minute increments beginning ½ hour after opening and ending 1 hour before closing times to allow for one-at-a-time service. There will be a fifteen minute interim period between appointments for surface cleaning. Call the Circulation Desk at (914) 693-6614 to schedule an appointment, please arrive on time and ring the doorbell located on the right side of the main entrance to enter. Our restrooms, seating and Children’s toys are unavailable at this time.
- CONTACTLESS PICKUP CONTINUES – You may still reserve your books & DVDs either online via the catalog or over the phone with us at (914) 693-6614, during our regular business hours.
- Staff will retrieve materials, check them out to you, and bundle your items together (please limit your holds to 10 items per pickup). Bundles will be labeled with your last name.
- When you get the notification that your holds are in, use the app to schedule your pickup at this link: Curbside Pickup. You may also call us to schedule an appointment for pickup. Please pick up your items at your scheduled time, or you will have to reschedule if you miss your appointment. Let us know if you have any special requirements for pick-up at this time.
- When you have received your pick-up time, come to the Library and park in the designated 15 minute parking space in front of the building. For your safety, the outer doors of the vestibule will be open (good airflow) and the inner doors will remain closed at all times. Patrons are asked to leave returning materials in the Book Drop for quarantining, NOT in the vestibule.
- Staff wear gloves and masks at all times when working with library materials entering or leaving the building. Masks are required for patrons and staff at all times.
- Printing – if you have items to be printed, they may be emailed to the Reference Desk account dobref@wlsmail.org and will be available for curbside pickup, by the same process as other materials. Regular printing prices apply – $0.15/page for black & white, $0.35/page for color. Please leave your payment, exact change only, in a sealed envelope when you pick up your print-outs.
- NEED HELP FINDING BOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS? Give us a topic, genre, or author you love and we will find items similar to those, but new to you. Call or email us at the numbers above and we will select five titles for you to try.
SUMMER READING 2020
Welcome to our Summer Reading Game! Our game is a free, flexible, 6-week program that encourages children in elementary school to keep reading over the summer. Anyone entering grades K-6 is welcome to register! The program runs July 13 – August 20.
This year families will use the online reporting system READsquared to log reading at home. Here’s how to do it:
1. Register Online – Parents, you can create an account first to easily monitor your children’s activity. Download the READsquared app and select “Dobbs Ferry Public Library” as your library, or register online. Click on the button that says you’d like to register “Myself and Children,” indicate that you’re an adult when asked for an age range, and select the Children’s 2020 Summer Reading Program. You will then fill in your own name and information before entering that of your children. If you would like your children to establish their own accounts, you do not need to open an account of your own.
2. Track Your Reading – Log in to track your reading and earn points. Log your reading each week to earn virtual badges and automatically be entered to win prizes. Complete special missions to earn bonus points!
3. Participate! – We may not be able to gather at the library just yet, but we hope you’ll take advantage of our virtual programming and grab-and-go crafts. And please be in touch if we can help you with curbside pickup! We’d love to find you our latest and greatest summer reads!
Have questions? Check out our FAQ here!
In the Gallery
DFPL strives to provide the community with exhibition space for local artists, historical displays and special exhibits.
Upcoming Programs
Take & Make Adult / Teen Craft Kit – Papercraft Bird Collage (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Saturday, August 15
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Have a creative Stay-cation this August with easy, take-home craft kits for adults or teens.
Kits are first-come, first-served while they last. Kits are all-inclusive except for standard household items.
Call the library at (914) 693-6614 to reserve your kit for pick up.
Manhattanville MFA Program Creative Writing Workshop via ZOOM (Registration Required)
Monday, August 17
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Please bring your own writings to share with the group.
This online event is free and open to the public.
Please register and request a Zoom invitation at dobref@wlsmail.org
Reader’s Circle – Book Discussion in Waterfront Park (REGISTRATION)
Thursday, August 20
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Save the Date for a Library Picnic at Waterfront Park – the Reader’s Circle will meet in a safe, socially distanced setting. Bring your own lunch, lawn chair, beverage, and mask.
We will gather for a picnic lunch at 12:00 noon followed by a discussion at 1:00 p.m. of several short stories from an anthology, Los Angeles Noir 2: The Classics, edited by Denise Hamilton.
We have selected three crime fiction stories by masters of the genre set in different parts of L.A. at different times of the 20th century:
“Dead Man” by James M. Cain (1936) set in San Fernando
“Find the Woman” by Ross MacDonald (1944) set in Beverly Hills
“High Darktown” by James Ellroy (1986) set in West Adams
Los Angeles Noir 2: The Classics, is available for free to download as an ebook on Hoopla here using your library card. There are also a few copies of the book available in the library system.
Please email dobref@wlsmail.org to register and for the meeting location.
Film Noir Discussion Series – Online Discussion via ZOOM (Registration Required)
Friday, August 21
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Join us as we weave through the dangerous back alleys and hairpin turns of Hollywood and into the world of Film Noir. Let’s talk about the characteristics of the genre, such as cynical heroes, femmes fatale; no-nonsense dialogue, a sense of menace other characteristics that makes these films so compelling so riveting.
Watch the film beforehand on Hoopla, anytime, at your convenience, then join us for an afternoon conversation on Zoom about the film – if you would like to attend, please send a request to receive a Zoom invitation and link to dobref@wlsmail.org.
Sign up for a free account on Hoopla using your library card here
This week’s film to be discussed – Budapest Noir (click title for Hoopla link)
“Budapest, 1936. The Hungarian prime minister returns from Germany in a coffin, his dream of making Hungary into a fascist state snuffed out-for now. Crime reporter Zsigmond Gordon has other things on his mind. A cynic who thinks he has seen it all, a tip leads him to an unusual crime scene in a seedy part of the city – a beautiful, well-dressed young woman is dead, with only a Jewish prayer book in her purse…Investigating the mystery girl’s murder, Gordon enters a world of pornographers, brothels and Communist cells leading to the highest echelons of power. The more people try to scare him away, the deeper he digs in, not knowing who to trust, or what ulterior motives are working against him and the truth.” – Hoopla
Take & Make Adult / Teen Craft Kit – Cheerful Garden Art (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Saturday, August 22
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Have a creative Stay-cation this August with easy, take-home craft kits for adults or teens.
Kits are first-come, first-served while they last. Kits are all-inclusive except for standard household items.
Call the library at (914) 693-6614 to reserve your kit for pick up.
Take & Make Adult / Teen Craft Kit – Papercraft Bird Collage (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Saturday, August 15
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Have a creative Stay-cation this August with easy, take-home craft kits for adults or teens.
Kits are first-come, first-served while they last. Kits are all-inclusive except for standard household items.
Call the library at (914) 693-6614 to reserve your kit for pick up.
Take & Make Adult / Teen Craft Kit – Cheerful Garden Art (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Saturday, August 22
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Have a creative Stay-cation this August with easy, take-home craft kits for adults or teens.
Kits are first-come, first-served while they last. Kits are all-inclusive except for standard household items.
Call the library at (914) 693-6614 to reserve your kit for pick up.
Cult Classic Movie Night Online via HOOPLA and ZOOM – Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (Rated PG)
Thursday, September 10
8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Movie starts at 8 PM via Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Patrons may set up an account via their Westchester System Library card.
A group film discussion / trivia / Q&A to follow at 9:45 PM via ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Zoom meeting id: 847 0589 1428 (no password)
Both the film and discussion require Internet access / the ZOOM discussion requires a webcam and microphone.
Questions? Email Tim Deery at tdeery@wlsmail.org
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979/PG/Musical, Comedy)
Vince Lombardi High School is the wildest, most rockin’ high school around! That is, until principal Togar comes along and tries to make the school a totalitarian state. With the help of The Ramones, teen Riff Randell and her friends look to get even.
Introduction to Babysitting (Zoom Class)
Saturday, September 12
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Learn the basics of childcare in our 3-session Introduction to Babysitting online course. Participants will learn about stages of childhood development, safety and first aid, feeding and diapering, and extra precautions that must be taken when working with children during a pandemic. Babysitters-in-training will also develop valuable interview and communication skills.
Our instructor, Amanda Tucker, is a first grade teacher who holds certifications in Early Childhood, General Education, and Special Education.
When registering, you are committing to attend three online classes that will be held on September 12, 19, and 26 from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM. To register, email kfoster@wlsmail.org or call (914) 693-6615.
For ages 11 – 18
Introduction to Babysitting (Zoom Class)
Saturday, September 19
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Learn the basics of childcare in our 3-session Introduction to Babysitting online course. Participants will learn about stages of childhood development, safety and first aid, feeding and diapering, and extra precautions that must be taken when working with children during a pandemic. Babysitters-in-training will also develop valuable interview and communication skills.
Our instructor, Amanda Tucker, is a first grade teacher who holds certifications in Early Childhood, General Education, and Special Education.
When registering, you are committing to attend three online classes that will be held on September 12, 19, and 26 from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM. To register, email kfoster@wlsmail.org or call (914) 693-6615.
For ages 11 – 18
Magic Carpet Grab-and-Go Craft (REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Saturday, August 15
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Pick up your craft kit at the library!
Registration is required: call (914) 693-6614 to register.
Grades 1 – 4
StoryWalk®: ‘Bear Came Along’ / Self-Guided Storybook Adventure July 22 to August 20
Sunday, August 16
All Day
Take a walk through Dobbs Ferry and read a children’s book at the same time! Our StoryWalk® features Bear Came Along, a fun story about the importance of community by Richard T. Morris and LeUyen Pham. As you take a short walk along Main Street, you’ll follow numbered pages from the book that will be displayed in the storefronts of generous business owners in town. Everyone who finishes the StoryWalk® will have a chance to win a copy of Bear Came Along!
Summer Reading Program – “Imagine Your Story” July 13 to August 20
Sunday, August 16
All Day
Our Summer Reading Program is a free, flexible, 6-week program that encourages children in elementary school to keep reading over the summer. Anyone entering grades K-6 is welcome to register! The program runs July 13 – August 20.
This year families will use the online reporting system READsquared to log reading at home. Here’s how to do it:
1. Register Online – Download the READsquared app and select “Dobbs Ferry Public Library” as your library, or use this link to register online. Parents will need to click the button that says they are registering for “MYSELF” and then enter registration information for their child. If you have multiple children, you will need to repeat this process for each child.
2. Track Your Reading – Log in to track your reading and earn points. Log your reading each week to earn virtual badges and automatically be entered to win prizes. Complete special missions to earn bonus points!
3. Participate! – We may not be able to gather at the library just yet, but we hope you’ll take advantage of our virtual programming and grab-and-go crafts. And please be in touch if we can help you with curbside pickup! We’d love to find you our latest and greatest summer reads!
Toddler StoryTime – Register to receive a new recording weekly
Tuesday, August 18
All Day
Register at kfoster@wlsmail.org or call (914) 693-6615 to receive a new video weekly on Tuesdays, with stories, songs and more! Or you can view the video on the Library’s Facebook or website pages.
For ages 1 – 3
The Long Haul – Water Hauling program via ZOOM (Registration Required)
Tuesday, August 18
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Many people throughout the world have to carry large amounts of water to their homes for everyday use. Children will participate in a water-hauling trivia game that will encourage them to use water wisely in this program sponsored by Suez.
Registration is required – to register, please contact the Children’s Librarian at kfoster@wlsmail.org or call (914) 693-6615. A link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you the day prior to the event.
Grades K – 4
Online Resources
