The Art D’echo Trio will play in Orsini Park on July 31 as part of the Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series.
We all know that the village of Altamont covers only a small area, but contains a tremendous amount of history! Last summer, the village created the Altamont Museum in the Streets to celebrate over 200 years of our history. This summer, we at the Altamont Free Library using those plaques as the basis for a fun and educational scavenger hunt!
In this Scavenger Hunt, you must use the information contained in those Museum in the Streets plaques to answer each question on the back of the sheet. (Hint: Only plaques on the streets around Orsini Park will contain answers.) Contestants may either play individually or as a group.
Stop into the library for a clue sheet. When you’re done, sheets may be returned to Altamont Free Library no later than Monday, July 30. Prizes will be awarded to the first three entrants to return their forms.
If all of the questions are answered correctly, you will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize. The winners will be announced at the Tuesday, July 31, concert in Orsini Park at 7 p.m. Good luck and have fun!
Orsini Park concerts
The Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series continues on Tuesday, July 31, with the masterful jazz and swing musicianship of the Art D’echo Trio. The trio is a jazz piano trio enjoyed by listeners of all ages.
Whether playing hard-swinging classic jazz arrangements or grooving on a Latin jazz tune, the interplay between three master musicians defines the group.
We’ll have a concert every Tuesday evening through Aug. 14. After that, on Aug. 7, it’s the indie pop-rock stylings of Starcode. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and will be moved to the Bozenill Park pavilion in the event of rain. Mark it on your calendar and join us in the park for a beautiful night of great neighbors and great music.
Summer Reading Program
The Summer Reading Program is in full swing here at Altamont Free Library. If your young folks haven’t signed up yet and would like to participate, come on in any time the library is open to get registered.
The Summer Reading Program is a super fun series of programs and events that encourage kids to keep reading through the summer vacation and to use their creativity and imaginations and to explore topics thy may not have read about before. This year, the Summer Reading Program theme is “Libraries Rock!” and our programs are all centered around rocks, gems, volcanoes, and fossils.
This week, Thursday and Friday, July 26 and 27, we’re going to be looking at crystals and gems. Drop in on Thursday and/or Friday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. to learn about the colorful, sparkly, or just cool looking rocks and minerals we can find when we go digging for treasure.
While you’re here, make sure to pick up the Summer Reading Program schedule for more information and grab a Summer Reading Bingo Card to keep track of your reading and wind fabulous prizes. Please join us for an avalanche of awesomeness.
Bingo for teens
Teens, are you feeling nostalgic about the Summer Reading Bingo and want in on the fun? If so, you can participate the library’s first-ever Teen Summer Bingo!
Stop in for a bingo card, read the books on the squares to get bingo, and get entered to win cool prizes. For further questions and rules, call or stop in the library and ask a staff member. Happy reading!
Wildlife presentation
Please join us on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. to meet some local animal friends. We’ll be joined by a variety of wild local animals as wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Martin teaches us all about our animal neighbors and about her years of experience in reintegrating animals into the wild.
Her presentations here over the years have been huge hits, so don’t miss this one!
Game Night
Teens, do you need a night of fun, playing games with just people your age?
If so, join us on Saturday, Aug. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. as we spend the night playing games and having lots of laughs and snacks! This night is for teens ages 13 and up, please!
Thacher Geology Tour
For everyone who missed a great presentation last Friday by Thacher Park geologist Tom Cummings, we’ve got another opportunity for you to learn from him on his home turf.
On Friday, Aug. 10, we’ll be taking a trip up to Thacher to take a guided walk along the famous and beautiful Indian Ladder Trail to learn all about the geology that surrounds us. Meet us at the visitors’ center for what’s sure to be a fascinating one-hour walk.
Farmers’ market
The Altamont Farmers’ Market is back! This year, the market will be running on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We have two excellent farms running the market this year, Fort Hunter Farms (on Mondays) and Altamont Orchards (on Fridays and Saturdays). Come on out and support local farmers while at the same time bringing home fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables.
It’s a win-win! Thanks to Fort Hunter Farms and Altamont Orchards for making this happen.
Shades of Grey will perform, as part of the Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series, on July 24 at 7 p.m. in the village’s Orsini Park.
The Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series in Orsini Parks is rolling along nicely, though I think we’ve had just about enough rainy Tuesdays for this summer. Next up, on Tuesday July 24, it’ll be Shades of Grey.
Shades of Grey is a collection of seasoned musicians whose experience covers many decades. Performing music from the ’70s through today, Shades of Grey plays songs to bring back fun memories, toe-tapping, smiles, and good times.
We’ll have a concert every Tuesday evening through Aug. 14. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and will be moved to Bozenill Park pavilion in the event of rain. Mark it on your calendar and join us in the park for a beautiful night of great neighbors and great music.
Summer Reading Program
The Summer Reading Program is in full swing here at Altamont Free Library! If your young folks haven’t signed up yet and would like to participate, come on in any time the library is open to get registered.
The Summer Reading Program is a super fun series of programs and events that encourage kids to keep reading through the summer vacation and to use their creativity and imaginations and to explore topics thy may not have read about before. This year the Summer Reading Program our theme is “Libraries Rock!” and our programs are all centered around rocks, gems, volcanoes, and fossils!
This week, Thursday and Friday July 19 and 20, we’re going to be looking at the geology all around us here in Altamont! Drop in on Thursday and/or Friday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. to learn about the rocks right under our feet and how they got here.
To help us out, on Friday, July 20, we’ll be talking all about the rocks we can find right here in Altamont, with a visit from a Thacher Park geologist on Friday July 20. While you’re here make sure to pick up the Summer Reading Program schedule for more information and grab a Summer Reading Bingo Card to keep track of your reading and wind fabulous prizes.
It’s going to be a great summer here at the library, so please join us for an avalanche of awesomeness!
Fossil Fun
We all know by now that libraries rock, but you know what also rocks? Fossils!
Join us to learn about how fossils are made and make some new ones of your own on Friday July 20, at 10 a.m. with a real live geologist from Thacher Park. To ensure that we have enough materials on hand, please give us a call ahead of time at 518-861-7239.
Wildlife presentation
Please join us on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. to meet some local animal friends. We’ll be joined by a variety of wild local animals as Wildlife Rehabilitator Kelly Martin teaches us all about our animal neighbors and about her years of experience in reintegrating animals into the wild.
Her presentations here over the years have been huge hits, so don’t miss this one!
Passes
With summer here, it’s time for an adventure. Why not hop in your car and head out to one of our beautiful New York State Parks or Beaches? With nearly 150 to choose from, from the Niagara to the Adirondacks and from Jones Beach the Catskills, there are wonders to be found everywhere.
To get you started on your adventure, we’ve purchased a few Empire Passes that can grant you free admission to the parks and beaches, which you can check out just like a museum pass! Keep it for a week and return it when you’re done.
You can even use it at Thatcher Park if you like. (Just leave it on your dashboard and you won’t have to pay for parking!)
Don’t forget that we also have passes to a range of great local museums like the Clark, the Hyde, the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology, and more! Summer adventures are just a checkout away!
The Red Wagon will play melodic rock with a groove on, Tuesday, July 17, as part of the Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series in Orsini Park.
It’s time once again for the Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series in Orsini Park! Summer Concert Committee Chair Lori McCutcheon has organized a fantastic lineup of performers, so please thank her when you see her out and about.
We think you’re really going to enjoy what we’ve got in store this year. We kicked off last week with local favorites Rusticator, and it was a fantastic show.
Next up on, Tuesday, July 17, it’ll be The Red Wagon. The Red Wagon is a Schoharie-based four-piece — including guitar, saxophone, bass, and drums — playing melodic rock with a groove. They are inspired by rootsy revivalists and heroes of the Americana Canon, but have a vivid sound all their own.
Next week, on July 24, it’s Shades of Grey — a collection of seasoned musicians whose experience covers many decades. Performing songs from the ’70s through today, Shades of Grey plays songs to bring back fun memories, toe-tapping, smiles, and good times.
We’ll have a concert every Tuesday evening through Aug.14. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and will be moved to Bozenill Park pavilion in the event of rain. Mark it on your calendar and join us in the park a beautiful night of great neighbors and great music.
Summer Reading Program
The Summer Reading Program is in full swing here at Altamont Free Library! If your young folks haven’t signed up yet and would like to participate, come on in any time the library is open to get registered.
The Summer Reading Program is a super fun series of programs and events that encourage kids to keep reading through the summer vacation and to use their creativity and imaginations and to explore topics thy may not have read about before. This year the Summer Reading Program our theme is “Libraries Rock!” and our programs are all centered around rocks, gems, volcanoes, and fossils!
This week, Thursday and Friday July 12 and 13, we’re going to be looking at volcanoes! Drop in on Thursday and/or Friday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. to learn about what makes a volcano erupt, and create an eruption of your own.
Next week on Thursday, July 19 and Friday, July 20, we’ll be talking all about the rocks we can find right here in Altamont, with a visit from a Thacher Park geologist on Friday July 20. While you’re here make sure to pick up the Summer Reading Program schedule for more information and grab a Summer Reading Bingo Card to keep track of your reading and wind fabulous prizes! It’s going to be a great summer here at the library, so please join us for an avalanche of awesomeness!
Sunday Matinées
Beat the heat and chill out with a family friendly movie every Sunday throughout the summer at 3 pm. It’s fossil week, so on July 8, we’ll be watching the 1990 cult classic “Joe Versus the Volcano”! Please join us!
Current Events Summer Book Club
Explore the state of the world through reading and respectful conversation. The first meeting will be on Wednesday, July 11, at 7 p.m., and the group will be discussing “So You Want To Talk About Race “by Ijeoma Oluo.
In August, it’ll be “Women & Power: A Manifesto,” by Mary Beard. Come grab a copy and join us on the patio!
Bike Rodeo
It’s the peak of bike season, so it’s time for a refresher on bike safety. On Wednesday, July 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. join us to take a run at our bike obstacle course, while learning all about riding safely and getting your helmet checked by a police officer.
You’ll also be able to get some help with making some basic repairs and adjustments, in case your bike needs a tune up.
Passes
With summer here, it’s time for an adventure. Why not hop in your car and head out to one of our beautiful New York State Parks or Beaches? With nearly 150 to choose from, from the Niagara to the Adirondacks and from Jones Beach the Catskills, there are wonders to be found everywhere. To get you started on your adventure, we’ve purchased a few Empire Passes that can grant you free admission to the parks and beaches, which you can check out just like a museum pass.
Keep it for a week and return it when you’re done. You can even use it at Thatcher Park if you like. (Just leave it on your dashboard and you won’t have to pay for parking.)
Don’t forget that we also have passes to a range of great local museums like the Clark, the Hyde, the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology, and more! Summer adventures are just a checkout away!
School’s out, the pools are open, and the days are as long as they can be. At long last, summer is officially here!
Here at the Altamont Free Library, that means that it’s time to get going with the Summer Reading Program — a super fun series of programs and events that encourage kids to keep reading through the summer vacation and to use their creativity and imaginations and to explore topics they may not have read about before.
This year, the theme is “Libraries Rock!” and our programs are all centered around rocks, gems, volcanoes, and fossils! (For a more music-oriented interpretation of the “Libraries Rock!” theme, check out the offerings at the Guilderland, Berne, or Voorheesville libraries! Even if you’re an Altamont library user, you can still do their summer reading programs.)
We’ll be kicking off the Summer Reading Program this Friday, June 29, at 5 p.m. in Orsini Park. We’ll have stories, games, snacks, and crafts, and you can register for the program and get your Summer Reading bingo card. It’s going to be a great summer here at the library, so please join us for an avalanche of awesomeness!
Summer Concert Series
It’s nearly time again for the beginning of the Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series in Orsini Park. We’ve organized a fantastic lineup of performers, and we think you’re really going to enjoy what we’ve got in store this year.
We’ll kick the series off on Tuesday, July 10, with Altamont favorites, Rusticator! Rusticator is an acoustic band with an Americana spirit and has been entertaining capital region audiences since 2013. A wide range of influences inspires a set list that ranges from The Beatles to the Grateful Dead along with the band’s own original songs.
There’ll be a concert every Tuesday evening through Aug. 14. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and will be moved to Bozenkill Park pavilion in the event of rain. Mark it on your calendar and join us in the park a beautiful night of great neighbors and great music.
Passes
With summer here, it’s time for an adventure. Why not hop in your car and head out to one of our beautiful New York State parks or beaches? With nearly 150 to choose from, from the Niagara to the Adirondacks and from Jones Beach the Catskills, there are wonders to be found everywhere.
To get you started on your adventure, we’ve purchased a few Empire Passes that can grant you free admission to the parks and beaches, which you can check out just like a museum pass! Keep it for a week and return it when you’re done.
You can even use it at Thatcher Park if you like. (Just leave it on your dashboard and you won’t have to pay for parking.)
Don’t forget that we also have passes to a range of great local museums like the Clark, the Hyde, the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology, and more. Summer adventures are just a checkout away!
Current Events Summer Book Club
Explore the state of the world through reading and respectful conversation. The first meeting will be on Wednesday, July 11, at 7 p.m., and the group will be discussing “So You Want To Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo. In August, it’ll be “Women & Power: A Manifesto” by Mary Beard. Come grab a copy and join us on the patio.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the Altamont Free Library’s annual chicken barbecue last week. It was a beautiful day made all the better by the friends and neighbors we were able to share the evening with.
Thanks especially to Wagon Train BBQ in Schenectady for doing all the cooking, so that we could concentrate on hanging out with all of you.
Empire Passes
With summer nearly here, it’s time for an adventure. Why not hop in your car and head out to one of our beautiful New York State parks or beaches? With nearly 150 to choose from, from the Adirondacks to the Catskills, there are wonders to be found everywhere.
To get you started on your adventure, we’ve purchased a few Empire Passes that can grant you free admission to the parks and beaches, which you can check out just like a museum pass! Keep it for a week and return it when you’re done.
You can even use it at Thatcher Park if you like. (Just leave it on your dashboard and you won’t have to pay for parking!) Summer adventures are just a checkout away!
Mango Languages
Speaking of traveling, are you thinking about heading abroad this summer? Would you like to get a headstart on your language classes in school? Or do you just like learning?
If any of those describe you, let me suggest Mango Languages. Mango is a fun and easy-to-use, self-paced language learning program with courses in over 70 languages. The best part is that any Mango course is available to anyone with a library card.
To learn more and start learning today, please go to altamontfreelibrary.org/mango-languages.
Flag display
In honor of Flag Day last week, we were lucky enough to be able to display a number of historical American flags from the collection of Dr. Stuart Fass. Dr. Fass is letting us keep the display up for another few weeks, so please come check it out. Thanks, Dr. Fass.
Summer Reading Kickoff
Are you ready for another summer full of games, crafts, puzzles, and reading adventures? If you are, join us for the kickoff party for the 2018 Summer Reading Program Friday, June 29. at 5 p.m.
Pick up your Summer Reading bingo card, and join us for games, crafts, and snacks. Libraries rock!
Summer Concert Series
It’s nearly time again for the beginning of the Altamont Free Library Summer Concert Series in Orsini Park. We’ve organized a fantastic lineup of performers, and we think you’re really going to enjoy what we’ve got in store this year.
We’ll kick the series off on Tuesday, July 10, with Altamont favorites, Rusticator! There’ll be a concert every Tuesday evening through Aug. 14. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and will be moved to the Bozenkill Park pavilion in the event of rain. Mark it on your calendar and join us in the park a beautiful night of great neighbors and great music.
Current Events Summer Book Club
Explore the state of the world through reading and respectful conversation. The first meeting will be on Wednesday, July 11, at 7 p.m. when the group will be discussing “So You Want To Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo.
In August, it’ll be “Women & Power: A Manifesto” by Mary Beard. Come, grab a copy, and join us on the patio!
For many of us, one of the hardest things about going on summer vacation is deciding what books and audiobooks to pack, but I’ve got a trick to make that decision much easier. The Upper Hudson Library System has a huge online library of digital books and digital audiobooks all available for free, available 24/7 from anywhere with a wifi connection.
All you need is your library card! If you’ve never tried it, I can’t highly enough recommend the Libby by Overdrive smartphone app. Libby is a great way to borrow free downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks for both kids and adults.
Search for an author, title, subject, or keyword, and Libby will search through thousands of digital titles for you, and when you’ve found what you’re looking for, just click “borrow.” The item will download right to your smartphone, tablet, or eReader and will delete itself from your device when the due date comes, so they’re never overdue.
Libby works on both Apple and Android devices and can be used 24/7, even from the beach or during those long car rides when you’ve listened to every audiobook you brought.
Chicken BBQ
It’s almost here! This coming Friday, June 15, please join us for our eagerly anticipated annual Chicken BBQ fundraiser! Our regular crew of volunteer chefs will not be cooking this year, instead leaving the hard work to Wagon Train BBQ, but we’ll still be breaking out the library’s chicken costume for the occasion.
Every ticket gets you a half chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, roll, drink and dessert. Pickup can be anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. Once you’ve got your dinner, you can either take it home with you or spread out on the lawn in Orsini Park with your friends and neighbors and listen to the always enjoyable Traditional Strings. Tickets are $10 in advance or $11 the day of the barbecue. See you there!
Juice and Jammies Story Time
After the barbecue, on Friday, June 15, 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.
Life-sized “Clue”
There’s been a murder in the library and the prime suspect is — you! We’re turning the library into a board game, so please join us on Saturday, June 16, at 3 p.m. to take on the role of Colonel Mustard or Miss Peacock and see if you can solve the crime before the other players in this life-sized whodunit.
There’ll be snacks in the kitchen, music in the parlor, and games in the billiard room, so you’re definitely not going to want to miss this. Please call ahead to reserve your spot in the conservatory. Ages 8 and up please.
Community Survey
Another way that we’re gathering community input is that we’re running an online community survey to find out what you think about Altamont Free Library, how you use the library, what we do well, and what we could do better.
Thank you to everyone who’s already taken a few minutes to participate! We’ve had a great response so far, but the more information we collect, the better we’ll be able to plan for the future.
Please help us out by going to the library’s website (AltamontFreeLibrary.org) and clicking on the link for the Communications Survey on our homepage. It will only take a few minutes and your answers will help us plan for the future and serve you better. Thank you!
Summer Reading Kickoff
Are you ready for another summer full of games, crafts, puzzles, and reading adventures? If you are, join us for the kickoff party for the 2018 Summer Reading Program Friday, June 29, at 5 p.m. Pick up your Summer Reading Bingo Card, and join us for games, crafts, and snacks. Libraries Rock!
Current Events Summer Book Club
Explore the state of the world through reading and respectful conversation. The first meeting will be on Wednesday, July 11, at 7 p.m., and the group will be discussing “So You Want To Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo. In August, it’ll be “Women & Power: A Manifesto” by Mary Beard. Come grab a copy and join us on the patio!
In gathering input for our next long-range plan of service, one of the major points that comes up frequently is that people get really excited when they learn about some of the online resources they can access through the library.
I’ll be using a little bit of my column over the next few weeks to highlight some of the apps, programs, and databases you’re able to use with your library card. (By the way, these resources are available for users of all Upper Hudson Library System libraries. UHLS covers Albany and Rensselaer counties.)
First off, we’ve got an app! If you’d like to place a hold on an item, keep track of your due dates or fines, renew your library materials, check the catalog to see what we have, learn about our digital resources, or just find out our hours, please consider downloading the UHLS Mobile app for your smartphone. It’s free, works on all kinds of smartphones and tablets, and is guaranteed to make your library life much easier.
Just search in the app store for “UHLS Mobile,” type in your library-card number when prompted and away you’ll go! If you need any help in getting UHLS Mobile set up, give a call or stop in and we’d be happy to help.
Chicken BBQ
Tickets are now on sale for our famous annual chicken barbecue fundraiser on Friday, June 15 with pickup between 5 and 7 p.m. Our regular crew of volunteer chefs will not be cooking this year, instead leaving the hard work to Wagon Train BBQ, but we’ll still be breaking out the library’s chicken costume for the occasion.
Every ticket gets you a half chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, roll, drink and dessert. Once you’ve got your dinner, you can either take it home with you or spread out on the lawn in Orsini Park with your friends and neighbors and listen to the always enjoyable Traditional Strings.
Tickets are $10 in advance or $11 the day of the BBQ, but get them now while we’ve still got them because we always sell out!
Juice and Jammies Story Time
After the barbeque on Friday, June 15, 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.
Life-sized “Clue”
There’s been a murder in the library and the prime suspect is — you!
We’re turning the library into a board game, so please join us on Saturday, June 16 at 3 p.m. to take on the role of Colonel Mustard or Miss Peacock and see if you can solve the crime before the other players in this life-sized whodunit.
There’ll be snacks in the kitchen, music in the parlor, and games in the billiard room, so you’re definitely not going to want to miss this. Please call ahead to reserve your spot in the conservatory. Ages 8 and up please.
Community survey
Another way that we’re gathering community input is that we’re running an online community survey to find out what you think about Altamont Free Library, how you use the library, what we do well, and what we could do better. Thank you to everyone who’s already the a few minutes to participate!
We’ve had a great response so far, but the more information we collect, the better we’ll be able to plan for the future. Please help us out by going to the library’s website (AltamontFreeLibrary.org) and clicking on the link for the Communications Survey on our homepage.
It will only take a few minutes and your answers will help us plan for the future and serve you better. If you plan to attend one of our community conversations, we’d still love for you to take the survey. Thank you!
Mitch Elrod will give a SongTeller Sessions concert at the Altamont Free Library on Monday, June 1, at 7 p.m.
We’re lighting up the bat signal and sounding the alarm: The library needs your help to plan our future!
Please join us for an hour-long community conversation about how we can serve you better on Thursday, May 31, at 7 p.m. or Saturday, June 2, at 9 a.m. We’ll ask you for your thoughts about what you like about the library, what we could be doing better, why you visit the library or why you don’t.
All community members — whether library users or not — are encouraged to attend. Give us a call at 518-861-7239 or email to confirm your attendance. We welcome input from community members of every age, gender, creed, and background, and we value all input and suggestions. Please consider joining us to make your voice heard!
Community survey
Another way that we’re gathering community input is that we’re running an online community survey to find out what you think about Altamont Free Library, how you use the library, what we do well, and what we could do better.
Thank you to everyone who’s already taken a few minutes to participate! We’ve had a great response so far, but the more information we collect, the better we’ll be able to plan for the future.
Please help us out by going to the library’s website (AltamontFreeLibrary.org) and clicking on the link for the Communications Survey on our homepage. It will only take a few minutes and your answers will help us plan for the future and serve you better.
If you plan to attend one of our community conversations, we’d still love for you to take the survey. Thank you!
Elrod to perform
Please join us this Friday, June 1, at 7 p.m. for the next installment of the SongTeller Sessions concert series. Our performer this month will be Mitch Elrod.
Mitch has been a staple of the Capital Region music scene since the nineties and has collaborated with nearly every musician of note in the 518 over the course of his career. He is an unforgettable singer-songwriter, so you’re not going to want to miss this one.
This will be the last SongTellers show before the series takes a summer hiatus. These concerts are free and all-ages appropriate, so bring your whole crew!
Chicken BBQ
Tickets are now on sale for our famous annual chicken barbecue fundraiser on Friday, June 15, with servings at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Our regular crew of volunteer chefs will not be cooking this year, instead leaving the hard work to Wagon Train BBQ, but we’ll still be breaking out the library’s chicken costume for the occasion.
We’ve already had a ton of people in at the library asking for tickets. Every ticket gets you a dinner which includes a half chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, roll, drink, and dessert. Once you’ve got your dinner, you can either take it home with you or spread out on the lawn in Orsini Park with your friends and neighbors and listen to the always enjoyable Traditional Strings.
If you’d like to help us serve the meals, we can always use an extra set of hands, so give a call to 518-429-8354 or send an email to .
Korean potluck
It’s almost time again for another of our ever popular Eat Around the World Potluck dinners! Come broaden your culinary horizons and share a meal a bunch of friendly people. This month with North & South Korea so much in the news, we thought we’d take a trip to the Korean peninsula!
Please join us at 6 pm on Monday, April 30th to join in the festivities and bring a dish to share. If you don’t already have a favorite recipe from Korea, come on in and grab a cookbook. Gomapseumnida!
The Altamont Free Library will be closed on Monday, May 28, in observance of Memorial Day. Thank you to all who have served in the armed forces and may the memories of those who have died in service live on.
Community Conversations
One of the best things about planning for the future of our library is getting to sit down with community members to hear their thoughts about what they like about the library, what we could be doing better, why they visit the library, or why they don’t.
We’d love to hear from you and have your help in building our future together. Please join us for an hour-long community conversation about how we can serve you better on Thursday, May 31, at 7 p.m. or on Saturday, June 2, at 9 a.m.
All community members — whether library users or not — are encouraged to attend. Give us a call at 518-861-7239 or email to confirm your attendance. We welcome input from community members of every age, gender, creed, and background, and we value all input and suggestions. Please consider joining us to make your voice heard!
Community Survey
Another way that we’re gathering community input is that we’re running an online community survey to find out what you think about the Altamont Free Library, how you use the library, what we do well, and what we could do better.
Thank you to everyone who’s already taken a few minutes to participate! We’ve had a great response so far, but the more information we collect, the better we’ll be able to plan for the future.
Please help us out by going to the library’s website (AltamontFreeLibrary.org) and clicking on the link for the Communications Survey on our homepage. It will only take a few minutes and your answers will help us plan for the future and serve you better.
If you plan to attend one of our community conversations, we’d still love for you to take the survey. Thank you!
Elrod performs
Please join us on Friday, June 1st at 7 pm for the next installment of the SongTeller Sessions concert series. Our performer this month will be Mitch Elrod. Mitch has been a staple of the Capital Region music scene since the nineties and has collaborated with nearly every musician of note in the 518 area code over the course of his career.
He is an unforgettable singer-songwriter, so you’re not going to want to miss this one. This will be the last SongTellers show before the series takes a summer hiatus. These concerts are free and all-ages appropriate, so bring your whole crew!
Korean Potluck
It’s almost time again for another of our ever-popular Eat Around the World Potluck dinners! Come broaden your culinary horizons and share a meal a bunch of friendly people.
This month with North Korea and South Korea so much in the news, we thought we’d take a trip to the Korean peninsula! Please join us at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 30, to join in the festivities and bring a dish to share.
If you don’t already have a favorite recipe from Korea, come on in and grab a cookbook! Gomapseumnida! (Please note that the library will be closed on Monday, May 28, so the potluck will happen one week later than usual.)
Chicken BBQ
Save the date! We’re approaching June, which means that it’s almost time for our famous annual chicken barbecue fundraiser on Friday, June 15, with servings at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Our regular crew of volunteer chefs will not be cooking this year, instead leaving the hard work to Wagon Train BBQ, but we’ll still be breaking out the library’s chicken costume for the occasion. We’ve already had a ton of people in at the library asking for tickets, which will be available soon.
Every ticket gets you a dinner that includes a half chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, roll, drink and dessert. Once you’ve got your dinner, you can either take it home with you or spread out on the lawn in Orsini Park with your friends and neighbors and listen to the always enjoyable Traditional Strings.
If you’d like to help us serve the meals, we can always use an extra set of hands, so give a call to 518-429-8354 or send an email to .
YA Reading Contest
Attention, teen readers!
Are you interested in winning some teen books or book swag? If so, check out our new Teen Reading Contest.
Here is it how it works: Come check out a book from our young-adult section that you have never read before, read it, then come back and fill out a short review of the book. You will then be entered into our raffle to win some bookish prizes.
For any questions, please email us at or come in and see us. Happy reading and good luck!
As I mentioned in last week’s column, over the next few weeks, we’ll be running an online community survey to find out what you think about the Altamont Free Library, how you use the library, what we do well, and what we could do better. Thank you to everyone who’s already taken a few minutes to participate!
We’ve had a great response so far, but the more information we collect, the better we’ll be able to plan for the future. Please help us out by going to the library’s website (AltamontFreeLibrary.org) and clicking on the link for the Communications Survey on our homepage.
It will only take a few minutes and your answers will help us plan for the future and serve you better. We value all your input and suggestions. Thank you!
Teen Reading Contest
Attention, teen readers!
Are you interested in winning some teen books or book swag? If so, check out our new Teen Reading Contest!
Here is it how it works: Come check out a book from our young-adult section that you have never read before, read it, then come back and fill out a short review of the book. You will then be entered into our raffle to win some bookish prizes.
For any questions, please email us at or come in and see us. Happy reading and good luck!
Juice & Jammies
On Friday, May 18, 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’s theme will be “friendship.”
Elrod performs
Please join us on Friday, June 1, at 7 p.m. for the next installment of the SongTeller Sessions concert series. Our performer this month will be Mitch Elrod.
Mitch has been a staple of the Capital Region music scene since the nineties and has collaborated with nearly every musician of note in the 518 area over the course of his career. He is an unforgettable singer-songwriter, so you’re not going to want to miss this one.
This will be the last SongTellers show before the series takes a summer hiatus. These concerts are free and all-ages appropriate, so bring your whole crew!
Chicken BBQ
Save the date! We’re approaching June, which means that it’s almost time for our famous annual chicken barbecue fundraiser on Friday, June 15, with servings at 5 and 6 p.m.
Our regular crew of volunteer chefs will not be cooking this year, instead leaving the hard work to Wagon Train BBQ, but we’ll still be breaking out the library’s chicken costume for the occasion. We’ve already had a ton of people in at the library asking for tickets, which will be available soon.
Each ticket gets you a dinner that includes a half-chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, roll, drink, and dessert. Once you’ve got your dinner, you can either take it home with you or spread out on the lawn in Orsini Park with your friends and neighbors and listen to the always enjoyable Traditional Strings.
If you’d like to help us serve the meals, we can always use an extra set of hands, so give a call to 518-429-8354 or send an email to director@altamontfreelibrary.org.