New York Times Bestseller List: Click Titles to View In Catalog and Place a Hold
Welcome to our Adult Resources page! Here, you’ll find organized pages of content designed to connect you to free library resources and online sites of interest for both education and entertainment.
Library Recordings
The Irvington Public Library has recorded several of our recent online programs for viewing by patrons who were unable to attend the original presentation, or had technical difficulties affecting audio or video. Please enjoy the following videos, with our thanks to the presenters.
“Navigating the Maze of Long Term Care”
Presented by Colin Sandler, 5/04/2021 .
Video—Navigating the Maze of Long Term Care
Presented and recorded by the Irvington Public Library live on Tuesday, May 04, 2021 at 7:00 PM. Original program description follows:
Learn how New York State Medicaid can help with the cost of long-term care in your home or in a nursing home.
Join Colin Sandler, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with Medicaid Solutions of Cortland Manor for this free webinar.
“Women in the Rivertowns Speak Out”
Presented by Dana Rubin, 4/29/2021 .
Video—Women in the Rivertowns Speak Out
Presented and recorded by the Irvington Public Library live on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 1:30 PM. Original program description follows:
Women have been speaking in public for centuries, including women right here in the Rivertowns. But you’d never know it from the history books. Overwhelmingly they make it seem as if only men were powerful at the podium.
So who were all these overlooked women speakers? Irvington resident Dana Rubin will tell us in this interactive talk. She did the research and created the world’s largest women’s speech archive, “The Speaking While Female Speech Bank.” She’ll us about the hidden history of women’s speech, with the spotlight on women from our own backyard.
“Rudderless: Navigating the World as an Autistic Person”
Presented by Quell Nessuno, 4/26/2021 .
Video—Rudderless: Navigating the World as an Autistic Person
Presented and recorded by the Irvington Public Library live on Monday, April 26, 2021, starting at 2:00 PM. Original program description follows:
“Secrets of the New York City Subways”
Presented by Oscar Israelowitz, 4/13/2021 . Content edited to remove statements later determined to be in error.
Video—"Secrets of the New York City Subways"
Original program description follows:
Join Oscar Israelowitz for a virtual tour of the history, architecture and artwork of the New York City Subways. We start with a palatial City Hall station (opened on October 27, 1904)–a masterpiece with its Guastavino tile arched ceiling, stained-glass skylights and brass chadeliers. The tour continues with terra-cotta bas reliefs of American bald eagles at the 33rd Street station. There is a view of the grand steel arched viaduct above the 125th Street valley in Harlem which rises over sixty feet. There are gorgeous stained-glass windows on elevated lines, sculptures of “little creatures” on the 14th Street (A, C, E and L) lines, including a brass alligator coming out of a manhole. There is a discussion of the Rockaway line, part of which may become the Queens edition of the High Line. We will talk about the original elevated lines which crossed over the Brooklyn Bridge, the Malbone Street train wreck during the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918 and the old Sheepshead Bay Race Track. Some the original glass mosaic tiles in a Bay Ridge subway station resemble the works of artist Diego Rivera and Ben Shahn.
“Trans Day of Visibility: Transgender 101”
Presented 03/31/2021 at the Irvington Public Library, by librarian Keshet Roman
Video—Trans Day of Visibility: Transgender 101
Original program description follows:
March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, and this year, transgender people—those whose apparent sex at birth does not match up with their mental gender—are more visible than ever before. With appearances and discussions about transgender people in media, politics, news, and culture, there are a lot of questions being asked and opinions being developed. Join Irvington Librarian Keshet Roman for this webinar on the facts, myths, and personal experiences of transgender people.
“The Lenape Center”
Presented in concert with the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library, and the Westchester County Historical Society, Feb. 24, 2021
Video—The Lenape Center
Original program description follows:
Members of the Lenape Center, based in Manhattan, will discuss their work and Lenape history.
Lenapehoking, the Lenape homeland, spans from Western Connecticut to Eastern Pennsylvania, and the Hudson Valley to Delaware, with Manhattan at its center.
The Lenape Center has the mission of continuing Lenapehoking through community, culture and the arts. They push back against erasure and seed the ground with Lenape consciousness for the next generations.
“History of The Super Bowl”
Presented by Evan Weiner, February 6, 2021
Video—History of the Super Bowl
Original program description follows:
The Super Bowl is much more than a football game, and as you might know, it is the only sports event that impacts every community in the United States. But, did you know that the Super Bowl rose out of the civil rights movement, specifically the African American boycott of the AFL All Star Game in New Orleans? Evan Weiner, a veteran sports broadcaster will take us on a journey from the birth of the Super Bowl to talk about the halftime shows and everything in between, including how the famed football game got its name.
“Fair Housing: Know Your Rights”
Presented by Joshua Levin, January 16, 2021
Video—"Fair Housing: Know Your Rights"
Presented and recorded by the Irvington Public Library live on 1/16/2021, starting at 2:00 PM. Original program description follows: Join the Westchester County Human Rights Commission for a discussion about the County’s Fair Housing Law! The discussion, hosted by the Irvington Public Library via Zoom, is open to the general public. Registration is required. We will cover topics of discrimination in housing such as: · Accommodation requests for people with disabilities (such as emotional support animals and parking spaces); · Refusals to sell or rent based on race, citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, source of income (including Housing Choice Vouchers) and other protected categories; · Sexual harassment; and more. There will be a Q&A period. Learn about your rights and obligations and what happens once a complaint is filed.
“Discovery of a New Nation: Native Americans & the Beginning of the United States”
Presented by Heather Bruegl, November 28, 2020
Video—"Discovery of a New Nation: Native Americans & the Beginning of the United States"
Recommended reading and viewing links for Westchester Library System patrons:
“An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States” is available as an eBook: https://westchester.overdrive.com/westchester-irvington/content/media/1646691
“Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee” is available as an eBook and print book: https://westchester.overdrive.com/westchester-irvington/content/media/1086342
https://catalog.westchesterlibraries.org/eg/opac/record/5163321
“Native American History” is available as a print book: https://catalog.westchesterlibraries.org/eg/opac/record/3494144
“100 Years” is available as streaming video via Kanopy: https://wls.kanopy.com/video/100-years-one-womans-fight-justice
Original program description follows:
Native History predates 1492. Native peoples have been on the North American continent for centuries before colonization began. Learn about U.S. History but from perspective of Native Americans. From the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy to landing on Plymouth Rock. From the Lost Colony of Roanoke to the tribes that participated in the American Revolution and the move westward. Discover the creation of the treaties between the United States and Native Nations. Finally learn about the beginning of the end for Native Nations with Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears. This lecture begins in the 1100’s and ends just before the Civil War in 1860.
Heather Bruegl, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and first line descendant Stockbridge Munsee, is a graduate of Madonna University in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in U.S. History. Inspired by a trip to Wounded Knee, South Dakota, a passion for Native American History was born. She has spoken for numerous groups including the University of Michigan, College of the Menominee Nation, Shawano County Historical Society, the Kenosha Civil War Museum, Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohicans, and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. She has spoken at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for Indigenous Peoples Day 2017. Heather also opened up and spoke at the Women’s March Anniversary in Lansing, Michigan in January 2018. She also spoke at the first ever Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, DC in January of 2019. Summer 2019, she spoke at the Crazy Horse Memorial and Museum in Custer, South Dakota for their Talking Circle Series. She has also become the ‘’accidental activist’’ and speaks to different groups about intergenerational racism and trauma and helps to bring awareness to our environment, the fight for clean water and other issues in the Native community. A curiosity of her own heritage lead her to Wisconsin, where she has researched the history of the Native American tribes in the area. While Heather calls Michigan home, she has recently moved to Wisconsin and is now the Director of Cultural Affairs for the Stockbridge Munsee Community. In addition to that she also currently travels and speaks on Native American history, including policy and activism.
A Tale of Love and Survival: My Mother’s Experiences as a Holocaust Survivor
Presented by Shelley Greenspan, November 10, 2020
Video—A Tale of Love and Survival: My Mother's Experiences as a Holocaust Survivor
When Brooklyn Was Queer – A New Book By Irvingtonian Hugh Ryan
Presented by Hugh Ryan, October 10, 2020
Video—When Brooklyn Was Queer - A New Book By Irvingtonian Hugh Ryan
Learning From Memorials to Slavery and the Holocaust–Part 2
Presented by Linda Rousseau, Adine Usher, Tosia Neiger-McCormick, & Robert Dottin, August 22, 2020.
Video—Learning From Memorials to Slavery and The Holocaust-- Part 2
Our Town & Slavery: Irvington, NY
Presented by Cathy Sears & Sarah Cox, June 30, 2020.
Video—Our Town & Slavery: Irvington, NY
Movies
Your Westchester Library System card also gives you access to streaming movies and video, from genre films to documentaries and family features. In addition to the services listed below, Hoopla also offers a wide range of movies to cardholders. Check the E-Books tab above for more information.

Kanopy Streaming Video
Great news: Kanopy has increased their settings to allow 20 credits per library card, and Hoopla has increased to 10 per card!
What is Kanopy?
Kanopy offers a robust collection of classic and contemporary films from around the world. You’ll find a mix of indie flicks, recent contemporary films, classics from the beloved Criterion Collection, and even The Great Courses series. Think of it like a more thoughtfully-curated version of Netflix. Like other streaming services, Kanopy’s collection is updated frequently, so check back often to see what’s new. In addition, films on Kanopy can be streamed from a computer, an android or Apple mobile device, or cast onto your TV with Chromecast, Apple TV, or the Kanopy app for Roku. For help setting up Kanopy on any of these devices, check Kanopy’s FAQ page here.
WLS generously offers its patrons 20 Kanopy play credits per month right now. (1 play credit= 1 film.) Play credits reset on the first of each month. Note that once you begin a film, you’ll have three days to watch it as many times as you wish without using additional play credits. A list of films which are available without using credits can be found by clicking here.
How Do You Use Kanopy and Sign-Up for An Account?
Go to https://wls.kanopystreaming.com
At the top right corner, click “sign up.”

Enter your e-mail address and create a password for your new Kanopy account. Note that once you create an account, you will not need to sign-up again.
An e-mail verification code will be sent to your e-mail address. Open your e-mail inbox and click the “Verify Your E-mail” button.

You will now be led to a page asking you to enter your library card number. Press “add library card” and enter your library card number and PIN. Your PIN is usually the last four digits of your phone number.
Once logged in, you will see how many play credits you have remaining for the month in the top right corner of any page on Kanopy’s website.

While Kanopy’s homepage features many films of interest, you can also search for specific films in the search bar, or browse by genre and country. To browse by genre or country, find the word “subjects” on the top left corner of Kanopy’s homepage. Hold your mouse over “subjects,” and a drop down menu will appear.

Once you find a film you like and press “play” on it, you will use a play credit. You’ll have three days to watch that film as many times as you wish without using additional play credits.
Christina's Kanopy Film Recommendations
2019: Echo in the Canyon. Jakob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, others.
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/echo-canyon
This documentary celebrates the explosion of popular music that came out of LA’s Laurel Canyon in the mid-60s as folk went electric and The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and The Mamas and the Papas gave birth to the California Sound.
2017: Faces Places, Dir. Agnès Varda.
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/faces-places
A heartwarming road movie/documentary, in which 89-year-old leading French filmmaker Agnès Varda travels through France with acclaimed 33-year-old photographer JR. Together they travel around France’s small towns in JR’s photo truck meeting locals, learning their stories, and producing epic-size portraits of them.
2017: Logan Lucky, Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Starring Daniel Craig, Adam Driver, Channing Tatum
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/logan-lucky
Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
1967: Playtime, Dir. Jacques Tati. Starring Jacques Tati.
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/playtime
Tati again thrusts the lovably old-fashioned Monsieur Hulot, along with a host of other lost souls, into a baffling modern world, this time Paris. With every inch of its superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, PLAYTIME is a lasting record of a modern era tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion.
1963: Charade, Dir. Stanley Donen. Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/charade
In this equally thrilling and romantic classic, Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) while on holiday in the French Alps. Her newfound romance is interrupted, however, upon her return home, when it is revealed that her husband has been murdered. The most Hitchcockian-film Hitchcock did not direct!
1955: Summertime, Dir. David Lean. Starring Katherine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/summertime
An American spinster’s dream of romance finally becomes a bittersweet reality when she meets a handsome–but married–Italian man while vacationing in Venice. Katharine Hepburn’s sensitive portrayal of the lonely heroine and Jack Hildyard’s glorious Technicolor photography make SUMMERTIME an endearing and visually enchanting film.
1940: His Girl Friday, Dir. Howard Hawks. Starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
https://wls.kanopy.com/video/his-girl-friday
A screwball romantic-comedy, with fast-talking wit and undeniably strong-willed characters.
Other Great Categories to Explore:
All Movie Categories on Kanopy
Music
What is Freegal?
Freegal is a downloadable music service that the Westchester Library System subscribes to. All you need to access the service is your Westchester Library card. You do not need any special software to use the service and all songs are in MP3 format with no Digital Rights Management (DRM). And yes, unlike other services, you actually get to keep what you download forever! You can transfer the songs to an unlimited amount of devices or even burn the music to a CD.
Freegal is also a streaming service. Your card allows you to stream up to 3 hours of music per day for free. When you stream a song, it is not downloaded; instead, you listen to it over the internet.
What Kind of Music is Available on Freegal?
Freegal provides access to the Sony Music Entertainment catalogue. There are hundreds of thousands of songs, in over 100 genres of music, and more than 50 record labels. The content is based upon an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment, owner of many different music labels. Sony owns most of your favorite current artists (the ones you hear on the radio,) as well as older favorites like Johnny Cash, Earth, Wind & Fire & Journey.
Once you log into the Freegal Music website, you can browse or search for your favorite artists or songs. The navigation across the top of the page allows you to browse by genre or news articles. You can also use the quick search tool on the Home page to search by keyword in the artist or composer name, song or album title. Expanded search options are available under the advanced search.
Is There a Limit?
Each library patron is entitled to 5 downloads per week & 3 hours of music streaming per day. The download quota refreshes every Monday.
Other Free Music
Austin City Limits from PBS
BroadwayWorld's "Living Room Concerts"
MANY Free Concerts by Music Artists
NPR has been collecting a long list of free online concerts being offered by musicians themselves. The concerts vary widely across genres, so there truly is a concert for everyone!
Check it out here:
Seattle Symphony Free Live Broadcasts
The Seattle Symphony is generously volunteering free, live broadcasts of several Symphony shows. You can check the programming schedule on their website:
Recommended Youtube Links
The staff of the Irvington Public Library recommend these free Youtube video channels and videos to our patrons looking for entertainment and education.
Computers and Technology
Computerphile: Videos all about computers and computer stuff. Sister channel of Numberphile.
Numberphile: Videos about numbers.
NASA Television: The official Youtube channel of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
South Main Auto Repair: A mechanic with over seventeen years experience in auto repair shares his knowledge of how to repair and maintain a wide variety of makes and models from your home.
Technology Connection: Facts and fun about all kinds of modern and retro technology.
History
The History Guy: “History that deserves to be remembered. If you love history, this is the channel for you! Stories of forgotten history, all between five and fifteen minutes long.”
Modern History TV: “Jason Kingsley OBE, the Modern Knight, investigates the medieval world. We aim to test out what it was actually like. Books are great but getting out and trying things is even better. Jason owns and trains his own horses, fights in medieval armour and tests people’s theories to destruction.”
Music
Cynthia Erivo performs “Somewhere”: from West Side Story with the National Symphony Orchestra
The Modern Major Parody, Or Artistic Distances: performed by New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players. Based on an original parody by Eliza Rubenstein of “The Major General’s Song” from The Pirates of Penzance, performed with permission of the author.
Sheri Miller: Sheri’s upbeat, soulful music includes both uplifting classics and original songs have entertained audiences at the Irvington Public Library, and are now accessible from the comfort of your home.
Nature
Fox runs away with my phone: this short video from the SaveAFox fox rescue center in Florida shows what happens when one of the foxes is allowed near a caretaker’s smartphone during enrichment.
Monterey Bay Aquarium: “Located at the ocean’s edge, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is your window to marine life — for dive masters and non-swimmers alike. It’s home to sea otters, penguins, sharks, jellies, and thousands of other marine animals and plants. Plus, there are people who are wild about these critters — like you are.”
National Geographic: “Inspiring people to care about the planet! National Geographic is the world’s premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what’s possible.”
Westchester Library System cardholders can access downloadable and streaming audiobooks and e-books via the following sites, as well as through Hoopla and Overdrive. The most up-to-date information on all of these resources can be found by visiting the Westchester Library System website at this link.




