— Photo from Joe Burke
Patrons page through books offered for sale Saturday at the Altamont Free Library, part of the village-wide garage sale.
Last weekend we took part in the Altamont village-wide garage sale. It was so wonderful to see so many of you turn out in the beautiful weather for the sale.
The library received a totally staggering number of donations for both our book and garage sales, and we raised a tremendous amount to support the important programs that the library offers.
As with so much else that the library does, we had so much help from the library's staff, trustees, and volunteers and we would not have had the phenomenal success we had without all their help. Thank you all for your time, energy, and back muscles.
Memorial Day
The library will be proudly marching in the Altamont Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 22, and we need a hand in making a banner for the parade. In fact, we need 100 hands! To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we’ll be making a banner with 100 hand prints, so please stop by the library to add your mark to our banner. Thanks for lending a hand.
Book discussion
On Monday, May 16, at 7 p.m., the Penultimate Monday book club will meet to discuss the bestselling new novel “My Name is Lucy Barton” by Elizabeth Strout. (Even though it’s the Penultimate Monday group, we’re meeting a week early this month since we’ll be closed on Monday, May 30, for Memorial Day.)
This wonderful and bittersweet story details the strained relationship between a mother and her daughter. There’s much to discuss about this book, and it comes highly recommended, so please join us.
Springtime bird walk
On Sunday, May 22, our own Dan Capuano will once again lead a bird watching expedition along Brandle Road. Please join us at 9 a.m., here at the library for a one-hour walk around the village to see what we can see and learn about our bird neighbors.
We’ll have a few extra sets of binoculars, if you’d like to use them and first-timers and young folks are encouraged to attend.
United Nations potluck
Please join us at 6 p.m., on Monday, May 23, for another in our series of fantastic Eat Around the World Potluck suppers.This month we’re letting you choose the country or region you want to represent.
Choose a favorite recipe you’ve made before or one from a country that we haven’t gotten around to yet. Don’t forget to bring a dish to share, and if you don’t already have a favorite recipe, you can always pick up a cookbook here.
“Plants Feed Me”
Did you ever want to make delicious, healthy food from vegetables you can grow yourself? Please join us on Tuesday, May 31, at 3 p.m., for a fun event for 4-to-7 year olds based on the book “Plants Feed Me” by Lizzy Rockwell.
Led by master gardeners Ronnie Siegel and Virginia Dorwaldt of the Cornell Cooperative Extension, this program will be limited to seven children, so please call the library at 861-7239 to register in advance.
This Saturday, May 7, the Altamont Free Library will hold our annual book sale in conjunction with the PTA’s village-wide garage sale. In addition, this year, we will hold a garage sale to raise funds for the library.
From noon on Wednesday, May 4 until 4 p.m. on Friday, May 6, we will be very grateful to accept your books which will either be added to the library’s collection or sold to raise money for library programs. We will begin accepting donations of garage sale items in good condition (no clothes, please.) on Thursday, May 5.
Please don’t forget to visit us during the sale to find your next favorite book.
Memorial Day parade banner
The library will be proudly marching in the Altamont Memorial Day Parade on May 22, and we need a hand in making a banner for the parade. In fact, we need 100 hands.
To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we’ll be making a banner with 100 hand prints, so please stop by the library during the book sale on Saturday, May 7, to add your mark to our banner. Thanks for lending a hand.
Book club
On Monday, May 16, at 7 p.m., the Penultimate Monday Book Club will meet to discuss the bestselling new novel “My Name is Lucy Barton” by Elizabeth Strout. (Even though it’s the Penultimate Monday group, we’re meeting a week early this month since we’ll be closed on Monday, May 30, for Memorial Day.
This wonderful and bittersweet story details the strained relationship between a mother and her daughter. There’s much to discuss about this book, and it comes highly recommended, so please join us.
Springtime bird walk
On Sunday, May 21, our own Dan Capuano will once again lead a bird-watching expedition along Brandle Road. Please join us at 9 a.m., here at the library for a one-hour walk around the village to see what we can see and learn about our bird neighbors.
We’ll have a few extra sets of binoculars, if you’d like to use them, and first-timers and young folks are encouraged to attend.
— Photo from Joe Burke
In celebration of Earth Day, Altamont library patrons, 14 in all, make wildflower seed balls.
Mother’s Day is quickly approaching (May 8!) and, if you don’t yet have a card for the special moms in your life, we’ve got you covered. Please join us anytime from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, to make a unique, hand-crafted card. We’ll have all the supplies you’ll need to make a beautiful and special gift, so please join us.
Book and Garage Sale
On Saturday, May 7, Altamont Free Library will hold our annual book sale in conjunction with the PTA’s village-wide garage sale. In addition, this year, we will hold a garage sale to raise funds for the library.
From noon on Wednesday, May 4, until the day of the sale, we will be very grateful to accept your books which will either be added to the library’s collection or sold to raise money for library programs.
We will begin accepting donations of garage sale items in good condition (no clothes, please!) on Thursday, May 5. We will be happy to make up a receipt for you for tax purposes if you like. Please don’t forget to visit us during the sale to find your next favorite book.
Memorial Day parade banner
The library will be proudly marching in the Altamont Memorial Day Parade on May 22, and we need a hand in making a banner for the parade. In fact, we need 100 hands! To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we’ll be making a banner with 100 hand prints, so please stop by the library during the book sale on Saturday, May 7, to add your mark to our banner. Thanks for lending a hand.
100 for 100
On the topic of our 100th anniversary, there are countless ways to participate in the celebrations. One way that you can participate is by making a contribution to our Centennial Fund. We are looking for 100 donors to donate $100 each to ensure that your library will be able to continue to thrive at the heart of our community for the next 100 years.
Donors to the Centennial Fund will be acknowledged in the library’s display case throughout the year and will be invited to a special party this summer at the Breitenbach Castle. For more information, please give me a call at (518) 861-7239 or email me at .
Many thanks to all of our friends who joined us at Mio Vino last Thursday evening for our Centennial Night fundraiser. We were able to raise a considerable amount of money for the library, but more importantly we were able to share our 100th anniversary celebration with the community.
Special thanks are due to Mike Giorgio and the entire staff over at Mio Vino for their hospitality and generosity. There will be numerous other ways to share in our centennial celebrations throughout the year, so keep an eye on this space for more ways to get involved.
100 for 100
On the topic of our 100th anniversary, there are countless ways to participate in the celebrations. One way that you can participate is by making a contribution to our Centennial Fund. We are looking for 100 donors to donate $100 each to ensure that your library will be able to continue to thrive at the heart of our community for the next 100 years.
Donors to the Centennial Fund will be acknowledged in the library’s display case throughout the year and will be invited to a special party this summer at the Breitenbach Castle. For more information, please give me a call at 861-7239 or e-mail me at .
Earth Day craft
Celebrate Earth Day and the spring season at the library. This Saturday April 23, at 11 a.m., we’ll be making wildflower seed balls that you can strew about your yard and watch the beautiful, bright flowers bloom.
Please pre-register to ensure that we have craft materials for all by calling the library at 861-7239, e-mailing at or stopping by the library and signing up in person. We’ll also have stories, snacks, and more, so circle the date on your calendar with a bright green marker and join us.
Cuban Potluck
Please join us at 6 p.m., on Monday, April 25, for another in our series of fantastic Eat Around the World Potluck suppers, this month focusing on the food and drinks of Cuba. We’ve got some good friends who’ve just returned home from a visit to Cuba and they’ll bring some photos and stories from their trip to share.
Don’t forget to bring a dish to share, and if you don’t already have a favorite Cuban recipe, you can always pick up a cookbook here. Call ahead at 861-7239 to register in advance.
Book and garage sale
On Saturday, May 7, the Altamont Free Library will hold our annual book sale in conjunction with the PTA’s village-wide garage sale. In addition, this year, we will hold a garage sale to raise funds for the library. From noon on Wednesday, May 4, until the day of the sale, we will be very grateful to accept your books which will either be added to the library’s collection or sold to raise money for library programs.
We will begin accepting donations of garage sale items in good condition (no clothes, please!) on Thursday, May 5. We will be happy to make up a receipt for you for tax purposes if you like. Please don’t forget to visit us during the sale to find your next favorite book.
One-on-one tech help
Flummoxed by your Nook? Curious about your Kindle? Ready to throw your iPad across a room? Let us help. Make an appointment with a staff member and bring whatever eReader or tablet you’ve got and we’ll (try our best to) help you download books to it or help troubleshoot any basic problems you might be having. You can schedule up to a half-hour to work through your tech issues by calling us at 861-7239 or e-mailing .
Save the date! Throughout the year, the Altamont Free Library will be offering “Centennial” events to celebrate our 100th anniversary as your community library. On Thursday, April 14, 2016 from 4 p.m. 9:30 p.m., Mio Vino, located at 186 Main Street in Altamont, will graciously be donating 15% of all drink and meal proceeds — including those from its menus of AFL Centennial drink specials — to help raise funds for the Library. Call Mio Vino at (518) 595-5095 to make your reservations and help us get the 100th year party started!
Easter Egg Decoration
Easter is just around the corner, and what better way to get into the spirit than by dying Easter eggs? Please join us this Friday, March 25 at 3 p.m. for some colorful Easter fun. We’ll boil the eggs and provide all the supplies, so all you have to bring is your creativity!
Closed for Easter
Please note that the Library will be closed on Sunday, March 27.
Make a Birdfeeder
April is just around the corner, and with April comes the return of the birds to our area. On Friday April 1 at 3 p.m., we’ll be making birdfeeders to welcome our feathered friends back from their migrations. We’ll have a bunch of different types to make, so there will be something to make for every age and skill level.
One-on-One Tech Help
Flummoxed by your Nook? Curious about your Kindle? Ready to throw your iPad across a room? Let us help. Make an appointment with a staff member and bring whatever eReader or tablet you’ve got and we’ll (try our best to) help you download books to it or help troubleshoot any basic problems you might be having. You can schedule up to a half-hour to work through your tech issues by calling us at (518) 861-7239 or emailing .
Easter is just around the corner, and what better way to get into the spirit than by dying Easter eggs? Please join us at the Altamont Free Library this Friday, March 18, at 3 p.m., for some colorful Easter fun. We’ll boil the eggs and provide all the supplies, so all you have to bring is your creativity!
Book discussion
The Penultimate Monday Book Club will be meeting on Monday March 21, at 7 p.m., to discuss “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. This novel, the winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize, concerns a blind French girl and a young German soldier obsessed with the new technology of radios and their intertwined fates. There’s plenty of time to pick up a copy at the library, so please join us for what will no doubt be a fascinating discussion about one of the year’s most popular books.
Library closed
Please note that the library will be closed on Sunday, March 27, in observation of the Easter holiday.
Make a birdfeeder
April is just around the corner, and with April comes the return of the birds to our area. On Friday April 1, at 3 p.m., we’ll be making birdfeeders to welcome our feathered friends back from their migrations. We’ll have a bunch of different types to make, so there will be something to make for every age and skill level.
100 for 100
The Altamont Free Library will have our 100th anniversary in 2016. To mark the occasion, we will be celebrating in many ways throughout the year, and there will be countless ways to participate in the celebrations. One way that you can participate is by making a contribution to our Centennial Fund. We are looking for 100 donors to donate $100 each to ensure that your library will be able to continue to thrive at the heart of our community for the next one hundred years. Donors to the Centennial Fund will be acknowledged in the library’s display case throughout the year and will be invited to a special party this summer at the Breitenbach Castle. For more information, please give me a call at 861-7239 or e-mail me at .
One-on-one tech help
Flummoxed by your Nook? Curious about your Kindle? Ready to throw your iPad across a room? Let us help. Make an appointment with a staff member and bring whatever eReader or tablet you’ve got and we’ll (try our best to) help you download books to it or help troubleshoot any basic problems you might be having. You can schedule up to a half-hour to work through your tech issues by calling us at 861-7239 or e-mailing .
Photo from Joe Burke
A wide-eyed young artist proudly displays her work, created at the Altamont Free Library, which will be sent to some far-flung country as part of the Global Art Project for Peace.
Photo from Joe Burke
Give peace a chance: Organizers of the Altamont library’s Global Art Project for Peace, Ellen Howie, left, and Ruth Dickinson share an embrace.
This past Saturday, the Altamont Free Library hosted an extraordinary event known as the Global Art Project for Peace. Every two years, people all around the world participate in this wonderful project where groups create a piece of art expressing the hope for a more peaceful world
Once the art is created, the groups exchange their art with a group from another country. In years past, we have exchanged art with groups in Australia and Germany. We cannot wait to see who we’re paired with this year, and how they express their vision of global peace.
The peace flags that our children (and adults) created this year will be on display in the library’s community room for the next month before they are shipped off to their next destination, and we invite you to come and take a look
Many thanks are due to Ruth Dickinson and Ellen Howie for organizing and overseeing the project. We hope that our small contribution to an international dialogue on peace will play a role in making this a more just, free, and peaceful world.
Easter egg decoration
Easter is just around the corner, and what better way to get into the spirit than by dying Easter eggs? Please join us on Friday, March 18 at 3 p.m. for some colorful Easter fun. We’ll boil the eggs and provide all the supplies, so all you have to bring is your creativity!
Book discussion
The Penultimate Monday Book Club will be meeting on Monday March 21 at 7 p.m. to discuss “All The Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr. This acclaimed and bestselling novel, the winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize, concerns a blind French girl and a young German soldier obsessed with the new technology of radios and their intertwined fates. There’s plenty of time to pick up a copy at the library, so please join us for what will no doubt be a fascinating discussion about one of the year’s most popular books.
100 for 100
As I may have mentioned once or twice before, the library will mark our 100th anniversary in 2016. To mark the occasion, we will be celebrating in many ways throughout the year, and there will be countless ways to participate in the celebrations. One way that you can participate is by making a contribution to our Centennial Fund. We are looking for 100 donors to donate $100 each to ensure that your library will be able to continue to thrive at the heart of our community for the next 100 years. Donors to the Centennial Fund will be acknowledged in the library’s display case throughout the year and will be invited to a special party this summer at the Breitenbach Castle. For more information, please give me a call at 861-7239 or e-mail me at .
One-on-One Tech Help
Flummoxed by your Nook? Curious about your Kindle? Ready to throw your iPad across a room? Let us help. Make an appointment with a staff member and bring whatever eReader or tablet you’ve got and we’ll (try our best to) help you download books to it or help troubleshoot any basic problems you might be having. You can schedule up to a half-hour to work through your tech issues by calling us at 861-7239 or e-mailing .
Every two years, people all around the world participate in a wonderful event known as the Global Art Project for Peace. Please join us on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to noon to help craft our contribution.
Once we’ve made our art, we will display it here at the Altamont Free Library and then pack it up and ship it off to children in another country, and we will receive their artwork for us to display here. This year, we’ll be working on a few different projects, including peace flags and a photo collage representing life in Altamont.
People of all ages can participate in this extraordinary cultural exchange, so if you’d like to participate, please sign up at the library or give us a call at 861-7239.
Book discussion
On Monday March 7, at noon the First Monday Book Club will meet to discuss “The Elephant’s Journey” by José Saramago. Based on the true story of an elephant’s trip from Portugal across Europe to Austria in 1551 to be given as a present for the wedding of the Holy Roman Emperor, this delightful (and short!) novel was widely praised on its publication in 2008. Please join us.
Social Security planning 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 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, March 8, for a free public information workshop called “Savvy Social Security Planning.”
This workshop is designed to help people better understand their Social Security retirement benefits and what they may be entitled to. Our presenter, Carol VanValkenburgh, is a representative of Foresters Financial and has extensive experience in shepherding folks through the Social Security process. Please register in advance at the library or give us a call at 861-7239.
It’s a Leap Day potluck. Please join us at the Altamont Free Library at 6 p.m., on Monday, Feb. 29, for another in our series of fantastic Eat Around the World Potluck suppers, this month focusing on the food and drinks of Portugal and the Azore Islands.
Don’t know where the Azores are? Neither did I, but we’ve got some good friends returning home from a vacation there and hopefully they’ll bring some photos and stories from their trip to share. Don’t forget to bring a dish to share, and if you don’t already have a favorite Portuguese or Azorian recipe, you can always pick up a cookbook here.
Global art project
Every two years, children around the world participate in a wonderful event known as the Global Art Project for Peace. Please join us on Saturday, March 5, from 10 a.m. to noon to help craft our contribution. Once we’ve made our art, we will display it here at the library and then pack it up and ship it off to children in another country, and we will receive their artwork for us to display here.
This year we’ll be making a collage of photographs taken by kids that show what life is like here in Altamont. We’ve even got some digital cameras (really iPod Touch’s) that kids can borrow to take photos in advance of our crafting session on March 5. Kids of all ages can participate in this extraordinary cultural exchange, so if you’d like to participate, please sign up at the library or give us a call at 861-7239.
Book discussion
On Monday, March 7, at noon the First Monday Book Club will meet to discuss "The Elephant’s Journey" by Jose Saramago. Based on the true story of an elephant’s trip from Portugal across Europe to Austria in 1551 to be given as a present for the wedding of the Holy Roman Emperor, this delightful and short novel was widely praised on its publication in 2008. Please join us.
Social Security planning 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 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, March 8, for a free public information workshop called “Savvy Social Security Planning.”
This workshop is designed to help people better understand their Social Security retirement benefits and what they may be entitled to. Our presenter, Carol VanValkenburgh, is a representative of Foresters Financial and has extensive experience in shepherding folks through the Social Security process. Please register in advance at the library or give us a call at 861-7239.
On Monday, Feb. 22, the Penultimate Monday Book Club will be meeting to discuss “The Martian” by Andy Weir. This New York Times bestselling literary sensation of 2015 was the basis of the Oscar-nominated movie starring Matt Damon. It’s got adventure, suspense and lots of fun science, so there’ll be plenty to discuss. Please join us at 7 p.m., for this always fun book group.
Potluck
It’s a Leap Day Potluck. Please join us at 6 p.m., on Monday, Feb. 29, for another in our series of fantastic Eat Around the World Potluck suppers, this month focusing on the food and drinks of Portugal and the Azore Islands.
Don’t know where the Azores are? Neither did I, but we’ve got some good friends returning home from a vacation there and hopefully they’ll bring some photos and stories from their trip to share.
Don’t forget to bring a dish to share, and if you don’t already have a favorite Portuguese or Azorian recipe, you can always pick up a cookbook here.
Book discussion
On Monday March 7, at noon the First Monday Book Club will meet to discuss "The Elephant’s Journey" by Jose Saramago. Based on the true story of an elephant’s trip from Portugal across Europe to Austria in 1551 to be given as a present for the wedding of the Holy Roman Emperor, this delightful (and short!) novel was widely praised on its publication in 2008. Please join us.
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 6:30 p.m., on Tuesday, March 8, for a free public information workshop called “Savvy Social Security Planning.”
This workshop is designed to help people better understand their Social Security retirement benefits and what they may be entitled to. Our presenter, Carol VanValkenburgh, is a representative of Foresters Financial and has extensive experience in shepherding folks through the Social Security process.