71 Monell Avenue
Islip, NY 11751

T: 631-581-5933

F: 631.277.8429

71 Monell Avenue
Islip, NY 11751
T: 631-581-5933
F: 631-581-8429

71 Monell Avenue
Islip, NY 11751

T: 631-581-5933 

F: 631-581-8429

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Archive Monthly Archives: January 2017

Achieving Your New Year’s Resolutions

Happy “YOU” Year! Want to achieve some of your New Year’s resolutions? Start at the Islip Library! Yes, we can help you!

We have books and ebooks on money & investing
​We also have plenty of books on health and nutrition
  • Eat smarter and healthier: Attend our Eating for Energy Nutrition Program on Wednesday, January 18 at 7 pm with holistic health counselor Ann Monaco.
  • Get fit and have fun in our all new 6 week Zumba Gold fitness program on Friday mornings at 9:30 am starting on January 27th with licensed Zumba Gold instructor Joy Walker.
Can’t attend our fitness class? Try some of these fitness DVDs at home
  • Manage some of your chronic pain: Try out the MELT Method® exercise program on Saturday mornings from February 11 - March 4 at 10:30 am with Ellen Chiappetta, a certified personal trainer and trained MELT instructor.
  •  Learn a new language: Our free database available through Live-brary.com called Pronunciator is a fun and free way to learn any of 80 languages with self-directed lessons, live teachers, movies, music, and more.
  • Tackle a home improvement project: Our free database, available through Live-brary.com called Home Improvement Reference Center includes magazine articles and reference content as well as videos and images designed to help homeowners tackle home repairs safely. This database provides the latest step-by-step information along with background information and basic tips on topics including electrical, plumbing, woodworking, outdoor projects, maintenance and decorating.
  • Sleep better: Check out some eBooks or Audiobooks on Sleeping available through our Live-brary free downloads service.
  • Online learning: Take an online learning course available for free through Live-brary.com. Course are taught by a variety of professors from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, MIT and many more! There are many courses to choose from.
  • Adopt a pet: A feline friend can’t wait to meet you from the Pioneers for Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Inc., who will be at the library on Saturday, January 14th from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. No registration required.
  • Is traveling on your bucket list for 2017? Joan Manahan, a travel consultant for 30 years, will discuss hassle-free and no-fee planning for your dream trip in a two-part workshop on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:00 pm & Tuesday, March 14 at 7:00 pm. Attend one or both of the presentations!
  • Donate to a charity: There are many charities out there looking for your money and other household items, but how can you find out which ones are legitimate and gather more information about them? Before deciding which charity to donate to, take a look at this website: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0074-giving-charity
  • Volunteer: There are many organizations in the area looking for volunteers. Save the date: Monday, March 27, 2017 from 4-7 pm we are having our Second Annual Volunteer Fair. Many local organizations will be on hand looking for volunteers. If your organization would like to have a recruitment table at our Volunteer Fair, please click here to fill out an online application.

Got New Devices?

Did you receive a new device this holiday season but you don’t know how to use it? Don’t worry, the Islip Library has you covered! We offer services to help beginners get started, and for experienced users to continue to explore and enjoy their devices. Take a look at what we can provide for you.

Book A Librarian

For computer and device help, we encourage you to schedule a ‘Book A Librarian’ appointment. You must have an Islip Library card. These 30-minute one-on-one appointments with a librarian will help you get started with your new device. This service also provides help for learning how to use a particular program or app, creating an email account, attaching files to an email, file management, library apps (see below), transferring photos, social media, uploading files, and more.

Computer Classes

We offer computer classes throughout the year. Listed below are several that we have coming up in January. In-person registration begins on Saturday January 7 at 9 am. Online and telephone registration begins at 12 pm on January 7. Space is limited. Classes are for Islip Library cardholders only.

Google Calendar, Wednesday, January 11 at 6:30 pm

Learn how this free time management web application can help keep track of your daily and monthly schedules and sync your calendar to your portable devices.

Tech Care, Wednesday, January 18 at 6:30 pm

A presentation on how to keep your smartphones and tablets running quickly and smoothly. Androids, iPads, and iPhones will be covered in this class.

Windows 10, Wednesday, January 25 at 6:30 pm

A demonstration on the new features of Windows 10 and how to use this new operating system from Microsoft. If you have a Windows 10 laptop, you are welcome to bring it with you for a hands-on experience.

Library Apps

Overdrive: Can’t get to the library? No problem, download an eBook or eAudiobook no matter where you are. All you need is an internet connection and your library card. Book a Librarian appointment if you need help getting started.

Overdrive

Can’t get to the library? No problem, download an eBook or eAudiobook no matter where you are. All you need is an internet connection and your library card. Book a Librarian appointment if you need help getting started.

Libby

The new eBook and eAudiobook app from Overdrive. This app is currently in a beta stage and is not yet a replacement for Overdrive. However, you can use it to access available eBooks and eAudiobooks. Libby was inspired by user feedback and is designed for a better overall experience. Some features such as accessibility, localization, and recommending titles are still under development. During this beta stage you can send feedback to Overdrive for possible enhancements in the future. Book a Librarian appointment if you need help getting started.

Flipster

Not looking for an eBook? How about a eMagazine? Flipster provides popular magazine titles you can download from anywhere. All you need is an internet connection and your library card. Book a Librarian appointment if you need help getting started.

Pronunciator

Want to learn a new language? Sign up to access our online subscription to Pronunciator with your library card and download the app to your device, or use it on your computer. Pronunciator provides online learning to over 80 different languages including English as a Second Language. Book a Librarian appointment if you need help getting started.

The Power of the Illustrated Book

It is said that “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In the case of books, illustrations enhance a story by pulling the reader into the world of the characters in an immediate and visceral fashion. Traditional picture books rely on the artwork to tell a good portion of their stories and children often love to spend time looking at or, depending on the complexity of the pictures (think Jan Brett), finding tiny details that reveal hidden jokes or clues, as well as correlations to or discrepancies between, the illustrations and the text.

Even popular books that are categorized as Juvenile Fiction can contain illustrations, most notably the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and its ilk. Graphic novels have enticed kids into reading history (The Nathan Hale series, for example) and realistic fiction that confronts difficult issues in a manageable way (El Deafo, Smile). Regular comic books with their broad range of topics will always have an audience, whether it’s made up of adults or children.

In recent years, many teachers and parents are discovering the merits of “Picture Books for Older Readers,” as many libraries call them, and what we refer to here at Islip Public Library as “Illustrated Books.” These are books which usually have, more or less, a full-page color illustration on each page, but also have either a large amount of text or complex subject matter that would not appeal to younger children. The visual aspect of an illustrated work can be a powerful medium for both storytelling and teaching, belying any suggestion that picture books are just for small children.

For instance, Patricia Polacco writes books that are highly autobiographical and appeal to younger readers, but she also draws upon memories of older relatives and friends to create works that illuminate parts of history (Pink and Say, The Butterfly, Tucky Jo and Little Heart). Using a personal point of view with pictures depicting those times creates an intimacy with that subject that can be far more illuminating than a history lesson from a textbook.

Unique works that are in unusual formats or handmade works of art from other countries depicting that region’s culture are also included within our collection (Drawing from the City by Tejubehan; Migrant by Jose Manuel Mateo). Teachers who are interested in reinforcing the Common Core standards that concern visual literacy – evaluating and integrating content with written text and assessing how a point of view shapes a work - would do well to consider books such as these. Many standardized tests have “DBQs” or document-based questions that very often include political cartoons of different eras that students are asked to interpret and write about. Reading and discussing an illustrated book is a step toward mastering this skill.

Also, English language learners can employ picture books. Reading illustrated works increases comprehension and vocabulary, and in the case of families, the opportunities to connect parents to children in a rich and rewarding way.

Some children’s authors have said that they have observed their books being utilized by middle and high school readers and see no reason to limit their audience to children of a certain age. “You can get different things from picture books depending on your age. An adult can read a whole other meaning into the book and readers of all ages can appreciate the poetry, the rhyme breaks, hidden rhyme schemes. The possibilities are infinite. ” says Jacqueline Woodson. She urges parents, or the adults who are the “gatekeepers” to what books a child has access to, to eliminate the stigma of reading picture books and consider the range of social issues and relevance of the story, as well as the complexity of the text and artwork.

Naturally, the book works best if the language and artwork blend well. Illustrator Chris Soentpiet says that reading deeply the text of a book he is working on is how he develops the ideas for his pictures. “One word, just one word, might inspire an entire painting. It’s about studying the word.”

The potential of these types of books is still evolving and will continue to do so in our current multimedia culture. They are poetry and portable art galleries. They contain insights and object lessons. And they are relevant for readers of any age.

The following “Illustrated Books” are some of my personal favorites:

A Boy and His Jaguar: By Alan Rabinowitz; pictures by Catia Chen

The renowned cat conservationist reflects on his early childhood struggles with a speech disorder, describing how he only spoke fluently when he was communicating with animals and how he resolved at a young age to find his voice to be their advocate.

Advice to the Little Girls: By Mark Twain; pictures by Vladimir Radunsky

The nineteenth-century American humorist, Mark Twain, offers alternatives to little girls who sass their teachers, hurl mud at their brothers, or covet their friends' expensive china dolls.

Cowboy and Octopus: By Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Cowboy and Octopus maintain their friendship despite different opinions about things like beans and knock-knock jokes.

Amelia and Eleanor go for a Ride: By Pam Munoz Ryan; pictures by Brian Selznick

A fictionalized account of the night Amelia Earhart flew Eleanor Roosevelt over Washington, D.C. in an airplane.

Testing the Ice: By Sharon Robinson; pictures by Kadir Nelson

As a testament to his courage, Jackie Robinson's daughter shares memories of him, from his baseball career to the day he tests the ice for her, her brothers, and their friends.

Sparrow Girl: By Sara Pennypacker; pictures by Yoko Tanaka

When China's leader Mao Zedong declares a war on sparrows, Ming-Li cannot think of the sky without birds in it, and while her countrymen are killing the birds, she and her brother try to save as many as they can.

The Wall: Growing up Behind the Iron Curtain: By Peter Sis

In this powerful memoir, annotated Illustrations, maps and dreamscapes explore how the artist-author’s life was shaped while growing up in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War.

My Uncle Emily: By Jane Yolen; pictures by Nancy Carpenter

In 1881 Amherst, Massachusetts, six-year-old Gilbert finds it both challenging and wonderful to spend time with his aunt, the reclusive poet Emily Dickinson, who lives next door.

Christmas in the Trenches: By John McCutcheon; pictures by Henri Sorensen

A World War I veteran tells his grandson of his experiences in 1914, when British and German soldiers declared a truce from fighting to celebrate Christmas together. A music CD is included.

For further picture book suggestions suitable for older readers try the Cooperative Children’s Book Center: https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu

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