Blog Entries

Native American Heritage Month is celebrated annually in November to honor the rich traditions, histories and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities. While the annual month-long celebration has been in existence for only 34 years, efforts to honor Native Americans go back more than a century to “American Indian Day,” which was declared a holiday by the Governor of New York State in 1916 and celebrated on the second Saturday in May.  Fast forward to 1986, when Congress declared the week of November 23-30 as “American Indian

Who doesn’t love October? The blazing fall foliage, the brisk weather, the brief, bright interlude between summer and winter - for many, October is the high point of the year.  Of course, October culminates with Halloween, notable for pranks, clanging door bells, costumes and too much candy. The holiday actually has ancient origins, dating back more than 2000 years to a Celtic observation called Samhain, when the ancients believed the shifting seasons opened a portal between the dead and the living.

America’s richness and strength stems from its diversity.

Timing is everything, in life and in sports.  The Paris Olympics, which run from July 26-August 11, are perfectly timed to provide diversion and inspiration at the midpoint of a summer that is beginning to feel too long and too hot.  Paris has previously hosted the Games twice, first  in 1900 and again in 1924.

Feeling a surge of wanderlust but unable to travel this summer? Or, would you like to be  inspired, motivated and energized about planning a future journey? Why not escape into a genre known as “armchair travel,” books that transport. No need for an airline ticket, passport or security clearance and, best of all, no glitches and no headaches.  Exotic locales are just a page away when you check out the titles below.  Click on the book jacket for a catalog link. Or, create your own armchair journey by consulting our extensive catalog.  Adventure awaits.

There’s no better vacation - or staycation - companion than a good book, a real page turner that you absolutely cannot put down. The books pictured below encompass a wide variety of styles and themes; the one thing they have in common is their ability to transport.  See the quotes below for the thoughts of famous authors on the joys of summer reading.  And, finally, click on a book jacket to be taken to a catalog link.  

“One benefit of Summer was that each day we had more light to read by.” Jeannette Walls

Father’s Day, which always falls on the third Sunday in June, will be commemorated this year on June 16. While many of us think of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as twin holidays, the two celebrations had very different historical trajectories. Mother’s Day became a national holiday only seven years after it was first celebrated on May 10, 1907, in Grafton, West Virginia.

Juneteenth, also known as the second Independence Day or Emancipation Day, is our eleventh and newest  federal  holiday,  following the creation of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day in 1983.  President Biden signed  the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021, officially making June 19 a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.  On June 19, 1865, 2,000 federal troops marched into Texas, the westernmost state in the Confederacy and the last state to acknowledge the end of slavery despite the fact that the Civil

Welcome to Scarsdale's Summer Reading Program! Not just for kids, summer reading is a wonderful opportunity for self-discovery and delight. Come join us in reading a book (or ten) and sharing some of your favorite moments along the way. Keep cool, uncover something new, and get the chance to win some prizes along the way!

In August of 1790, President George Washington wrote to the Jewish Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island: “The Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.” Washington reached out to the Jewish community to assure them that they were integral and valued members of the fledgling democracy.

May is rich in reasons to celebrate, including  Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, an annual tribute to the cultural and historical contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders to the diverse tapestry of  the United States.  In  common with the other commemorative months, the yearly celebration originated in Congress. In 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450, which  designated May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Many people (especially Moms!) feel Mother’s Day should be celebrated every day, but the official holiday always falls on the second Sunday in May; this year, May 12 is Mother’s Day. How did the holiday come into being? The celebration owes its existence to the tireless efforts of Philadelphia resident, Anna Jarvis.

Who doesn’t love May? In May, we finally convince ourselves that we are looking at winter in the rear view mirror. Longer days, warm sunny weather and blooming buds are energizing, inspiring us to attempt new things and take on new challenges.  In the spirit of this month of rebirth and renewal, why not read a recently released book or explore the works of a first time author?  The Scarsdale Library’s shelves are packed with brand new titles, as fresh as spring itself.  Exciting new worlds await you. Click on the book jackets below to be taken to catalog links.

Over sixty years ago, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring sounded an alarm about the devastating impact of pesticides on the natural world.  Her book was the wake up call we all needed, the spark that ignited the modern environmental movement. Silent Spring not only  led to the 1972 banning of DDT but resulted in new government policies to safeguard our air and water and, ultimately, our health.  Eight years  after the publication of Silent Spring, Earth Day was celebrated for the first time on April 22, 1970, by more than 20 million Americans p

Amanda Gorman, the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate, wrote: “Poetry is the lens we use to interrogate the history we stand on and the future we stand for. It is no coincidence that at the base of the Statue of Liberty, there is a poem.”  Her message that poetry transcends the boundaries of time and place is one of the reasons this literary form will always be an integral part of our lives and culture.