The Library Shop is home to the creations of many independent artists and designers. This Independence Day, explore what they have to offer with these amazing products made in our very own U.S. of A!

1. Mini Works of the Revolution

Fireworks, shmireworks! These renowned documents, published by Applewood Books in Carlisle, MA, are downright explosive. Don’t let their size fool you; small-but-mighty works like the U.S. Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation quite literally hold the power to change the world.

Read some lit literature!

2. A Sturdy Place to Keep Things Handy

Peg and Awl designs beautiful and practical household items out of reclaimed materials (see our interview with the shop’s founders below!). The Philadephia, PA-based shop has created a stunning series of NYPL-branded caddies, decorated with a vintage stamp. Perfect for home, work, or the classroom!

Keep it organized!

3. A Coast-to-Coast American Tote

Western Textile, a manufacturing company based in Sausalito, CA, has built durable, classically-styled totes and pouches that will last a lifetime. Available in a variety of colors, each bag is stamped with NYPL’s vintage logo and is spacious enough for your entire summer reading stack.

Tote it across the country!

4. A Home Decor Classic

Since 1930, the iconic Kit-Cat Clocks have hung in kitchens for generations. A true American design classic, these adorable timepieces are built by the California Clock Company in Fountain Valley, CA. Add a smiling, tail-wagging clock to your home for a playful touch on your walls!

Get the classic!

5. A Puzzling Bestseller

Puzzle lovers and book lovers unite! White Mountain Puzzles of Jackson, NH has created two beautiful, literary-themed jigsaws to keep you puzzling for hours. This one features over fifty of the best-selling books of all time (and NO blue sky). And at 1000 pieces, it’s bound to be challenging, so find the corner pieces and get started!

Piece it together!

A Conversation with Walter and Margaux Kent, Founders of Peg and Awl

How did your shop get started? Where did the name "Peg and Awl" come from?
MK: Walter and I started making things the moment we met—but didn’t start Peg and Awl until two years later. During that time we had a baby (Søren, who is now nine!), got married in Iceland, and Walter spent a year in Iraq with the National Guard. When he returned I tried to convince him to start a business with me. He wasn’t certain we could make something out of nothing, but I felt confident we could! Shortly after his return, he made the tub caddy that I’d been wanting my whole life. We had extra antique wood from torn-down homes in our neighborhood that we had gathered to fix up our backyard. I had been using splintery 2x4s across my tub since I was a kid and with Walter’s creation, I now had a beautifully-crafted reclaimed wood board that spanned the tub and made for a dream drawing/reading space. We took a photograph of me in the tub, pregnant with Silas and using the caddy, and posted it on Etsy. The business was born!

The name comes from an old folk song about handmaking shoes by the Carolina Tar Heels called “Peg and Awl.” We initially wanted to make shoes, but a funny encounter led to Walter and I deciding to make what we know. We merged our love for woodworking, jewelry making, bookbinding, and photography, and eventually learned to make bags when the need for a diaper bag arose! Lucky for us, making objects that we want and use has been the very thing that propelled Peg and Awl. Photographing ourselves and our boys, using our objects in our home, and sharing our real life experiences was a natural transition!

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
MK: I am inspired every day. I love words, sounds, wind, and everything that comes with a storm. I love that things can be made out of nothing. I love wandering and travelling and gathering stories and treasures. I love the effects of time on objects and imagining the layers of people over time in a single place.

WK: It’s Margaux!

When did you each start creating?
MK: I’ve always been making things, but unlike Walter my process was solitary. I was always chaotic, filling every surface with a project (something my parents recall bittersweetly). Our home is like that now. Projects everywhere. I am a bit hard to contain.

WK: I have been drawing and making stuff my whole life. My dad ran a custom woodworking and remodeling business out of the garage at our house, and my brother and I were always tinkering with the tools. We were home schooled, and would immerse ourselves in everything we learned. While studying medieval history, we spent an entire year creating a medieval world: tapestries, tunics, dresses, and armor out of fabric, wood, paint, and cardboard.

What inspired the NYPL-branded collection?
MK: We love working with the Library, and as a result, we often test our new toys and ideas there. I visited the library with a friend once, and the woman in the jewelry area, not knowing who I was, began to tell me all about our little book necklaces with such enthusiasm and knowledge. Everything that we make has a story—if that story is told, it draws people in to share that joy. When I told her I made them, she didn’t skip a beat and asked how she’d done! Amazing! We all laughed and celebrated her storytelling skills.

What are you reading now?
MK: I am reading The Treasure of the Barracuda, by Llanos Campos and illustrated by Júlia Sardà, to Søren and Silas. I’m also reading Living My Life by Emma Goldman, The Bad Seed (a childhood favorite) by William March, and oodles of picture books. My current favorite is The Liszts by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Júlia Sardà.

WK: I am currently reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to Søren and Silas. I haven’t read the Harry Potter books before and it’s amazing to experience them for the first time with them.

During the week, it can be tough to stay on top of everything. On Fridays, though, we suggest kicking back to catch up on all the delightful literary reading the internet has to offer. Don’t have the time to hunt for good reads? Never fear. We've rounded up the best bookish reading of the week for you.

We Read...

Books for teens and children during the holy month and books that would have been way different if there were iPhones. David Grann discusses his incredible new book about murder, oil, and the Osage. You can watch subway maps turn into real-life geography.  We want to honor safe spaces, including the magazine Transvestia. How much do you know about American folk heroes? Do you and Paul Bunyan go way back? Prove your knowledge with our quiz. Welcome to the LGBTQ sci-fi book club. Helen Keller captured what it means to really love books. If you want to catch up on LGBT history, all you need is your iPhone and some earbuds. "Politics and the English Language" just may be the favorite George Orwell essay of writers.

Stereogranimator Friday Feels:

GIF made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator

TGIF:

No need to get up! Join our librarians from the home, office, playground — wherever you have internet access — for book recs on Twitter by following our handle @NYPLrecommends from 10 AM to 11 AM every Friday. Or, you can check NYPL Recommends any day of the week for more suggestions. ​
 

Need something new to read? Tell us a book you like and we'll suggest another, until 11AM ET. #FridayReadspic.twitter.com/xQlkdsE6p1

— NYPL Recommends (@NYPLRecommends) June 23, 2017

How about another creepy, menacing tale: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B.A. Paris? @BAParisAuthor#FridayReads

— NYPL Recommends (@NYPLRecommends) June 23, 2017

Find the #SubwayLibrary:

We're excited to announce the launch of Subway Library, a new initiative between The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Library, the MTA, and Transit Wireless that provides subway riders in New York City with free access to hundreds of e-books, excerpts, and short stories—all ready to read on the train. Here's how to access #SubwayLibrary.

What did you read?

If you read something fantastic this week, share with our community of readers in the comment section below.

The New York Public Library Eastchester Library Employer Pop-Up Recruitment on Thursday, August 24, 11 am - 2 pm. 

The New York Public Library Bronx Library Center 8th ANNUAL JOB EXPO on Wednesday, September 27, 11 am - 4 pm.

This week marks the 80th anniversary of the passage of the National Apprenticeship Act (also known as the Fitzgerald Act) which directed the U.S. Department of Labor to work with industry and states to promote apprenticeship programs accross the country, and to formulate and promote labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices.  In the  first half of the twentieth century, apprenticeship programs mainly  involved the manufacturing, construction, and utilities industries.  Today, hundreds of thousands of apprentices are employed in more than 1,000 occupations - and there's more growth on the horizon.  You can learn more from the following DOL blogs:  Celebrating 80 Years of Promoting Apprenticeship,  Building on a Proud History of Apprenticeship,  Inclusion and Innovation: Expanding the American Apprenticeship Model.

Community Links Supported Education Program is a non-profit initiative supporting individuals with mental health conditions in pursuing education goals and successfully completing college, certification, licensing or vocational degrees.  Training  opportunities include IT Training, Commercial Driver's License, Home Health Aide, Construction Work, NYS Master Barber, Medical Assistant, Maintenance and Janitorial, TV Production Assistant, Health and Office Operation (Medical Records), Wood Working, Cable Installation, Hospitality and Tourism Industry (NRAEF Certification), OSHA License and more.    Eligible individuals must be 18 years or older; living in NYC: and living with a Mental Health condition.  Please reach out at 929-210-9810.

The Chinese-American Planning Council Workforce Development Division offers education, training, placement, and post placement support services to job seekers. Job training programs include BuildingWorks Pre-Apprenticeship Training, Hospitality Careers and LVMH Fundamentals in Luxury Retail Training.  

Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (TESLA) Certificate:  The Literacy Assistance Center will offer its Fall 2017 and Winter 2018 TESLA Certificate Program  at no cost to all participants who are selected for these cohorts. In this program, participants gain a solid foundation in the theories of teaching ESOL to adults as well as hands-on-application.

Hostos Community College (CUNY) Bridge to Healthcare HSE Class will help individuals to prepare for the high school equivalency (HSE) exam , explore careers in healthcare, and develop academic skills in a healthcare context.  Classes: Monday - Thursday, September 18 - December 21, 2017, 7:00 - 9:30 pm.  For information call 718-664-2542.

LaGuardia Community College (CUNY) Opportunity Academy offers free Construction Office Administration  training and paid internships that can lead to employment.  Participants will start off making $11 an hour on the first day of class.  The Academy will provide career guidance and support to help participants  ace their next job interview.  Classes begin September 19, 2017.  Call 718-482-5946 to sign up for an information session.

Grace Institute is recruiting  for the Administrative Professional Program (APP)  which is scheduled to begin  in September 2017.  Program workshops with corporations and executives.  Top employers include Catholic Charities, Macy's Corporate Office, Kane Kessler, P.C., Latham and Walkins, CityMD and Weill Cornell Medical.  Please register for an upcoming open house at 40 Rector  Street, 14th Floor.  For more information call 212-832-7605.

YearUp aligns job training with corporate partner needs and market trends to ensure that the skills students learn will be in-demand.  Learn valuable technical and professional skills, and gain work experience during internships at top companies.  Earn a stipend throughout the program ( both while you train and during your internship) and complete courses eligible for college credits.

Hunter College COPE and SPELL Saturday English Language Classes:  COPE (Community Outreach Program in English) classes are for any adult.  The cost is  $60 for the semester. SPELL classes are only for parents of children in high school or of young children living in NYC.  Classes are free but documentation for one child is required.  Both programs are open for fall semester registration.  For information and to download applications.

Job Search Strategies Workshop on Monday, August 21, 2017, 2:15 - 3:15 pm at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center 400 E. Fordham Rd. 8th floor.  This workshop is for all Interested Jobseekers, Dislocated Worker, Formerly Incarcerated , Individuals with Disabilities, Long  Term Unemployed, Students/Alumni, UI, Verteran and Youth.  Goal is to improve job-seekers efforts, marketability, and re-employment efforts.

Preventive Maintenance Technician Recruitment  on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, 11 am - 2 pm  at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Rd., 8th floor.This is for all interested jobseekers, dislocated worker, formerly incarcerated , long-term unemployed, UI, veteran, and  youth.  Perform repair and preventative maintenance for U-Haul trucks.  $15 - $25  p/hour.  F/T Mon - Fri.  Appointment requied.  Must have experience.

U-Haul will present a recruitment on Tuesday, August 22, 20117, 11 am - 2 pm for Preventative Maintenance Technician (4 openings) at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458.  Position requires a valid driver's license and a good driving record to operate a motor vehicle; adhere to all local vehicular regulations while driving.    

Job Finding Club on Tuesday, August 22,  2017, 2 - 4 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Ave. 2nd Floor, Flushing,  NY 11355.  This job club is for all interested  jobseekers and dislocated worker to form a Weekly Support Group focusing on obtaining job goals.

Job Search Strategies Workshop on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, 2:15 - 3:15 pm at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center 400 E. Fordham Rd. 8th floor.  This workshop is for all Interested Jobseekers, Dislocated Worker, Formerly Incarcerated , Individuals with Disabilities, Long  Term Unemployed, Students/Alumni, UI, Verteran and Youth.  Goal is to improve job-seekers efforts, marketability, and re-employment efforts.

Job Search Strategies Workshop on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 2:15 - 3:15 pm at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center 400 E. Fordham Rd. 8th floor.  This workshop is for all Interested Jobseekers, Dislocated Worker, Formerly Incarcerated , Individuals with Disabilities, Long  Term Unemployed, Students/Alumni, UI, Verteran and Youth.  Goal is to improve job-seekers efforts, marketability, and re-employment efforts.

Friends of the High Line will present a recruitment on Thursday, August 24, 2017, 10 am - 1 pm for Communications Intern, PR & Digital Communications (1 P/T Short-Term opening), Individual Giving Intern (1 P/T Short Term opening),  Community Relations Intern (1 P/T Short Term opening),  High Line Art Intern (1 P/T Short Term opening), Hospitality Intern, Food & Concessions (1 P/T Short Term opening) at Brooklyn Woprkforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.  For more information please Call Ms. Diaz at 718-613-696.  By appointment only.

Spanish Speaking Resume Writing  Workshop on Thursday, August 24, 2017, 12:30 - 2:30 pm. at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355.  All interested jobseekers will learn to organize, revise and update resumes.   

Basic Resume Writing  Workshop on Thursday, August 24, 2017, 1:30 - 3 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn  Street,  Brooklyn, NY 11201.  Participants will learn the purpose of a resume, chronological and combination resumes and select the appropriate type for their specific needs.

Job Search Strategies (in Spanish) on Friday, August 25, 2017, 9 -10:30 am at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Rd. 8th floor,  It is very interactive.  Goal is to improve Spanish-speaking job-seekers efforts, marketability, and re-employment efforts.

Career Development Workshop:  Dealing with Job Loss on Friday, August 25,  2017, 11 am - 1 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, 2nd  floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.  This workshop is for all interested jobseekers.  The group will discuss the job loss stages of grief, do self assessment exercise and customer talk and expressing their feelings.  

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1.  

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Brooklyn Community  Board 14: Available jobs

The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View NYCE&TC Job Listings.

Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company, startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search jobs by category on this site.

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT). Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center. For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202.

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks, Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds. For information call 212-832-7605.

Please note this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of August 20 become available.

The total solar eclipse which crossed from Alaska to Texas spurred many to make the trip West in 1878. As thoroughly documented in David Baron’s recent book, American Eclipse, the U.S. scientific community was eager to demonstrate capability to the scholarly world. Dr. Henry Draper, a medical doctor and former chair of physiology at New York University, assembled a group who watched the eclipse from the railroad outpost of Rawlins, Wyoming Territory. Although professionally known for medicine, Draper was an enthusiastic amateur astronomer who built an observatory in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Henry Morton of the Stevens Institute of Technology, James Barker of the University of Pennsylvania, Draper’s wife and research assistant Anna, and Thomas Edison comprised the eclipse-viewing party who departed New York on Saturday, June 13.

The foremost observation goal for the eclipse was study of the sun’s corona during the few minutes of totality. Henry Draper’s particular contributions to astronomy included documentation of solar spectra and well as celestial photography. Only a few years earlier, he earned renown for supervising photography of the transit of Venus. His half-ton photo-tele-spectroscope accompanied the group to their rudimentary observatory in Wyoming. Aside from the corona, there were secondary objectives for the scientific community. Edison himself had recently invented the tasimeter to measure heat from the solar rays, which he experimented with in a makeshift lab during the eclipse. Astronomers also used the darkness to search for Vulcan, a planetary body thought to be orbiting between the Sun and Mercury.

The eclipse occurred on July 29, 1878. To hedge against the misfortune of unclear skies, scientific groups scattered their camps across the path of totality, including on Pike’s Peak. A mere thirty miles from the Draper party was another group led by William Harkness of the U.S. Naval Observatory, a colleague from the transit of Venus project. Accompanying this group was Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, who captured the event in chromolithographs.

The Henry and Mary Anna Palmer Draper papers held at The New York Public Library consist primarily of correspondence with academics, artists, and scientists. After Henry Draper’s untimely death in 1882 (the result of weather exposure observing the stars of Orion), Anna Draper continued his work in the sciences as well as built a collection of ancient objects. She would become a benefactor of The New York Public Library, donating not only these papers but also establishing funds for acquiring further resources.

This Monday, August 21, New York will bear witness to an eclipse of the sun at 2:44 PM. If you haven't nailed down plans for how to (safely) view this rare astronomical event, the Library has you covered. See below for all the events we're hosting in honor of the solar eclipse:

Viewings

Chatham Square Library: Solar eclipse viewing party for children ages 6-12 and their families.

Port Richmond Library: Solar eclipse party for children 10 and up and their families.

St. George Library Center: Livestream viewing of the solar eclipse for all ages.

West Farms Library: Solar eclipse viewing party for all ages.

Pelham Bay Library: Solar eclipse viewing party for all ages.

Riverside Library: Solar eclipse viewing party and craft for all ages.

Look for more eclipse-related events here. Make sure to call your branch ahead of time to inquire about registration and whether safety glasses will be provided. Happy viewing!

How to View the Solar Eclipse When You *Can't* Look at the Sun

At the Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library, we’re always discovering new ways for patrons with all kinds of vision to explore information. Often, concepts that the average person thinks are “visual” are, in reality, just spatial: people who learn non-visually can access them through hearing, touch, and narrative. As New Yorkers prepare for the upcoming solar eclipse on August 21, here are a few ways to experience this rare event and other celestial phenomena in an accessible way.

Learn About the 1878 Solar Eclipse

Want to know more about solar eclipses of the past? Our archives have some amazing stories from the 1878 solar eclipse that happened from Alaska to Texas. Read up on how the scientific community made its way to the path of totality during this astronomical event. You can also see artist and amateur astronomer Étienne Leopold Trouvelot's drawings from the same solar eclipse here.

Explore selections from the first issue of Library Zine!—a creative writing magazine containing original writing and visual art submitted by library patrons and staff of all ages.

“The Vendor” by Tyler Thier | “NYPL Mission Statement Song” by Deborah Andrews | “Storm” by Cydalia Acevedo | “In a Matter of Hours, In Matter of One Day” by Tabrizia Jones | “Journey on Kevin” by Kira Grace Jackson

“The Vendor” by Tyler Thier

I have a quota to meet, an Ithaca
to reach, some memberships to acquire,
but I dare not harass this void-eyed
soothsayer pacing beneath his sheltered
awning, like Tiresias tilting skyward in a cave.

No approaching him with hornet strides today,
for as a clairvoyant tears through the fabric
of Fate, this man sees the past, present,
future, and in between. He deals in antiques,
after all. 

Give him a rusted Nazi emblem and he’ll cast
it off to the private collections of the world,
erase its violence like Time bleaches his sight.
Or that dead orphan in a sepia-tone photograph,
finally finds her a new family on the warmth of
a black-wood mantelpiece.

I see him hobble into a pastry shop a few times
to keep dry, buy a corn muffin once, watch the rain
again. His teeth are as crooked as his curbside table,
chattering into the afternoon. No, I dare not pry.
I leave him to his magic.

Tyler Thier is an MFA student from Long Island. He enjoys escaping suburbia every now and then to explore New York City and its various art-world events. In addition to losing himself (or rather finding himself) in the Big City, he also loves a good day at the beach near home.

“NYPL Mission Statement Song” by Deborah Andrews 

I lead the children;
We teach the teens
And we do everything in between.
I make the flyers
And we speak the Spanish
And I bring in programs, all I can manage.
I sing the songs
I teach the tech
And I champion this all for the whole biblioteque.
So read me a book, sing me a song
We’ll remember these things all our life long.
So teach me computers, tell me about college
We’ll thank NYPL for advancing our knowledge
So bring in new programs and create a sense of unity
And we’ll all feel strengthened in our High Bridge Community!

* These words have been set to music and performed at an NYPL regional meeting.

Deborah Andrews was an information assistant who offered children's programs filled with her original songs at the High Bridge Library. She gets immense joy out of entertaining the babies, toddlers, and their parents of the High Bridge Library with singing from her books based on her songs, doing countless activity songs, and at times accompanying the group on guitar. Dr. Andrews is also the mezzo soprano soloist at Our Lady of Victory Church in lower Manhattan as well as a private voice instructor.

“Storm” by Cydalia Acevedo

What is a storm? A storm can come in many forms. It can be a storm of snow, ice and frigid temperatures that freezes your fingers to the metal bar of the local bus stop sign, or the blinding snow that makes driving impossible. It can be a sand storm that makes your eyes gritty and your skin itchy with rashes. It can be the tornadoes that form on the plains of the Midwest. It can be feelings.

The feelings that run through our bodies come in many forms - anger, rage, happiness, sadness, surprise, shock, or fear. One alone is a feeling or an emotion. However, our emotions rarely come as single entities. Our emotions come in waves and in combinations which can be even more powerful and dangerous than the storms in the sky or on the horizon.

Injustices towards our person make us angry and, therefore, jolt us into taking an action that will rectify that misdeed resulting in happiness. Alternately, it can have the opposite result. You feel that you are doing the right thing; but in the end, your effort was futile and it leaves you bitter for the duration of your life. While they are not connected in the conventional way, a storm of emotions and weather storms have more in common than some people might imagine. Both are caused by disturbances that must be rectified in order to see the light.

This is the fictional moment when two sisters start to work out the problems in their own personal storms or risk remaining rigid on the precipice of greatness and watching life unfold before them.

“Still working on your novel?” a young woman happily calls outs.

“Yes, I am working on a section of my book.” the writer replies, not taking her eyes off the paper in front of her that contains her handwritten notes.

“However, I do not know if I have it right. I think I am going in the wrong direction. What if no one will be interested in the novice ideas of an unknown writer?” her voice betrays both her fear and doubts in her own talents.

“Stephen King was, at one time, an unknown writer. Stop being so hard on yourself and focus on your goals.” the eldest sister, Sabrina, replies as she carries two mugs of hot chocolate into the living room “Let me read what you have written so far.”

“Are you sure you want to read such trite?” Isabella looks at her older sister.

“First, never put down your own work before someone has a chance to read it, as it gives the reader an image that the writer is not proud of his work.” Sabrina hands her sister a cup of cocoa “Second, people that use a word such as trite often make the best writers.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Isabella smiles as she takes one of the cups of cocoa.

Grabbing the laptop and carrying it over to the black couch, Sabrina sits down and reads the first few lines of her sister’s book.

“This is really good.” Sabrina looks over at her sister “I love the way you described feelings as a storm of emotions.” She looks back at the screen, then over toward her sister “What about when people have an argument? Isn’t that synonymous with weather fronts; two opposing factions at odds with one another?”

“Or maybe even two people on the same side but just going about it differently?” Isabella takes a sip of the cocoa.

“That’s the idea.” Sabrina sips her cocoa “Make sure you work into the characters’ dialogues and backstories the storms they have faced in their lives.”

“Or maybe even two people on the same side but just going about it differently?” Isabella takes a sip of the cocoa.

“That’s the idea.” Sabrina sips her cocoa “Make sure you work into the characters’ dialogues and backstories the storms they have faced in their lives.”

“You should be a writer.” Isabella smiles at her sister “You have amazing ideas.”

“My ideas are just an extension your ideas.” Sabrina glances over to her camera and her photograph portfolio “Besides I am still trying to get my nerve up to send my pictures into that competition. I am not a professional photographer. What if I get laughed out of the business before I am truly a part of the business?”

“Now look who is being too hard on themselves.” Isabella looks at her sister, “You are a great photographer.”

“And you are a great writer!” Sabrina shouts. “You need top sitting on the sidelines. Get out onto the field and make your name known in this world!”

“True, but we both need to enter the arena. We need to face this storm together! What if you take pictures of what my book represents and I will go over them and decide on one for my cover.”

Isabella hands her sister her camera.

“I will think it over.” Sabrina glances at her camera. “I am not a professional photographer.” She notices the annoyed look Isabella is giving her. “I know. I know. Face my fears and weather-the-storm.”

Just how Isabella is always second guessing her own writing, Sabrina always doubts her skills as a photographer. It is humorous how these two sisters possess the same traits and clearly see them in each other but not within themselves. The rain inside storm clouds, much like recognition and acceptance of one’s own self-worth, is waiting to be released from their confines.

Over the course of the next few months, the winter would bring two major snowstorms. On these crisp, chilling days, Sabrina would venture out to take many pictures of falling snow, a winter sky, and icicles forming on the edges of the roofs. Slowly, winter made way for spring and the thaw. The warmer days beckoned her outside, so she walked the well-shoveled sidewalks to take pictures of the first vestiges of melting snow and falling rain as a few bolts of lightning flashed in the distance. With every new hint of the coming spring, the sisters’ pride in themselves and their work broke through their defenses and started to dance in the dawn of a new day.

Cydalia Acevedo was born and raised in The Bronx. She has enjoyed writing ever since she was old enough to hold a pen. Writing to her is not only a way to create the fictional worlds that she wants but also to escape the problems of the real world. She started attending her local library, Eastchester Branch, at the age of 9. Since then, she has been to several libraries in the Bronx and Manhattan areas.

“In a Matter of Hours, In Matter of One Day” by Tabrizia Jones

In a matter of hours
In a matter of one day
Our hope burned out
The rights we hold dear to our hearts
Disappeared like a ghost in the night
The young’s eyes, filled with exuberance and innocence
Look up into our own, asking us “Why?”
“Why did we do this?”
Our silence speaks volumes
As the dark cloud hovers
In a matter of hours
In a matter of one day

The King’s dream
The stem of our fight for change
Our cause for hope
A laughingstock amongst arrogant men
The lady in green
A symbol of freedom and dreams
Now shivers in fear
Uncertain of what is to come
The flag, waving proudly in the heavens
Lost all meaning
In a matter of hours
In a matter of one day

The media says “Accept”
The media say “We must unite”
The media does not say “We’re sorry”
The idolized, used, benefitted
Not once seeing the truth
The trust has gone
The pain lingers
In a matter of hours
In a matter of a day

I feel lost
I am angry
I feel empty
My country is gone
My heart is shattered
This heavy cloud has told me
It’s not okay that I’m me
It’s not okay that my family are here
My friends are different when we are one in the same
Now, we must wait
Our uncertain future lurks around the corner
All the progress we made
All the hope we accomplished
Undone
In just one hour
In just one day

Tabrizia Jones is a native New Yorker and was born and raised in the Bronx. She is currently a Young Adult Librarian of the Sedgwick Branch and is one of the editors of Library Zine!.

“Journey on Kevin” by Kira Grace Jackson

Kira Grace Jackson is a bi-racial artist, social advocate and college student who was born in the Bronx, New York. It was in the Bronx where she sharpened her passion for life before moving to continue her educational studies in New Jersey and Illinois. In the Bronx, and throughout New York City, she appeared on various stages and cable productions, alongside her mother Thaïs Sherell, bringing awareness to community concerns and social issues.

Welcome to our biweekly update on events happening during the next two weeks at The New York Public Library. With 92 locations across New York City, a lot is happening at the Library. We're highlighting some of our events here—including author talks, free classes, community art shows, performances, concerts, and exhibitions—and you can always find more at nypl.org/events. If you want our round-up in your inbox, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you at the Library.  

LIVE from the NYPL: Fall Season

Join us in the iconic New York Public Library for a new season of dynamic conversations between some of the world's most intriguing minds. Check out all the upcoming events.

9/6: Salman Rushide: The Golden House: Novelist Salman Rushdie discusses his latest book. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 7 PM.

9/7: Atul Gawande with Elizabeth Alexander: A Good Life —To The Very End: Medical writer and practicing surgeon Atul Gawande on mortality and medicine with Elizabeth Alexander, President Obama's Inaugural Poet and author of The Light of the World. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 7 PM.

9/11: Nicole Krauss: Curious Crossroads: Nicole Krauss on her new novel, Forest Dark, her first since 2010's Great House. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 7 PM.

Selected Events

9/1: First Fridays: Labor Day "Carnival" Edition: Celebrate Caribbean culture and history at The Schomburg Center's monthly First Fridays party. The Schomburg Center, 6 PM.

9/5: Fantasyland: Kurt Andersen in Conversation with Kwame Anthony Appiah: Kurt Andersen of Studio 360 on his new book with writer Kwame Anthony Appiah. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 6:30 PM.

9/19: Art and Journalism, Past and Present: Eugene Richards, Sam Stephenson, and Arezoo Moseni discuss Richards' photojournalistic work and the work of W. Eugene Smith. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 6:30 PM.

9/19: Picturing the City: Illustrated Maps of New York City: Curator Katharine Harmon presents creative pictorial maps of New York from the Library's collections. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 6:30 PM.

9/26: The New Education: Cathy Davidson with William P. Kelly: The author of The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux comes to the library to discuss reforming American higher education. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 6:30 PM.

Business, Career and Finance

8/22: Student Loans: Study Your Options: Learn more about how to finance your college education. Science, Industry and Business Library, 6 PM.

8/23: Ten Strategies for a More Mindful and Productive Job Search: Career counselor Renee Lee Rosenberg coaches you on how to get positive results in your job search. Science, Industry and Business Library, 6 PM.

8/24: Your Podcasting Questions, Answered: A panel of professional podcasters offer their tips on how to produce your own podcast. Science, Industry and Business Library, 6 PM.

Get Event Updates by Email 

Want NYPL Now in your inbox? Sign up for our biweekly e-newsletter and get even more updates on what's happening at the Library. Plus, you can follow NYPL Events on Facebook or Twitter.

The New York Public Library Podcast features your favorite writers, artists, and thinkers in smart talks and provocative conversations. Listen to some of our most engaging programs, discover new ideas, and celebrate the best of today’s culture.

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Google Play

Today on the show: Ibram X. Kendi, the best-selling historian and author of the National Book Award–winning Stamped from the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, in conversation with Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Harvard professor and Director Emeritus of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Recorded at the Schomburg back in June, the conversation on Kendi’s history of racist ideas in America feels especially urgent given the recent events in Charlottesville and their aftermath. Stamped from the Beginning chronicles anti-black racist ideas in America from Puritan minister Cotton Mather to Thomas Jefferson, from fiery abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison to brilliant scholar W. E. B. Du Bois to legendary anti-prison activist Angela Davis. Kendi’s dialogue with Muhammad highlights how and why some of our leading proslavery and pro-civil rights thinkers have challenged or helped cement racist ideas in America.

How to listen to The New York Public Library Podcast

Subscribing to The NYPL Podcast on your mobile device is the easiest way to make sure you never miss an episode. Episodes will automatically download to your device, and be ready for listening every Tuesday morning

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On your Android phone or tablet:
Open the orange “Play Music” app that’s preloaded on your device. If you’re reading this on your device, click this link to go straight to the show and click “Subscribe.” You can also tap the magnifying glass icon and search for “The New York Public Library Podcast.” 

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An immigrant who lost her eyesight, Nooria unlocked a trove of educational resources at the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library in New York. Now with her bachelor's and master's degrees, she runs a foundation serving vision-impaired people in Afghanistan, and still treasures her Library connection.

Library Stories is a video series from The New York Public Library that shows what the Library means to our users, staff, donors, and communities through moving personal interviews.

Like, share, and watch more Library Stories on Facebook or YouTube.

Romance, relationships, action, adventure, Korean dramas, letters to Mars... what more could a YA fan ask for? Below are a handful of 2017 releases that captured our attention this month. (And check out more New & Noteworthy picks for readers of all ages.)

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

There's a new Spider-Man in town! Perfect for comic-book fans ready to get into a novel.

This book is: action-packed, fast-paced, suspenseful, world-building.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maureen Goo

K-dramas — popular Korean soap operas — inspire Desi, a lovelorn high school senior, to start looking for romance in a brand-new way. Sweet and relatable, with a dose of real humor.

This book is: culturally diverse, funny, romantic.

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson

An epistolary novel that takes readers through time and space, with three protagonists from  1919 England to 1930s Kansas to 2065 Kansas (but soon to be Mars).

This book is: character-driven, engaging, thought-provoking, seriously well written.

Saints and Misfits by S. K. Ali

Janna, an Arab-American 15-year-old who wears hijab, has a host of problems going into her sophomore year: Everyone around her seems like an absolute saint, but many of them are monsters instead.

This book is: culturally diverse, moving, realistic, thoughtful.

What Girls Are Made Of by Elana Arnold

Sex, love, loss, and grief are all a part of this realistic and compelling story of a girl's first serious relationship. 

This book is: candid, character-driven, compelling, raw.

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

The term "fake news" may be receiving a lot of attention lately, but it is by no means new or unique to this day and age. Fake news holds a special place in America's journalistic history. It is easy to forget that before the 24-hour news cycle, the Internet, social media, and even the common use of the telephone, news traveled very slowly. Considering how long it took information to get from point A to point B, newspapers often found it preferable to print stories before receiving  all of the facts to get the scoop on their competitors. Take a look at a couple of examples:

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the majority of the passengers were saved from the Titanic.

Or when The New York Herald mistakenly wrote that the Union Army won the first Battle of Bull Run.

These examples can arguably fall into the category of "when newspapers got it wrong" and not necessarily "fake news." But history certainly has its examples of news sources purposefully printing false stories. One example from the article, Fake News Has Long Held a Role in American History, is the "contentious election of 1800." To prevent people from voting for Thomas Jefferson many Federalist newspapers wrote stories claiming he was dead.

Looking back, political elections appear to cause a spike in the claims of fake news. Interestingly enough, the same newspaper that falsely reported the outcome of the Titanic, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, blasts another newspaper for publishing fake election results in 1896.

History has also proven that sometimes fake news can be quite dangerous. In 1904, journalist Melville Stone claimed that the press of London sent a fake news dispatch to Japan, which served as the catalyst for the Russian-Japanese war.

Although newspapers—for example The New York Times—began to push for more accurate reporting in the late 1800s and early 1900s, fake news apparently became such a problem that a bill was introduced in 1916 outlawing rumors and false reports regarding "international relations with the United States" in any type of publication.

Fake news during the First World War may have been so problematic that a bill was introduced in Congress, but World War II showed how fake news could actually be used as a weapon. As reported in the Austin American in 1944, Nazis were providing American POWs with weekly newspapers, claiming the papers were a way to keep them abreast of world events. But, as the author claims, they were actually Nazi propaganda.

Fortunately for us, in today's world journalists and writers can be updated on world happenings at a moment's notice. That doesn't eliminate the possibility for errors and bias, however.  So, take a look at this great guide from The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions so you can spot fake news when you see it.

And for further ideas on the subject, listen to this NYPL podcast featuring Paul Krugman.

This blog post was researched entirely using NYPL's electronic resources. With more than 500 online research options available, many accessible from home with a library card, we challenge you to go beyond the search engine and dig deeper online with NYPL. 

RESOURCES

Welcome to The Librarian Is In, the New York Public Library's podcast about books, culture, and what to read next.

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Google Play

This week, Gwen and Frank wander through the wonderland of dance led by the dazzling Linda Murray, lead curator of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of NYPL's Library for the Performing Arts.  So, let's boogie!

First things first:  Fred Astaire!  Because, well...

Book Recommendations: 

Blood Memory:  an Autobiography by Martha Graham 

Dancing Women:  Female Bodies on Stage by Sally Banes

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov 

Non-Book Recommendations:  

PS Dance! Dance Education in Public Schools (documentary that captures what happens when five NYC public schools students add dance to their daily studies.)

Heidi Latsky Dance Company, "is a New York-based modern dance company dedicated to redefining beauty and virtuosity through provocative and innovative performance and discourse, using performers with unique attributes to bring rigorous, passionate and provocative contemporary dance to diverse audiences." 

Thanks for listening! Have you rated us on iTunes yet? Would you consider doing it now?

Find us online @NYPLRecommends, the Bibliofile blog, and nypl.org. Or email us at nyplrecommends@nypl.org!

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How to listen to The Librarian Is In

Subscribing to The Librarian Is In on your mobile device is the easiest way to make sure you never miss an episode. Episodes will automatically download to your device, and be ready for listening every other Thursday morning

On your iPhone or iPad:
Open the purple “Podcasts” app that’s preloaded on your phone. If you’re reading this on your device, tap this link to go straight to the show and click “Subscribe.” You can also tap the magnifying glass in the app and search for “The New York Public Library Podcast.”

On your Android phone or tablet:
Open the orange “Play Music” app that’s preloaded on your device. If you’re reading this on your device, click this link to go straight to the show and click “Subscribe.” You can also tap the magnifying glass icon and search for “The New York Public Library Podcast.” 

Or if you have another preferred podcast player, you can find “The New York Public Library Podcast” there. (Here’s the RSS feed.)

From a desktop or laptop:
Click the “play” button above to start the show. Make sure to keep that window open on your browser if you’re doing other things, or else the audio will stop. You can always find the latest episode at nypl.org/podcast.

Instead of going literal on National Waffle Day (although we’d love to hear about your favorite actual waffles in books), we decided to go literary.

We asked our NYPL book experts to come up with characters who make readers suffer along with their agonizing indecision — in other words, the best literary wafflers! Here’s what they said.

Archie has never quite decided between Betty or Veronica... or has he? Follow this clumsy, big-hearted guy as he waffles around modern-day Riverdale, beginning with Archie, Vol. 1, The New Riverdale by Mark Waid. —Laura Stein, Grand Central

It’s hard not to feel sorry for (and also kind of amused by) the titular character of T. S. Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. He certainly fits this description:

And indeed there will be time... for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea... Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

—Christina Lebec, Bronx Library Center

In Anthony Trollope’s Can You Forgive Her?, Alice Vavasor is torn between her “perfect” fiancee, John Grey — kind, loving, cultured, and above all wealthy (but unambitious and oh, so dull) — and her cousin George, the “bad boy” to whom she was formerly engaged. George is well described by Lady Caroline Lamb’s celebrated assessment of Lord Byron: mad, bad, and dangerous to know. You can certainly sympathize with her, but can you forgive her? —Kathie Coblentz, Rare Materials

In P.G. Wodehouse's Wooster and Jeeves stories, upper-class nincompoop Bertie Wooster is a classic ditherer. Without Jeeves — his indispensable, problem-solving valet — he’d barely function in the world. A fun-filled, satirical romp through early 20^th-century England, and is Wodehouse at his most iconic. —Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street Library

Adrian Mole is one of my favorite waffling teenagers! In The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend, British teen Adrian Mole chronicles his day-to-day affairs. Adrian’s diary predates Bridget Jones’ by a good decade and a half and is just, if not more, rip-roaringly funny. —Kate Fais, Bloomingdale

As well as being Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare’s Hamlet is also "the prince of procrastination." His tendency to overanalyze rather than act (to kill or not to kill Claudius...) leads to tragic consequences. —Elizabeth Waters, Mid-Manhattan

​In Margaret Drabble’s The Waterfall, NOBODY can decide who they love or how to act. Sample line: “Were I drowning, I wouldn’t raise a hand to save myself, so unwilling am I to go against my fate.” And that deliberately echoes George’s Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss, in which Maggie can’t decide — or isn’t permitted to decide — her own fate either and actually does drown. (Also there is every Russian novel, ever.) —Anne Barreca, Battery Park City

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!

During the week, it can be tough to stay on top of everything. On Fridays, though, we suggest kicking back to catch up on all the delightful literary reading the internet has to offer. Don’t have the time to hunt for good reads? Never fear. We've rounded up the best bookish reading of the week for you.

We Read...

New poetry for children (and the adults in their lives), plus culturally diverse middle grade books. After Charlottesville, these are some of the books we're turning to, alongside National Book Award winner Ibram X. Kendi discussing the history of racist ideas in America. We have tips for you if your ancestors were NYC police and you're doing genealogical research. Dorothy Parker, queen of the quips, deserves a quiz. Margaret Atwood remembers Ray Bradbury's legacy. It doesn't have to be a total solar eclipse to read this classic Annie Dillard essay. Don't you love when you find the right book at the right time?

Stereogranimator Friday Feels:

GIF made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator

TGIF:

No need to get up! Join our librarians from the home, office, playground — wherever you have internet access — for book recs on Twitter by following our handle @NYPLrecommends from 10 AM to 11 AM every Friday. Or, you can check NYPL Recommends any day of the week for more suggestions. ​

Looking for a new book? Tell us one you like & we'll suggest another, until 11AM.

(super-readers graphic again by the awesome @Hafuboti!) pic.twitter.com/fDZexEt4UZ

— NYPL Recommends (@NYPLRecommends) August 18, 2017

So cool! We'll sneak you in... have you read IN OTHER ROOMS, OTHER WONDERS by Daniyal Mueenuddin? Amazing connected stories set in Pakistan.

— NYPL Recommends (@NYPLRecommends) August 18, 2017

Find the #SubwayLibrary:

We're excited to announce the launch of Subway Library, a new initiative between The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Library, the MTA, and Transit Wireless that provides subway riders in New York City with free access to hundreds of e-books, excerpts, and short stories—all ready to read on the train. Here's how to access #SubwayLibrary.

What did you read?

If you read something fantastic this week, share with our community of readers in the comment section below.

The New York Public Library Bronx Library  Center Employer Pop-Up Recruitment on Wednesday, August 30, 11 am - 2pm.

The New York Public Library Belmont Library Employment Pop-Up Recruitment on Wednesday, August 30, 11 am - 2 pm.

The New York Public Library Bronx Library Center 8th Annual Job Expo on Wednesday, September 27, 11 am - 4 pm.

The Cooper Union Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers at CAMBA  assists immigrant engineers and IT professionals who are underemployed or unemployed  gain access to higher paying  jobs through training and job placement assistance .  The program includes courses in information technology and chemical, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering taught by Cooper Union faculty and field experts, offered nights and weekends.  Since its inception in 1987, the Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers has placed 3,000 immigrant engineers into careers.

The CUNY (Kingsborough  Community College) Fatherhood Academy (CFA) is a free program designed to promote responsible parenting and economic stability for unemployed and underemployed fathers ages 18-28, through education, employment, and personal development.  The program provides parenting seminars, personal and career counseling and guidance, immediate job coaching and placement in internships, MTA Metrocards, incentives, food coupons, and free college classes.  For more information please call 718-368-6784.

The Chinese-American Planning Council Workforce Development Division offers education, training, placement, and post placement support services to job seekers. Job training programs include BuildingWorks Pre-Apprenticeship Training, Hospitality Careers and LVMH Fundamentals in Luxury Retail Training.  

Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (TESLA) Certificate:  The Literacy Assistance Center will offer its Fall 2017 and Winter 2018 TESLA Certificate Program  at no cost to all participants who are selected for these cohorts. In this program, participants gain a solid foundation in the theories of teaching ESOL to adults as well as hands-on-application.

Hostos Community College (CUNY) Bridge to Healthcare HSE Class will help individuals to prepare for the high school equivalency (HSE) exam , explore careers in healthcare, and develop academic skills in a healthcare context.  Classes: Monday - Thursday, September 18 - December 21, 2017, 7:00 - 9:30 pm.  For information call 718-664-2542.

LaGuardia Community College (CUNY) Opportunity Academy offers free Construction Office Administration  training and paid internships that can lead to employment.  Participants will start off making $11 an hour on the first day of class.  The Academy will provide career guidance and support to help participants  ace their next job interview.  Classes begin September 19, 2017.  Call 718-482-5946 to sign up for an information session.

Grace Institute is recruiting  for the Administrative Professional Program (APP)  which is scheduled to begin  in September 2017.  Program workshops with corporations and executives.  Top employers include Catholic Charities, Macy's Corporate Office, Kane Kessler, P.C., Latham and Walkins, CityMD and Weill Cornell Medical.  Please register for an upcoming open house at 40 Rector  Street, 14th Floor.  For more information call 212-832-7605.

YearUp aligns job training with corporate partner needs and market trends to ensure that the skills students learn will be in-demand.  Learn valuable technical and professional skills, and gain work experience during internships at top companies.  Earn a stipend throughout the program ( both while you train and during your internship) and complete courses eligible for college credits.

Hunter College COPE and SPELL Saturday English Language Classes:  COPE (Community Outreach Program in English) classes are for any adult.  The cost is  $60 for the semester. SPELL classes are only for parents of children in high school or of young children living in NYC.  Classes are free but documentation for one child is required.  Both programs are open for fall semester registration.  For information and to download applications.

Career Development Workshop:  Managing Job Loss on Monday, August 28, 2017, 12:30 - 2:30 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Ave. 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355. This workshop is for all interested jobseekers to identify and manage their losses  to deal with this transition.

Job Finding Club on Tuesday, August 29,  2017, 2 - 4 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Ave. 2nd Floor, Flushing,  NY 11355.  This job club is for all interested  jobseekers and dislocated worker to form a Weekly Support Group focusing on obtaining job goals.

Career Development Workshop:  Transferring  Skills on Thursday, August 31, 2017, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138 60 Barclay Ave. 2nd floor, Flushing, NY 11355.  This workshop is for all interested  jobseekers and dislocated worker to identify their transferable skills and target them to new jobs.

Basic Resume Writing  Workshop on Thursday, August  31, 2017, 1:30 - 3 pm at Brooklyn Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn  Street,  Brooklyn, NY 11201.  Participants will learn the purpose of a resume, chronological and combination resumes and select the appropriate type for their specific needs.                                                                                                                                                                                           

Job Postings at New York City Workforce 1.  

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York City.

Brooklyn Community  Board 14: Available jobs

The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View NYCE&TC Job Listings.

Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company, startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search jobs by category on this site.

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT). Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center. For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202.

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks, Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds. For information call 212-832-7605.

Please note this page will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of August 27 become available.

The New York Public Library recently acquired the chapbook series After Hours Ltd. These chapbooks were collected as part of an ongoing effort to provide our patrons with the opportunity to discover a thriving literary community outside big publishing houses.

Locally published, After Hours Ltd is designed and curated by poet Eric Amlings. We reached out to Eric to get some more information about the series, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.

What is After Hours Ltd.?

At the moment, After Hours Ltd is a chapbook series that I design and curate. With one more title forthcoming, the intended series of 8 will come to a close, but going forward I’d like to think of it as a studio moniker to design and publish under in whatever format that may be. As an ethos, After Hours Ltd is the midnight oil, so to speak, when you move from one desk to another, a pleasure pursuit with better lighting.

What inspired you to start After Hours Ltd?

I’m always attracted to the concept of a series, particularly in design, and with the occasional work publishers have commissioned from me I was inspired to try and execute something I had full control over, not only conceptually, but as a challenge to myself. But most importantly, something the authors in the series want to be a part of.

Why does your press focus on chapbooks? What is it about chapbooks?

There is a seduction in limited edition; and that seduction should be worthwhile. A chapbook is intimate. It is an introduction to an author that can become a lifelong affair. That being said, in more practical terms, I’m one person with a credit card limit, and publishing costs money. Maybe After Hours Ltd will pursue larger projects in the future.

How do you find the work that you publish? Why do you choose what you do?

Out of the gate I had some writers in mind I wanted to work with. Work that, of course, was important to me, but also by authors that either hadn’t had their writing collected in this format before, or weren’t the usual names I see appearing in a series. Many titles in the series are by writers living outside of the United States. I’m very fortunate to have had their trust in handling their work – and hearing readers’ responses, I couldn’t be happier the series has been successful in that way.

Can you choose a favorite poem from work that you've published?

Randomly, I'd like to pick a line or two from each title:

Wendy Lotterman, Intense Holiday, 'You go blond in front of a hardwood McDonalds'

Laura A. Warman, The Cave The Basement The Church The Bedroom The Mall, 'the mall is / the gayest / place built / on the / backs of / laborers'

Aurelia Guo, 2016, 'Dissembling was my full time job; being ashamed was my hobby'

Daniel Feinberg, Flowers & Drinks, ‘The only truth / is poverty / everything else / is lush / hibiscus / acid / trips.’

Galina Rymbu, White Bread, 'Even if women piss on all the cathedrals / and men fuck themselves with a machine gun / there will be death there will be sex there will be poetry’

Erica Lewis, Teak , 'i cannot reimagine our lives / the parts we once abandoned / drinking orange crush / straight / from the bottle'

Sam Riviere, True Colours, 'Either one is an intrepid angel wielding fairness like it's vengeance / Or of the bottom-feeder click-bait class wasting water and calories'

Tell us about the process of designing the books.  How do you make your cover choices? How do the covers relate to the work?

It’s an all marble template; ‘abstract’ image made of marble on the front, title and author on the back. Melt it, invert it, bend it. I’m a maniac in a malleable pantheon. I enjoy the chance to manipulate marble in response to the text. These are loose interpretations of course, and you can witness me discovering all the functions capable in Photoshop. I guess in that way the covers are a collaborative experience with the author.

Give us some hints about what’s next.

The final chapbook is by the transcendent poet, Elaine Kahn. If you are not yet familiar with her work I’ll just say stanza by stanza, the pause and breaks between are purgatories where either the angel or devil on your shoulders will show up– and you’re never sure which it’ll be.

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We are thrilled to bring this series to our patrons and we hope, as Eric suggests, that these chapbooks begin your “lifelong affair” with the participating poets. Below, you’ll find links to other publications in our collection by After Hour Ltd authors.

And if you are curious about Eric Amlings’ poetry, you can access his book,From the Author’s Private Collection, in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building’s Rose Main Reading Room.

Bora Bora Bora / Daniel Feingberg.

Camera obscura / Erica Lewis ; original artwork by Mark Stephen Finein.

Excerpts from camera obscura / Erica Lewis

Murmur in the inventory / Erica Lewis

Daryl Hall Is my boyfriend / Erica Lewis.

81 austerities / Sam Riviere.

Kim Kardashian's marriage / Sam Riviere.

How much does it cost? / Laura A. Warman.

This post was co-created with Miriam Gianni, General Research Division, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Keeley is a senior high school girl who is focused on friends and colleges. Zach, her twin brother, is vying for a football scholarship at Barnett College, which is right by the water. Talon knows both of them; he met Keeley by chance, and he is something of a mystery.

Peeps. Yellow and blue, plentiful. Talon seems to have an unusual fascination with the small marshmallow birds. Impromptu peeps s'mores by the ocean... a delight. Photos of peeps adjoined with index card messages to Keeley... an extraordinary method of communication. Amazing how a candy can join two people together.

Zach and JT are football rivals—two stars at different high schools vying for limited scholarships to universities. Who will get a free ride at Barnett College? The last thing that Keeley wants to do is get caught in the cross hairs. 

Textrovert by Lindsey Summers, 2017

A very fun, sweet and technologically relevant work. 

On August 30 , The New York Public Library will be honoring four young readers who participated in our Summer Reading Challenge. This year’s summer reading theme was “Build a Better World through Reading” and young readers age 6 - 18 were challenged to write an essay describing how a book they have read, or reading in general, can help make the world a better place. Of the more than 150 essays received, four grand prize winners were chosen to take a bow on the field at Yankee Stadium, meet a player, and and stick around to watch the game with their families.

• Khandker Shafwan Habib, age 7, from Westchester Square Library

• Mariam Khelashvili, age 8, from Roosevelt Island Library

• Kai Lefkowitz, age 10, from Tompkins Square Library

• Anna Zhang, age 15, from George Bruce Library

Read the winning essays below, and stay tuned for the release of the next NYPL Zine, which will feature the essay winners along with other notable essays submitted by our talented young patrons.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 Summer Reading Essay Contest!

Khandker Shafwan Habib, age 7, from Westchester Square Library

Reading is the foundation of our world. Without reading, it would be near impossible to complete tasks as simple as reading instructions from a lab manual, reading the news, messaging friends and much more. In a globally changing world full of the latest technology, it is important for us not to allow the importance of reading to be diminished from our lives. Reading can help build an even better world as it allows us to gain a stronger education, share experiences and get us ready for adult life. Reading can help build a better world, and it all begins with us.

Reading can help give us a good education because we can learn many things by reading. For example, non-fiction books can teach us about animals, objects and our bodies. If one is interested in reading and wants to read about animals, one has to understand or one won’t know lots of facts about animals. Another reason reading can give us a good education is because it can help one in life. For example, if a little boy uses something children definitely should not touch, he can get hurt. For this reason, children can read books about how to be safe. Finally, reading gives everyone a higher education because at school, teachers teach strategies in reading and how to read with more stamina. Teachers also break down difficult vocabulary if necessary.

Reading allows us to share experiences and learn because everyone has different ideas and opinions. We can also share experiences by telling a little summary to our partners. Understanding is also important. It is a big part of reading because if we just read and don’t understand, we cannot learn or share experiences. I can share my experiences about a book called, “How do Hot Air Balloons Work?” I learned that a balloon basket can hold tanks with fuel, so I can teach my friends more about this subject. When I share my experiences, I usually talk about my predictions, questions and thoughts and ask if my partner can help me clarify a line. Also, when we talk about one idea, we delve deeper into other possible hidden meanings. We sometimes consider the moral of the story and other important questions, all in an effort to understand the true essence of the author’s writing.

Reading can help prepare us for adult life because we will know how to read. We will know how to stop when there is a period, exclamation point, comma or question mark. When we grow older, we will also read newspapers like the New York Times, which usually contain harder language. Reading can help us improve our writing in adult life, since we will have read about and know more sophisticated vocabulary, which will set us apart from the average writer. If one knows more vocabulary, one will also tend to challenge oneself, which will make him/her more successful in life. Finally, reading will help us become smarter. When I attend high school in the future, classes will get much harder and I can use reading strategies I learned when I was young to make the transition much easier.

Ultimately, reading is an important cornerstone in our lives. It allows us to become smarter and more ready for later life. From there, we can collectively build a better world, where more and more people are enthusiastic about reading. As Dr. Seuss once said, “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you will go.”

Mariam Khelashvili, age 8, from Roosevelt Island Library

The world is a very busy place. Good people, bad people, small people, big people, all attending to their own business. It’s a very pleasant planet. But could it be better? Most people are honest. And most people are kind. And a lot of people have a lot of good qualities. But some people don’t. For the world to be better, more people must be kind, honest, and caring. More people must be knowledgeable, scientific, and logical. And most importantly, we should be healthy, others should be healthy, and the planet should be healthy. And how should we achieve that? We should read books. Books fill children’s lives with joy, inspiration, and wonder, but they also inspire them to be kind and to fulfill good deeds. And they also teach you other things. For Jules Verne, a French author in the 19th century, wrote books showing exotic animals never heard of, pointing out certain plants, and wrote about minerals not thought of in youngers minds, so those books teach you science and biology, one of the very important virtues that will make the world a better place. This is only one example of thousands of books with numerous interesting facts and information which will help you greatly in your life. Them there is “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It already shows the virtues of kindness when Mary and Dickon were helping Colin get to his feet, but it also shows you the skill of gardening when Mary tends the Secret Garden, which leads to another great virtue, caring for our planet. The cherry tree story about George Washington (actually invented by Parson Weems in 1800) teaches you honesty when Washington said: “I Cannot tell a lie” and told the truth, and “The Swiss Family Robinson” shows you what a family really is when they hunt game and the mother cooks it, or the whole family gets together on expeditions.

There is a book for every virtue,
There is a line for every deed,
There is a verse for every action,
And a word for all you need.

Without books, the world would not be able to change for the better.

Kai Lefkowitz, age 10, from Tompkins Square Library

Baseball books are actually my favorite kind to read. I like the Derek Jeter series for kids including The Contract, Hit or Miss and Change Up. These books talk about his childhood, both in and out of baseball. He shares ten life lessons with readers. I have five favorites like “[s]et your goals high, [t]hink before you act and [d]eal with growing pains.” The first two are pretty straightforward but are good lessons to live by. But the third idea of growing pains is just as cool because it can guide us through the disappointment and frustration that challenge us all. Jeter makes the best out of the worst experiences. His books talk about finding a way through until he can make a situation work for him. Jeter understands that he is not perfect and that he can not always win. In fact, the fourth lesson Jeter highlights says “Don’t be afraid to fail.” But at the same time, he manages to refuse accepting defeat.

I recall one part where Derek writes about how he does not worry about his stats or how they compare to anyone else on the field when he is at the plate. He does not scare himself or worry about all the things that could go wrong. He clears his mind and focuses on aggressively hitting a pitch he likes and all the training and practice he has done.

The fifth lesson I will share of Jeter’s is that “[t]he world isn’t always fair.” In Jackie & Me by Dan Gutman readers see this idea from different directions. In this ultimate fan fiction, Joe Stoshack is a Polish little league player up at bat when the book opens. It is a scrimmage between his team the Yellow Jackets and their rivals, who always make fun of Joe because he is Polish. Joe loses his cool and strikes out, But he develops a new perspective when he travels back in time, turning into a black kid, to when the legendary Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the MLB. Jackie shares the same kind of anger of wanting to fight back but Jackie explains “I have held back my fists when I wanted to hit somebody with it. I did that because some acts show courage. Others show stupidity. You’ve got to pick and choose your battles.” (page 131).

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki is another good example of how the game became a way to stand up for and believe in yourself even when other people (including teammates, community members and people who should support you) do not. I think these books and Jeter’s series show just how important perseverance is in getting what you want the most; whether it is being accepted for who you are, being a good little league player or a clutch team captain.
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I am black and Jewish and no one else looks like me on my teams. To me, books in general, can make the world a better place because reading puts you inside of an experience and helps you understand something deeply whether you are having to live it or not. Once we apply those lessons these authors share to the lives we are living we can see how much we actually have in common. If people did this they would realize they are more alike than they thought and the world would be run more smoothly. People would judge each other on things that they can control and that matter.

Anna Zhang, age 15, from George Bruce Library

The power and ability of books is often underestimated. Books are the foundation of the world, the building blocks of the future. In this day and age, modern technology has replaced books and reading in the lives of many, who instead rely on smartphones and computers for virtually everything. Of course, these technological advancements are beneficial to society, but it is easy to forget that none of these advancements would have been possible without books.

We are being held in the station due to train traffic ahead of us.  We apologize for the inconvenience and should be moving shortly.  Thank you for your patience.

These words are familiar to New York City residents and visitors, likely summoning unpleasant memories of a recent commute gone wrong.  Much attention has been paid lately to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) during what has been termed the “Summer of Hell,” months marked by constant service interruptions, delays, and infrastructural failures.  Instead of simply bemoaning the current state of affairs, we can look to a citizen’s group that has been actively working toward improving the City transit system for almost forty years.  The Straphangers Campaign, affiliated with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), formed in 1979 during another nadir of subway service.  It saw a system so beset with crime and inefficiencies that it had riders abandoning mass transit in droves.  The Manuscripts and Archives Division holds the records of the Straphangers Campaign, through which we can see the situation they inherited, the work they performed, and the accomplishments they achieved.  Examining their documented activity may suggest to us a light at the end of the tunnel that isn’t, as their newsletter once joked, “just a train on fire.”

The first series of the Straphangers Campaign records chronicle the early years of the organization, and are mostly organized by issue.  Many of these are likely familiar to today’s straphanger: air conditioning, fare prices, crime, safety, and subway announcements.  Digging into these folders, however, reveals a transit dystopia far beyond current conditions.  In 1979, the year the Campaign was founded, there were sixteen homicides in transit stations, over thirty recorded sexual assaults, and almost 10,000 cases of theft.  In 1981, only 40% of subway cars and 85% of buses were equipped with air conditioning; moreover, having air conditioning did not ensure that it was functional or used.  That same year, the MTA president proposed only using bus air conditioning when temperatures exceeded ninety degrees.  Meanwhile, subway and bus fares had climbed from fifty to ninety cents between 1980 and 1985.  New Yorkers were paying more and more for deteriorating service.

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The newly-formed Straphangers Campaign used a variety of methods to take on these shortcomings, which ranged from simply irritating to dangerous.  They put pressure on local and MTA officials through newspaper editorials, radio spots, direct letters, press releases, and testimony at transit and local government meetings.  They informed their fellow riders by surveying passengers, issuing regular newsletters and reports, and passing out buttons and flyers.  Their annual “State of the Subways” report, published to this day, provides a line-by-line analysis of subway performance and outs the worst offenders.

Communication was an early target of the organization.  Frequent commuters have doubtless seen “Train Approaching” signs — ceiling-mounted displays near attendant booths meant to light up when a subway arrives in a station.  These “annunciators” were one of the Campaign’s first pushes.  Since subway platforms were hotspots for crime — platform lights were frequently vandalized, and night-time riders had a one in forty chance of being the victim of a felony in 1981 — annunciators allowed riders to spend as little time at the platform as necessary.  Rather, they could congregate together by the well-lit, staffed token booth and venture to the platform only when the annunciator indicated a nearby train.  

To increase the number of annunciators throughout the subway system, the Campaign employed a strategy of attempting to work through “official” channels, then generating public pressure when such methods stalled.  Campaign records include correspondence between staff attorney Gene Russianoff and New York City Transit Authority (variously called the NYCTA, TA, or the downright Orwellian “Authority”) officials on the extent and proposed expansion of annunciators throughout the system.  After several months of inaction, Campaign Director Michael Pratt brought their message directly to the public via a WRFM radio broadcast.  

Conductor announcements were another communications goal.  We may vent our frustrations about hopelessly garbled announcements on older trains or inscrutably vague updates on newer ones, but we owe thanks partially to the Straphangers Campaign that we hear any announcements at all.  After the MTA and City Mayor’s office jointly promised to improve subway announcements in 1982, the Campaign gauged the results of their pledge with a two-month survey by 41 Campaign volunteers.  The resulting 1983 report “What Did They Say?” indicated that no announcements were made for 46% of subway delays and 83% of train reroutes.  Conductors regularly announced the names of stations and available transfers in fewer than 13% of surveyed trips.  “Our study shows that subway riders should have as much faith in the TA’s new announcement program as they do in announcements that ‘there is a train right behind  this one,’” jeered Russianoff, a dig that still resonates today.

The Campaign publicized their report with a news release, WINS radio editorial broadcast, and an op/ed in the New York Daily News.  This last seems to have been particularly effective, as a February 1983 newsletter of the Transport Workers Union of America noted that it “has, as usual, the Authority panic stricken and has put the heat on.”

One of the criticisms levied by the Campaign was the fact that the TA had not distributed its new communications training manual to employees in the wake of its promise to improve subway announcements.  Included within the records is a copy of this manual, which details scripts for routine announcements such as transfers, delays, and “points of interest” (including The New York Public Library), as well as advice on modulating volume and tone of voice.  The manual requires that delays be announced within two minutes of the train stopping, with updates every three minutes thereafter.  It notes, “Announcements should give a reason for delay: ‘Due to brake problems on the train ahead of us,’ ‘Due to an electrical problem in Queens,’ etc.  However, care must be taken not to alarm the passengers or give any cause for panic, so do not give specific details of causes for delays [if] they are due to calamities such as derailments, collisions, or fires.”  As reported in the New York Times, the MTA has recently changed this policy, promising more honest and transparent announcements from conductors to riders.  

As a result of their efforts, the Straphangers Campaign has had a hand in multiple transit success stories: monthly passes and automatic fares (the MetroCard), continuation of the Franklin Avenue shuttle, the long-awaited Second Avenue subway, decreases in crime and graffiti, removal of PVC pipe from the subway network, establishment of the watchdog State Public Transportation Safety Board, the end of two-fare zones, and increases in funding to the transit system, among others.  Those interested in exploring its past can consult its records, while those interested in contributing to its future can visit its website.

Further Reading

To support research of New York City public transit, the Manuscripts and Archives Division also holds the Penn Central Transportation Company records and the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railroad Company bonds subscription list, as well as papers from William J. Wilgus, Robert Charles Lafferty, David Gurin, August Belmont, Stephen Schmidt, William J. Boucher, and George Lathrop Rives.  Evenmorecollections are available for those interested in the broader topic of urban planning.  For background into obsolete City transit terminology, helpful in parsing the language of the Straphangers Campaign records, consider the following:

• For more on double-lettered train lines like the RR and LL:
  Chatelain, Phillipe Martin. "Cities 101: Double Lettered Trains in the NYC Subway System."Untapped Cities. September 27, 2013.

• For more on now-defunct train lines like the QB and QT:
  Merelli, Annalisa. "The History Behind New York City’s Missing Subway Lines."Quartz. December 4, 2015.

• For more on the IND, IRT, and BMT, the three competing subway agencies that were taken over by the City and combined to form the Transit Authority:
  Sims, Calvin. "Alphabet Soup: Telling an IRT from a BMT."New York Times. June 30, 1990.

• For more on the colors assigned to the various subway lines:
  Grynbaum, Michael M. "Take the Tomato 2 Stops to the Sunflower."New York Times. May 10, 2010.

• For visual guides to the subway system:
  Historical NYC subway maps by year, including  Massimo Vignelli’s famously divisive 1972 map.

About the Informed Archives Series

Archival collections and rare printed works at The New York Public Library preserve unique evidence of human activity and achievement that form a basis for the study of political, social, economic, and cultural history.  These materials have special importance not only to scholars, but also to citizens interested in historic parallels with current events. The Informed Archives blog series aims to inspire community engagement by highlighting particular collections, contextualizing their creation, and promoting their contents.   Through illustrating the vitality of our shared documentary record, we hope to encourage conversation and new readership.