Our Library is an Open Book

Libraries change and evolve to meet the needs of their community and adapt to new technologies. At Phillips Free Library though, one thing is constant - we exist to create an equitable world. Our mission is to empower and inspire all people to grow and connect with one another to create a better world for all. Here are some ways to connect with your community at the library this month.

New This Month

Summer Book Club Registration!

Summer is right around the corner and we are getting ready for our Summer Book Clubs for children and teens. We have several age groups that will meet this summer. There is a family book club for children ages 4-8 with their parents and siblings, 1st-3rd grade, 4th & 5th grade, Jr High and High School. Grades indicate the participants level in the fall of 2023. Each group will meet twice during the summer, you may register for one or both sessions. During book club we will discuss the book and enjoy some other fun extension activities like crafts, cooking and science. Participants are expected to read the book on their own or with another person (it's okay if someone reads to them) prior to the book club. The participant will get to keep their book thanks to a grant from the Bernard Carl and Shirley Rosen Library Fund of the Tompkins County Community Foundation.

Registration is open now and will close on Wednesday, May 24th. Please direct any questions to Sarah: [email protected]

Featured Events

Points of View

This monthly book club discusses novels centered on characters from diverse cultures, life experiences, and different points of view. This month it will meet on Tuesday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm (in-person at the library) to discuss Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.

"Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other."

Email [email protected] with any questions and to let her know you plan to attend.

Food Pantry

Phillips Free Library recently received a refrigerator and freezer thanks to a grant Seven Valley Health Coalition received from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. Our food pantry is filled solely through donations from community members and a once a week delivery from Seven Valley Food Rescue. If you know someone who needs a little extra help, the pantry is open whenever the library is open (no paperwork, no questions).

If you can help fill the pantry we would be so grateful. All items must be store bought in their original sealed package. We will not use expired items in our pantry, please don't bring them. With the fridge and freezer we can now accept items that require cold storage. Thank you for any help you can give.

New Books

Adult Non-Fiction

Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, and other Sensory Wonders of Nature

by Nancy Lawson

place hold here

Master naturalist Nancy Lawson takes readers on a fascinating tour of the vibrant web of nature outside our back door—where animals and plants perceive and communicate using marvelous sensory abilities we are only beginning to understand. Organized into chapters investigating each of their five senses, Lawson's exploration reveals a remarkable world of interdependent creatures with amazing capabilities.

You'll learn of ultrasound clicks humans can't hear, and ultraviolet colors humans can't see. You'll cross paths with foraging American bumblebees drawn to the scent of wild bergamot, urban sparrows who adapt their mating song in response to human clamor, trees that amp up their growth in response to deer and moose saliva, and a chipmunk behaving like the world's smallest pole vaulter to nab juicy red berries hanging from the lowest parts of a coral honeysuckle vine.

Synthesizing cutting-edge scientific research, original interviews with animal and plant researchers, and poetic observations made in her own garden, Lawson shows us how to appreciate the natural environment from the sensory perspective of our wild neighbors right outside our door and beyond, and how to respect and nurture the habitats they need to survive.

Middle Grade Fiction

Big Tree

by Brian Selznick

place hold here

A mysterious voice has been speaking to Louise in her dreams. She and her brother Merwin are Sycamore seeds, who hope to one day set down roots and become big trees. But when a fire forces them to leave their mama tree prematurely, they find themselves catapulted into the unknown, far from home. Alone and unprepared, they must use their wits and imagination to navigate a dangerous world―filled with dinosaurs, meteors, and volcanoes!―and the fear of never finding a safe place to grow up. As the mysterious voice gets louder, Louise comes to realize their mission in life may be much bigger than either of them ever could have imagined!

New Next Month

Summer Reading Kickoff

Join us on Saturday, June 10th from 10am - 12 pm on the Homer Green for our annual Summer Reading Kickoff. Summer reading is for all ages, babies, children, teens and adults! There will be crafts, games and a chance to register for summer reading. We are excited to have Josie's Journey Comfort Canines with us for the morning. Come get some dog snuggles! At 10:30 am you can hear a bit about the program and see some of the dog's tricks.

Summer Reading Registration

Summer Reading registration starts Monday, June 5th. You can register online or in person at the library. Watch in the June newsletter, on Facebook and our website for more information.

A Glimpse at Last Month

Tech Explorers

We had a Tech Explorers lock-in in April all about bones. We got to see animals bones and then everyone had a chance to dissect an owl pellet. This picture shows some of the bones found in one single pellet!