Library Announces Teen YouTube Contest Winners

The Tompkins County Public Library has announced the winners of its YouTube video contest.

The first place winner and recipient of a $100 gift certificate to Best Buy was David Morales, 2nd place and recipient of a$55 gift certificate to Best Buy went to Jordan Mathews, and 3rd place winner and recipient of a $35 gift certificate to Best Buy was Elizabeth Feavearyear.

The winning videos were creative, unique and adequately informed the public about the services available at the Library.

The videos can be viewed at http://www.tcpl.org/teen/youtube.html.

TCPL’s 2006-2007 teen programs are made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from the J. M. McDonald Foundation.

Families Learning Science Together Program: Vitamin C

Families are invited to learn about how vitamin c is concentrated in assorted fruit drinks by using a technique called titration during the next Families Learning Science Together program at the Tompkins County Public Library.

This program will be held on Saturday, December 15th, 2007 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM in the Thaler-Howell Program Room of the Library’s Youth Services Department.

Co-sponsored by the Cornell University Center for Materials Research, Families Learning Science Together programs are free and open to the public, but space is limited. For more information or to reserve your family’s spaces for this program, contact Kevin at outreach@ccmr.cornell.edu or 254-8256.

RosettaStone Ltd., Pulls Online Access for Libraries, TCPL to Offer New Language Learning Program

The Tompkins County Public Library regretfully announces that after January 31st the RosettaStone online language immersion program will no longer be available for remote use by patrons.

Rosetta Stone Ltd., the vendor responsible for this popular program, announced recently that they will no longer provide remote access for any public library.

Tompkins County Public Library will continue to offer the RosettaStone program for learning English for use in the Library. Simply, stop by the Adult Services Reference Desk for more information.

“We are saddened that we will no longer be able to provide this wonderful learning tool for our patrons,” said Amy Humber, head of the Library’s adult services department. “We are committed, however, to finding a comparable replacement, and we will do everything we can to make this transition as smooth as possible for our patrons.”

The Library plans to offer another remote language learning tool in early 2008. In the meantime, patrons are encouraged to discover the Library’s many quality language learning materials available in print, on CD and via downloadable formats by visiting www.tcpl.org.

Library Announces New DVD Borrowing Structure

Borrowing your favorite DVDs from the Tompkins County Public Library is now even easier.

Library patrons are now able to borrow up to five DVDs regardless of genre or release date. This procedure replaces the Library’s previous practice of limiting the number of DVDs borrowed based on their subject.

“The new DVD loan policy will be easier for our patrons, and should make visiting the Library even more efficient,” said Circulation Director Jon Long.

The borrowing policy with regards to VHS tapes has not been changed.

Library to Feature Sculpture and Songs

Enjoy the Ithaca Downtown Partnership’s Holiday Parade of Ice and warm up with a free musical performance at the Tompkins County Public Library Sunday, December 9, 2007.

The public is invited to view the Library’s ice sculpture, which will be placed near the main entrance, and come inside to defrost and unwind to the music of singer/guitarist Charlie Young. Young will perform at 2:00 PM in the Library’s Ezra Cornell Reading Room.

Young has been singing and playing guitar in and around Upstate New York for nearly three decades. His repertoire spans centuries and his enjoyment of performing is evidenced by his energy and enthusiasm.

Young’s performance is part of the Library’s Music on Sundays program which is made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from the Brooks Family Foundation.

Learn, Love, and Laugh with the Tompkins County Public Library’s Mother – Daughter Book Club

The Tompkins County Public Library invites all girls ages ten through 13 and the special women in their lives to join the Library’s Mother-Daughter Book Club.

In addition to reading and discussing wonderful books each month, participants will have the benefit of being led by acclaimed children’s author Emily Rhoads Johnson. Roads Johnson is the author of Spring and the Shadow Man, A House Full of Strangers and Write Me If You Dare.

“What a bonus to have an author of children’s literature offer insight into the selected novels,” Adelle Leise, youth services librarian, said.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to learn about themselves and others by discussing literature. There is no right or wrong answers during Club meetings, simply open discussions where all input is valued.

The group will meet once a month for seven months in the Time Warner Cable Study Room. The third meeting will be held on December 9, 2007 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM.

The title to be discussed for December is, They Cage the Animals at Night, by Jennings Michael Burch. A complete list of the titles selected for the group can be found at www.tcpl.org/youth/programs/motherdaughter.html.

Registration for the Club is appreciated but not required. For more information, contact Adelle Leise at (607) 272-4557 extension 277.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club is made possible by the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation through a grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation.

City/Downtown to Provide Free Holiday Parking

Starting Wednesday December 5, downtown shoppers will be able to enjoy an extra hour of free parking. The City of Ithaca and the Ithaca Downtown Partnership (IDP) are collaborating on a special holiday program to provide an extra incentive for area residents to patronize the 100 plus downtown businesses.

The program, funded by the IDP and the City, will use the existing parking token program to add a second free hour of parking at both the Cayuga and Seneca garages. When combined with the current first hour free pricing, day time shoppers and diners will be able to have two hours of free parking. The program is simple to use. Shoppers or diners simply bring their parking receipt or any downtown sales receipt to the IDP information kiosk located outside Center Ithaca and will receive a token good for one hour of additional free parking . Free tokens are limited to one per person per day.

The IDP information kiosk will be staffed week days from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Parking is already free on weekends and during the evening hours.

In addition to the extra hour of free parking, downtown shoppers will also be able to make use of 30 new parking spaces that have been opened on the ground level of the Green Garage. The entrance to this surface lot is located on Green Street next to City Hall. For the holiday period, these spaces will be available to shoppers and diners at no charge. The maximum level of stay in the lot is two hours and this time limit will be strictly enforced to ensure that spaces are used by downtown shoppers, not by employees seeking day long parking.

According to City Clerk Julie Holcomb, “the City is participating in this program with the IDP in an effort to encourage more holiday shoppers to discover downtown and to accommodate for the Green Garage remaining off-line”. Holcomb notes that work on the Green garage is still progressing and the contractors are continuing to work long hours to get portions open as soon as practical. She praised the efforts of crews to prepare the 30 spaces for holiday use.

Gary Ferguson, IDP Executive Director is pleased with the new parking program. “Parking should not be a concern for anyone visiting downtown. In fact, just the opposite is the case- downtown parking has great benefits.” Ferguson notes that the Seneca and Cayuga garages are close to stores, covered from the elements, and now offer two hours at no cost. Adds Ferguson, “downtown has the region’s best collection of independent retailers. This program will make it even easier for area residents to shop downtown for truly distinctive holiday gifts”.

Get your Game on at the Tompkins County Public Library

Get ready to show off your fancy footwork and dust off your thesaurus for game nights at the Tompkins County Public Library.

Teens aged 12 to 17 are invited to get active with Dance, Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, chill out with Scrabble and Chess, or test their vocabularies with Balderdash or Scattergories.


TAG (Teen Advisory Group) Members, Alee and Georgie, give the details here:
Game Night Commercial (.wav).

Game nights are free and open to the public and will be held twice a month from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Library’s Thaler/Howell Programming Room. Play one game or stay for the full two hours; there is no limit to the fun you will have or the friends you will meet. Refreshments will be provided.

Attend one or all of the following game night programs:
· December 4 and 12
· January 16 and 23.

This program is made possible by the Tompkins County Library Foundation through a grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation.