Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, March 29, 2023
The gala is back! Please join us on Saturday, May 20, at the beautiful Flower and Fine Arts Building on the Altamont fairgrounds. This is our most important fundraiser, and we haven’t been able to hold a gala in three years, so we couldn't possibly be more excited for this event.
More information will be available soon including how to join the Honorary Committee and purchase tickets, so stay tuned. In the meantime, find yourself a babysitter, pick out something neat to wear, and save the date!
Library Expedition
On April 4, all of the libraries in Albany and Rensselaer counties will celebrate the kickoff of the 2023 Upper Hudson Library System 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!
First Monday
Book Club
Do you love to read? Do you love talking about what you’ve read with other interesting and smart people? If so, please join us for the next virtual meeting of the First Monday Book Club on Monday, April 3, at noon.
If you would like to join us for our next meeting, please call us at 518-861-7239 or email us at and we’ll make sure that you get all the details. Over the next two months we’ll be talking about Anthony Doerr’s sprawling new novel, Cloud Cuckoo Land.” We’ll discuss the first half of the book at this meeting and the second half in May. There will be plenty to discuss, so call today to reserve your copy and join us!
Ukulele Group
Do you uke? If you do, even if you’re not very good yet, please join our monthly ukulele meetup. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 4, at 6 p.m., and we’d love for you to join us. It’s too cold to meet in the Orsini Park gazebo, so we’ll be meeting inside the library this time.
Bring a song or two to share with the group if you like. This is a fun, supportive way of growing as a player, picking up hints and tips, learning new tunes, and meeting fellow ukesters. We hope to see uke there!