Wednesday, Dec 11th

freegal.jpgBeyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis and Johnny Cash are now at the Scarsdale Public Library. Well, not in person, but Scarsdale cardholders can now download songs of their favorite artists for free in a new service offered by the Library.

Freegal, a music downloading service, provides access to Sony Music’s selection of over 500,000 songs. This service will allow the Scarsdale Public Library to expand the size and diversity of its music offerings past its collection of CDs.

A cardholder can download three Sony music tracks in the MP3 format each week at no cost. The link to the service can be found on the homepage of the Library at www.scarsdalelibrary.org .

“We have been waiting a long time for a service like this that delivers great music, compatibility with many devices, and simplicity of use,” said Sara Werder, president of the Scarsdale Public Library Board of Trustees. “The Library is dedicated to evolving to provide new services to the community as technology changes.”

Sony Music Entertainment is a global music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both artists and international superstars.

“The service offers an incredibly wide range of music, and we think it will be extremely popular,” said Elizabeth Bermel, Director of the Scarsdale Public Library. “From classical to rock, from jazz and country to obscure bands– there’s something for everyone.”

For additional information, contact the Scarsdale Public Library at (914) 722-1300.

 

 

spellingbeeOn Friday, January 28th at 7:30pm, Scarsdalians of all ages will swarm to the Scarsdale High School auditorium to join in an evening of old-fashioned fun at the Friends of the Scarsdale Library’s first annual Adult and Teen Spelling Bee. Twenty teams have signed up to compete. Admission is only $5 per person. Audience members will be entertained with music, refreshments, word and trivia games, raffles and prizes. The Friends may even pick a Spelling Bee team from the audience! Each member of the winning team will receive a Kindle, donated by Prudential Centennial Realty. Sports broadcaster and radio voice of the Mets Ed Coleman will serve as emcee.

Raffle prizes include a 64 GB iPod Touch; a college advising consultation with experts from Collegistics worth $500; a free Kaplan Test Prep course or $500 towards Kaplan tutoring; a $200 gift certificate from Pondfield Trip Service; five classes at SoulCycle; a signed Red Sox shirt; and a basket of Burt’s Bees products. Mayor Carolyn Stevens will provide home-baked cookies and serve as a judge.

The Friends are very grateful for the generous support received from the Spelling Bee’s sponsors, including Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker; Coldwell Banker; Country Bank; Houlihan Lawrence; Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty; Scarsdale Improvement Corporation; Brad and Phyllis Perkins; and Sara and Rick Werder.

Proceeds from the Bee will be used to help fund a much-needed technology upgrade for the Library’s community room. So come on out and join your friends and neighbors for an exciting evening at the Bee!

For more information (including a list of teams), visit the Scarsdale Spelling Bee page on Facebook by going to the website www.scarsdalelibrary.org/friends , and clicking on the Facebook link.

akeelahThe holiday season melds into the bee season as the community gears up for the first annual Adult and Teen Spelling Bee. Sponsored by the Friends of the Scarsdale Library, the fundraiser will be held on Friday, January 28 at 7:30pm, at the Scarsdale High School Auditorium.

To build on the excitement of the upcoming spelling bee, the Scarsdale Public Library is sponsoring a children’s poster program in early January and will be presenting two spelling-themed films in the weeks leading up to the much-anticipated fundraiser.

The poster program will be offered at the Library on Thursday, January 6th at 4pm. Children in grades K-5 are invited to create colorful posters to promote the upcoming spelling bee. Registration is suggested.

Akeelah and the Bee, a story about an 11-year-old girl from south Los Angeles whose life gets turned around in her pursuit to participate in a national spelling bee, will be shown on Saturday, January 8th at 2pm. Spellbound, a funny and gripping documentary that follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the National Spelling Bee, is scheduled for Sunday, January 23rd at 2pm.

Registration for spelling bee teams is open until January 7. Each team consists of up to three members, high-school age or above, and pays an entry fee of $150. Proceeds from the Spelling Bee will support the acquisition of state-of-the-art technological equipment for the community room at the Scarsdale Library.

Application forms for Spelling Bee teams are available at the Library or online at www.scarsdalelibrary.org/friends. For more information, contact Spelling Bee Chairs Renu Lalwani at (917) 584-8834, Carolyn Mehta at (914) 723-4739 or [email protected] or Kelly Berkell at [email protected] .

 

 

 

chasingthecobraPhillip V.G. Wallace, author of Chasing the Cobra and Call of the Sea, will give a presentation at the Scarsdale Public Library on January 19th at 8:00pm in the Scott Room.

In the early 19th century, the U.S. experienced ongoing conflicts with the Barbary pirates of North Africa. After officially obtaining independence from England with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the U.S. was left unprotected without the Royal Navy, and pirates captured many merchant ships. This forced the U.S. to start a Navy.

Wallace will discuss his novel, Chasing the Cobra, which is a story set during this period of conflict. Though based on fact, the novel includes romance amidst sea battles against pitiless pirates. Wallace’s presentation will include slides of artwork done on the topic.

Wallace’s film The Majesty of America received a CINE Golden Eagle Award for excellence and represented the U.S. in international competition. Another film, American Catholic Diary, was viewed by Pope John Paul on his visit to the U.S.

Wallace was an executive at two major advertising agencies. He painted the covers for both of his novels, and is a former president of the Scarsdale Art Association. He currently resides in Scarsdale, where he and his late wife Ann raised four children.

For more information contact the library at (914)-722-1300.

spellingbeeThe Friends of the Scarsdale Library will host the first Annual Adult and Teen Spelling Bee at the Scarsdale High School auditorium on January 28, 2011. Children in grades K-5 are invited to help get the community buzzing for this event by making a poster on any aspect of a spelling bee contest, bees or spelling in general. BEE creative! Posters should be on an 8 ½ x 11 inch white sheet of paper, and crayons, markers, pens, paints and collage are all acceptable art forms. The child’s name should be written on the bottom right of the poster. Completed posters should be placed in the “Spelling Bee Poster Box” at the circulation desk at the Scarsdale Library by Wednesday, December 17, 2010. The poster activity is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Recreation Department.

The posters will be displayed in the Library prior to the Spelling Bee and at Scarsdale High School on the night of the Spelling Bee. Proceeds from the Spelling Bee will be used to upgrade technology in the Scarsdale Public Library’s community room. For more information about forming a spelling bee team, becoming a sponsor or making a poster, please contact Co-Chairs Renu Lalwani at (917) 584-8834 or [email protected]; Carolyn Mehta at (914) 723-4739 or [email protected]; or Kelly Berkell at [email protected].