Children’s Room News

Times may be tough, but there’s no stopping the celebration of the spectrum of
human experience in June. We are here to commemorate the generations lost to years
of persecution and to epidemics like the AIDS crisis, as well as show love to today’s
LGBTQIA+ people of all ages, genders, sexualities, and orientations. This year, the
Dobbs Ferry Public Schools have teamed up to mark an intersectional Pride Month by
creating a resource list in partnership with the Dobbs Ferry Public Library. Springhurst
librarian Lauren Rodriguez, Middle/High School media specialist Ellen Elsen, and K-8
literacy coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek have teamed up with Dobbs Ferry Public
Library children’s librarian Gina Elbert and teen librarian Allee Manning to create this
resource list to help you dive deeper into queer literature for kindergarten through 12th
grade. This is a sampling of available resources and not an exhaustive list. If you
would like help finding more, please contact your librarian(s).

Click here for our Pride Month Resource List!

• MASKS ARE REQUIRED INSIDE LIBRARY BUILDING:  Masks are required for BOTH patrons and staff at all times (only exception to this is for staff working in private offices).
• NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY FOR:  Walk-in browsing,  brief ½ hour computer sessions, print/scan/fax/copy services, EZ-Pass sales, and outdoor terrace seating. Socially distanced seating is available in Adult Services and our Periodicals Lounge for up to one hour at a time. Children’s browsing and seating is limited to one large or two small family groups at a time.  Children’s toys/manipulatives are unavailable at this time. One first-floor and one second-floor restroom are open to the public, and are cleaned once every 24 hours. 
• SERVICES AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY:  Notary Public & Passport Acceptance Agency Services.
• CONTACTLESS PICKUP CONTINUES – Reserve books, CDs and DVDs online via the catalog or over the phone with us at (914) 693-6614, during regular business hours.
  • 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. Books will be on the outside table for an hour after your appointment. After that, you can pick up your books at the desk inside or reschedule your appointment.
  • At your designated pick-up time, arrive at the Library and park in the designated 15 minute parking space, and pick up your holds in the vestibule. In order for returning items to be credited to your account, leave those in the Book Drops OUTSIDE (do not leave returns in the vestibule).

AAPI Heritage Month recognizes the contributions and influences that Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have made to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. This year, it is especially important to support, celebrate and advocate for the AAPI community who have been experiencing an increase in anti-Asian bias and violence. So this year’s theme is “Stop AAPI Hate: Solidarity, Community, and Celebration”. The month of May was chosen as a way to commemorate the first wave of Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and to also mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. It is important to remember that members of the AAPI community come from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Each Asian country and Pacific Island nation has its own unique culture, language and traditions.

To celebrate this important community, Children’s Librarian Gina Elbert has collaborated with Springhurst Library Media Specialist Lauren Rodriguez, Dobbs Ferry Middle/High School Library Media Specialist Ellen Elsen, and Dobbs Ferry K-8 Literacy Coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek to make a resource list of books, social media accounts, and websites. Our hope is that these resources will help you to amplify, respect and make  space for AAPI every single day, not just in May.

Click here to view our recommended resources!

April is National Poetry Month! April 2021 is the 25th annual celebration of the art,
expressiveness, and joy of poetry.

Springhurst Library Media Specialist Lauren Rodriguez, Middle/High School Library
Media Specialist Ellen Elsen, and K-8 Literacy Coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek
have teamed up with Dobbs Ferry Public Library Children’s Librarian Gina Elbert to create
this resource list to help your classes explore and celebrate poetry throughout the month.

Take a look at the list here and place a hold the poetry you’d like to read today!

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate ordinary and extraordinary women, explore women’s achievements and struggles throughout history, and acknowledge all the amazing contributions of women to our society. The 2021 theme for Women’s History Month is “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” However, it is important to acknowledge that not all women were granted the right to vote at the same time. We must consider the importance of intersectionality and how it further marginalized groups of women based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Native American, Asian American, Latinx and African American suffragists had to continue the fight for the right to vote long after the 19th Amendment was ratified. These women demonstrated resilience by refusing to be silent.

Springhurst Library Media Specialist Lauren Rodriguez, Middle/High School Library Media Specialist Ellen Elsen, and K-8 Literacy Coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek have teamed up with Dobbs Ferry Public Library Children’s Librarian Gina Elbert to create this resource list to help your classes dive deeper into the contribution of women to society. Our hope is that this history will not just stay in March but will be celebrated all year long highlighting the determination, courage and perseverance of women.

Please click here to view the booklist that we’ve put together.

February is Black History Month, but it would be a mistake to only situate conversation about Black life in the past. The past is rich and complex; it has led to an equally important present, which in turn will be the foundation for the future of today’s Black communities. In 2021, the Dobbs Ferry Schools are celebrating an intersectional Black History Month and Black Lives Matter Week that will highlight topics that must be discussed year-round. Springhurst library media specialist Lauren Rodriguez, Middle/High School library media specialist Ellen Elsen, and K-8 literacy coordinator Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek have teamed up with Dobbs Ferry Public Library children’s librarian Gina Elbert to create this resource list to help you dive deeper into Black literature, queer culture, and more. This is a sampling of available resources and not an exhaustive list. If you would like help finding more, please contact your librarian(s).

Click here for our Black Pasts, Presents, and Futures Resource Guide for Families!.

If you would like to check out any of these materials, you can search for them in our catalog, email us at dobchildref@wlsmail.org, or call (914) 693-6615.

Greetings, library patrons! Did you know that you have access to no-cost 1-to-1 online tutoring, resume and cover letter review, and other learning resources through the Dobbs Ferry Public Library? Sign up for this free webinar (simply choose the date that works best for you!) to learn how you can get started with Tutor.com, including:

• How to create an account and connect with a tutor
• What to expect during a tutoring session
• How to use 24/7 drop-off review
• What’s included in our Princeton Review® materials (hint: test prep galore!)
• How job seekers can get career support

There will be a brief Q&A after each presentation so you can get your questions answered—and start using Tutor.com right away!

From Kindergarten to Career: A Complete Guide to Tutor.com for Library Patrons

Join us on any of the following Fridays:
Feb. 19 | Mar. 5 | Mar. 19 | Apr. 9
4:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. PST

On Thursday, January 14th, the DFPL partnered with Springhurst Elementary School to host a talk from local clinical psychologist, parenting coach, speaker, and author Dr. Rebecca Hershberg. She is the founder of Little House Calls, which helps parents and caregivers create calmer homes and more connected families. A former Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Hershberg has been published widely on the topic of early childhood mental health. Her first book, The Tantrum Survival Guide, was published in October, 2018.”

In “Big Conversations with Little People,” we discussed a range of topics, including how best to package information for children of different ages, how to include children in conversations around difficult and complicated topics, how to offer reassurance and comfort to children who are anxious, and how to manage both our own and our children’s big feelings during this time.

If you weren’t able to attend this program, worry not! The recording is now available. Please click here to access it. The password is bk40D=Xb and the program starts 6 minutes, 50 seconds into the video. Please let us know if you need a translation or transcribed summary of the events by emailing dobchildref@wlsmail.org.

It’s been an eventful week. January 6, 2021, might be in the past but its consequences reach far into the future. Many kids right now are scared, anxious, or simply curious. So how can you help? Below is a selection of books that you can check out through the Dobbs Ferry Public Library and resources that you can find online. They touch upon activism, race, mental health, and civics. This list was compiled by Gina Elbert (Dobbs Ferry Children’s Librarian), Lauren Rodriguez (Springhurst Elementary Librarian), and Ellen Elsen (Dobbs Ferry Middle/High School Librarian).

Click here: Books and Resource List for January 6th

We’re continuing to work on our new phone system, so there may be interruptions. If you can’t reach us by phone, please email dobref@wlsmail.org.

Thank you for your patience.

Due to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in our area, Dobbs Ferry Public Library has returned to Curbside Service only.  We will resume in-library service as soon as numbers indicate it is safe to do so.  Reference services will continue to be available during our regular hours and pick-ups will be scheduled so as to remain socially distanced.  All previously scheduled Zoom programs will remain as currently scheduled. Please wear your masks, wash your hands and stay safe this Holiday Season.

To schedule a pickup, call the library at (914)693-6614 or use the app to schedule a pickup at this link.

Have you ever wondered how many items we check out to kids in a year? Well, wonder no more! 2020’s almost over (whew!) so we’ve put together the stats on our circulation since January 1st.

Across the whole library, we’ve checked out our items a whopping 19,178 times this year. Each item was checked out an average of 2.991 times. We checked out 3,578 of our children’s materials 6,238 times. 

What were our top most-checked-out items, you ask? Well…

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney
4. Minecraft Redstone Handbook by Scholastic Publications
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
7. Dog Man: Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey
8. Minecraft Combat Handbook by Scholastic Publications
9. Dog Man: Dog Man Unleashed by Dav Pilkey
10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney
11. The Pokémon Visual Companion
12. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
13. A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems
14. Babymouse: Bad Babysitter by Jennifer L. Holm
15. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
16. The Cool Bean by Jory John
17. The Itchy Book! by Mo Willems
18. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey
19. Click, Clack, Quack to School! by Dorothy Cronin
20. The Baby-Sitter’s Club: Dawn and the Impossible Three (Graphic Novel) by Gale Galligan and Ann M. Martin

Hi everyone, my name is Gina and I’m your new children’s librarian! I’m new to Dobbs Ferry, but I’ve lived in Westchester for most of my life and I’m very excited to become a member of this community. A little about me: I love cats, crosswords, and Star Wars. Everyone in my family loves to read, so I grew up reading books like Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins, and Mr. Putter and Tabby. I’m big on arts and crafts, so look for new decorations in the children’s room when the library reopens to the public!

If you’d like to reach out with comments, questions, suggestions, or just an introduction of your own, you can reach me at dobchildref@wlsmail.org.

We had so much fun with Mr. Matt at his virtual Summer Reading performance! If you missed it (or would like to watch again), you can view the video by clicking here.

Click here to see some of our bilingual children books!