Robin Hood L!brary Initiative at Damrosch

I hope no one else finds out about this chair

2009-09-18T14:24:00.003-04:00

What a good kid. He found a book to read and then he sat down to read it! This is exactly what we want libraries to inspire children to do! And no one told him to do it either!

We are completely absorbed in the new books!!

2009-09-18T13:42:00.003-04:00

These are the books from the Laura Bush Collection Development Grant. They arrived the first week of school, just in time for me to process them and make them available to the kids. I purposely leave them on the tables before the classes come in. The kids are immediately drawn to them. These boys were so absorbed in what they were reading that I had to take a picture of them. I know I am successful when kids are reading and not even bothering to ask if they can use the computer. This is exactly what I wanted to happen!

There are too many books to choose from!!!!

2009-09-18T13:40:00.004-04:00

This young man was so excited about the new books that he kept pulling out every book he wanted to read. And he couldn't decide which one to take. He eventually brought a pile of no less than 20 books to me and asked me to hold them for him. He wanted to read every one of them. He made such a mess, but what do I care? He's READING!!! And he's excited about it too!

The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

2009-06-10T04:30:00.007-04:00

Damrosch Library wins prestigious Laura Bush Foundation Grant!!!

2009-05-26T19:10:00.003-04:00

See all the winners here:

http://www.laurabushfoundation.org/PressReleaseMay2009.pdf

"I got smart because I read books," says Einstein

2009-05-14T18:40:00.001-04:00

Ahh, I could sit in this corner and read all day!

2009-05-11T14:20:00.002-04:00

I love it when Ms. Kaplan reads to us!

2009-05-11T14:14:00.003-04:00

The computers are my favorite!

2009-05-11T14:12:00.001-04:00

Damrosch Library wins a grant!

2009-05-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

The Office of Library Services is pleased to offer to NYC DOE middle school libraries, the Eight Million Reasons to Read Grant.

During the middle school years, when students are focused on developing personally, socially and academically, reading is paramount in enabling students to achieve success. Students who develop a love of reading and an ability to read with comprehension are more likely to be engaged in their learning and empowered to meet the academic and personal demands of their future – both in school and in the workplace. To ensure that all middle school students in New York City are prepared for high school, college and careers, the Department of Education has developed the Campaign for Middle School Success.

As a part of that initiative, the Office of Library Services has developed the Eight Million Reasons to Read campaign.
The overall goal of this campaign is to:
· Connect middle school students with real-life reasons to read, as demonstrated every day by the eight million residents of New York City.
· Enable middle school students to build a pathway to their future through exploration of dynamic nonfiction books.
This yearlong campaign will validate the reading experiences of the students and their families, communities, and cultures so that students recognize that reading is a “life skill” that surrounds every area of life and is the key to future success.

Activities at the school level will include:
Book clubs;
Addition of a collection of engaging nonfiction books to the school library;
Collection of “I read because. . .” post cards from family and community;
School-wide reading motivation campaign and assembly;
Family literacy celebration.

Grant recipients will receive:
A collection of engaging, readable young adult non-fiction titles that will be processed for the central library collection;
Three of these titles provided in sets of 10 for book discussion groups;
One-day professional development for the librarian on how to conduct a book club using non-fiction titles and utilize Web 2.0 technology to encourage students to interact with the books and each other.
“I read because…” postcards for family and community to fill out

I LOVE this chair!!!

2009-04-28T17:43:00.000-04:00

New Bulletin Board

2009-04-27T06:59:00.000-04:00

Storytime with Miss Patricia!

2009-04-26T19:16:00.003-04:00

Stay tuned for the transformation!

2009-03-31T08:59:00.001-04:00

This is the magazine rack that came with the library. However, it does not fit the gorgeous decor of the library. So it is going to be transformed by the students under the direction of the art teacher. Stay tuned for its transformation!

I love being surrounded by all these books!

2009-03-27T16:23:00.001-04:00

Please do not disturb! I am reading!

2009-03-20T14:31:00.003-04:00

Reading is fun in all different positions

2009-03-06T14:33:00.002-05:00

The New L!brary Sign!

2009-03-05T07:04:00.000-05:00

It's RIF Day!

2009-02-27T13:20:00.005-05:00

A Class Visit

2009-02-03T12:02:00.002-05:00

Capturing the essence of the library in one photo

2009-01-13T17:37:00.001-05:00

Just when I didn't think it could get any more beautiful...the murals go up!

2009-01-08T07:48:00.007-05:00

The murals are going up

2008-12-23T18:23:00.005-05:00

The Menagerie Revisited

2008-12-23T13:31:00.003-05:00

The monkeys, a Christmas gift from a thoughtful colleague and friend.

The giraffe is the newest member of the menagerie.

One of the many cool things I learned in the Alan November Technology Leadership Institute

2008-12-20T06:47:00.004-05:00

Get a Voki now!

A Tree Grows in the South Bronx

2008-12-18T19:54:00.004-05:00

From the collection: Gorillas and Their Infants

2008-12-13T05:21:00.002-05:00

Everyone loves baby animals. This new Pebble Plus series highlights the lives of animal offspring, including how they are born, what they look like, how they compare to mature animals, and how they eat, play, live, learn and grow. Pebble Plus offers the same high-quality nonfiction topics and low reading levels of Pebble Books in an enlarged, graphically enhanced format. This series explores and supports the standard "The Living Environment: Diversity of Life, Heredity, Cells, Interdependence of Life, and Evolution of life," as required by Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061.

From the collection: The Chimpanzees I Love

2008-12-13T05:11:00.001-05:00

Jane Goodall might be a household name for most grownups, thanks to her pioneering work with chimpanzees and more recent efforts at habitat preservation. But many kids don't know the Goodall story and will love this chance to hit the ground in Tanzania and learn about the remarkable scientist and her beloved chimp friends. With dozens of vintage photographs, Goodall recounts her early research in Gombe National Park, including a recap of her childhood and how she came to know Louis Leakey and first enter the bush. With clear and careful prose, Goodall explains her findings about chimp communities and communication, the role of hierarchies, and what sort of threats chimpanzees face today. Best of all, Goodall's account always keeps curious young readers in mind, even relating some of her mistakes, such as when she became too close to her subjects and interfered with her own research.

New DVD : Jane Goodall's Return to Gombe

2008-12-13T05:06:00.000-05:00

World-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall makes her annual RETURN TO GOMBE in this exciting and somewhat heartbreaking visit to the chimpanzee research station she made famous. It seems a revolution has broken out among her favorite group of chimps and its brutal and bullying leader, Frodo, has been overthrown. With a power struggle imminent among the other chimps, Jane searches for Frodo and reminisces about the groundbreaking research, thoughts, beliefs and emotions she has invested in these wild chimpanzees and protecting primates around the world. RETURN TO GOMBE makes for a fascinating and unforgettable journey.

New DVD : Gorillas - From the Heart of Darkness

2008-12-13T05:02:00.000-05:00

As seen on National Geographic Romain Baertsoen, A Belgian Diplomat, arrived in Rwanda in 1966 and started to film one of the country's most closely quarded secrets - the gorillas of the Viruga Mountains.. He had to learn to behave with these enormous animals. He filmed the gorillas as well as the Congo's erupting volcanoes. A thrilling view of fantastic flora and fauna.

New DVD : Nature: Chimpanzees

2008-12-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Learn more about these creatures from the wild, who really aren't that different from us! Program 1: Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees - Jane Goodall provides privileged access to an absorbing family saga in the wilds of Tanzania. Observe the family’s complex day-to-day life through intimate communications and relationships. Program 2: Monkey in the Mirror - Chimps and primates use tools, language, politics and even culture. How does their intelligence compare to our own? This program investigates the answers in both the laboratory and the wild.

New DVD : Nature: Chimpanzees - An Unnatural History

2008-12-13T04:58:00.000-05:00

Nature, the eight-time Emmy-winning PBS series, kicked off its 25th season with this powerful episode. In 1959, the United States Air Force captured dozens of baby chimpanzees in Africa, transporting them to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where they and their offspring were to endure a grueling life as the ultimate human stand-ins. From experiments in space travel and high-velocity crash tests, to pharmaceutical testing and hepatitis and AIDS research, to roles on the silver and small screens, these original Air Force chimpanzees and others that followed gave their lives to benefit humankind. Now, a few extraordinary people are working to give those lives back. Emmy Award-winning producer and director Allison Argo (Extraordinary Dogs) narrates this compelling and powerful program that witnesses the efforts of rescuers at sanctuaries like Fauna Foundation, Save the Chimps, and Center for Great Apes to see that the traumatized residents they have saved from a life of confinement and suffering can finally be allowed to live and feel like chimps.

New DVD : Nature: The Gorilla King

2008-12-13T04:57:00.000-05:00

From the mountains in Rwanda comes an extraordinary story of destiny and triumph. At 33 years old, Titus, a 400-pound silverback gorilla, has ruled for nearly half his life. He still rules over 25 gorillas, an astonishing feat given the early trials he faced. When Titus was four, poaches slaughtered his father. Shortly after, an interloper named Beetsme killed his infant sister in a coup attempt. His mother and other sister fled, leaving him orphaned and abandoned. But something in his character led to greatness in a remarkable life that researchers--beginning with world-renowned primatologst Dian Fossey and young researcher Kelly Stewart, daughter of actor James Stewart--have chronicled since the day he was born. Unprecedented footage of silverback behavior, archival footage of Titus as a newborn, and observations by researchers and conservationists chart his dramatic rise to power, and the challenge to his throne today. Is Titus' great reign at an end?

New DVD : Romeo and Juliet: A Monkey's Tale

2008-12-13T04:55:00.000-05:00

In the mountains of Thailand, two young monkeys from rival factions are falling in love. This is the story of their lives, as the two groups of the local simian population declare war to keep them apart.

New DVD : Orangutan Island - Season 1

2008-12-13T04:54:00.000-05:00

A desperate struggle for survival is raging deep in the heart of Borneo's forests. Illegal logging is rapidly destroying the Bornean orangutans' last stronghold in the wild -- leaving hundreds of orangutan babies orphaned and homeless. Their future seems bleak but a ground-breaking project provides real hope for ensuring the survival of the species. Meet the 35 classmates of Forest School 103 at the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. These precocious red-haired "children of the forest" will get the opportunity, through this innovative project led by Lone Droscher-Nielsen and her team, to live wild on a protected island. Orangutan Island is the foundation for the largest primate rescue project in the world. Go with them on their journey to adulthood as they struggle to form their own society and learn how to live free on Orangutan Island.

New DVD : Jane Goodall's When Animals Talk

2008-12-13T04:51:00.001-05:00

Just like any pet owner, Jane Goodall believes that all animals can talk -- it's just that we don't always understand what they're saying. When Animals Talk recounts the amazing stories of animals that have changed the lives of the people they've touched. We witness how animals can learn our language and find unique human-animal partnerships that make the world a better place. We also will discover how we humans can learn the languages of animals through science. We will listen in on the "conversations" that can take place between animals and humans, and the amazing results that these mutual comprehensions can yield. Dr Goodall's message is that communicating with animals brings humankind closer to another world, and that such liaisons can bring about unexpected benefits to both.

New DVD : Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees

2008-12-13T04:49:00.000-05:00

Did you know that chimpanzees and humans have 98 percent of their DNA in common? You will after watching this absorbing 75-minute (including extras) documentary, featuring and partially narrated by renowned researcher Jane Goodall, who's been on the chimps' case for more than four decades. We see these African apes on the ground and in trees, playing, grooming, teaching, even killing one another. The scenes of them "fishing" for termites and ants using a stick for a pole make for extraordinary viewing; indeed, the film's principal message is that they and we are very much alike. And while the small screen can't capture the full majesty of what began as an IMAX film, one can sense the almost palpable three-dimensionality of the original. The DVD is also loaded with bonus features, including a 15-minute behind-the-scenes look at the filmmaking process and more.

New DVD : IMAX Mountain Gorilla

2008-12-13T04:46:00.000-05:00

Named Outstanding Film Documentary by the Genesis Awards (the major award for works about animal issues) and filmed in the lush mountain cloud forests of Rwanda, Africa, Mountain Gorilla provides an amazing encounter with the highly social species that is the largest of all primates. Eat, nap, travel, eat, interact, eat: that's a typical routine for adult gorillas. But for rambunctious three-year-olds, the routine is more like play, play, play, play as they tumble, swing, wrestle and twirl. Overseeing all of the troop's activities is the proud, massive silverback male whose dominance is unchallenged - until a young silverback tries to exert his newfound sense of power.

New DVD : Nature: Koko - A Conversation With Koko

2008-12-13T04:40:00.001-05:00

This program doesn't just talk with an ape, it carries on an intimate, decades-long dialogue with her. The story documents the incredible development of a gorilla named Koko, whose learning of American Sign Language (and understanding of spoken English) gives new meaning to the ideas of animal intelligence and inter-species communication. Witness an animal who not only expresses wants and needs but also exhibits creativity and complex, human-like emotions. After being told that her pet kitten died in an accident, Koko demonstrates deep and sincere sadness-and seems to express exactly that when left alone that night. Most amazingly, she maintains a deep and enduring friendship with her human teacher and playmate, Dr. Penny Patterson. But will Dr. Patterson's innovative experiment end with Koko? Or will Koko give birth and transmit her knowledge to a new ape generation? Narrated by Martin Sheen, this inspiring, unforgettable program seeks the answers. The Gorilla Foundation - The mission of the Foundation is to bring interspecies communication to the public, in order to save gorillas from extinction, and inspire our children to create a better future for all the great ape.

New DVD: Chimps : So Like Us

2008-12-13T04:35:00.000-05:00

For three decades, Jane Goodall has studied the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park in Tanzania. There, living simply amid the lush greenery on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, she has become the world s foremost authority on man s closest relative. In CHIMPS: SO LIKE US, Goodall provides a glimpse into this special universe, sharing her vision and passionate concern for her simian neighbors.

The film opens gently in the quiet forest, where, with Goodall as guide and interpreter, the chimpanzees' remarkable similarity to humans is revealed before the camera. Like humans, chimps live in family units, make tools, eat meat and express complex emotions. The distinction between man and animal blurs as scenes of love, jealousy, friendship and war are played out within chimpanzee society.

Yet, chimps' genetic closeness to man is also their curse. In explosive counterpoint to the chimpanzees' balanced life in their natural habitat, the film reveals the shocking conditions under which many chimps suffer in poorly maintained research labs. With uncompromising conviction, the film argues the case for the chimpanzees' right to live in freedom in their natural habitat and for humane treatment when in captivity.

TV/DVD playing Koko: The Talking Gorilla

2008-12-09T18:10:00.003-05:00

Getting ready for my first class

2008-12-09T18:08:00.001-05:00

Circulation Desk

2008-12-09T18:06:00.000-05:00

Fiction Section

2008-12-09T18:05:00.003-05:00

The Couch

2008-12-09T18:03:00.002-05:00

The Menagerie

2008-12-09T18:02:00.003-05:00

New DVD: Mozu: The Snow Monkey

2008-12-08T17:00:00.004-05:00

Meet Mozu, a heroic Japanese macaque who overcame severe disabilities to live a long and productive life. Learn some exciting things about snow monkey research, including the importance of macaque mothers, and find out what happens when monkeys and humans share living space.

Two new DVDs

2008-12-06T17:12:00.002-05:00

Gorillas on the Brink The recent mysterious killings of four critically endangered gorillas in the Virunga National Park, bordering Rwanda and Congo, sent shockwaves through the international conservationist community. In a twist of fate, Animal Planet recently filmed a television special documenting gorillas from this region and their desperate struggle to survive. Golden Globe winner and Oscar®-nominated actress Natalie Portman (Closer, Garden State, the Star Wars trilogy) partnered with Animal Planet to appear in this new special as part of her recent travels to Rwanda. There, she witnessed firsthand the plight of the diminishing number of gorillas in the region shortly before the recent accounts. Welcomed by the Rwandan government, Portman and animal icon Jack Hanna spotlight the gorillas — who so closely resemble humans — in an international effort to bring attention to their dire crisis. GORILLAS ON THE BRINK, slated to air this fall as part of Animal Planet's Emmy® Award-winning series SAVING A SPECIES, is an intimate journey through the mysterious lives of these endangered primates.

Koko : A Talking Gorilla In 1977, acclaimed director Barbet Schroeder and cinematographer Nestor Almendros entered the universe of the world’s most famous primate, to create the captivating documentary Koko: A Talking Gorilla. The film introduces us to the remarkable Koko at the age of three, recently brought from the San Francisco Zoo to Stanford University by Dr. Penny Patterson for a controversial experiment—she would be taught the basics of human communication through American sign language. An entertaining, troubling, and still relevant documentary, Koko: A Talking Gorilla sheds light on the ongoing ethical and philosophical debates over the individual rights of animals and brings us face to face with the amazing "individual" caught in the middle.

From the collection: Koko-love! : conversations with a signing gorilla

2008-12-06T14:44:00.001-05:00

More in the saga of Koko, the communicating gorilla who has pet kittens and continues to learn new language skills, is related by her surrogate mother, Dr. Patterson, and illustrated with good color photographs of various sizes showing Koko's activities and accomplishments in a lively format. She paints pictures, uses a computer, plays with a male gorilla friend who also signs, brushes her teeth, and wants a baby of her own. The simple, clear text traces the gorilla's life to date, cites actual conversations she has had with her human friends, and includes two pages of photos of Koko signing various words, from apple to visit.

From the collection: Koko's Kitten

2008-12-06T13:21:00.001-05:00

This is the true story of Koko the gorilla and her kitten, All Ball — how they met, how Koko loved and cared for All Ball, and how Koko grieved when All Ball died. The story is told by Dr. Patterson, the first person to communicate with a gorilla using American Sign Language. Over thirteen years, Koko learned about five hundred words from Dr. Patterson, which she used to communicate her feelings and desires. One of the desires she was able to express through ASL was for a kitten. At first, Dr. Patterson was not sure how Koko would treat a little kitten, but there was nothing to worry about. Koko treated the kitten as though it was her own baby. The affection and caring in the relationships between Dr. Patterson and Koko and between Koko and her kitten are captured in Ronald Cohn's beautiful photographs.

Pygmy Date Palm on its way

2008-12-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

This lovely treasure will sit in the donut hole of the couch.

From the collection: Elephants can paint, too!

2008-12-05T18:58:00.003-05:00

When Thailand recently began to conserve trees that previously would have been harvested, domesticated elephants lost their jobs hauling lumber. Subsequently, many died of neglect because they could no longer earn their keep. This book highlights an unusual project implemented by the author. In simple text, she explains that she teaches art in two schools, one urban and one in the jungle, and that some of her students have hands. Others have trunks. Then tells how she trains elephants to paint and compares the work of her human and elephant pupils.

The Solar Wheel

2008-12-05T18:48:00.001-05:00

This wheel is solar powered. When the sun hits the solar panels, this wheel spins on its own and creates a cool lava lamp type effect.

New History Section

2008-12-05T18:46:00.001-05:00

Panoramic View

2008-12-05T18:45:00.002-05:00

The Globe

2008-12-05T18:43:00.000-05:00

The Computers

2008-12-05T18:41:00.000-05:00

From the collection: Owen & Mzee

2008-12-04T16:44:00.007-05:00

In December 2004, a frightened young hippo, separated from his family by a devastating tsunami, bonded with an Aldabra tortoise named Mzee. The 130 year-old tortoise accepted Owen as his own, and an inseparable bond was forged. Text and color photos tell the true story of the friendship that developed at a Kenyan wildlife sanctuary.

The History and Geography Section

2008-12-04T16:19:00.001-05:00

Art, Music, Poetry, Sports and Literature Section

2008-12-04T16:16:00.002-05:00

The Science Section

2008-12-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

The Dinosaur Shelf

2008-12-04T16:11:00.004-05:00

The Day the Books Went on the Shelves

2008-12-03T19:48:00.006-05:00

The fiction section.

The nonfiction section.

New Acquisitions: Two Documentary Photography Books about Disabilities

2008-12-02T18:09:00.009-05:00

Zip zip my brain harts by Angela Buckland is the result of a collaboration between Buckland (a photographer) and Human Sciences Research Council researchers concerned with disability issues. Angie Buckland’s remarkable photographs, interspersed with challenging text, are a unique expression of the fullness of human experience, with all its joy, pain and confusion.

There is a tendency for disability to be a secret. The challenges that face families of people with disabilities are also often hidden away. Part of the reason is that disability is still largely seen as a shame, a disgrace, and a source of stigma. Angie Buckland, the mother of a disabled child, Nikki, provides us with a personal account of how she has dealt with the challenge of disability.

Some of the key issues considered are: what if disability was considered ordinary or everyday? What if disability were seen as just one among many differences that there already are between people? What if disability were defined not simply as a physical or mental medical state, but were understood to be a societal problem – in terms of the reaction of other people to disability, or how geographical and social spaces can be discriminatory?

These photographs hope to open up a space for dialogue about the issue of disability and also to provide families and healthcare professionals with a compassionate, understanding and inspiring guide to ordinary people’s real experiences.

Two good feet : a photographic documentary of physically challenged children by Marc Yves Regis The people of Haiti are some of the poorest in the world and the children of Haiti are the poorest of the poor. In addition, malnutrition and poverty have led to many children being unable to thrive. Those who are born physically or mentally handicapped people are often kept out of sight, the most vulnerable members of a population of handicapped people that numbers 800,000. Haitian-American photographer, Marc-Yves Regis, went back to Haiti to find these invisible children. He visited St. Vincent's Hospital and School for the Handicapped and for five years he chronicled the lives of the children there. His photos reveal the children's extraordinary tenacity and with what dexterity they use their "good" limbs. Contained in the book, with the 70 colour photographs, are Regis's reflections on what he saw and the words of the children themselves as they prove to themselves and all who see them that they want neither pity nor condescension but respect and the right to enjoy their lives.

Damrosch L!brary Adopts an Orangutan from the World Wildlife Fund

2008-11-28T18:12:00.005-05:00

The only great apes found in Asia, orangutans are found only in the lowland forests of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. With 60 percent of their diet consisting of fruit, protection of orangutans’ habitat is vital. Sadly, the lowland forest habitats of these apes are disappearing quickly due to logging and deliberate burning to make way for agriculture and palm oil plantations. WWF and our partners are working to make sure these unique great apes are conserved in well-managed, secure, protected areas, and in wilder forest landscapes connected by corridors.

The plush toy and the adoption certificate.

From a book in our new library collection, Orangutan Rescue by Dougal Dixon: A photo-illustrated story about a young orangutan named Chang, who is taken out of the forest by poachers and, with some help, finds his way back to the wild. Includes a fact file and a glossary.

We have now adopted one each of the great apes.

Damrosch L!brary Adopts a Chimpanzee from the World Wildlife Fund

2008-11-28T18:06:00.008-05:00

One of the most well known apes, the chimpanzee lives in the forests and savannahs of equatorial Africa. Highly intelligent, chimpanzees hunt cooperatively and use tools, such as branches and sticks, to forage for food. These omnivores survive on a diet of ripe fruits, young leaves, stems, roots, seeds, bark and insects. Once found in 25 African countries, chimpanzees are now extinct in three or four and are nearing extinction in others due to deforestation and commercial hunting for bush meat. All four subspecies of chimpanzee are endangered.
The plush toy and the adoption certificate.

And from the library's collection: On the occasion of Goodall's 40th anniversary of groundbreaking research with the chimpanzees of Gombe, this beautifully illustrated volume traces her work from its singular beginnings to the Jane Goodall Institute's present-day international activities. 65 full-color and 30 duotone photos.

Some student artwork

2008-11-26T14:11:00.000-05:00

Mr. Lynton loaned the library some student art work.

The beginning of a Documentary Photography Collection

2008-11-26T14:07:00.000-05:00

A really big book on wild animals. Maybe we can adopt one of every animal in the book.

This is a large book of photographs of deserts. Maybe we can adopt some animals that live in the desert.

This is another really really big book of gorgeous cat photography.

The tables

2008-11-25T17:27:00.000-05:00

That's a giant book on space on the front table. It's about 3 feet tall. I have another one on wild animals and another on cats.

The closet

2008-11-25T17:26:00.000-05:00

Fun stuff for the kids.

Pi-shu, named after Pi-shu : the Little Panda by John Butler

2008-11-25T17:13:00.001-05:00

The panda is a housewarming gift from FAO Schwartz. He will sit in the storyteller's seat when it is empty.

From a book in the library's collection: Pi-shu, a young panda, and his mother are forced to search for a safer place to live as humans begin to destroy their natural habitat.

Story Circle

2008-11-24T14:51:00.001-05:00

There are 32 blue and black cushions that will go on the floor in this area during story time. It looks so empty right now but real live children and a librarian will make it come alive!

Our New Sofa

2008-11-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

The kids see the sofa through the glass doors of the library and yell "cool!"

The Books Come in "Dewey Packs"

2008-11-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

Dewey Packs means that the books are already in Dewey Decimal order. They just need to be taken out of the box and put on the shelves.

Damrosch L!brary Adopts a Gorilla from the World Wildlife Fund

2008-11-23T14:47:00.007-05:00

Western lowland gorillas inhabit the vast tropical and subtropical forests of Central Africa. Gorillas are herbivorous, feeding on fruit, shoots, bulbs, leaves and occasionally tree bark. They live in family groups that are led by one dominant male, called the silverback because of the silver hair that runs down his back. With threats such as poaching, habitat loss and disease, WWF is supporting protected areas and other conservation programs across the lowland gorilla’s range to ensure that no population is neglected.
The plush toy and the adoption certificate.

When the library opens, we will read books about gorillas to learn more about them. Here's one from the library's new collection:

Presents a full-color-illustrated examination of the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, and describes the effects of human exposure on the gorillas, how emergency medical care is provided to them in the wild, and ways to protect their species from poachers and common human diseases.

The books arrived

2008-11-21T23:07:00.001-05:00

152 boxes of books arrived on Thursday. They will be unpacked by a team of volunteers on December 3rd.

Circulation Desk

2008-11-21T03:45:00.000-05:00

A human being actually works here now!

Shiny New Furniture

2008-11-21T03:33:00.001-05:00

The furniture is metal and very shiny. People pass by the glass doors and can't help but stop in and take a look.

The Day the Furniture Arrived

2008-11-20T04:27:00.001-05:00

This is a view of the circulation desk from the front doors.
Another view of the circulation desk plus the rest of the library.

A Poem about Reading for the Holidays

2008-11-14T07:24:00.000-05:00

’Twas Holiday Vacation
(Or: How to Keep Your Kids’ Minds Occupied and Your Home Intact Over the
Holidays)

‘Twas holiday vacation for two whole weeks long,
And mommy and daddy wanted nothing to go wrong-
The presents had been chosen by relatives with care,
In hopes it would save them from losing their hair!

But children were zipping and zooming about-
“We’re bored, we’re bored!” they exclaimed in a shout,
So mommy looked at Daddy with a twinkle in her eye,
“I have a solution that money can’t buy!”

And bundling their children they decided to go
To the public library (in spite of the snow).
They pulled in the lot and opened the door-
Creative Corner had begun with room for two more!

They heard a grand story about a mean, ugly Grinch-
And created a craft; it was all such a cinch!
They beamed with pride over the things they had made,
Then dashed to the wall with the book shelves to raid.

“Look, here’s Junie B. and Artemis Fowl-
These titles will keep us busy for a while!”
The parents let out great sighs of relief-
Children reading books meant an end to their grief!

And back to their home they soon did travel
With a stack full of mysteries to soon unravel-
So when this vacation at once came to an end,
They brought back the books they’d had out on lend.

When back at the school the kids they did chatter,
Of books they had read all about matter!
And the teacher exclaimed with the utmost delight,
“Joy over reading is a wonderful sight-
It will bring your learning to a commendable height,
So tell me the tales that you read before bed,
Or share that adventure still swirling in your head,
Reading is the best gift you gave to yourself,
Lasts longer and better than one from an elf.
I wish happy holidays to each one of you
And may you read many-a-book all the year through!”

~Stacey Greene Wicksall

2008-11-14T04:34:00.000-05:00