D.C. Comics Editor Will Dennis Comes to TCPL

The Tompkins County Public Library will host a presentation by D.C. Comics Editor Will Dennis, Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 6:00 PM in the Borg Warner Community Room.

Dennis graduated from Ithaca High School in 1985 and from Ithaca College in 1989. He will give advice on how to market your skills to comic industry executives and discuss his current projects.

Among the most notable projects Dennis has edited during his eight years at D.C. Comics are Hellblazer, DMZ, Swamp Thing and 100 Bullets. He has quickly climbed D.C. Comics’ ranks, starting as an assistant to fellow Ithaca College grad Shelly Bond and working his way to senior editor.

Dennis currently lives in New York City with his wife Kiki and sons Jack and Gabriel.

Dennis’ presentation is free and open to the public. It is sure to be an entertaining and informative presentation for comic book fans.

For more information, please contact Carrie A. Wheeler, Public Programming and Community Outreach Coordinator, (607) 272-4557 extension 248.

Temporary Disruption of Library Service

The Tompkins County Public Library will be upgrading Polaris, our computer system, Wednesday, September 26th until noon. Polaris is the system we use for registering your patron information, checking materials in and out, keeping and searching our inventory of materials, and allowing you to renew items. We will still be checking materials in and out on a back-up system, but are limiting each person to 5 items. Internet access will not be affected. Services that will be temporarily unavailable:

· Renewals
· Fine payment
· Hold placement
· Catalog searching, both in the library and from home
· Database access
· Self-checkout machines

During the upgrade it will be necessary for you to have your library card in hand when you check out.

Please call Jennifer at 272-4557 x254 if you have questions.

T.A.G. You’re it! TCPL’s Teen Advisory Group Seeking Members

Area teens interested in making the Tompkins County Public Library more teen friendly are being sought to join the Library’s Teen Advisory Group (T.A.G.).

T.A.G. is a highly-acclaimed group, which allows area youth from 12-17 to share their feedback, experiences and ideas about improving the Library’s teen services while meeting new people, participating in fun, monthly activities and reading and discussing books.

Teens interested in joining T.A.G. are invited to attend the group’s first meeting of the year, Tuesday, September 25, 2007 from 4:30 to 5:30 PM in the Thaler/Howell Room in the Library’s Youth Services department.

The meeting will include discussion, free refreshments, and participants can play Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.

For more information about the group and a complete list of meetings and activities please visit http://www.tcpl.org/teen/tag.html. Interested teens and new members are always welcome, but registration is appreciated. Visit www.tcpl.org/teen to sign-up online, visit the library, or call Adelle Leise @ 607-272-4557 ext 277.

Meetings and activities held in conjunction with the 2007-2008 Teen Advisory Group are made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation

TCPL Announces Community Read Book Discussion Groups

The Tompkins County Public Library will hold two book discussion groups related to the Community Read of The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer.

The discussion groups, which are free and open to the public, will be held on:

• Tuesday, September 25, 2007 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Borg Warner West Community Meeting Room at TCPL
• Thursday, September 27, 2007 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Borg Warner West Community Meeting Room at TCPL.

Those interested in joining one of the discussion groups will need to register, as group size will be limited. People may sign up at the Adult Services Reference Desk, register by phone by calling 272-4557 ext. 255, or register online at http://www.tcpl.org/pickup/discussiongroups.html

Patrons signing up for a book discussion group will receive a free copy of The Pickup.

For more information, please call Sarah Glogowski at 272-4557 ext. 255.

The sixth-annual Community Read is being held in conjunction with Cornell University’s New Student Reading Program.

Library Foundation to Kick Off Annual Appeal Fundraising Campaign with Musical Performance, Rawlings to Chair

The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation will kick off its 2007 Annual Appeal Fundraising Campaign Sunday, September 23, 2007 with a musical performance by the duo Mandin Foli.

Mandin Foli, comprised of Yacouba Diarra and London McDaniel, explores the bridge between traditional West African and American music through the kora, hand drums, lap steel and nylon-stringed guitars. The performance is being held in conjunction with the 2007 Community Read of The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer.

The Foundation’s annual appeal will be chaired by Elizabeth Trapnell Rawlings, former "first lady" of Cornell University during her husband Hunter R. Rawling’s tenure as university president. Rawlings is an active community volunteer and an expert in literary translation from French. She is a member of the Tompkins County Public Library Advisory Council.

The theme of this year’s campaign, which aims to raise $60,000 to aid the Library’s efforts to serve users of all ages and backgrounds, is "Nourish Your Mind and Spirit". Rawlings invites community members to join her in supporting the Library by contributing to the annual appeal.

The event will begin at 1:00 PM with light refreshments and mingling. Rawlings will make remarks regarding the Campaign at 1:45 PM and Mandin Foli will perform from 2:00 to 3:00 PM.

The event is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Library’s Ezra Cornell Reading Room.

The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to provide financial support and benefits to the Tompkins County Public Library, enhancing opportunities for the library’s continued growth and service to the entire community. The Tompkins County Public Library Foundation raises funds, manages an endowment and enlists support from individuals, businesses, foundations, civic organizations, and trusts and estates.

Tompkins County Public Library to Host Cornell Professor Dagmawi Woubshet for a Literary Discussion of The Pickup

The Tompkins County Public Library will host Dagmawi Woubshet, assistant professor of English at Cornell University for a free literary discussion of this year’s Community Read, The Pickup by Nadine Gordimer, Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 6:00 PM in the Borg Warner Community Meeting Room.

Woubshet teaches courses on: African-American literature and culture, the contemporary black Atlantic, the 1980s, and AIDS. His discussion will focus on Gordimer as a writer of Apartheid-related works and the significant changes that the end of Apartheid created for South Africans, as illustrated by The Pickup. He will also examine the formal dimension of the text.

The sixth-annual Community Read is being held in conjunction with the Cornell University New Student Reading Program. For a complete listing of TCPL programs related to the Community Read visit www.tcpl.org/pickup or contact Sarah Glogowski, adult services librarian at (607) 272-4557 extension 255.

Events Held in Conjunction with the 2007 Community Read of Nadine Gordimer’s The Pickup

The Tompkins County Public Library has announced that the following events will be held in conjunction with the 2007 Community Read of Nadine Gordimer’s The Pickup:

Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Time: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Borg Warner Community Meeting Room, TCPL
Program: Literary Discussion by Cornell University Assistant Professor of English Dagmawi Woubshet
Description: Woubshet teaches courses on African-American literature and culture, the contemporary black Atlantic, the 1980s and AIDS. He will discuss The Pickup from a literary perspective.

Sunday, September 23, 2007
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Location: Ezra Cornell Reading Room, TCPL
Program: Musical Performance by Mandin Foli
Description: The music of Mandin Foli’s London McDaniel and Yacouba Diarra features the kora, hand drums, lap steel and nylon stringed-guitars and provides a musical bridge between West African and American music. Listen to some samples at: http://www.myspace.com/mandinfoli

Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Time: 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Location: Borg Warner Community Meeting Room West, TCPL
Program: TCPL Book Discussion Group discusses The Pickup
Description: Those interested in joining one of the discussion groups will need to register, as group size will be limited. People may sign up at the Adult Services Reference Desk, register by phone by calling 272-4557 ext. 255, or register online at http://www.tcpl.org/pickup/discussiongroups.html
Patrons signing up for a book discussion group will receive a free copy of The Pickup.

For more information, please call Sarah Glogowski at 272-4557 ext. 255.

Thursday, September 27, 2007
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Borg Warner Community Meeting Room West, TCPL
Program: TCPL Book Discussion Group discusses The Pickup
Description: Those interested in joining one of the discussion groups will need to register, as group size will be limited. People may sign up at the Adult Services Reference Desk, register by phone by calling 272-4557 ext. 255, or register online at http://www.tcpl.org/pickup/discussiongroups.html
Patrons signing up for a book discussion group will receive a free copy of The Pickup.

For more information, please call Sarah Glogowski at 272-4557 ext. 255.

Saturday, October 13, 2007
Time: 11:00 AM to Noon
Location: Ezra Cornell Reading Room, TCPL
Program: Luis Francia
Presentation Description: Join award winning poet, writer, and teacher Luis H. Francia, of the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Institute at New York University for the lecture Longing and Belonging: the idea of Home in Literature. This program is free and open to the public, and is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities’ Speakers in the Humanities program.

All programs are free and open to the public.

The sixth-annual Community Read is being held in conjunction with Cornell University’s New Student Reading Program. For more information contact Sarah Glogowski, adult services librarian, at (607) 272-4557 extension 255.

Discover the Power and Fun of Ebay

The United States Postal service in cooperation with the Tompkins County Public Library is again offering its popular Ebay workshops to help you enter the world of online auctions and experience the excitement of selling at Ebay.

Learn How To Sell on Ebay
September 18, 2007
12:00 - 3:30 p.m.
OR
5:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Learn how to sell your items on Ebay and gain access to the millions of Ebay buyers worldwide. The workshop will review how to register as a buyer, selling tips, shipping your items using the U.S. Postal Service and much more. You will obtain the basic skills you need to sell items on Ebay.

U.S. Postal Service Instructors Lisa Resnick and Tammie Wilson will conduct the workshops in the Borg Warner room east. You may register for one workshop online at the Library’s website, www.tcpl.org or by calling the reference desk at 272-4556. Pre-registration is required.

Foundation Bookfair at Bookery II with Regi Carpenter

Sunday, September 16 – Bookery II

Hear storyteller and educator Regi Carpenter at 2:00 p.m. lead “Fairies and Fools,” a story and music show for children ages 4 and up. 10% of purchases made between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. will be directed to the Foundation.

One More Reason to Buy New Books this Fall: Support TCPL

Tompkins County Public Library Foundation is pleased to partner with bookstores this fall for bookfairs to raise funds for the library. Please add these dates to your calendar, and remember to shop!

Sunday, September 16 – Bookery II with Regi Carpenter
Hear storyteller and educator Regi Carpenter at 2:00 p.m. lead “Fairies and Fools,” a story and music show for children ages 4 and up. 10% of purchases made between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. will be directed to the Foundation.

Thursday, October 25 and Friday, October 26 – Barnes & Noble with Many Local Authors
Shop on either day, ask for a voucher at the cash register or pick one up in advance at the library, and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to the Foundation. As an added attraction, on Thursday, October 25 at 7:00 p.m., Barnes & Noble will host a book signing event with local authors, including Rebecca Barry, Kathyn Howd Machan, Tina Howe, Gale Jarrow, Eric Kingson, Gemma Macera, Ellen Potter, Ronin Ro, Nick Sagan, Megan Schull, Brian Wansink, and Lee Wells. On Friday, October 26 at 10:30 a.m., a children’s storytelling event will be held.

Climate Change and What You Can Do

During the month of September at the Tompkins County Public library you will find a display by the Climate Change Action Group showing steps you can take as an individual and citizen of a larger community to reduce the impact of climate change. Colorful photos, graphs and charts vividly show what is already happening with our climate and the steps you can take to help turn it around.

After years of debate, a near consensus among the world's scientists has concluded that we are warming the planet. Unless we take steps now to curb global warming, our way of life, our planet, and our children are all at serious risk. In February 2007, scientists from over 100 countries released a report confirming that CO2 and other gasses emitted into the atmosphere from human activities are a leading cause of global climate change. Virtually all the serious scientific studies and reports agree that to protect the health and economic well-being of current and future generations, we must reduce our emissions of heat-trapping gases by using the technology, know-how, and practical solutions already at our disposal.

The best news is that there is still time, still hope. Each us can make simple decisions in our lives that will reduce global warming pollution.

Contact information for the Climate Change Action Group:

Jeanne Fudala: Senecajean@aol.com and
Sigrid Kulkowitz: flyingleaps@verizon.net 607-262-0185 (cell)

Register for a Library Card or Update Your Library Account from Your Home Computer

No time to come to the library to open an account? No Problem. The Tompkins County Public Library has announced that beginning Tuesday, September 4th, new users can register for a TCPL card online.

Getting a card is now as quick as a click of the mouse, simply log on to www.tcpl.org, click on “Get a Library Card,” and fill out the online form. You will have immediate access to many of TCPL’s databases and be able to place holds on Library materials that are currently checked out or located at other Finger Lakes Library System libraries.

After registering online, stop by the circulation desk within three months and show photo identification (with a current address or documentation showing your new address) or two non-photo IDs to receive your TCPL card.

If you already have a card you can update your address, phone number, and email with us. Log on to www.tcpl.org, sign on to your library account and select “Change Account Information.” This will allow you to update your information from home.

For questions or more information contact Jennifer Schlossberg, reference librarian, at (607) 272-4557 extension 254.

Let Us Go to Another Country ….. A Map Exhibit in Conjunction with the Community Read of Nadine Gordimer’s The Pickup

As a result of an exciting partnership between the Tompkins County Public Library and the Map and Geospatial Information Collection of Cornell University’s Olin Library, an exhibit of maps related to the 2007 Community Read, The Pickup, by Nadine Gordimer, is currently on exhibit at TCPL.

This exhibit has been shaped by an emphatic reading of the novel, which has led Susann Argetsinger, Map Assistant and Preservation Technician at Olin Library, and her colleagues to select maps which enhance our understanding of The Pickup. Because the exhibit does not use original maps the exhibit runs concurrently at Olin Library.

This exhibit enables readers of The Pickup to visualize the places suggested in the novel and to understand some of the political history that has led to the situation in which main characters Abdu and Julie find themselves.

The exhibit will be on display at TCPL through September 2007. For a complete description of the program, please visit www.tcpl.org/pickup/maps.html.