Young readers have a better chance then ever to get a sweet treat just for reading books. Scarsdale Haagen Dazs owner Steven Mandani has donated a record 100 $5.00 gift cards to the Scarsdale Public Library to be handed out in the Summer Reading Game.

Every time a child enrolled in the Summer Reading Game comes into the library to report a book they read, they get a raffle ticket for a gift card. 10 gift cards will be raffled off each week of the program. The more you read, the better your chances!

To sign up for the Scarsdale Public Library Summer Reading Game go to http://www.scarsdalelibrary.org/ and click on the Summer Reading Game icon.

Reading and ice cream: a perfect combination on a hot day.

For most Scarsdalians summer represents a time to relax and enjoy a more leisurely pace to life. For the Friends of the Scarsdale Library and their dedicated volunteers it means preparing for the annual library book fair.

Donations of gently used salable books are now in progress. Donations will be accepted until August 27th. For space reasons no books will be accepted after that date. Books may be left during library hours inside the gray service door to the right of the main entrance. Text books, out of date business and travel books and books that are badly damaged or high lighted are not considered saleable and should not be left.

The library book fair has grown in size each year and the job of sorting donations has grown accordingly. Interested volunteers should contact Kathy Steves at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or stop by the library’s main desk and they will direct you to the sorting area. The job requires only a brief training to get you started.

All funds raised by the book fair are returned to the library in the form of program support and the purchase of new items requested by the library staff.

The first “Finals Night” at the Scarsdale Public Library did not go as planned on Tuesday June 15, when a stink bomb was thrown into the library drop box around 7:00 pm. The odorous smell from the stink bomb got into the air conditioning system and took 30-45 minutes to permeate the library. Since concerned staff members were not able to locate the source of the smell they reported it to the fire department.

According to SHS Junior Zach Edelman who was studying at the library at the time, the stink bomb smelled like garlic and onions and the fumes were tolerable. However, once the report was made, emergency responders arrived in droves and forced everyone to leave the building and wait in the library plaza.  As a few people felt ill, the area was taped off and those who had been inside were told that they could not leave the scene until Hazmat workers and the Health Department could investigate.

Edelman reports that the stink bomb incident was treated as a full-scale emergency. In addition to police cars there were fire trucks, Hazmat workers sporting gas masks and even an emergency spill team. The students waited 20-30 minutes for officials to arrive and were told that depending on the findings of the Hzamat team, those who were inside the library may have to be decontaminated and showered off.

Parents of the students drove to the library to pick up their kids but found Olmstead Road closed and were also told to wait for the results of the investigation. While 20-30 students and library staff waited outside, the emergency team determined that the bomb did contain an irritant. Before releasing the group around 9:45 pm, they cautioned those that had been inside the library to call 911 if they felt any discomfort or symptoms.

The library had been scheduled to stay open until 11 pm on Tuesday to accommodate students studying for final exams. But rather than prepare for their tests, the students spent their evening trapped in yellow tape.

Elizabeth Bermel, Director of the Library contacted Scarsdale10583 to say that the library will stay open Wednesday night until 11 pm as originally planned for Final Night and snacks will be served.  She encourages students to come back and use the library to prepare for their tests.

On Tuesday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 15, the Scarsdale Public Library will inaugurate “Finals Nights” and extend its hours for high school students studying for final exams. The Library will remain open to only high school students until 11:00pm; low-cost snacks will be available for purchase. All proceeds will help support future activities of the Scarsdale Public Library Teen Advisory Board.

“We have seen this service offered at other libraries with great success, and when we mentioned it to our own Teen Advisory Board, they said it would be a great benefit to Scarsdale students,” said Barbara Josselsohn, the President of the Scarsdale Library Board of Trustees. “We know how stressful finals can be, and we are very happy to give high school students some extra time at the library during Finals Week, where they will be able to study quietly, study in groups, and also take a break and enjoy a snack.”

“The teens have expressed a desire to use the Library to study alone and in groups, and the hours and shared space in the Library aren’t always ideal for these students,” said Library Director Beth Bermel. “We thought it would a great idea to just let them have the whole Library to themselves for a couple of hours when they really need it.”

“I am always overwhelmed by the amount of studying I have to do for finals,” Scarsdale high school junior, Greta Miconi, stated. “I look forward to having the Library’s finals nights this year because having a quiet place to go will definitely allow to me study more efficiently.”