Latest Posts

We’ve released a survey to get to the bottom of our community’s opinions about TCPL. With expanded programming and the fine-free policy in place, it’s time to figure out how to improve accessibility and increase use. The survey will help us create a new strategic plan and inform future budgeting.

Director Annette Birdsall says that the Library is “…a community space that offers opportunities to access information using the latest technologies, and we want it to be welcoming to Tompkins County residents and visitors alike.”

Patron Comments from July 2019

Comment:  It would be nice to have some benches outside to sit on when you are waiting for your ride. Thank you!
Response: Benches do make waiting much easier. The property does not belong to the library, but the County does have benches on Green Street for that purpose.

Join us this summer for a series of outdoor events!

We’ll start with a Giant Bubble Extravaganza on Monday, July 1, from 3-4:30 pm. Come engineer your own bubble wand and see how big your bubbles can get! This event will be held on the beautiful Creek Walk, behind the library building.

Next, we welcome back the spirited GIAC Jumpers, a dance, step, and double-dutch troupe from the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. They’ll be here on Thursday, August 1, from 4:30-5:30 pm, also on the Creek Walk.

Did you know that the library has Book Club Kits? Currently, we have non-fiction and fiction titles.  We also have adult literacy kits that can be used for groups who are learning English or groups that are looking to improve their literacy skills. In the near future, we will have some graphic novel book club kits. These kits contain multiple copies of the book, and sometimes include a discussion guide.  You can borrow them for four weeks. 

We’ve partnered with the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County to bring you Y passes you can check out with your library card!

We now have one family pass and two individual passes available, each for a one-week loan period. A pass will allow the holder (and household members, with the family pass) to take advantage of all the YMCA has to offer, including the pool, fitness equipment, gymnasium, racquetball courts, and group classes.

We will be closed Friday, May 10, 2019 for staff development. We'll see you on Saturday for our regular hours, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm!

Please note that the Simple Signs for Communicating with Infants and Toddlers workshop will not meet Friday, May 10 as originally scheduled.

2018 Income Tax Forms and Instruction Booklets Available at Tompkins County Public Library

UPDATED 2/13/2019! 

The following forms and booklets are now available at TCPL, and are located at our Copy Center.

Winter is upon us, and what better way to fill cozy hours indoors than by learning and creating? We are pleased to announce our partnership with Creativebug, a new database available to TCPL cardholders. Creativebug, found on our Research Databases page, allows free access to over a thousand award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.

Join us for the 2018 Community Read discussion of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

Shirley Jackson's deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family takes readers deep into a labyrinth of dark neurosis, macabre humor, and gothic atmosphere.

Hello from the TCPL Makerspace!
Today I want to share one of our tools with you, the Epilog Helix Laser Cutter and Engraver! A versatile machine, the Epilog Laser can both cut and engrave many materials and objects. A few ways one could use the Epilog Laser:

TCPL’s Readathon, the annual read-out-loud fundraising event, will take place beginning at noon on Saturday, September 29 and will run for 24 hours straight, till noon on Sunday, September 30. In its sixth year, the Readathon enlists readers to raise funds for TCPL, culminating in a 24-hour celebration of reading out loud outside our building on Green Street. The goal for this year’s Readathon is $25,000, which will be used to purchase materials for our collection, such as books, movies, music, and more.

This week’s author spotlight is English writer, Neil Gaiman.  Gaiman is an accomplished writer of short fiction, novels, graphic novels, comics, and film.  I absolutely love the way Gaiman describes his characters and the worlds around them, creating dazzling visuals inside the reader’s head that stick with you long after you put the book down.  He manages to balance elements of fantasy, horror, and wit seamlessly, without clutching to the familiar clichés one would expect from those genres.  

Did you know that your soon-to-be-born baby is listening to you?

Here’s what we know from various studies (see links at the end of each quote to learn more): 

“Studies of newborn behavior show that babies get used to the music and voices they've heard in the womb. When your baby is born, if he hears sounds he's heard before birth, he may respond by appearing more alert and active. Your newborn may also pay more attention to your voice than any other.” Read more.

Good poetry fosters children’s love for language and helps them build literacy. Good poetry touches emotions. It is, therefore, a healthy way for children to express their emotions and deal with emotionally challenging situations. Good poetry sets off children’s imagination, enriches their world, and makes a space in which they can dream. Good poetry allows children to look at the world in a new way. Children obtain a wealth of developmental benefits from good poetry.