As we end our year at the Altamont Free Library, we’re looking ahead to next year, and the social event of the winter, so save the date! The always-anticipated annual I Love My Library! Gala is coming up on Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Community Room at Altamont Village Hall.
Invitations will be in the mail soon and tickets will be available at the library in the coming weeks. If you haven’t attended in the past and are interested in receiving an invitation, please get in touch with us.
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we need your support. You’ll enjoy a fantastic dinner and homemade desserts, exciting live and silent auctions, and the delightful company of your fellow library supporters.
This year, we will be honoring the many contributions made to our community by Ellen and Dick Howie and Lois and Ron Ginsburg, two couples whose dedicated service to our library and our village are a shining example for us all. Please join us!
Happy New Year!
The library will be closing at 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, and will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019. We wish you all a happy, safe and healthy new year!
Fine freedom
Have you heard? For all of 2019, we’ll be trying something new: No overdue fines on any children’s books!
No matter whether you’re a kid, a parent, a teacher, or anyone else, children’s books checked out here (even if we have to get them from another library) will not accrue overdue fines. In addition, if you have existing overdue fines on an AFL youth card, we’ll clear them.
Patrons with overdue children’s books will still be notified through their normal channels, and after 28 days, the book will be considered lost and the borrower responsible for the cost of the item, but if it comes back after that, the fine will be cleared.
We hope that many of our friends take advantage of this experiment, so spread the word!
New-gadget assistance
Now that the holidays are behind us, many of us are left trying to figure out how the heck to use the new techno-goodies we’ve received. For everyone who takes to new technologies like a fish to water, there are five of us who are utterly befuddled by new devices.
But fear not, that’s what the library is here for. Whether it’s a new phone, laptop, tablet, or eReader that won’t do what it’s supposed to do, we can (probably) help! Call the library at 518-861-7239 to book an appointment to sit down with a librarian for up to a half-hour and sort out your gizmo issues. And hey, if we can’t help you, it just means that you’re not alone in your confusion.
Nancy Murphy Exhibit
Last chance to catch it! For one more week, we’ll have the pleasure of hosting a special exhibit of one of our many talented friends, Altamont-based artist Nancy Murphy.
Whimsical: Watercolors by Nancy Murphy, a collection of nine paintings by Nancy, will be on display in our community room through the end of the year. Come take a look! Thanks for brightening up the library, Nancy!
We’ve been sitting on this announcement for a while, but now it can be told. For all of 2019, we’ll be trying something new: No overdue fines on any children’s books!
No matter whether you’re a kid, a parent, a teacher, or anyone else, children’s books checked out here (even if we have to get them from another library) will not accrue overdue fines. In addition, if you have existing overdue fines on an Altamont Free Library youth card, we’ll clear them.
Patrons with overdue children’s books will still be notified through their normal channels and, after 28 days, the book will be considered lost and the borrower responsible for the cost of the item. But if it comes back after that, the fine will be cleared.
We believe that our job is to erase any barriers that exist between the members of our community and the educational and cultural resources they need, and this change is a reflection of that philosophy. We hope that many of our friends take advantage of this experiment, so spread the word!
Nancy Murphy Exhibit
One of the wonderful things we get to do here from time to time is to show off the homegrown talent we have here in Altamont. For the next few weeks, we’ll have the pleasure of hosting a special exhibit of one of our many talented friends, Altamont-based artist Nancy Murphy.
Whimsical: Watercolors by Nancy Murphy, a collection of nine paintings by Nancy, will be on display in our community room through the end of the year. Come take a look! Thanks for brightening up the library, Nancy!
Amazon Smile
Here’s a great, easy, cost-free way to support the library: If you do some of your holiday shopping on Amazon, please consider going to Smile.Amazon.com (instead of just regular old Amazon.com).
Everything on the website will be exactly the same as usual, but you’ll have the opportunity to choose Altamont Free Library as your charity of choice and a portion of your purchase will go to support the Altamont Free Library, even though your gifts won’t cost you a penny more than they normally would! (You can do that all year round, if you like, but we just thought we’d mention it now.)
Expedition extended
Maybe you’ve heard about the Upper Hudson Library System Library Expedition. Maybe you’ve even started it yourself. Maybe you’ve visited a few libraries but then run out of time or run out of steam. Or maybe you’ve meant to get started but never quite got off the ground. I’ve got great news for you!
Due to the continued interest we’ve seen in the expedition, and the great feedback we’ve gotten about it, we’ve decided to extend the challenge until the end of the year. Now you’ll have a whole extra month to get to all 36 libraries in Albany and Rensselaer Counties.
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! Don’t pass up this opportunity to visit them all. Stop into your local library for more information and to grab a passport!
Holiday closures
Please note that Altamont Free Library will be closing at 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 24, and closed on Tuesday, Dec. 25. Looking further ahead, we’ll also be closing at 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, and closed on Tuesday, Jan. 1. Happy Holidays to all!
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
An eye for detail: A young decorator carefully sets a candy atop her gingerbread house — actually made of graham crackers — at the Masonic Hall at 138 Maple Ave. on Saturday. The Altamont Free Library has been organizing this event for “probably 10 years,” said library Director Joe Burke, in which the houses decorated by children are displayed during the Victorian Holiday celebration.
The Enterprise — Elizabeth Floyd Mair
Royal icing: A child carefully adds royal icing to the roof of a gingerbread house to be shown during the Victorian Holiday at the Masonic Hall, where Christmas trees were also on display. The gingerbread event is run by the library. The houses were built by friend of the library Ruth Dickinson and a group of her friends, said Altamont Free Library Director Joe Burke, so that they would be all ready for kids to decorate the day before the annual village-wide Victorian Holiday.
We’re less than one week away from the Altamont Victorian Holiday Celebration, so it’s time to light up the Orsini Park Gazebo. This holiday season, honor the memory of a friend, loved one, or pet with a light on the Altamont Village Gazebo in Orsini Park.
The lights cost $3 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. The honorees’ names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website.
Forms are available at the library’s circulation desk. Then please join us on at the gazebo this Friday, Dec. 7, for what is always a lovely and moving ceremony.
Gingerbread Houses time change
It’s almost time for one of our favorite annual traditions: Making gingerbread houses!
Please bring your young folks and join us at the Altamont Masonic Lodge on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. (please note: Not 9 to 11 a.m., as it had previously been) to make your very own gingerbread house to display at the Victorian Holiday Celebration and Winter Market the next day.
Sign up at the library, or by calling us at 518-861-7239. We’ve got only 25 houses, so sign up today!
Quilt raffle
Speaking of the Victorian Holiday Celebration, it’s coming up on Sunday, Dec. 9, so you have until then to purchase tickets for our quilt raffle. The library is still selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65-inch hand stitched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters.
Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit Altamont Free Library. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm night of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
Victorian Holiday Celebration
Whether or not you enter the raffle, we hope that you’ll be in Altamont on Sunday, Dec. 9, for the annual Victorian Holiday Celebration, taking place all over the village. And while you’re in Altamont for the Victorian Holiday Celebration, don’t forget to stop by the library.
We’ll be open from noon until 5 p.m. and we’ll be hosting storyteller Nancy Payne whose books would make phenomenal presents. We’ll also have drop-in ornament-making for kiddos.
And don’t forget to be here at 5 p.m. for a very special train arrival with a very special passenger! (I don’t think anyone told Santa that the library isn’t a train station anymore! Let’s keep that a village secret, shall we?)
Nancy Murphy Exhibit
One of the wonderful things we get to do here from time to time is to show off the homegrown talent we have here in Altamont. For the next few weeks, we’ll have the pleasure of hosting a special exhibit of one of our many talented friends, Altamont-based artist Nancy Murphy.
“Whimsical: Watercolors by Nancy Murphy,” a collection of nine paintings by Nancy, will be on display in our community room through the end of the year. Come take a look! Thanks for brightening up the library, Nancy!
Amazon Smile
Here’s a great, easy, cost-free way to support the library: If you do some of your holiday shopping on Amazon, please consider going to Smile.Amazon.com (instead of just regular old Amazon.com).
Everything on the website will be exactly the same as usual, but you’ll have the opportunity to choose Altamont Free Library as your charity of choice and a portion of your purchase will go to support the Altamont Free Library, even though your gifts won’t cost you a penny more than they normally would! (You can do that all year round, if you like, but we just thought we’d mention it now.)
Expedition extended
Maybe you’ve heard about the Upper Hudson Library Library Expedition. Maybe you’ve even started it yourself. Maybe you’ve visited a few libraries but then run out of time or run out of steam. Or maybe you’ve meant to get started but never quite got off the ground.
I’ve got great news for you! Due to the continued interest we’ve seen in the expedition, and the great feedback we’ve gotten about it, we’ve decided to extend the challenge until the end of the year. Now you’ll have a whole extra month to get to all 36 libraries in Albany and Rensselaer counties.
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!
Don’t pass up this opportunity to visit them all. Stop into your local library for more information and to grab a passport!
Enterprise file photo — Michael Koff
Whimsical village: Following a longstanding Altamont library tradition, kids again this year will make gingerbread houses (actually constructed of graham crackers) for all to admire during the Victorian Holiday.
One of the wonderful things we get to do at the Altamont Free Library from time to time is to show off the homegrown talent we have here in Altamont. For the next few weeks, we’ll have the pleasure of hosting a special exhibit of one of our many talented friends, Altamont-based artist Nancy Murphy.
“Whimsical: Watercolors by Nancy Murphy,” a collection of nine paintings by Nancy, will be on display in our community room through the end of the year. Come take a look! Thanks for brightening up the library, Nancy!
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us. We’re less than one month away from the Altamont Victorian Holiday Celebration, so it’s time to start thinking about lighting up the Orsini Park Gazebo.
This holiday season, honor the memory of a friend, loved one, or pet with a light on the Altamont Village Gazebo in Orsini Park. The lights cost $3 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library.
The honorees names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website. Forms are available at the library’s circulation desk and in next week’s edition of The Altamont Enterprise. Please join us on at the gazebo on Dec. 7 for what is always a lovely and moving ceremony.
Gingerbread houses
It's almost time for one of our favorite annual traditions: Making gingerbread houses!
Please bring your young folks and join us at the Altamont Masonic Lodge on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 to 11 a.m. to make your very own gingerbread house to display at the Victorian Holiday Celebration and Winter Market the next day.
Sign up at the library, or by calling us at 518-861-7239. We’ve got only 25 houses, so sign up today!
Quilt raffle
Speaking of the Victorian Holiday Celebration, it’s coming up on Sunday, Dec. 9, so you have until then to purchase tickets for our quilt raffle. The library is still selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65-inch hand stitched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters.
Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit Altamont Free Library. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm night of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
Victorian Holiday Celebration
Whether or not you enter the raffle, we hope that you’ll be in Altamont on Sunday, Dec. 9, for the annual Victorian Holiday Celebration, taking place all over the village. And while you’re in Altamont for the Victorian Holiday Celebration, don’t forget to stop by the library.
We’ll be open from noon until 5 p.m. and we’ll be hosting storyteller Nancy Payne whose books would make phenomenal presents. We’ll also have drop-in ornament-making for kiddos.
And don’t forget to be here at 5 p.m. for a very special train arrival with a very special passenger! (I don’t think anyone told Santa that the library isn’t a train station anymore! Let’s keep that a village secret, shall we?)
Amazon Smile
Here’s a great, easy, cost-free way to support the library: If you do some of your holiday shopping on Amazon, please consider going to Smile.Amazon.com (instead of just regular old Amazon.com).
Everything on the website will be exactly the same as usual, but you’ll have the opportunity to choose Altamont Free Library as your charity of choice and a portion of your purchase will go to support the Altamont Free Library, even though your gifts won’t cost you a penny more than they normally would! (You can do that all year round, if you like, but we just thought we’d mention it now.)
Expedition extended
Maybe you’ve heard about the Upper Hudson Library Library Expedition. Maybe you’ve even started it yourself. Maybe you’ve visited a few libraries but then run out of time or run out of steam. Or maybe you’ve meant to get started but never quite got off the ground.
I’ve got great news for you! Due to the continued interest we’ve seen in the expedition, and the great feedback we’ve gotten about it, we’ve decided to extend the challenge until the end of the year. Now you’ll have a whole extra month to get to all 36 libraries in Albany and Rensselaer counties.
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!
Don’t pass up this opportunity to visit them all. Stop into your local library for more information and to grab a passport!
742 words
It’s the time of year for the counting of blessings and the giving of thanks! We here at the library are tremendously thankful for each and every member of the library community who give life and meaning to the Altamont Free Library.
From our youngest storytimers to our well-seasoned readers, from the rowdy young folks to our quiet researchers, from the three-visit-a-day’ers to the folks who poke in only a few times a year, we value and welcome you all. Thank you for your continued support and Happy Thanksgiving to all!
The library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24, in observance of Thanksgiving.
Adult holiday craft
We spend a lot of crafting time focused on crafts for kids, but on Sunday, Nov. 25t at 3 p.m., it’ll be the adults turn to craft. Please join instructor Karin Kuck to create unique hand-woven wicker holiday ornaments.
Please note that space for this workshop is limited and there is a $5 materials fee per person. To sign up in advance please call us at 518-861-7239.
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us. We’re less than one month away from the Altamont Victorian Holiday Celebration, so it’s time to start thinking about lighting up the Orsini Park Gazebo.
This holiday season, honor the memory of a friend, loved one, or pet with a light on the Altamont Village Gazebo in Orsini Park. The lights cost $3 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library.
The honorees names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website. Forms are available at the library’s circulation desk and in next week’s edition of The Altamont Enterprise. Please join us on at the gazebo on Dec. 7 for what is always a lovely and moving ceremony.
Gingerbread houses
It's almost time for one of our favorite annual traditions: Making gingerbread houses!
Please bring your young folks and join us at the Altamont Masonic Lodge on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 to 11 a.m. to make your very own gingerbread house to display at the Victorian Holiday Celebration and Winter Market the next day.
Sign up at the library, or by calling us at 518-861-7239. We’ve got only 25 houses, so sign up today!
Quilt raffle
Speaking of the Victorian Holiday Celebration, it’s coming up on Sunday, Dec. 9, so you have until then to purchase tickets for our quilt raffle. The library is still selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65-inch hand stitched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters.
Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit Altamont Free Library. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm night of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
Victorian Holiday Celebration
Whether or not you enter the raffle, we hope that you’ll be in Altamont on Sunday, Dec. 9, for the annual Victorian Holiday Celebration, taking place all over the village. And while you’re in Altamont for the Victorian Holiday Celebration, don’t forget to stop by the library.
We’ll be open from noon until 5 p.m. and we’ll be hosting storyteller Nancy Payne whose books would make phenomenal presents. We’ll also have drop-in ornament-making for kiddos.
And don’t forget to be here at 5 p.m. for a very special train arrival with a very special passenger! (I don’t think anyone told Santa that the library isn’t a train station anymore! Let’s keep that a village secret, shall we?)
Amazon Smile
Here’s a great, easy, cost-free way to support the library: If you do some of your holiday shopping on Amazon, please consider going to Smile.Amazon.com (instead of just regular old Amazon.com).
Everything on the website will be exactly the same as usual, but you’ll have the opportunity to choose Altamont Free Library as your charity of choice and a portion of your purchase will go to support the Altamont Free Library, even though your gifts won’t cost you a penny more than they normally would! (You can do that all year round, if you like, but we just thought we’d mention it now.)
Last Tuesday, the Altamont Free Library held our annual Election Day Bake Sale, and it was a doozy. Because of the help of some extraordinary volunteers, the library took in over $1,200 in just a few hours.
We owe the success of this beloved fundraiser to many people, but the first thank-you has to go to Mary Heidiger, who does so much work to make this event a success every year, as long as we do what she tells us to do.
Thanks are also due to Pat Spohr, who does so much to rustle up bakers for us. We also received the invaluable assistance from Jan Davis, Jinny Ucci, Nancy Murphy, Ruth Dickinson, Lois Ginsburg, Ellen Howie, and Sally Dague.
And, of course, none of their efforts would amount to a hill of beans without the contributions of all of our bakers! Finally, thanks to everyone who bought some cookies, cupcakes, bread or pie. We would be nowhere without Altamont’s sweet tooth.
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us.
We’re less than one month away from the Altamont Victorian Holiday Celebration, so it’s time to start thinking about lighting up the Orsini Park Gazebo. This holiday season, honor the memory of a friend, loved one, or pet with a light on the Altamont Village Gazebo in Orsini Park.
The lights cost $3 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. The honorees’ names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website.
Forms are available at the library’s circulation desk and in next week’s edition of the Altamont Enterprise. Please join us on at the gazebo on Dec. 7 for what is always a lovely and moving ceremony.
Quilt raffle
Speaking of the Victorian Holiday Celebration, it’s coming up on Sunday, Dec. 9, so you have until then to purchase tickets for our quilt raffle. The library is still selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65-inch hand-stitched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters.
Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit Altamont Free Library. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm night of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
Find the Fantastic Beasts
Hey Harry Potter fans! With the new “Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them” movie coming out this month, we’ll also be doing a little beast-finding here at the library.
From Nov. 1 to 15, if you can find a fantastic beast from the wizzarding world of Harry Potter hidden somewhere in the library, you'll be entered into a raffle for a four-pack of movie tickets.Many thanks to our friends at Crossgates Mall for donating the tickets.
Mystery Book Club
Last month, we held the first meeting of a new book club dedicated solely to mysteries, and it was a phenomenal success. We had folks interested in every subgenre from intense psychological thrillers to low-key cozy mysteries and every type of mystery in between.
If you love a good whodunit, please join us on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. for a discussion of “Dog On” It by Spencer Quinn. This is the first in a series of mysteries featuring private eye Bernie Little and his partner, Chet, who happens to narrate the novel, and who happens also to be a dog. There are plenty of copies available and plenty of time to read it, so please join us.
Juice and Jammies Story Time
On Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., put on your pj’s and join Ms. Erika for a pre-bedtime story, snack and craft! This low-key story time will be just the thing to prepare your young folks to count some sheep. This month, we’ll be telling stories, singing songs, and making crafts all about thankfulness.
Holiday crafts
We have a few opportunities coming up soon to make the holidays a little more special with handmade crafts. First for our young friends, on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 4 p.m., we’ll be making Thanksgiving napkin holders to liven up your dining room table.
Then on Sunday, Nov. 25, at 3 p.m., it’ll be the adults turn to craft. Please join instructor Karin Kuck to create unique hand-woven wicker holiday ornaments.
Please note that space for this workshop is limited and there is a $5 materials fee per person To sign up for either program in advance, please call us at 518-861-7239.
— Photo from Joe Burke
Wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Martin and her barn owl gave a presentation about local owls on Sunday, Oct. 28, to a crowd of 51 attendees at the Altamont Free Library.
Hey, Harry Potter fans! With the new “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” movie coming out this month, we’ll also be doing a little beast-finding here at the Altamont Free Library.
From Nov. 1 to Nov. 15, if you can find a fantastic beast from the wizzarding world of Harry Potter hidden somewhere in the library, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a four-pack of movie tickets! Many thanks to our friends at Crossgates Mall for donating the tickets.
Bats of New York State
Halloween has come and gone, but we’ve still got bats on the brain. Please join Department of Environmental Conservation Wildlife Technician Katie Ritzko on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. for a discussion on our local bat species and the devastating effects that White Nose Disease has had on New York State bat populations and why we should be concerned about it.
Mystery Book Club
Last month, we held the first meeting of a new book club dedicated solely to mysteries, and it was a phenomenal success. We had folks interested in every subgenre from intense psychological thrillers to low-key cozy mysteries and every type of mystery in between.
If you love a good whodunit, please join us on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. for a discussion of “Dog On It” by Spencer Quinn. This is the first in a series of mysteries featuring private eye Bernie Little and his partner, Chet, who happens to narrate the novel, and who happens also to be a dog. There are plenty of copies available and plenty of time to read it, so please join us.
Juice and Jammies Story Time
On Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m., put on your pj’s and join Ms. Erika for a pre-bedtime story, snack and craft! This low-key storytime will be just the thing to prepare your young folks to count some sheep. This month we’ll be telling stories, singing songs, and making crafts all about thankfulness.
Library Lights
This holiday season, honor the memory of a friend, loved one, or pet with a light on the Altamont Village Gazebo in Orsini Park. The lights cost $3 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library.
The honorees names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website. Forms are available at the library’s circulation desk and in next week’s edition of The Altamont Enterprise.
Quilt raffle
It’s getting cooler out there, and that means that it’s time to throw an extra quilt on the bed. Don’t have an extra quilt? Well, we’ve got a beauty for you.
The library is currently selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65-inch hand-stitched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters. Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit both Altamont Free Library and an organization near and dear to our hearts, Literacy New York of the Capital District.
You only have a few more weeks to buy your tickets before the drawing is held during the Victorian Holiday Celebration in December, so get them while you can. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm night of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
We’re trying something new here at the Altamont Free Library. With some help from our friends over at Guilderland Public Library, we’re going to be circulating board games!
As the days get shorter and colder, sometimes it’s nice just to stay inside with your family or friends and gather around a table for some good-natured competition. We’ll be hosting a rotating collection of Guilderland’s immense board-game collection here with new titles circulating in regularly.
You may already know that you can use your Altamont library card at the Guilderland Public Library, and all of the other great public libraries in Albany and Rensselaer counties, but you may not have known about their fabulous collection of board games that can be checked out.
Take a look on your next trip there, and in the meantime, stop by the Altamont Free Library and grab a game for your next family night. Thanks, Guilderland Public Library!
Bake-sale volunteers needed
Election Day is fast approaching, and whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat or an independent, we can all agree that homemade cookies, pies, and bread make the world a little sweeter, so while you’re voting at Altamont Village Hall on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, be sure to stop by our annual AFL Bake Sale!
We need plenty of bakers to make this fundraiser a success so, if you’d like to donate some baked goods, give Joe a call at 518-861-7239. The always-phenomenal Mary Heidinger and Pat Spohr could use a few extra pairs of hands running the sale as well so, if you’ve got a spare hour or two on Election Day and you’d like to help, please let us know. All proceeds from the sale go to support the Altamont Free Library.
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
Please join us for the First Monday Book Club discussion of David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” on Monday, Nov. 5, at noon.
This acclaimed non-fiction book investigates the murders of a group of members of the Osage tribe of Native Americans in Oklahoma in the 1920s amid the discovery of oil fields on their land. It’s an important book and our discussion should be a fascinating one.
Bats of New York State
Halloween has come and gone, but we’ve still got bats on the brain. Please join Department of Environmental Conservation Wildlife Technician Katie Ritzko on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. for a discussion on our local bat species and the devastating effects that White Nose Disease has had on New York State bat populations and why we should be concerned about it.
Quilt raffle
It’s getting cooler out there, and that means that it’s time to throw an extra quilt on the bed. Don’t have an extra quilt? Well, we’ve got a beauty for you.
The library is currently selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65 inch hand -titched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters. Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit both Altamont Free Library and an organization near and dear to our hearts, Literacy New York of the Capital District.
You only have a few more weeks to buy your tickets before the drawing is held during the Victorian Holiday Celebration in December, so get them while you can. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm night of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
It’s getting cooler out there, and that means that it’s time to throw an extra quilt on the bed. Don’t have an extra quilt? Well, we’ve got a beauty for you.
The Altamont Free Library is currently selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful 65-by-65-inch hand-stitched quilt lovingly crafted by Linda Chaffee of Altamont’s own Train Station Quilters. Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will benefit both Altamont Free Library and an organization near and dear to our hearts, Literacy New York of the Capital District.
You only have a few more weeks to buy your tickets before the drawing is held during the Victorian Holiday Celebration in December, so get them while you can. This phenomenal bit of handiwork could be yours for just a dollar for a ticket (six tickets for $5), so you have little to lose, and warm nights of sleep beneath a work of art to gain.
Spooky crafts for kids
It’s the scariest time of year and we’re getting out some of our nervous energy by painting pumpkins! Please join us on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 4 to 5 p.m. for an afternoon of crafts, laughs, and frights.
Participation is limited to 10 children, and we only have a few spots left, so please sign up at the library or call 518-861-7239 to register in advance.
Juice and Jammies Story Time
On Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. put on your pj’s and join Ms. Erika for a pre-bedtime story, snack and craft! This low-key storytime will be just the thing to prepare your young folks to count some sheep.
Hooo’s There!
Owls! Please join us on Sunday, Oct., 28 from 5 to 6 p.m. to meet some feathered friends.
We’ll be joined by great horned owls, barn owls, screech owls, short eared owls and possibly more! Wildlife Rehabilitator Kelly Martin will teach us all about our nocturnal neighbors and about her many years of experience in healing and reintegrating animals into the wild. This program is always a huge hit, so don’t miss it!
Bake sale volunteers needed
Election Day is fast approaching, and whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat or an independent, we can all agree that homemade cookies, pies and bread make the world a little sweeter, so while you’re voting at Altamont Village Hall on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 7), be sure to stop by our annual AFL Bake Sale!
We need plenty of bakers to make this fundraiser a success, so if you’d like to donate some baked goods, give Joe a call at 518-861-7239. The always phenomenal Mary Heidinger and Pat Spohr could use a few extra pairs of hands running the sale as well, so if you’ve got a spare hour or two on Election Day and you’d like to help, please let us know.
All proceeds from the sale go to support the Altamont Free Library.