With the end of summer around the corner, the Library remains committed to expanding our services to ensure New Yorkers of all ages have access to the support they need this fall. We're pleased to announce that 20 additional locations will open for grab-and-go service on September 8. Check out our list of locations, plus find out how to reserve books and other critical library materials you need.

Throughout September, we’re also calling on all New Yorkers to do their part to complete the 2020 Census. The census deadline was recently moved up to September 30—so there’s just one month left to make sure New York City gets the funding it needs and deserves at this critical time. The Library is here to help all New Yorkers complete the cCensus by the September 30 deadline, and ensure our communities are taken care of. By ensuring all New Yorkers are counted—regardless of age, background, or immigration status—we make sure that our hospitals, schools, transportation, and more get the federal funding they need for the next 10 years—and that our city gets the representation it deserves in Washington. Read on to find out how you can help New York City get counted. 

In the Spotlight

 

20 New Grab & Go Locations Open Soon

As we continue our gradual reopening, 20 more grab-and-go locations open to the public on Tuesday, September 8, bringing our total open locations to 50. Finding a location near you and requesting books in advance for pick up is easy—just follow our new grab-and-go guide. Check out a list of our grab-and-go branches, review our safety procedures, and start reserving items for pickup at one of our grab-and-go locations today.

Census Countdown

Time's Running Out: Take the 2020 Census Today!

With just a month to go for the 2020 Census, New York City only has a 56 percent response rate, lagging behind the national average. This means that New York City is in danger of losing out on millions of dollars of funding—and representation in Washington. As we grapple with public health crises and questions of social justice, making sure your community is heard is more important than ever. But it's important not to wait until the last minute—since census workers need to dedicate their time and resources to New York's hardest-to-count communities. Fill out the census today and help New York City get counted.

Kids & the Census: Be Counted! 

So why is the census so important for kids? The cCensus determines funding for critical resources like education, libraries, housing, and more that will impact your family and community for the next decade. Learn what the census means for your family’s future—and spread the word so that everyone in your community—no matter what age—can be counted, too.

Featured Events

August Book Club Livestream: Emma Straub

Monday, August 31 | 7 PM​
Join the Library for a livestream discussion and audience Q&A with Emma Straub about her latest novel, All Adults Here. Alison Stewart hosts this conversation as part of our August book club, presented in partnership with WNYC! Don't forget to check out our librarian-led discussion groups about the novel  and keep an eye out for our September book club pick! 

Punching the Air with Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Tuesday, September 1 | 6:30 PM
Join the Library’s Schomburg Center for a conversation with authors Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five, about their new YA book Punching the Air, a novel in verse about Amal, a teenager who has been wrongfully incarcerated. Amal's story is partially inspired by Dr. Salaam's experience with the justice system. In 1989, he, along with four other Black and Latino teens, was falsely accused and convicted of raping a white Central Park jogger, spending decades in prison before being exonerated in 2002.

Conversations in Black Freedom Studies | How Did We Get Here? The Long Struggle for Educational Justice in NY

Thursday, September 3 | 6:30 PM​
Join the Schomburg Center for a conversation with historians and educators about the history of Black parent-, student-, and teacher-led organizing for educational justice. Professors Ernest Morrell, co-editor of Educating Harlem: A Century of Schooling and Resistance in a Black Community, Ujju Aggarwal, co-editor of What's Race Got to Do With It? How Current School Reform Policy Maintains Racial and Economic Inequality, and Terrenda White, a contributor to both books, will help illuminate essential connections between race, equity, and education.

LIVE from NYPL | Never Alone: Natan Sharansky and David Remnick

Thursday, September 10 | 8 PM
Join The New Yorker editor David Remnick for a conversation with politician and activist Natan Sharansky about his new memoir, Never Alone: Prison, Politics, and My People, about how his years as a Soviet political prisoner prepared him for a very public life as a Jewish communal leader. Sharansky will also discuss his multiple lives as a political prisoner, Israeli politician, and human rights activist. Presented as the annual Joy Gottesman Ungerleider Lecture, which explores themes represented in the holdings of The New York Public Library's Dorot Jewish Division. 

20th Annual Young Lions Fiction Award 

Established in 2001, the Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award is a yearly prize awarded to a writer age 35 or younger for a novel or a collection of short stories—and this year, we're going online. Daily, from September 13 to 17, find a new one-on-one video interview with each of the five finalists. Immediately following the final interview on September 17, join us for a celebration of the authors, their works, and the award’s 20-year legacy—plus, the announcement of the 2020 winner! RSVP now to receive an email reminder when each interview goes live, plus get a recommended reading list from each finalist.

For Kids & Teens

Prepare for the Fall with Summer Reading

There are still a few weeks of summer vacation left and the Library's Summer Reading program has everything a parent needs to help kids learn while having fun! Kids from pre-K to middle school can find downloadable instructions and video tutorials on everything from building a Rube-Goldberg machine to designing their own arcade game. With more than 40 activities for all ages, you and your family can keep learning through the end of summer and beyond!

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Whether children are learning in school or at home, the transition from preschool to kindergarten is an adjustment! To better prepare your little one for this big moment, take a look at the books and digital resources available through The New York Public Library.

The COVID-19 Gap Year: Dos and Don’ts Info Session

Monday, August 31 | 5 PM
The uncertain future around COVID-19 is encouraging more students to consider the possibility of taking a gap year between graduating high school and starting college. Join this informational session to help you evaluate the pros and cons of taking time off before pursuing higher education. Students and families will leave with an understanding of the differences between deferral, next-cycle application, and credit transfers between institutions. Plus, explore the benefits of each approach and get concrete advice and ideas on how to make the most of your gap year.

 

More Resources

Webinar: An Introduction to Ellis Island Genealogy

Wednesday, September 2 | 12 Noon​
Are you curious about finding out about your ancestors but don’t know where to begin? This class will be a beginners-level instruction in Ellis Island genealogy. The aim will be to highlight key document types when researching Ellis Island genealogy, as well as sources of information, both online and offline, to help conduct your research.

Webinar: How to Strengthen Your Resume

Tuesday, September 1 | 5 PM 
Even if you have great skills and qualifications, it can still be challenging to get a response to a job application. If you're not getting interviews, it’s time to review and strengthen your resume. This workshop is for people who want to revise or completely overhaul their resumes. We will discuss how companies hire new staff and how to make your application “match” a job posting. Plus, get a better sense of what a good resume consists of by examining each section and learning from a variety of samples.

Club virtual de libros y cultura: Plantas medicinales | Virtual Book and Culture Club: Medicinal Plants

Tuesday, September 8 | 6 PM​
¿Sabes algo sobre las plantas medicinales? Desde tiempos ancestrales, las plantas han sido un símbolo sagrado conectado a la salud. Si quieres aprender más sobre los beneficios terapéuticos, propiedades de hierbas y más, no te pierdas este programa con Luz y Milagros. Hablaremos de libros y las propiedades secretas de las plantas medicinales latinoamericanas en conmemoración al Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana. Trae tu propio té y comparte tu conocimiento de plantas medicinales con nosotros. ¡Todas y todos están invitados! Este programa sobre plantas medicinales latinoamericanas, organizado en honor al Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana, será presentado en español y cuenta con espacios limitados.
This program about Latin American medicinal plants, hosted in honor of National Hispanic Heritage month, will be presented in Spanish. Limited spots available.

 

New & Noteworthy

Popular Nursery Rhymes from Around the World

Nursery rhymes teach traditions, relay information, and can become a common cultural thread through generations. Rhyming and singing also help your child learn new words and develop listening and memory skills to become a strong and independent lifelong reader. Use these titles with your young ones to learn and embrace other cultures’ stories and traditions and to discover how similar we are to one another.

The Librarian Is In, Ep. 172: YA Reads & a Book Guessing Game

Young Adult Librarian Susen Shi fills in for Rhonda this episode! She and Frank discuss some great options for YA reads, online resources for teens, and the new space at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. Susen and Frank also bring back a round of the guessing game! Can you figure out which books Susen is quoting before Frank does? Plus, find out what title will be Rhonda and Frank’s next book club read.

What Melissa Harris-Perry Is Reading

Explore this recommended reading list from writer, professor, television host, and political commentator Melissa Harris-Perry.

Word Search Puzzles to Celebrate NYPL125

To celebrate 125 years of The New York Public Library, our teen patrons created word-search puzzles based on titles from our anniversary list, 125 Books We Love. Check out these puzzles inspired by classics like 1984 by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Thanks for reading! Sign up for NYPL Connect today and get the latest updates on Library resources available to you during our temporary closure sent straight to your inbox.