Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, March 22, 2023
For the past four years, we’ve been hearing from folks who participated in the 2018 Library Expedition that they’d love for us to bring it back. Well, we listened. We are very proud to announce the 2023 UHLS Library Expedition!
The Altamont Free Library is incredibly lucky to belong to a community of spectacular libraries throughout Albany and Rensselaer counties, which we call the Upper Hudson Library System. Each library is unique, as are the communities they serve.
Some lend out drones and have high-tech maker spaces. Some have life-sized mastodons, or paintings by Grandma Moses. Some even are former train stations!
Next week, all of the libraries in Albany and Rensselaer counties will celebrate the kickoff of the 2023 UHLS Library Expedition. Think of it as a kind of Cannonball Run for nerds.
The idea is for folks — as individuals, families, or teams — to visit every single one of the 36 library locations in our two-county library system between the beginning of April and the end of August.
In 2018, folks who visited all 36 libraries got their very own gold library card, but we couldn’t have the same prize this time, so this time, anyone who completes the entire expedition will receive a platinum library card!
It’s a fun challenge for folks who love libraries and want to explore parts of the Capital District they may have passed by or passed through but never stopped to smell the books. If you would like to be a 36er — and who wouldn’t? — stop by the library and pick up your official map and get your official Altamont Free Library stamp on your passport! All aboard for adventure!
Guilderland/Altamont
Spelling Bee
Speaking of our friends in UHLS, we’re also happy to announce the Great Guilderland and Altamont Spell-Off! Sharpen your pencils and break out your dictionary! Altamont Free Library and Guilderland Public Library are teaming up for an old-fashioned spelling bee!
Join us at Guilderland Public Library on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. as Altamontians and Guilderlanders vie for spelling glory, the nerdiest kind of glory there is! The winners will qualify to compete against teams from other UHLS libraries in a final Spell-Off, to be held April 30 at the Colonie Town Library!
Teams of two spellers each are invited to sign up for the event. Choose a partner and team name! Going solo? We'll pair you with another singleton contestant, if possible.
Participants can be age 10 or older, but at least one person on your team should be age 18 or older. For more details and to register, please go to https://guilderland.librarycalendar.com and click on the April 11 event on their online calendar of events. Spots are L-I-M-I-T-E-D, so register today!
Stories & Stuffies
Stories & Stuffies is back! On Saturday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m., put on your pj’s, grab your favorite stuffed animal, and join Ms. Erika for a pre-bedtime story and craft! This low-key story time will be just the thing to prepare your young folks to count some sheep. Make sure to sign up in advance by emailing us at , or calling us at 518-861-7239.
Nature Story Time
Please join us on Wednesday, March 29, at 11 a.m. for another wonderful outdoor nature story time with Thacher Park Nature Center educator Shannon Duerr. This month, we’re going to be talking all about burrowers, the animals who make their homes in holes in the ground like moles, and voles, and prairie dogs.
We’ll read some stories, do some activities, and have a great time outside! We’ll meet in the Orsini Park gazebo and be outdoors for about 45 minutes. In case of muddiness, you might want to wear your galoshes.