Here’s a great way to support your library, while at the same time doing a good turn for the environment: Throughout the month of February, for every “Bags 4 My Cause” reusable shopping bag sold at Guilderland Hannaford at 5239 Western Turnpike, the Altamont Free Library will receive a portion of the proceeds. Thanks, Hannaford!
Trivia Night
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., make a team, study up, and BYOB to our monthly mind-twisting trivia contest! Entrance is $5 and the winners take half the door. Contestants must be 21 and up, please.
Like Juice & Jammies, we’ll be trying this on a different day, so please make note that we’ll be doing this on a Wednesday, not a Thursday, night.
Afghanistan 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 with a bunch of friendly people.
This month we’re taking a trip to Afghanistan! Please join us at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26, to join in the festivities and bring a dish to share. If you don’t already have a favorite Afghan recipe, come on in and grab a cookbook!
“The Power of Habit”
On Monday, March 5, the First Monday Book Club will meet at noon to discuss “The Power of Habit” by New York Times journalist Charles Duhig. This best seller is a fascinating study of why people do what we do and what modern science tells us about how we can change our habits, and cultivate new, healthier ones.
This is sure to be a fascinating discussion, so please join us.
Deb Cavanaugh concert
Please join us on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m. for the next installment of the SongTeller Sessions concert series. Our performer this month will be Deb Cavanaugh.
Artist/educator, singer/songwriter Deb Cavanaugh has been performing in the Capital District of New York State since 1982. Nowadays, playing a variety of acoustic instruments (guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer and banjo), her show includes elements of pop, folk, jazz, and blues.
Deb is perhaps best known for teaching Music Together, an early-education research-based program for families with young children.
These concerts are free and all-ages appropriate, so bring your whole crew.
— Photo by Dan Frinta
Celebrating the Altamont Free Library, Diana Greene, left, and Carla Jones enjoy Saturday's gala.
Another gala is in the books! I have to extend a huge thank-you to everyone who attended the 11th annual I Love My Library! Gala Saturday night. I hope everyone had as fantastic a time as I did.
Many, many people contributed to the success of the event, but a by no means exhaustive list would include Linda Cure, Robin Love, Meghan Connelly, Yvette Terplak, Steve Terplak, Pat Spohr, Sharon Forman, Michelle Stevens, Lorraine Swintek, Vicki Vattimo, Christine Carpenter, Ron Ginsburg, and Mike Seinberg, among many, many others.
I’d also like to thank the many donors of auction items, appetizers, and desserts; the great volunteers who kept everything running smoothly; and Bela Fleur and Elegant Touch Catering for their phenomenal work.
Finally, many thanks are due to our honorees for the evening, Marijo Dougherty and Sally Dauge, for all their contributions to the community over the years. Thank you all for your time, energy and creativity.
Marijo Dougherty Fund
At Saturday night’s gala, I was pleased to announce the formation of the Marijo Dougherty Fund. The purpose of this fund is to work on projects that preserve the history of our community for future generations.
Our first project is the establishment of an oral history collection, which will be known as the Marijo Dougherty Oral History Collection, and which will seek to record and preserve the stories and memories of our community members through recorded interviews. Our first interview has already been completed and, appropriately enough, the subject is Marijo herself. I look forward to sharing that fantastic interview, conducted by Laura Shore, with you soon.
For anyone interested in contributing to this fund, we have received a pledge from an anonymous donor to match your contribution dollar for dollar. Please get in touch with me by email at or by phone at 518-861-7239 for more details about the fund.
Social Security workshop
Have you been thinking about retirement? Are you unsure of how to maximize your income in your golden years? Do you have questions about Social Security?
If so, please join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, for a free public information workshop called “Making the Most of Social Security.” This workshop is designed to help people ages 45 to 75 better understand their Social Security retirement benefits and what they may be entitled to.
Our presenter, John Kalil, is a volunteer from Retirement Solutions, an office of MetLife, who specializes in retirement planning.
Juice & Jammies
It’s been a little while since we’ve done one of these: On Friday, Feb. 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’s theme will be “love.” We’re seeing how well this program works on a Friday this month rather than a Thursday, so please note the change of day!
Trivia Night!
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., make a team, study up, and BYOB to our monthly mind-twisting trivia contest. Entrance is $5 and the winners take half the door.
Contestants must be 21 and up, please. Like Juice & Jammies, we’ll be trying this on a different day, so please make note that we’ll be doing this on a Wednesday, not a Thursday, night.
This weekend at the Altamont Free Library’s I Love My Library Gala, we will pay tribute to two very special people who have each positively impacted the library over a long span of time. Our library and our community would be lesser places without either of them.
First, we will be celebrating Marijo Dougherty. Marijo is the curator of the Village of Altamont Archives and Museum, and has played a tremendous role in the preservation and celebration of our community’s history. Marijo has developed a collection of artifacts and a body of research that will be preserved for all time through the archives and museum.
She contributed greatly to Keith Lee’s wonderful book, “Images of America: Altamont,” and recently chaired the organizing committee for the Altamont Museum in the Streets project.
We will also be paying tribute to Sally Dague. Sally has been a member of our library’s board of trustees and a library volunteer for many years. She was one of the driving forces behind the renovation of the Altamont Train Station, contributing to that project in countless ways both large and small.
More recently, Sally served as president and then vice president of our board during years of change, easing the transitions first into our new home and then from one library director to another.
We owe so much of our library’s success to members of our community like Marijo and Sally — people who have selflessly contributed their time, creativity, energy, and skill to making this such a special place. Thank you, Marijo and Sally, for all that you have done and continue to do for us.
Gala sold out
Well, that happened fast! Tickets for the 11th annual I Love My Library Gala are all claimed. We look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday, Feb. 10.
We apologize to anyone who missed out, but there are lots of other fun ways to support your library throughout the year. From our book sale, to our chicken barbecue, to our summer concert series, we always need your help and support. Thank you.
Valentine’s craft
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and, instead of the usual store-bought card, make a card by hand at the library. Please join us on Monday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.
We’ll have all the supplies you’ll need and all ages are welcome. Give a call at (518) 861-7239 to register in advance.
Social Security workshop
Have you been thinking about retirement? Are you unsure of how to maximize your income in your golden years? Do you have questions about Social Security?
If so, please join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, for a free public-information workshop called “Making the Most of Social Security.” This workshop is designed to help people ages 45 to 75 better understand their Social Security retirement benefits and what they may be entitled to.
Our presenter, John Kalil, is a volunteer from Retirement Solutions, an office of MetLife, who specializes in retirement planning.
Juice & Jammies
It’s been a little while since we’ve done one of these: On Friday, Feb. 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’s theme will be “love.” We’re seeing how well this program works on a Friday this month rather than a Thursday, so please note the change of day!
Trivia Night!
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., make a team, study up, and BYOB to our monthly mind-twisting trivia contest! Entrance is $5 and the winners take half the door. Contestants must be 21 and up, please.
Like Juice & Jammies, we’ll be trying this on a different day, so please make note that we’ll be doing this on a Wednesday, not a Thursday, night.
Brig McCutcheon, top, and Tony Califano. bottom, of Rusticator will give a free a concert at the Altamont Free Library on Friday, Feb. 2, as part of the library’s SongTeller Sessions series.
Well, that happened fast! Tickets for the 11th annual I Love My Library Gala are all claimed. We look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday, Feb. 10.
We apologize to anyone who missed out, but there are lots of other fun ways to support your library throughout the year. From our book sale, to our chicken barbecue, to our summer concert series, we always need your help and support. Thank you.
Rusticator Concert
Please join us on Friday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. for our first SongTeller Sessions concert of the year. Our performer this month will be Tony Califano and Altamont’s own Brig McCutcheon of the band 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 spans from The Beatles to the Grateful Dead along with their own original songs.
Rusticator released its second studio album, “Get it While it Lasts,” in August 2017. If you’ve seen any of Rusticator’s summer concerts in Orsini Park, you’ll know that Brig and Tony put on a fantastic show.
These concerts are free and all-ages appropriate, so bring your whole crew!
Valentine’s craft
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and, instead of the usual store-bought card, make a card by hand at the library!
Please join us on Monday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. We’ll have all the supplies you’ll need and all ages are welcome. Give a call at (518) 861-7239 to register in advance.
Social Security workshop
Have you been thinking about retirement? Are you unsure of how to maximize your income in your golden years? Do you have questions about Social Security?
If so, please join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, for a free public-information workshop called “Making the Most of Social Security.” This workshop is designed to help people ages 45 to 75 better understand their Social Security retirement benefits and what they may be entitled to.
Our presenter, John Kalil, is a volunteer from Retirement Solutions, an office of MetLife, who specializes in retirement planning.
Juice & Jammies
It’s been a little while since we’ve done one of these: On Friday, Feb. 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’s theme will be “love.” We’re seeing how well this program works on a Friday this month rather than a Thursday, so please note the change of day!
On Thursday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m., make a team, study up, and BYOB to the Altamont Free Library for our monthly mind-twisting trivia contest! Entrance is $5 and the winners take half the door. Contestants must be 21 and up, please.
Juice & Jammies
It’s been a little while since we’ve done one of these: On Thursday, Jan. 25, 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’s theme will be “winter.”
Dessert for Dinner 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 we’re taking a break from the world and focusing on folks’ favorite dessert recipes, because we could all use a little more sweetness to get us through the winter. Please join us at 6pm on Monday, Jan. 29 to join in the festivities and bring a dish to share.
If you need a few ideas, come grab one of our many cookbooks for some inspiration!
Rusticator Concert
Please join us on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. for our first SongTeller Sessions concert of the year. Our performer this month will be Altamont’s own 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 spans from The Beatles to the Grateful Dead along with their own original songs. Rusticator released its second studio album, “Get it While it Lasts,” in August 2017.
If you’ve seen any of their summer concerts Orsini Park, you’ll know that they put on a fantastic show. These concerts are free and all-ages appropriate, so bring your whole crew!
I Love My Library Gala
Save the date! The always anticipated annual I Love My Library! Gala is coming up on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the community room at Altamont Village Hall. This year, tickets are very likely to go even faster than usual, so please rsvp immediately when you receive your invitations.
If you haven’t attended in the past and would like to get on the mailing list for invitations, please contact us here at the library at (518) 861-7239 or by email at .
Altamont Girl Scout Troop 1306 is working on an awesome project called “Girls Can Do,” in which they’ll be building a sculpture out of cans, and they need our help. Any donations that you can make of canned food would be welcome (red and green labels especially).
After their display is finished, all food donations will be passed on to local food pantries. We’ll be collecting donations until Friday, Jan. 12.
Peace Flag Craft Morning
On Monday, Jan. 15, from 10 a.m. to noon, we’ll be honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by making peace flags. Please call ahead to register your young folks in advance, so that we can be sure we have enough materials.
Annual meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Altamont Free Library Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, January 16 at 6:30 pm, to be immediately followed by our regular monthly meeting at 7 pm. As with all of our board meetings, the public is welcome to attend.
Trivia Night!
On Thursday, January 18th at 7 PM, make a team, study up, and BYOB to our monthly mind-twisting trivia contest! Entrance is $5 and the winners take half the door. Contestants must be 21 and up, please.
I Love My Library Gala
Save the date! The always anticipated annual I Love My Library! Gala is coming up on Saturday, February 10th at the Community Room at Altamont Village Hall. This year, tickets are very likely to go even faster than usual, so please rsvp immediately when you receive your invitations.
If you haven’t attended in the past and would like to get on the mailing list for invitations, please contact us here at the library at (518) 861-7239 or by email at .
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. 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.
Nick Matulis, a singer and songwriter from Schaghticoke, will perform at the Altamont Free Library this Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. as part of the library’s SongTeller Sessions concert series.
Mark your calendars and book your babysitter! On Saturday, Feb. 10, the Altamont Free Library will hold our 10th Annual I Love My Library! Gala at Altamont village hall.
This year’s theme is “Bound with History & Friendship” and, to exemplify the virtues of history and friendship, we will be honoring two women who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to our library and our community: Village of Altamont Archives and Museum Curator Marijo Dougherty, and longtime library trustee and friend of the library Sally Dague.
As always, we will be holding both live and silent auctions at the gala so, if you’d like to contribute an auction item or know of a business owner or artisan who might be interested in contributing, please let us know.
If you’ve never attended before and you’re interested in attending this year, please get in touch with us at (518) 861-7239 or by email at and we’ll be sure to send you an invitation when those go out in December. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so your attendance and participation will go a long way towards keeping the library moving forward.
Matulis to perform
At the beginning of the year, Altamont Free Library launched a new concert series we call The SongTeller Sessions on the first Friday of every month. The idea behind the concerts is that each performer receives the same list of 10 questions that they’ll answer through stories and songs.
Among the questions are: What was a song that your parents loved? What was the first bad song that you wrote? What song makes you think of home?
We’ve take the summer off while we put on our annual Summer Concert Series in Orsini Park, but now that the days are getting shorter, we’re bringing it back! Our performer will for November will be local art-folk-rocker Nick Matulis on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.. All ages are welcome at these shows
“A Gentleman in Moscow”
On Monday, Nov. 6 the First Monday Bookclub will meet at noon to discuss A Gentleman in Moscow, the acclaimed second novel by Amor Towles. It is the utterly charming story of a Russian aristocrat confined by court order to a grand Moscow hotel for insulting the Bolshevik government.
It’s a quick enough read, and we still have a few copies on hold, so please join us for what will certainly be a fascinating conversation.
Bake Sale
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.
— Photo from Joe Burke
Straw-Daryl Brary was the Altamont Free Library’s entry in the Fall Festival scarecrow contest.
It’s coming up faster than you might think: Tuesday, Nov. 7, is Election Day!
Even though there are no Clintons or Trumps running this year, there are still plenty of important offices up for election, including town supervisors, judges, town boards, and more. Whether your candidates win or lose, there is one sure fire way to leave the polling place with a smile on your face: Get yourself a brownie!
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. We need plenty of bakers to make this fundraiser a success, so if you’d like to donate some baked goods, give me 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.
Scary movies to watch in the dark
Over the month of October, please join us for family-friendly but super scary movies every Sunday at 3 p.m. First up, the hilarious animated film “Hotel Transylvania” on Sunday Oct. 8. We’ll have the popcorn ready for you!
Trivia Night
On Thursday, Oct. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m., our monthly Trivia Night is back. Make a team, study up and BYOB to this mind-twisting trivia contest. Entrance is $5 and the winning team takes half of the door. Contestants must be 21 and up, please.
Gadget assistance
For everyone who takes to new technologies like a fish to water, there are five of us who are utterly befuddled by our devices. But fear not, that’s what the library is here for. Whether it’s a 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.
We here at the library would like to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who came out for our annual chicken barbecue last Friday evening. It was touch and go there for a while as they were trying to get the fire lit during a monsoon, but a little bit of creativity and a lot of sticktoitiveness goes a long way and everything came together in the end to produce the smoothest running barbecue in recent memory.
There are many people to thank, from our food preppers to our ticket sellers, our brownie bakers to our sign makers and chicken-suit wearers. Thanks are also due to the Traditional Strings for providing such excellent music to eat to. Special thanks are due to Craig Sargent, Bob Haggerty, Eric Kuck, Don Searing, and Tony Kossmann for cooking.
Thanks are especially, especially due to Dan Capuano for organizing the event, getting all the food and supplies, and acting as head chef and quarterback for the event. It’s always a tremendous job, and Dan has been doing it for many years. This was, I’m sorry to say, his last year taking it on. Rest assured that we are in capable hands going forward, but his experience and expertise will be sorely missed. Thank you, Dan.
Now that the barbecue is done, that must mean that it’s time for some other awesome events here at the library.
Juice and Jammies
On Thursday, June 22 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.
Patio ribbon-cutting
We've recently finished construction of the Spohr Family Centennial Patio on the track side of the building. This new outdoor space will be a place where folks will be able to sit and read or plug into their laptops and work, or talk with friends without worrying about getting shushed.
The patio is named in honor of the many contributions that Tom and Pat Spohr have made to our community over the years. We’re still waiting on some outdoor furniture and signs, but everything should be in place for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, June 23 at 11a.m. All are invited to join us for the grand opening. We are tremendously grateful to Senator George Amedore for securing state funds and to the loved ones of Tom Spohr for their contributions to this exciting new library space.
Cuisine Potluck
Please join us at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 26 for another in our series of fantastic Eat Around the World Potluck suppers. This month we’re going to take on traditional Native American cuisine.
This is fitting because the word “potluck” is thought to be derived from the language of the Chinook Tribe of the Pacific Northwest and its tradition of the potlach, a great feast where gifts are exchanged.
If you don’t already have a favorite Native American recipe, feel free to pick one up here at the library. Please join us and bring a dish to share.
Opening ceremony
It’s just about time for the Summer Reading Program. The Summer Reading Program is a super fun series of free events and programs at the Altamont Free Library that celebrates reading, creativity, and summer fun!
Please join us on Friday, June 30 at 4 p.m. in Orsini Park or in the library if the weather stinks to get signed up.
Build a Better World … READ!
Mark your calendars to sign-up for the Guilderland Public Library’s “Build a Better World” Summer Reading Program at the Kick-Off and Ice Cream Social on Thursday, June 29 at 6:30 p.m.
Children, tweens, and teens can sign-up to be a Summer Reader, collect program information, and ask our staff any questions they might have. While you’re here, enter a raffle for a chance to win your own “Build a Better World” t-shirt.
Be sure to enjoy a refreshing ice cream sundae, and say “hello!” to our Super Scoopers who will serve your sundae: Assemblyperson Patricia Fahy, Town Supervisor Peter Barber, and Schools Superintendent Marie Wiles have all volunteered to dish it up for you.
If you have any questions on the programs being offered, please check the “Build a Better World” brochure that came home in school backpack mail. Copies of the brochures are available at the library.
About GPL
The Guilderland Public Library is located at 2228 Western Avenue in Guilderland. Visit the library's website at www.guilpl.org to get information on upcoming programs, and to register online via the homepage’s “Events & Registration Calendar.” Check out the “unofficial” library updates at facebook.com/Guilderland.Library and follow the library on Twitter (@GuilderlandLib).