Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Town of Pelham Public Library. The Pelham Examiner publishes press releases in the form received as a service to the community.
This month features two author talks, the return of our popular Mah Jongg program with a new start time, and the kick off of our Summer Reading program for kids and adults featuring the Bubble Bus. We also have Battle of the Books, bucket drumming, and baby yoga.
For all this and more, please see below or check our calendar.
Adult Programs and News
Pelham Seed Library
For the 2025 growing season we have partnered with EcoPel to offer a seed library for the first time.
Just like you would check out a book from the library, you can “check out” seeds from a seed library…you just don’t have to worry about due dates!
Click here or come see it in person at the Library to learn more.
Happy Growing!
Adults: Read Books, Win a Prize
Reading contests for children have been a staple of the Library’s Summer Reading program for years. But why let the kids have all the fun? Adults and teens in 9th grade and up can play our Reading BINGO game and enter a raffle to win a brand-new Kindle! You can get instructions and download a BINGO board by clicking here, or stop by the Library reference desk to pick up a form.
Friday, June 20 through Saturday, September 20
Ukulele Workshop
Lightweight, adaptable, and approachable, the ukulele is a great instrument for beginner musicians. This three-week workshop with Elyse Schreiber continues where Ukulele for Beginners left off and is open to anyone with some ukulele experience. We’ll explore different strumming patterns, fingerpicking techniques, and new songs. We strongly suggest bringing your own ukulele. A very limited number are available to borrow with your Library card, but not enough for everyone.
Registration is required and participants must attend all three sessions. Attendance is capped at 12, and a waitlist will be kept. To register, please email Tash at [email protected]. If you would like to borrow a ukulele, please indicate this in your email; otherwise, let us know if you will be bringing your own.
Register soon, as space is limited!
Thursdays, June 5, 12 and 19, 6:30-7:30 pm
Tai Chi on the Library Lawn: Paused for June
Join Master Yao-Wah Chan for beginning Tai Chi on the Library lawn. He has over 40 years of experience teaching throughout New York City and Westchester, and is trained in multiple Chinese disciplines.
Tai Chi is a series of slow, gentle, and meditative body movements that can help you reduce pain, increase flexibility, improve balance, and cope with stress.
These classes are walk-ins that do not require preregistration.
Please note the time change. Class now begins at 11:15 am.
Tuesdays in July and August, 11:15 am to 12:15 pm
Mah Jongg With a New Time
Join us for a drop-in Mah Jongg program for adults ages 18 and up. This program is for participants of all abilities who know how to play American Mah Jongg. No beginners, please. The Library will provide Mah Jongg sets, but please bring your own Mah Jongg card. The Pelham Recreation Department is offering beginner Mah Jongg classes. For more information, visit their website or call them at 914-738-0153.
Please note the time change. Mah Jongg now begins at 12:30 pm.
Tuesdays in June, 12:30-3 pm
Artificial Intelligence and GenAI with Emily Goode
Join us for a talk by local Pelham author Emily Goode.
Enjoy refreshments and conversation as Emily introduces her first published book: Artificial Intelligence and GenAI, and answers audience questions. Good makes the case for the responsible adoption of AI for the benefit of companies, employees, and society at large. Written in an approachable and engaging style, the book makes the field of AI accessible to anyone with an interest. It’s designed to empower readers to confidently participate in discussions and contribute to the future of AI from a variety of perspectives.
Registration is suggested but not required, and walk-ins are welcome. Click here to register.
Monday, June 2, 6:30-7:30 pm
Author Talk with Karen Dukess: Welcome to Murder Week
Popular Pelham author Karen Dukess will join us with fellow Pelham resident and literary agent Kristin van Ogtrop for a talk on her latest book, Welcome to Murder Week. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and the author has generously offered to donate $5 to the Library for each book sold during this event. Registration is suggested but not required, and walk-ins are welcome. Click here to register.
Tuesday, June 10, 7-8 pm
Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller: Sculptor of the Black American Experience with Janet Cohen Mandel
Poet, painter, theater designer, and most famously, sculptor: Meta Fuller was one of the most imaginative artists of her generation. A protégée of French sculptor Auguste Rodin, she returned to America after a triumph in Paris to become a luminary of the Harlem Renaissance. Her powerful sculptures stand as an historical record of the Black American experience.
Join arts educator Janet Cohen Mandel to learn more about this incredible artist, her life, and her work.
This program takes place on Zoom and registration is required. Click here to register.
Wednesday, June 11, 7-8 pm
Celebrate LGBTQ+ History: Ranger Talk from Stonewall National Monument
Did you know that New York City has ten National Park sites? Well, it does! And we’re very excited to celebrate LGBTQIA+ history with a Park Ranger from Stonewall National Monument. Bring your questions about the Stonewall Uprising, Stonewall Inn, and the beginning of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
This program will take place on Zoom, and registration is required. Click here to register.
Saturday, June 14, 2-3 pm
English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL) for Intermediate Students
Join us for a series of ESL classes for adults with Pelham resident, EJ Sepp!
This class is intended for low-intermediate to advanced students who are learning English as a second or foreign language. (No beginners please!)
EJ Sepp has taught ESL for 20 years and is the co-author of English Express New York: A Cultural Reading & Writing Text for English Language Learners.
These classes are walk-ins that do not require preregistration or attending all sessions.
Mondays, June 16 and 23, 6-6:45pm
Eating in Harmony with Nature with Dr. Kaushik
This series from Dr. Somesh N. Kaushik discusses the effects of food on the body and its healing abilities. With over 35 years’ experience as an Ayurvedic physician, Dr. Kaushik is one of the most experienced Ayurvedic physicians in North America. Dr. Kaushik recently founded the Institute for the Advancement of Ayurvedic Sciences, a research and teaching institution. This program will take place on Zoom, and registration is required. Click here to register. The Zoom link will be emailed to you before the presentation.
Tuesday, June 17, 7-8 pm
Crafty Adults: Travel Tic-Tac-Toe
Join our resident artist/instructor Sara Mallach this month as we switch to summer vacation mode and make our own delightful Travel Tic-Tac-Toe game pieces out of polymer clay. The theme is ladybugs and flowers with linen drawstring bags that double as the game board to complete the project.
This event will take place in-person at the Library and separate registration is required for each attendee. Click here to register. Sign up early, as space and supplies are limited.
Please arrive on time as late arrivals disrupt the class.
Monday, June 30, 7:15-8:15 pm
Adult Hybrid Book Clubs
The After-Dark Book Club will meet on Thursday, June 5, at 7:30 pm to discuss Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes, and on Thursday, July 10, at 7:30 pm to discuss The Women by Kristin Hannah.
The 2nd-Friday Book Club will meet on Friday, June 13, at 10:30 am to discuss Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. The 2nd-Friday Book Club will be taking a break for July and August.To join, email [email protected]. For more information about the 2nd-Friday Book Club click here and for the After-Dark Book Club click here.
Fiber Fridays
Love to knit or crochet? Gather your needles, hooks, and yarn, and join us every Friday afternoon for an informal adult needlework group. Knitters, crocheters, and needle point enthusiasts of all abilities are welcome, but please note that no instructors will be present.
Every Friday, 1-3:30 pm
Digitizing Days are now on Wednesdays
Our Time-Warp Tuesdays have become Way-Back Wednesdays. This program for digitizing photos has been a great success. Bring in your family photos and our librarians will assist you with scanning them to a USB drive using our new high-speed scanner. Appointments are required for a 45-minute session. To learn all of the details and to register, please click here.
Pelham Library @ Juneteenth Celebration
We will have a Story Time presentation for children during the Village of Pelham’s 5th Annual Juneteenth celebration. This event will take place in Wolfs Lane Park on Sunday, June 15th
Sunday, June 15, 2-6 pm
Pelham Library @ Pelham Market
Join us at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sunday, June 22, to learn more about the Library and our summer reading program. The Pelham Market is located by the train station, at Harmon Avenue at Fifth Avenue. We’re hoping it will be warmer than the last time we snapped a picture of us at the market!
Sunday, June 22, 9:30 am-1 pm
The Library Will Be Closed in Observance of Juneteenth
We will be closed on Thursday, June 19 and reopen on Friday, June 20 for our regular hours. We will also have a Juneteenth quiz available for the month. Learn more about Juneteenth by exploring our Juneteenth resource list here.
Closed Thursday, June 19
Children’s News and Events
Summer Reading Kick-off with the Bubble Bus
If you thought the little Story Time bubble machine was fun, just imagine how much fun a whole bus full of bubbles must be! Join us for music and bubbles as we celebrate the start of our Summer Reading program.
Thursday, June 26, 12:30-2:30 pm
Calling All Avid Readers: Battle of the Books
Will you be in 4th-12th grade in September 2025? If so, join us for Battle of the Books-a book-based trivia tournament for Westchester youth. The Pelham Library plans to have two teams: one for 4th-5th graders and one for 6th-12th graders. We’ll compete against teams from other Westchester libraries in a Jeopardy style format, with questions based on the five books assigned to your age bracket. Interested in joining? For the 4th-5th grade team, contact Erin at [email protected]; for the 6th-12th grade team, contact Kathy at [email protected]. You can also call us at 914-738-1234. For more info, click here.
Practices occur in August, September, and October with the Battle taking place on Saturday, October 25, 2024
Bucket Drumming with ArtsWestchester ArtsMobile
Learn to mimic the highs and lows of a drum set through bucket drumming! We’ll be joined by instructors from ArtsWestchester’s ArtsMobile, who will teach us how to create sounds utilizing each area of a bucket.
This program is for kids and their grownups, and registration is required. Click here to register.
Saturday, June 7, 2-3:30 pm
Playful Yoga for Toddlers & Babies
Looking for some Saturday fun? Join us for an outdoor parent-child Yoga & Play session! This activity is geared towards toddlers and babies (and their grown-ups). Older siblings are also welcome to join the fun! Led by local yoga instructor & twin-toddler mom Samantha Scinta.
This program will take place outdoors. In case of inclement weather or high temperatures, we will move indoors. Please bring yoga mats, towels, or outdoor blankets.
Saturdays, June 14 and 28, 10:30-11 am
STEM Story Time by Pelham High School Student
Join us for a special STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Story Time and craft!
This program is for children ages five and up. Registration is not required, but please arrive on time: first come, first served.
Saturdays, June 14 and 28, 11 am-12 pm
Homework Help
Pelham Memorial High School students will be available to provide children in grades K-6 with help completing their homework. Participants should bring their own study materials. This is a drop-in program. First come, first served.
Tuesdays in June, 3:30-4:30 pm
Lego Club!
Join us for an hour of open Lego play at the Library! This program is for children ages six and up, and will take place in-person at the Library. Registration is not required but an adult must accompany the child.
Please note the date change! Lego Club will now be meeting on Wednesday afternoons.
Wednesdays in April, 3:30-4:30 pm
Canine Story Time
Join Lisa and her furry friend Freckle from The Good Dog Foundation for a special kind of Story Time. This time, it won’t be adults reading to kids: it will be kids reading to dogs! Young readers ages six and up can sign up for 10-minute sessions, during which they will be able to read to Freckle, Lisa’s adorable canine companion. This will give kids a safe space to become comfortable reading out loud.
To reserve a spot, join us at the Library on the day of the program, and see the reference desk to sign up for your 10-minute session. We will start accepting reservations at 3 pm (not earlier!). First come, first served.
Thursdays, June 5 and 12, 3:30-4:30 pm
Albanian for Kids
Are you looking to learn Albanian, or brush up on language skills you already have? Are you curious about Albanian music, festivals, or history? Join Pelham High School student Selena Nezaj for this Albanian language and culture class just for children ages six to 13!
Friday June 6, 3:30-4:30 pm
Outdoor Story Time
Join us for our popular Story Time for infants and toddlers outside on our front lawn. Story Time is designed to enhance early literacy skills and features diverse children’s books in which all children can see themselves represented… plus we have a lot of fun! Please bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. Story Time will be held outdoors throughout the year, but will be cancelled on days when the temperature is above 90° or below 40°, or if it is raining. You may call the Library when we open at 10 am to inquire.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30-11 am
