NYPL Blogs: Posts from St. George Library Center

Need Help Starting or Running a Business?

Madeleine Cohen, Science, Industry and Business Library — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:57:53 -0500

NYPL's small business website, smallbiz.nypl.org, can link you to hundreds of free and low-cost assistance programs through its Services Directory. New York City is one of the best places to start a business, and a wealth of small business services is available to entrepreneurs through local & state government, non-profit organizations, economic development corporations and neighborhood community groups. There are hundreds of programs, funded separately, not connected to each other, so it's hard to know how exactly what type of assistance is available.

NYPL's business library has linked these programs in one small biz Services Directory to make it easier for business owners to find help. We've included important agencies such as Business Solutions, of NYC.gov Small Business Services department, which provides a range of business services in five boroughs, including free business training, business counseling, loan bundling, and assistance with permits and licenses, to name just a few of the many services offered.

New York State also assists entrepreneurs at a local level through a network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs). SBDCs are located in NYC and other locations, are funded through the SBA (sba.gov) and through SUNY and host institutions. SBDCs are all located at universities, staffed by professional business advisors, and they provide free services to start ups and existing businesses. Score (www.scorenyc.org), an organization of business experts, provides free mentoring and advice to business owners and start ups onsite at the SIBL business library and at their offices nationwide.

In addition to programs offered through city and state funded agencies, the Smallbiz Services Directory lists services funded through non-profits, business groups, and neighborhood associations. A few example of programs included are the Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO wibo.org), South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SOBRO.org), Business Outreach Center Network (bocnet.org), Accion (accionusa.org) and The Queens Economic Development Corporation (queensny.org/qedc). Search the Directory or browse the program listings and you'll be sure to find services that can help you grow your business.

Learn to Express Yourself Through Art: Free Courses for Midlife and Older Adults

Brigid Cahalan, Library Sites & Services/Outreach — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:32:18 -0500

Thanks to Lifetime Arts for securing funding and inviting our library system to participate, NYPL is once again able to offer free sustained art courses, taught by professional teaching artists, for adults age 55 and over. Seventeen branch libraries have received funding that enables them to host these classes, which will take place from February-November 2013, and which cover a wide variety of arts including: painting, sculpting, collage, memoir-writing/performance, drawing, and quilt-making.

Because of the great interest generated over the years, many of the libraries will be entering names of those who pre-register in a lottery to ensure an opportunity for all to partake. Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Contact the libraries directly for more information on how to register.

Columbus Library: Collage for Your Soul, begins February 2
Mid-Manhattan Library: The Art of Making Poems: Creation and Craft, begins February 12
St. George Library Center: Drawing from Life’s Journey, begins March 1
Roosevelt Island Library: Experiencing the Joy of Color, begins March 1
Jefferson Market Library: Drawing People in Places, begins March 8
Mulberry Street Library: Drawing from Observation, begins March 16
Countee Cullen Library: Creating Artist’s Books, begins April 2
Kingsbridge Library: Writing Through Memory: Memoir and Storytelling, begins April 3
Bronx Library Center: The Colors of the Water, begins April 4
Kips Bay Library: Quilt-Making with Karen Fitzgerald, begins April 4
Riverdale Library: Exploration in Portraiture, begins April 8
St. Agnes Library: Using Writing and Drama to Share Your Personal Story, begins April 8
Inwood Library: Voz de la Guitarra, begins May 3
67th Street Library: Captured by Color, begins June 3
Parkchester Library: Sculpture 101, begins June 3
Spuyten Duyvil Library: Book Making, begins September 11

These Lifetime Arts programs are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Westchester Library System, AARP Foundation, American Library Association, New York State Council on the Arts, and the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation.

11 Free Websites to Practice English at Home

Hilary Schenker, Seward Park Library — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:29:49 -0500

At the New York Public Library's Adult Learning Centers, where adults work on basic English and literacy skills, we're often asked for recommendations of websites for adults to practice English at home. Below you'll find eleven sites, some with a focus on listening, some on vocabulary, others on grammar, and some with a range of activities. Happy learning!

Easy World of English
easyworldofenglish.com
An attractive, user-friendly website including grammar, pronunciation, reading and listening practice and an interactive picture dictionary.

Many Things
manythings.org
This website includes matching quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, anagrams, a random-sentence generator and other computer-assisted language learning activities. The site also includes a special page on pronunciation, including practice with minimal pairs. Not the fanciest or most beautiful website, but with lots to see and use and no advertising.

Dave's ESL Cafe
eslcafe.com
A forum for both ESL teachers and students around the world. Includes quizzes, grammar explanations, and discussion forums for students. For teachers, includes classroom ideas on all subjects as well as discussion forums.

The California Distance Learning Project
cdlponline.org
Read and listen to a news stories on topics including working, housing, money and health, then work on activities based on the stories including matching pairs, vocabulary, and quiz questions. Some stories also include videos.

BBC Learning English
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish
An array of wonderful activities for practice, some relating to current events. Includes videos, quizzes, vocabulary practice, idioms, crosswords, and much more, though all with British accents.

Activities for ESL Students
a4esl.org
Grammar and vocabulary practice for all levels, including many bilingual quizzes for beginners. Also includes a link for teachers, with conversation questions, games, and many other ideas to put to use in the classroom.

ABCYa
abcya.com
This is a website for kids, but who says adults can't use it, too? The site includes educational games organized by grade level, from 1st to 5th, and is particularly good for spelling and phonics. There are games to practice vowels, uppercase and lowercase letters, Dolch sight words, synonyms and antonyms and more.

TV 411
tv411.org
This site includes videos with native speakers explaining key reading concepts like critical reading, summarizing and scanning, and key life skills like signing a lease and reading a medicine label. Following each video is a comprehension quiz. Click on the blue tabs across the top lead for lessons on reading, writing, vocabulary and finance.

GCF Learn Free
gcflearnfree.org/everydaylife
A well-designed site with interactive tutorials for everything from operating an ATM machine to reading food labels. If you click on the main page icon and then click on reading, the site has resources for English language learners as well, including stories to listen to and read along, and picture dictionaries.

Language Guide
languageguide.org/english
This is an online picture dictionary, with everything from the alphabet to parts of the body to farm animals.

Oxford University Press
elt.oup.com/learning_resources
This site from Oxford University Press has activities to practice spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and listening. A bit difficult to navigate, so more suitable for advanced learners and savvy internet users.

Also, don't forget YouTube. Whatever you'd like to learn — an explanation of a grammar term, idioms, a set of vocabulary — enter it in the search field and an array of videos are sure to come up. I hope some of these sites prove useful. Enjoy! And please add your own favorite sites in the comments.

Book Discussion Series at the St. George Library Center

Donald Laub — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 07:17:04 -0400

The St. George Library Center will soon be starting a Saturday morning book discussion which will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The first date for the group to meet will be October 13, 2012. Other dates and titles to be used that are confirmed right now are listed below. We plan to continue through May 2013, take a break during the summer, and resume in the fall of 2013.

The titles and dates confirmed are:

October 13, 2012
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

November 10, 2012
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

December 8, 2012
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

January 12, 2013
My Antonia by Willa Cather

We are waiting for confirmation for titles picked for February through May.

Copies of the book will be availabe at the library for checkout. We ask that you register before coming to the book discussion. After that there are really only two requirements to be part of the book discussion. You have to have read the book to participate and be respectful of other people's opinions. And maybe a third requirement would be to show up!

On Saturday morning there is free parking available on Central Avenue and nearby St. Mark's Place. Come join us for what we hope to be a stimulating and fun Saturday morning!

Creative Aging Continues to Bloom at The New York Public Library

Brigid Cahalan, Library Sites & Services/Outreach — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:05:26 -0400

In recent decades, much has been said about the demographic changes that New York City shares with the rest of the world. Yes, we are getting older!

One widespread response has been a surge of programs to promote creativity in mid- and later life. NYPL has happily participated in these efforts, especially since 2010 when we started partnering with Lifetime Arts Inc. to offer our first Creative Aging courses, which took place in six branch libraries. Each course was taught by a professional teaching artist and lasted a minimum of eight 90-minute classes so that the two goals of the project — mastery of the basics of the art, and social engagement of the participants — would be met.

In 2012, Lifetime Arts once again secured private funding and offered NYPL, as well as our sister library system the Brooklyn Public Library, the opportunity to host additional courses as part of Creative Aging in our Communities: The NYC Libraries Project. This allowed us to provide 15 courses, each now consisting of a minimum of eight two-hour classes, and each with a culminating event celebrating the accomplishments of the student artists who took part. Courses included: a continuation of the popular Roaring Chorus at the Richmondtown Library; A Village Vision: Watercolor Painting from Experience at the Jefferson Market Library; Exploring Your Life: A Class in Memoir Writing at Morris Park Library; Memoir and Performance at the Kingsbridge Library; Memoirs, Penned and Spoken at the St. George Library Center; and Drawing from Life Experience at the Mulberry Street Library.

How do we select which branches offer Creative Aging courses? As Lifetime Arts secures a limited amount of private funding for these courses, those branch libraries which would like to host a creative aging course are given the opportunity to apply in conjunction with a professional teaching artist. Lifetime Arts then convenes a panel of experts which selects the courses to be funded.

The success of all of these classes, and the enthusiastic response of library staff witnessing them, has spurred us on to again join with Lifetime Arts — this time with several library systems throughout New York State — to participate in Creative Aging in New York State Libraries in 2012-2013. This will enable us to offer about 18 Creative Aging courses in 2013. Branches hosting the classes will be announced in January 2013.

How can you find out where and when upcoming courses will be offered? Do any — or preferably all — of the below:

subscribe to the NYPL’s Next Chapter blog channel
if you’re on Facebook, “like” the Next Chapter at the New York Public Library Facebook page
look at the Creative Aging in Our Communities series on the NYPL webpage
check out NYPL’s Creative Aging webpage
regularly peruse the rich Lifetime Arts website

One way or another, stay tuned!

Who is Harlem Witness?

Robert Gibbs, Stapleton — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:04:47 -0400

Who is Harlem Witness? St. George Library Center found out not too long ago when local Staten Island musician Shawn "Harlem Witness" DeBerry performed his Gospel-Rap set to audience full of eager concert goers. Shawn also provided us with a little bit of information about his musical background and the personal aspirations he has for his craft.

What kind of music do you listen to?

I actually listen to a wide variety of music such as Gospel, Christian Rap, R&B, Soul, Pop, Hip Hop and some Smooth Jazz.

What are your inspirations and influences?

My inspiration/influences come from God and life experiences. So much can happen in one day, let alone a lifetime but I write music with one perspective in mind... "the glass is always half full." God can always turn a bad situation into a better one.

What other musicians in particular inspire and influence your work?

My musical influences would be Deitrick Haddon, Musiq Soulchild, Jay-Z and Lecrae. I aspire to be a well rounded artist as they all are.

How long have you been performing?

I've been performing since I was 13 years old and writing songs since I was 11 years old.

During your show, you had another young participant who performed, can you tell me a little bit about her?

Ilana Lezama is a poet based in the local area of Staten Island. She uses poetry as a way to talk about situations she has faced. She writes about her own personal experiences and how God played a major part in helping her through it which other people can relate to. She says, "The more I wrote the more my writing went from a gift to a passion. Maybe people will go home and feel a little bit relieved knowing that they're not alone."

What is the ultimate message that you are trying to convey through your music?

The message I am trying to convey through my music is a simple one. The Gospel of Jesus Christ — There is hope in making the people in the world better.

Be on the look out for additional Harlem Witness performances at libraries on Staten Island to come and check him out on YouTube. Also download music from some of Shawn's musical influences for free with your library card using the Freegal Music database.

Between the Covers: Adult Summer Reading Book Reviews

Robert Gibbs, Stapleton — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 08:42:00 -0400

The Summer is winding down, but Summer Reading throughout the New York Public Library is still in full swing and our readers at St. George Library Center are taking full advantage of their joy for reading by sharing their own personal book reviews. Here are just a few of the comments that our readers have shared on the items they have read, centered on a variety of themes which include love, identity, drama and so much more!

In One Person by John Irving
"John Irving’s new novel brings us back to many of his favorite themes and places (New England boarding schools, wrestling, sexual ambiguity), but in a much more personal voice than before. This coming-of-age novel is compelling and compassionate as it explores themes of sexual identity, ambiguity and loss. Charming, touching and very moving. One of Irving’s best since A Widow for One Year!"

Comeback Love by Peter Golden
"Pleasant book for older people who often wonder ‘What If?' about an old relationship. Through a series of circumstances there is a reunion between two people who were in love in the '80s in NYC. Enjoyed it."

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
"This book, the successor to Wolf Hall, has all the elements of a great book — the knowledge of the subject (Henry VIII), the period (Anne Boleyn), plus the advantage of crisp, disciplined writing. Since style is often a deal breaker, Ms. Mantel possesses style in depth, nuance and tight control of her material. You come to really care about her characters because she sees them so clearly and insightfully."

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar
"American Dervish is a superb coming of age novel about a Muslim boy living in the U.S., and his sexual awakening. He’s in love with his mother’s best friend — and must choices between his religion and modern American society. Very engaging, quick read. Quite thought provoking at the same time."

Who do Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab
"A cute tale of what happens to those that dip into voodoo. An education of different kinds. Light summer reading."

Guilty Wives by James Patterson
"I am a fan of James Patterson, therefore I love most of his books. I found Guilty Wives very fascinating and difficult to put down. Since the story was set in France, I was intrigued with much of the French Patterson utilized in the story. Patterson managed to keep the foreshadowing events continually throughout the novel. C’est Bon!"

11/22/63 by Stephen King
"A man travels back in time to try to stop J.F.K.’s assassination. One of the best Stephen King has written in a while!"

The Obamas by Jody Kantor
"An insightful and fascinating glimpse into America’s first couple. A good grasp of the president and the power behind the throne of First Lady, Michelle Obama. I frankly do not understand the controversy surrounding this honest, penetrating account about a high profile couple who genuinely respect and love each other."

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
"The book is life changing. It makes a person observe oneself and find one's egoic sides. To be happy in life is very simple — you should live in a present moment and not allow your emotions to take over you. Analyze any situation. Awareness is the first step to happiness. ‘This too, will pass,’ the author says, so we have to enjoy the moment."

Come in and share your book reviews with us for a chance to win a $50 gift card to 120 Bay Cafe. Afterward, join us for Bagels & Books on Saturday, August 25th at 1 p.m. to enjoy some bagels and refreshments while discussing the books you've read over the Summer, as well as a chance to win a gift card to Bagel Mercato. Also, don't forget to sign up for Summer Reading!

2012 Summer Olympic Reading List

Robert Gibbs, Stapleton — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 07:42:43 -0400

Excited to see just how many more gold medals Michael Phelps will take home? Stoked to see if Beach Volleyball duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will bring home the gold with a third Olympic win in a row?

In just a week, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games kick off in London and there is no better way to prep for the Games of the XXX Olympiad than with some light reading on the grand event and its past and present all-star athletes.

No Limits: The Will to Succeed by Michael Phelps

Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelps

Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life by Misty May-Treanor

Redemption: A Rebellious Spirit, A Praying Mother, and the Unlikely Path to Olympic Gold by Bryan Clay

Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever by Jack McCallum

Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living your Dreams by Shawn Johnson

Off Balance: A Memoir by Dominique Moceanu

Igniting the Flame: America's First Olympic Team by Jim Reisler

Celebration of "Memoirs: Penned and Spoken"

Donald Laub — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:29:11 -0400

For eight weeks a group has gathered at the St. George Library for a class called, "Memoirs: Penned and Spoken." They have exercised their writing skills, reflecting back on their lives and experiences, with a willingness to share with their fellow students. At the Celebration event they will be reading some of their work, and reflect on their lives and times.

All are welcome to attend.

Memoirs: Penned and Spoken is part of Creative Aging in Our Communities: The New York Public Library Project, a program of Lifetime Arts, Inc, which is generously supported by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, with additional support from the Laura Jane Musser Fund.

Poetry Writing With Adult New Readers, Strategy 1: The List Poem

Hilary Schenker, Seward Park Library — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:18:07 -0400

You have not crossed the bridges I have crossed.
You have not listened to the music I have listened to.
You have not been in the top of the World Trade Center the way I have been there.
You have not seen the waves I have seen.
You have not fallen from horses the way I have fallen.
You have not felt the guns on your neck the way I have felt them.
You have not been in the sea with a big storm in a little boat the way I have been.

—Excerpt from "Don’t Give Me Advice," by Luis Marin, Tompkins Square CRW

This month is National Poetry Month, and here at the Center for Reading and Writing (CRW) some students are experiencing poetry for the first time. Writing a poem for the first time can be intimidating, but there are many possible ways to get started. In this post I’ll talk about just one of them, which is a list poem.

Defining a Poem

The first step when introducing poetry to students is to define poetry. Show what a poem looks like on a page. Explain that a poem is usually short, and that each line has a fixed length. It uses carefully-chosen language to express a feeling, and sometimes uses rhythm, rhyme, or repetition. One CRW student defined a poem as "few words, big meaning."

Writing a List Poem

A list poem is a poem in which each line begins the same way. List poems are wonderful for beginning writers especially, because the start of each line is provided, creating a comfortable way in (at least I have this part that I can write, and know I’m spelling it correctly). A list poem can be simple and powerful. One student, who struggles with depression, wrote a poem in which each line begins, "I love" followed by one thing that makes her feel happy.

5 Tips for Writing a Successful List Poem:

Read poems together as a group, to get students familiar with the sounds and rhythms of it. After reading a poem, ask if there is any line that students like or find interesting. Ask why they like it, what makes it stand out. Keep your ear open for things students say—does something sound like a list poem? "Every morning I..." "I want to read..." "If I had a million dollars I’d..." "I love the way..." The possibilities are endless.

When students are ready to begin writing, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Be specific

Help students bring their poems to life by including specific details. In other words, show, don’t tell. "I wake up early," becomes, "I wake up at 3:00 am every morning to go to work." Instead of "I cook Chinese food" help the student write, "I cook catfish with spicy sauce."

2. Five senses

Can you see this poem? Can you hear it? Smell it? Feel it? Taste it? Is this poem bringing a world to life? If not, think about describing with the five senses.

3. Order

Pay attention to the order of the list. Does it have a beginning? A middle? An end? Does it need an additional line to bring it to a close?

4. Word Choice

Think about word choice. Could another word be more effective? Sometimes beginning writers want to use the word "beautiful," but write "nice" instead because it is easier to spell. Help the writer actualize the poem in her mind.

5. Edit

Don’t be afraid to edit. 'Make it Messy' is a good mantra for first drafts. They should have crossed out parts and additions. Are any items in the list extraneous? Are there unnecessary repetitions? Help students build the confidence to edit themselves.

Happy poetry writing to all! I’ll leave you with this list poem by Joseph, a student at the Tompkins Square CRW. The title is, "She Is Full of Life:"

When she smiles, life comes out of her.
When she walks down the street, she has a smile on her face,
people all around her look at her and see life.
When she comes into a room, she brightens up the room itself.
When people see her, they are also happy to see her smiling.
She makes the day.

Read for Your Life: Resources for Teaching Health Literacy to Adults

Hilary Schenker, Seward Park Library — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:01:48 -0400

A woman came into the Library's Center for Reading and Writing, where she was enrolled in a basic literacy class. Visibly shaken, she pulled a staff member aside and confided that she wasn’t sure if she would be able to continue in the class. She had felt some pain in her breast, and her doctor had recommended that she have a mammogram. Not having any idea what a mammogram was, she understood it to mean that she had cancer. The staff member showed her how to find information about mammograms in library books and online. After consulting these resources, she went to her next doctor's appointment knowing what to expect and what questions to ask.

Since 2003, the Surgeon General has emphasized the critical importance of basic health literacy. An adult with a chronic condition must take charge of her own health. To begin, this requires researching, reading, and understanding medical information and the complex vocabulary that comprises it. It requires reading other types of materials, such as nutrition labels and medicine bottles. A patient must be able to speak with doctors, ask pertinent questions, navigate hospital maps and signs, fill out complicated forms, and keep track of her own medical history. She may even need to read recipes and learn to cook in a new ways.

Health literacy skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and math are critical. Adults with limited literacy may become passive when interacting with doctors, lacking confidence, losing rights, and ultimately becoming incapacitated by poor health. So what specific skills are needed, and how can we address these needs in the adult literacy setting?

The following is a list of essential health literacy skills we can address in the adult literacy classroom:

Reading and filling out forms.
Speaking with doctors and asking questions.
Reading medicine labels and instructions.
Learning to research important medical information.
Building the confidence necessary to demand medical rights and pursue services and help where needed.
Organizational skills, such as record-keeping, list-making, and writing down questions in advance.

Books for adult literacy learners addressing health issues:

Faine, M (1993). Lan is Sick. This is a basic literacy story, with pictures, about a woman going to the doctor and picking up a prescription. The story promotes discussion on a range of health care issues.

Gould, L. (2000). Stress. This is a picture-based beginning literacy story about one woman dealing with stress.

Kita-Bradley, L. (2008). Fad Diets. This is a picture-based beginning literacy story about a man trying to lose weight.

Reiff, T. (1992). Handle With Care. This engaging fiction book tells the story of a nurse who has trouble reading and the difficulties she encounters working at a nursing home (59 pages).

New Readers Press Health Stories: The three Health Stories student books and workbooks (introductory, low beginning, and high beginning) from New Readers Press offer interesting stories to learn about common illnesses, medical procedures, and the U.S. health care system. Workbooks offer additional practice on vocabulary, listening, and reading comprehension.

What To Do series: A series from the Institute for Healthcare Advancement, written for readers between a third and fourth grade reading level. Texts are organized in a format of question and answer.

Mayer, G., & Kuklieris, A. (2002). What To Do When Your Child Gets Sick. Whittier, CA: Institute for Healthcare Advancement.

Mayer, G., & Kuklieris, A. (2000). What To Do When You’re Having a Baby. Whittier, CA: Institute for Healthcare Advancement.

Online teaching resources for health literacy:

MedlinePlus Interactive Tutorials
From the website: “MedlinePlus presents interactive health tutorials from the Patient Education Institute. Learn about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions. Also learn about surgeries, prevention and wellness. Each tutorial includes animated graphics, audio and easy-to-read language.”

Talking with your Doctor
This resource from MedlinePlus includes links to resources on how to talk with your doctor, including sample questions and videos.

ESL Flow: Lessons for Teaching the Human Body
This is a variety of worksheets and activities for health vocabulary and dialogue. Worksheets are available at different levels. A tab at the top of the page for “Food/Eating” leads to worksheets on nutrition topics.

The Virginia Adult Education Health Literacy Toolkit
From the toolkit: “This toolkit is a resource to help adult education instructors and administrators better understand the problem of health literacy as it affects their learners. It is designed to support creative approaches to help learners increase health literacy as they engage in sound, productive adult literacy instruction.” The toolkit also includes one-page picture based stories on health topics, such as taking the right doses of mediation, depression, stress, talking to doctors, and eating right. A cleaner copy of the picture stories is also available online.

We Are New York
A series of nine engaging half-hour television shows each with accompanying workbooks, produced by the Mayor's office of Adult Education and the City University of New York, Office of Academic Affairs. Five of the episodes deal with health themes: No Smoking, New Life Cafe (diabetes), Asthma: The Soap Opera, Stop Domestic Violence, and The Hospital.

English for your Health
The Queens Library offers some resources for adults who speak very little English to learn about health topics.

Memoirs: Penned and Spoken at St. George Library Center

Donald Laub — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:30:09 -0400

The St. George Library Center recently received a grant — "Creative Aging in Our Communities: The New York City Libraries Project" — from Lifetime Arts, Inc., a Westchester County-based nonprofit organization. Over 25 locations in The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library systems received grants.

The project at the St. George Library Center will be a memoir writing workshop aimed at people who are 55 years of age or older. The goal is to have the participants realize how important and unique their life experiences have been, and to show them how it will be nourishing for them and others to share these life stories.

The hope is that the writing and speaking skills learned will help participants become more confident in creative writing and public speaking. The workshop series will involve participants in intergenerational cultural events with the broader Staten Island community, thereby enhancing their collective identity as vital and productive members of the community.

The workshop series will culminate in publication of their original work in softcover books that the teaching artist, Beth Gorrie, will produce, and in a spoken-word performance of their memoirs that Gorrie will present.

The workshop will meet at the St. George Library Center from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on the following Saturdays: April 14, 21 & 28; May 5, 12 & 19; and June 2 & 9. There will be a celebratory event on Saturday, June 16 at the same time as the workshops.

Please contact the St. George Library Center at 718-442-8560 for more information.

Books Based On: Video Games

Gregory Zeidner, St. George Library Center — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:59:17 -0500

Welcome to a new blog series that shows you books that are based from another form of media. This could include the novelization of a movie, movies that were originally books, or in this case, books that are based on video games.

There are more and more books coming out that come from video games. As video games get more intricate plots, players want to know more about the characters. What motivates the villain or hero? What happened before or after the game? Books can answer these questions and are released faster than a game, which usually takes a year or more to develop.

Here are some recent books based on video games:

Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth by Christopher Golden

Uncharted is one of the top game series out there today. Each game is like a new Indiana Jones movie. This book will not spoil anything that takes place in the games.

This book takes series hero Nathan Drake around the world as he tries to find the secret that got one of his friends killed. Before I started reading the book, I was worried that it wouldn't "feel" like an Uncharted game. Series fans know that Drake and his mentor/friend Sully have a very natural feeling, sarcastic rapport. The characters in this book are true to their video game roots. While the book does not have the long climbing and shooting sequences like the games, there is a good amount of fast-paced action and enough history to make a Dan Brown fan happy.

This book is a great read for fans of the series, and it is easily accessible for people who have never heard of it.

Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley

The two Bioshock games take place in an underwater city called Rapture. It was built in the 1940s and 50s as a place where the best and brightest could live away from the prying eyes of the government. The games take place after the city has fallen into neglect. Most of the inhabitants have become Splicers, mutants who will attack you throughout the game.

While the game gives clues and information about Rapture's origins and what went wrong, it does not cover everything. That is where this book comes in. The author does a great job of explaining the motivations for, and complications with, creating a city underwater in the middle of nowhere. It also does a good job of explaining how things went from being an underwater paradise to the rundown nightmare of the first game.

Bioshock: Rapture fills in many of the questions that players of the first two games may have. While people who haven't played the game before may enjoy the book, it doesn't have the same appeal.

Want more? See also Jenny's blog post: "Reading Recommendations for Video Game Players"

From Masailand to Tompkins Square Library: A Journey in Literacy

Hilary Schenker, Seward Park Library — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:45:47 -0500

Last year, Victoria joined a basic reading and writing class at Tompkins Square Library's Center for Reading and Writing. She agreed to speak with me about her experience so far and what brought her here.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Kenya, in the Masailand, in a village with 10 huts.

What other languages do you speak besides English?

I speak the Masai language and Swahili, and other tribal languages: Kikuyu, Luo, and Kamba. I came to America in 1986. I speak English every day, but I haven’t learned everything.

Why did you need to work on your reading and writing?

In 1975, when I was a young girl, the first president of Kenya sent the national guard into the Masai villages to force the children to go to school. All the children hid. I hid in the bushes, and my girlfriend hid under the bed, but they found everyone.

For the first weeks, I went to school in my tribal Masai clothes — that was cowhide decorated with beads. After that we had to buy a uniform. My mom bought me the blouse and skirt, but she didn’t have enough money for the underpants and shoes. The teachers did uniform inspections. They found that I didn't have underpants, and they beat me. After two months I ran away. My mom took me to a Catholic school, but to go there I had to live with my aunt, and she mistreated me. She didn’t give me enough food, so I could not concentrate on school work. I decided to run away back to my village. From then on I never went to school again... until now. Now I study at the Tompkins Square Library.

How did you find the Center for Reading and Writing?

My husband found the program on the Internet. He saw they offer free education at the library. I chose this center because it’s close to where we live. I had never been to the library before. But now I have a library card.

How did you feel when you first came to the Library?

When I came here I did not know how to read or write. I couldn’t read a book. I couldn’t write anything. I knew the alphabet. I could see the letters T, H, and E, but putting them together — I couldn’t. I started with a phonics program on the computer and different teachers helped me. Slowly, slowly I kept learning.

How has your reading and writing changed since you started here?

Since I started coming here, to tell the truth, I’m much better and I feel so good. I just want to continue and continue and continue! I understand more English words. Now I can read books. Before if you told me to read this book, I wouldn’t know what to do. Now I’m on book six of this series An American Family. I’m learning about history.

Also, my spelling is becoming much better. If I continue like this I’ll be a very good writer in the future. So far I’ve been writing my real life story, which makes me feel good. I said at the beginning when I first came here that I wanted to write my life story and that’s what I’m doing. I’m feeding myself with words, with education.

NY StartUP! 2012 Win $15,000 - Orientation on Staten Island

Donald Laub — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:12:43 -0500

The New York Public Library with its sponsor, Citi Foundation, has announced the New York StartUP! 2012 Business Plan Competition for New York-based startup entrepreneurs with cash prizes totaling over $30,000. The third annual New York StartUp! gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to bolster their business acumen. Entrants gain practical insights about starting and growing a business, while learning about the comprehensive small business resources at NYPL’s Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL).

For more information, see the program page.

One of the requirements is to attend an orientation session. One of those sessions will be held right here on Staten Island at the St. George Library Center on Saturday, December 3 from 11am to 1pm.

On street parking is almost always available on a Saturday near the St. George Library, but there is also a parking garage down the street. Any bus or train on Staten Island that takes you to the Staten Island Ferry also brings you close to the St. George Library. It is right across the street from the ferry terminal.

Finding Adventure in Every Page of a Library Book

Beth Hays, Editor, Digital and Print Publications — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:44:09 -0400

Isabella Rosario, a 6-year-old from Staten Island, went to the St. George Library Center nearly every day last summer.

It more than paid off.

Isabella read almost 250 books in three months — making her among the city’s top readers in last year’s Summer Reading program, which encourages kids to keep reading during their vacation.

Now, though she is only in kindergarten, Isabella is already reading at a second-grade level.

“I feel happy at the Library because there is so much to do,” said Isabella, who along with other top readers from across the city was honored at a ceremony at Yankee Stadium last September. “There are so many books at the Library. Every page has something different.”

Library hours and programs for children, along with many other essential services, will be greatly curtailed under the city’s $40 million funding cut to the Library.

Isabella’s mom, Patricia Vega, said her daughter’s love of reading is thanks to the Library — and her favorite librarians.

“They are her best buddies. They make reading fun,” said Vega, who said that last summer Isabella loved curling up for hours with new books in her favorite beanbag at the Library and then going to talk to the librarians about what she had read. “They gave her that motivation and encouragement.”

With this year’s Summer Reading program set to launch June 9, Isabella said she can’t wait to spend lots more time in the Library and find even more new books to read.

“I like to read because there’s a lot of things I want to know about,” said Isabella, who especially loves books about animals and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. “Pictures and words tell you about things you don’t know about. I learn a lot at the Library.”

Please join Isabella Rosario and other NYPL users in speaking out against these crippling cuts, which would close up to 12 neighborhood libraries and reduce others to just four days per week. It takes just a few clicks to send a letter to your elected officials urging them to restore funding. Help save libraries!

An interview with Sri Walpola, creator of "A Taste of Home: Cooking Sri Lankan in New York"

Robert Gibbs, Stapleton — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:11:27 -0500

Currently on display at the St. George Library Center is a photo exhibit by photojournalist Sri Walpola, "A Taste of Home: Cooking Sri Lankan in New York." We sat down with him for a brief interview.

What inspired "A Taste of Home: Cooking Sri Lankan in New York"?

Since my arrival in New York, I started cooking. I started looking for Sri Lankan ingredients first, and then I started cooking with the help of my mother and both my sisters via the telephone because all of them are in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, I used to be a helper with my mother and both my sisters, especially on Sundays when we’d prepare family meal; family lunch I would call it. I prepared fish and various vegetables, cut them. Putting the ingredients together, and then preparing them. I never cooked anything completely.

When I arrived when New York, I recognized only salt and pepper, which was familiar to me. After that I had to look for all the Sri Lankan ingredients everywhere. Finally I found Sri Lankan spice shops in Staten Island, Queens, and New Jersey.

The greatest cook in our family was my grandmother and she was a very good cook. I used to help her too. I was basically inspired by her cooking. She had a very extremely natural style of cooking, and in Sri Lanka we never used any artificial ingredients. Everything was homegrown, everything natural. My grandmother knew how to cook everything from anything.

Did you know how to cook prior to creating your display?

I knew how to cook good quality, tasty food. That was in my blood, from my childhood days. Therefore, putting the ingredients together, and putting a meal together wasn’t a difficult thing. I did not know the exact quantities, so that was my problem. Other than that I knew what was good, and how to make that kind of quality stuff.

So, I understand that you cooked and photographed all of the dishes featured in "A Taste of Home," what was that like for you? Did you have any help?

No, only me! Most of the American cookbooks, I came to the library and looked at. They had an art director, they had a chef, a food stylist, and then they had a photographer, and under him he had several assistants. So it was a very tedious tough job. I created my own studio, with 5 lights, and a light table, everything! Then my wife and children went for a Thanksgiving holiday for a couple of weeks. So during that period, I did everything. Otherwise when children are around, its very difficult to put the things together. They will come and take a spice and things like that. So I had a greater freedom. I must thank my wife, and both my daughters. They were very, very, very helpful!

I also noticed that you photographed the local Green Market. Some of the women I recognized as patrons who visit the library regularly. Do you know them personally?

I don’t know them actually. I knew some of their friends. I did not know exactly who they were. But later on when I started the project, I introduced myself because many of the people recognized me because they were familiar with my name, and that I’m from Sri Lanka. Later on I started developing a rapport with them, but I did not want to get very close with them because that would have affected my rationale ramble. I wanted to ask things and I wanted to see their cooking, but many of the people did not want me to see the cooking because they felt that American standards are different. “They wear a hat, and they wear rubber gloves and things like that. And we are not doing things like that, so please do not photograph us in the kitchen.” But I was able to see many things and talk to them.

Did you know that the women were going to be there, at the Green Market?

It’s like this, if there is a dry zone, and there is only one hole which has water, you assume that the animals are going to come to that hole to drink water. Where there is greens, and chilies; Sri Lankans have a natural craving for the greens and the chilies, they can’t live with them!

I knew the green market was the best place, especially during the Spring and the Summer time, because they [the women] can get out comfortably without heavy clothes; and then look for the greens and the spices. So I knew this was the exact place that they were going to be!

Did you find yourself facing unique challenges in terms of cooking and photographing the dishes for this exhibit?

Cooking itself is a challenge- Sri Lankan cooking that is; which is one of the reasons why it is not all that popular. See all the other types of cooking are available, very popular, and easily available in New York. Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Cuban, anything. Even Indian. There are plenty of places you can go and have an Indian meal. Sri Lankan food places are very limited. The process itself is very difficult.

My mother always used to tell me, “If you want to cook quality food, you have to prepare quality ingredients.” She buys the spices, washes them, dries them in the hot sun, and selects them, the right ones. That is a preparation. After that you put the spices together. You don’t make the powders and the pastes and store them. All the essences go out, the smell, and all the oils and such from the spices. So when you need to make a curry “right now” you grind and prepare an ingredient “now” in less than 15-20 minutes, which is why whatever you eat here is somewhat different.

Preparation takes at least a couple of hours, and then the marination. You put the spices into the curry, or whatever you are cooking and keep it for marination for a longer period of time, maybe for a couple of hours. And then the cooking process for a fish or meat item is about 30-40 minutes. Cooking is not a big deal, but the preparation and marination are the difficult part. No one is willing to undergo this hard part, even though the end result is ultimately healthier and tastier. Various countries use types of clarified butters and artificial ingredients, but we never, never, ever use any of those. So when you eat Sri Lankan food, even if you have a very big meal, you never feel uncomfortable.

How long does it generally take to cook a good meal?

It’s like three to four hours generally. For example: That lady’s hands I have shot in a sequence. A lot of pictures are missing in that sequence because that took about 30 to 40 minutes for her chicken curry spices and ingredients. It’s a lot.

In one image in particular, I noticed you showcased the Statue of Liberty and both the Sri Lankan and American flags. Can you explain that a little bit?

I wanted to create something symbolic within the United States, New York with a Sri Lankan meal. The brass and silver plate symbolizes Sri Lanka. And all the other small trays are containing the cooked vegetables, greens, etc, and the plate has the red rice. We eat lots of red rice of various varieties, because it has a lot of Vitamin B. Then I added the U.S. Flag, and the Sri Lankan Flag. A lot of people liked it, and that’s quite interesting. Instead of simply made, I was creative with it.

I hear that you are also creating a book featuring the Sri Lankan dishes shot for this exhibit. Can you tell me about that?

It will be coming out before the end of the exhibition. It has recipes, for how to prepare [food]. See, you don’t have to teach cooking, for Sri Lankans. I’m trying to make it popular among other people, and among other nationalities that are living here. So it will be a helpful guidebook for everyone, which you can use as a reference. I’m going to talk about the basics, and the basic ingredients and how to make all the ingredients.

Is it more of a cook book, than an art book?

I don’t think it’s more of a cook book. It’s more like a guide book to Sri Lankan cooking. There are not many cookbooks by Sri Lankans.

What do you hope viewers of your exhibit will come away with?

Whoever comes and sees it should know the difficulty of the process of a Sri Lankan meal. And you don’t have to go through that difficult process of cooking food. All the spices are ground packed and in bottles. Like ready made spice pastes. There are simple and easier ways you can make “D.I.Y.” cooking; Do it yourself! Try it! Go to a Sri Lankan grocery store and pick up some spices. Pick up a couple of chicken curries, and meat or crab or fish. And enjoy your Sri Lankan cooking. Enjoy!

Sri Walpola's "A Taste of Home: Cooking Sri Lankan in New York" will continue to be on display at the St. George Library Center until February 28th 2011.

See also How to Cook Sri Lankan with Cabbage in the Huffington Post.
Search for Sri Lankan cooking in the NYPL catalog.

Book Discussion at the St. George Library Center of "Push" by Sapphire

Donald Laub — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:47:34 -0500

Please join us at the St. George Library Center on Monday, February 28 at 6:30PM for a book discussion of Push by Sapphire.

Push is an electrifying first novel that shocks by its language, its circumstances, and its brutal honesty. Push recounts a young black street girl's horrendous and redemptive journey. For Precious Jones, 16 and pregnant with her father's child, miraculous hope appears and the world begins to open up for her when a courageous, determined teacher bullies, cajoles, and inspires her to learn to read, to define her own feelings and set them down in a diary.

To take part in the book discussion, you should have read the book. The book can be obtained through New York Public Library by reserving a copy.

To reserve a copy of this book, you may do any of the following:

Reserve it by telephone by calling any New York Public Library branch
Reserve it in person by visiting any New York Public Library branch
Reserve it online by searching our catalog at catalog.nypl.org

If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to call the St. George Library Center at 718-442-8560.

Famous Writers With A Staten Island Connection

Donald Laub — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:17:59 -0500

Thomas Matteo, the Staten Island Borough Historian, wrote a nice article in the Sunday, January 16, 2011 Staten Island Advance titled "Their Pens Were Mighty Indeed," about famous writers who have a Staten Island connection. While I was aware that Washington Irving, Emily Post, Amy Vanderbilt, Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville all had some link to Staten Island, the one I was not aware of was Edwin Arlington Robinson, writer of the poems "Richard Cory," "Minver Cheevy" and many more. He lived on Staten Island in 1913 in the Lighthouse Hill section (picture of the lighthouse, which is still standing at Lighthouse Hill, to the left). It must have been deeply rural at the time, as it still has very much a countryside atmosphere.

Unfortunately the story is not yet listed on the Staten Island Advance website. St. George Library Center does have the paper copy of the paper and will eventually be getting it on microfilm. So it should be here if you want to read the whole story. Some excerpts:

Thoreau reportedly wrote, "The whole Island is like a garden, and affords fine scenery." George Curtis said, "God might have made a more beautiful spot than Staten Island, but never did!"

It is no wonder, then, that Staten Island has inspired many accomplished writers...

Edwin Arlington Robinson was born in Head Tide, Maine, on Dec. 22, 1869 and moved to Gardiner, Maine, a year later. Gardiner would later be renamed Tilbury Town and become the backdrop for many of his poems.

He attended Harvard University from 1891-1893 and published his first poem in the Harvard Advocate.

He was unsuccessful in making enough money to support himself writing and depended on help from friends. In 1911, he began spending the winters at homes of his friends in New York and summers in MacDowell Colony in Petersborough, N.H.

He also lived on Lighthouse Hill around 1913. Robinson continued to struggle in obscurity until Theodore Roosevelt wrote a magazine article praising his work. Robinson went on to win three Pulitzer Prizes for his work. They were "Tristram" (1928), "Collected Poems" (1922) and "The Man Who Died Twice" (1925).

Other writings by Edwin Arlington Robinson, including a few that are about him, can be found in the catalog.

How to Cook Sri Lankan with Cabbage

Heidi Singer, Director of Digital and Print Publications — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:17:47 -0500

Traditional Sri Lankan cuisine is a wondrous mix of tropical produce, freshly pounded spices, and curries cooked slowly in clay pots over an open fire. Flavor comes with spare time and energy — two factors in short supply in the big city. As a result, photojournalist Sri Walpola became interested in how his fellow countrywomen manage to recreate the tastes of home on Staten Island.

Last year, Walpola photographed several women in the Sri Lankan enclave of Tompkinsville, Staten Island, documenting the way they adapt traditional cuisine to their new home. Two dozen of his photographs are now on display through February in The New York Public Library’s St. George Library Center.

"The daily ritual of shopping for fresh vegetables, selecting and mixing spices, and preparing curries is a focus of family life in Sri Lanka," said Walpola. "In New York, replicating the familiar act of finding and making food without the bounty of fresh tropical ingredients has become its own art."

Essential ingredients, many of which can now be found on Staten Island, include curry leaves, lemongrass, rampe, and coconut served up every which way, from creams to powders to vinegar made from the fermented juice of coconut palm leaves.

Then there are the flavors that can never be replicated, such as the goraka.

"It's a beautiful red fruit," recalled Walpola. "Once it falls out of the tree, we open it. After that, you take the skin, which looks like a little pumpkin, and dry it under an extremely hot sun until it becomes pitch black."

That fruit, unique to Sri Lanka, isn't the only thing expats miss. Walpola's subjects have had to substitute cabbage for traditional greens, blenders for grinding stones, and metal pots over gas stoves instead of clay pots and fire. Unable to find the tiny, tropical fish they're accustomed to, the home cooks "have totally given up on fish," he said.

Walpola, a dedicated home cook who has worked for the New York Times and the BBC, intends to publish a book of his photographs along with recipes from his own and his subjects' families. In the recipe below, he has toned down the spices for American taste buds, but kept the distinctive ingredients.

As they say in Sinhalese, Sathutu Wenna (Enjoy)!

Chicken Stew Sri Lankan Style

6 chicken parts or a full chicken (organic chicken tastes better)
2 big onions
2 big tomatoes
2 green peppers
2 red peppers
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut
1 large carrot, peeled and cut
8 black pepper corns
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
4 garlic cloves
2 inch stick cinnamon
2 branches of curry leaves (available in Indian groceries)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons Sri Lankan coconut vinegar
Salt to taste

Boil the chicken in water, black paper powder, turmeric, Goraka or Sri Lankan coconut vinegar, until the water dries.
Boil the potatoes and carrots separately and cut them into pieces.
Use the same chicken fat or two spoons of vegetable oil in medium saucepan, add mustard seeds, coriander powder, garlic crushed, pepper corns, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, and curry leaves.
Add big onion rings and chopped bell peppers.
Add chopped potatoes and carrots.
Season with salt. Fry 15 to 20 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add chicken pieces and fry 30 to 40 seconds.
Turn off heat, turn pieces over, and add tomatoes.
Adjust salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer on moderate heat for 20 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6 people

This piece was originally published in The Huffington Post. View more >>