New Rochelle Public Library Foundation

10/08/2026

Most of us know the classic horror story Frankenstein but what about the real life scandal behind its creation?

From the bestselling author of The Lioness of Boston comes LOVE & OTHER MONSTERS, historical fiction based on the true story of Claire Clairmont, Mary Shelley’s forgotten stepsister, who forever changed the course of literature. This is the origin story of Frankenstein that hasn’t been told. BookPage calls it “a burning tale that does not make its readers wait for the payoff—indeed, nearly every page drips with juicy details.”

Author Emily Franklin will return to New Rochelle to spill the tea on what really happened when she sits down with author/moderator Amy Bass for Cocktails & Conversation, the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation’s popular series, on Thursday, October 29th at Alvin & Friends Restaurant (14 Memorial Plaza, NR) from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Tickets cost $70 and include delicious nibbles and two drinks. Tickets can be purchased on line from nrplfoundation.org

https://bit.ly/4ylOLFu

Tickets can also be purchased by mail with a check payable to NRPLF sent to New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle, NY 10801. Proceeds from this event will benefit the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation. Copies of Love & Other Monsters will be available for purchase and signing on site from J Anderson’s Books in Larchmont.

10/03/2026

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/01/books/state-of-libraries-librarians.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwdGRzaAUt5whjbGNrBS3l12V4dG4DYWVtAzEwMABwZG9mBXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHu292dppaUipBzeTTZiT-_lmHKIA1e7ZnKNVBVod9GFGFyZF3yRFgWtSAPEX_aem_UFNKtBBW2mJj-FIDSKsGyQ

We asked dozens of them about America’s libraries — what they provide, what they need to survive. Here’s what they told us.

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

Huddle up to help save lives! The American Red Cross is coming to NRPL on Thursday, October 8! We are looking for donors to help meet the urgent need for blood in our community. Appointments are available from 11:30 am – 3:30 pm, and we’ll have refreshments waiting for you! Register for an appointment at bit.ly/NRPLBloodDrive

10/02/2026

We love our libraries & our librarians! Thank you The New York Times for highlighting the significant role librarians play in a community. New Rochelle Public Library

We asked dozens of them about America’s libraries — what they provide, what they need to survive. Here’s what they told us.

10/01/2026

The power of libraries:

"At the age of 3, Lee taught herself to read. And in Queens, she discovered America’s great, humble treasure: the public library system. For an immigrant girl with no money, nowhere to go and no friends besides her sisters, the existence of a place that would lend her as many books as she wanted — for free! — was paradise. She read endlessly, rolling volumes home in a collapsible shopping cart. “A book only gives,” she explained to me. As a girl reading, she felt “infinite.” She became especially well versed in the classics of American and European literature, because those were the books the librarians recommended.

Now 57, Lee is considered one of the most important novelists of her generation — and a torch bearer for the great 19th-century tradition of social realism. Like George Eliot, she has a gift for combining intimate character portraits with sweeping macroeconomic narratives. Like Charles Dickens, she seems determined to expose the indignities of poverty and the resilience needed to survive them."

A torch bearer for the great 19th-century tradition of social realism, she’s become one of the most important novelists of her generation.

09/27/2026

Most of us know the classic horror story Frankenstein but what about the real life scandal behind its creation?

From the bestselling author of The Lioness of Boston comes LOVE & OTHER MONSTERS, historical fiction based on the true story of Claire Clairmont, Mary Shelley’s forgotten stepsister, who forever changed the course of literature. This is the origin story of Frankenstein that hasn’t been told. BookPage calls it “a burning tale that does not make its readers wait for the payoff—indeed, nearly every page drips with juicy details.”

Author Emily Franklin will return to New Rochelle to spill the tea on what really happened when she sits down with author/moderator Amy Bass for Cocktails & Conversation, the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation’s popular series, on Thursday, October 29th at Alvin & Friends Restaurant (14 Memorial Plaza, NR) from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Tickets cost $70 and include delicious nibbles and two drinks. Tickets can be purchased on line from nrplfoundation.org

https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E248603&id=96

Tickets can also be purchased by mail with a check payable to NRPLF sent to New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle, NY 10801. Proceeds from this event will benefit the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation. Copies of Love & Other Monsters will be available for purchase and signing on site from J Anderson’s Books in Larchmont.

09/25/2026

Friday Night concert series at the New Rochelle Public Library is back tonight ! Come see talented Lenore Raphael - register at the link:
bit.ly/NRPL_FridayNightConcerts

Our Friday Night Concert Series returns with internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Lenore Raphael tomorrow, September 25 at 7:00 pm. Raphael brings swing, sparkle, and fresh takes on timeless jazz standards to the stage. Let us know you're coming by registering at bit.ly/NRPL_FridayNightConcerts

09/24/2026

The latest Cocktails & Conversation is coming your way!

09/22/2026

"Libraries are about opening doors to discovery, and our Museum Pass Program extends that experience far beyond our walls," Executive Director of the New Rochelle Public Library Eugenia Schatoff told Patch. "Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, our patrons can explore some of the region's most inspiring museums and cultural destinations at little or no cost. We are proud to help make these enriching experiences more accessible to individuals and families throughout our community."

From the mountains to the sea, there are plenty of reasons to love where we live. This regular column counts the ways we love thee, HV.