Back in March, we started something called the Altamont Gratitude Wall. It’s a place on our website where you can share what you are grateful for in these trying times. I’ve loved seeing people’s submissions, especially during this season of gratitude. Here’s what one community member posted:
“I am grateful for spending more time at home, focusing on what actually matters. The hustle and bustle of my life before the pandemic fell away and it gave me an opportunity to slow down and concentrate on my family and loved ones.
“We got creative, we navigated remote learning, we problem solved, and we connected with nature more. I am grateful for our community who pulled together to make what seemed impossible, possible. Neighbors helping neighbors during periods of quarantine and folks supporting small businesses. I am grateful for my family and I am grateful for Altamont!”
I couldn’t have said it any better myself. If you’d like to add a post to our gratitude wall, you can find a link on our homepage at AltamontFreeLibrary.org.
Thanksgiving
The Altamont Free Library will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and be closed the following Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. On behalf of the board and staff, we wish you and your family a healthy, safe, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us.
We’re about five weeks away from the Altamont Celebration of Lights, 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 $5 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. The honorees’ names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website.
Forms are available at the library and in this edition of The Altamont Enterprise. Please join us at the gazebo on Friday, Dec. 10, for what is always a lovely and moving (and socially-distant) ceremony.
Book Club
Do you love to read? Do you love talking about the things you’ve read? If so, consider joining our First Monday Book Club! We meet, as the name implies, on the first Monday of every month at noon.
Our next meeting will be Monday, Dec. 6, at noon when we’ll meet via Zoom to discuss “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s a fascinating book, and we’ve got several copies on hold if you’re interested. You can also find the digital book and audiobook available for free on the Libby app.
If you’d like to join us, or to reserve your copy of “The Remains of the Day,” call us at 518-861-7239 or send us an email at .
Story time
Story time is on the move! Now that the weather is getting colder, we’ve moved story times a few blocks away and indoors! Please join us in the Community Room at Altamont Reformed Church at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for a super fun morning of songs, stories, and activities!
We’re moving to ARC so that our story-time families have lots of room to stretch out and distance themselves from one another. Since this is an indoor program, all participants over the age of 2 must wear masks for the duration of the program. Please enter through the back, and head right upstairs to the Community Room. Many thanks to Altamont Reformed Church for hosting us this fall and winter. We hope to see you there!
It’s the time of year of 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 gives 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 you all!
Thanksgiving
The Altamont Free Library will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and be closed the following Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. On behalf of the board and staff, we wish you and your family a healthy, safe, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us.
We’re about five weeks away from the Altamont Celebration of Lights, 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 $5 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. The honorees’ names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website.
Forms are available at the library and in this edition of The Altamont Enterprise. Please join us at the gazebo on Friday, Dec. 11, for what is always a lovely and moving (and currently socially-distant) ceremony.
Book Club
Do you love to read? Do you love talking about the things you’ve read? If so, consider joining our First Monday Book Club! We meet, as the name implies, on the first Monday of every month at noon.
Our next meeting will be Monday, Dec. 6, at noon when we’ll meet via Zoom to discuss “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s a fascinating book, and we’ve got several copies on hold if you’re interested. You can also find the digital book and audiobook available for free on the Libby app.
If you’d like to join us, or to reserve your copy of “The Remains of the Day,” call us at 518-861-7239 or send us an email at .
Story time
Since June, we’ve been doing our weekly Tuesday morning story times for children outside in Orsini Park or our back patio, and it’s been a ton of fun! Now that the weather is getting colder, we’re moving story times a few blocks away and indoors.
Please join us in the Community Room at Altamont Reformed Church at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for a super-fun morning of songs, stories, and activities! We’re moving to ARC so that our story-time families have lots of room to stretch out and distance themselves from one another.
Since this is an indoor program, all participants over the age of 2 must wear masks for the duration of the program. Please enter through the back, and head right upstairs to the Community Room. Many thanks to Altamont Reformed Church for hosting us this fall and winter. We hope to see you there!
If you’re between the ages of 9 and 12, and you’re reading the Library Notes page of The Altamont Enterprise, boy oh boy, do we have the club for you! More likely, you know someone of that age that loves to read and loves to talk about what they’ve been reading.
Either way, please join our Junior Book Club on Tuesday, Nov.16, at 7 p.m.! This month, we’ll be discussing Cecilia Galante’s wonderful young-adult novel. “Strays Like Us.” There’s still time to pick up a copy here at the library, but even if you don’t have time to finish it (we know you’re busy), we’d still love to see you and have you help us pick our next book!
Since we’ll be meeting indoors, all attendees are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing throughout the discussion. We can’t wait to see you there!
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us.
We’re about five weeks away from the Altamont Celebration of Lights, 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 $5 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. The honorees’ names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website.
Forms are available at the library and in this edition of The Altamont Enterprise. Please join us at the gazebo on Friday, Dec. 11, for what is always a lovely and moving (and currently socially-distant) ceremony.
Story time
Since June, we’ve been doing our weekly Tuesday morning story times for children outside in Orsini Park or our back patio, and it’s been a ton of fun! Now that the weather is getting colder, we’re moving story times a few blocks away and indoors.
Please join us in the Community Room at Altamont Reformed Church at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for a super-fun morning of songs, stories, and activities! We’re moving to ARC so that our story-time families have lots of room to stretch out and distance themselves from one another.
Since this is an indoor program, all participants over the age of 2 must wear masks for the duration of the program. Please enter through the back, and head right upstairs to the Community Room. Many thanks to Altamont Reformed Church for hosting us this fall and winter. We hope to see you there!
Altamont
By Joe Burke
Election Day has passed us and, as I write this, we don’t yet know the outcomes of the various important elections, but it might be nice to step back from negativity and think about how lucky we are to live where and when we do.
Working in the Altamont Free Library, I often think about all of the changes that our building has seen since it was completed in 1897. Over the past 124 years, this building has seen the expansion of political, social, and economic rights and opportunities for enormous segments of our population.
It has witnessed multiple wars, recessions, depressions, and hardships. It has seen cultural changes the likes of which could not have been imagined by the builders of our train station or the founders of our library.
It has seen the eradication of horrific diseases and the dramatic increase in life expectancy. It has seen people on the moon and the rise of instantaneous global communication.
All of this reminds us that change is always difficult and discomforting, but despite all of those changes the essentials remain: We live in one of the most beautiful, bountiful places on the face of the planet and we are sustained by our strong community ties.
No matter what the outcome is on Election Day, rest assured that the Altamont Train Station will still be here, ready as always to take you on your next exciting journey.
Library Lights
Feel that nip in the air? That’s a pretty good sign that the holidays are creeping up on us.
We’re about six weeks away from the Altamont Celebration of Lights, 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 $5 each and all proceeds benefit the Altamont Free Library. The honorees’ names will be read during the annual lighting ceremony on Friday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m., and be published on the library’s website.
Forms are available at the library and in future editions of The Altamont Enterprise. Please join us at the gazebo on Friday, Dec. 11, for what is always a lovely and moving (and currently socially-distant) ceremony.
Story time
Since June, we’ve been doing our weekly Tuesday morning story times for children outside in Orsini Park or our back patio, and it’s been a ton of fun! Now that the weather is getting colder, we’re moving story times a few blocks away and indoors.
Please join us in the Community Room at Altamont Reformed Church at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for a super-fun morning of songs, stories, and activities! We’re moving to ARC so that our story-time families have lots of room to stretch out and distance themselves from one another.
Since this is an indoor program, all participants over the age of 2 must wear masks for the duration of the program. Please enter through the back, and head right upstairs to the Community Room. Many thanks to Altamont Reformed Church for hosting us this fall and winter. We hope to see you there!
— Photo by Joe Burke
The history of local auto racing is on display at the Altamont Free Library curated by Dan Barker, above, of the Altamont Village Archives and Museum, assisted by local racing enthusiast Paul Malecki.
Did you know that an Indianapolis 500 winning driver was from Altamont? It’s true! Isn’t that cool?
His name was Lee Wallard, and almost as cool as that is that we are currently displaying his racing helmet and goggles, among several other artifacts of his. It’s all part of a new exhibit we’re hosting in our entryway display case all about the 95th anniversary of the beginning of auto racing here in Altamont.
The Altamont fairgrounds used to host some of the most exciting car races to be seen anywhere, and you can relive some of the excitement by checking out the posters, models, and artifacts that we’ll be displaying here until early December.
The exhibit was curated by Dan Barker of the Altamont Village Archives and Museum, assisted by local racing enthusiast Paul Malecki. Many thanks to Dan and Paul for letting us host their incredible exhibit!
Painting Joy
While you’re here checking out our racing exhibit, don’t forget that you still have a few more weeks to see another ongoing art exhibit in our Community Room. Painting Joy is an exhibit of wonderfully vibrant paintings by local artist Maria DeAngelo.
You’ll immediately recognize a few prominent local landmarks in her work, including a certain train station that I personally am very fond of. Painting Joy will be on display through the end of October, so come check it out! Thank you, Maria, for allowing us to show off your incredible work.
Local authors
While we’re on the subject of local talent, we’ve collected so many books from local authors recently that we’ve started a new section dedicated to authors based in Altamont and the surrounding area. We’ve got Tom Capuano and Thom Breitenbach’s new “True Ghost Stories From Altamont & Surrounds,” Diane Garbo’s brand new series of romance novels and many more besides, both fiction and nonfiction. Come check them out, and if you or a loved one have a book you’ve written that you’d like to have added to our local authors collection, please send it our way!
Storytime at ARC
Since June, we’ve been doing our weekly Tuesday morning storytimes for children outside in Orsini Park on our back patio, and it’s been a ton of fun! Now that the weather is getting colder, we’re moving story times a few blocks away and indoors!
Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 26, please join us in the community room at Altamont Reformed Church at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for a super fun morning of songs, stories, and activities! We’re moving to ARC so that our story-time families have lots of room to stretch out and distance themselves from one another.
Since this is an indoor program, all participants over the age of 2 must wear masks for the duration of the program. Many thanks to Altamont Reformed Church for hosting us this fall and winter. We hope to see you there!
As demonstrated by last week’s wonderful Founders Day celebration put on by the Altamont Village Archives and Museum, we live in a place with a long history.
Conducting oral history interviews last week, I heard dozens of great stories about Altamont and the surrounding area, but our good friends Thom Breitenbach and Tom Capuano have been busy over the past year collecting a different kind of stories: Ghost stories!
Specifically, they’ve been seeking out ghost stories that occur in and around Altamont. They’ve collected over 70 stories into a new book called “True Ghost Stories From Altamont & Surrounds” and just in time for Halloween, they’ll be holding an event where you can purchase the book here at the library.
Join Tom and Thom on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. to learn about all the creepy, spooky, frightening, and/or simply unexplainable things that your friends and neighbors have seen here over the years.
Ancestry.com
from home
Speaking of those who have gone before us, as many library users know, Altamont Free Library (in addition to all the other libraries in Albany and Rensselaer) has for the past few years been able to provide our users with access to Ancestry.com and all of the historical and genealogical resources it contains, but only on the computers in the library itself.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, access to Ancestry.com has been temporarily expanded to library cardholders doing their research from home, courtesy of ProQuest and its partner Ancestry. Remote access won’t last forever, though, and it’s currently scheduled to end in December, so now is the perfect time to do your family history research from the comfort of your own home.
You can log on with your library card here: https://www.uhls.org/ancestry.htm Thanks to the Upper Hudson Library System for working this out for us!
Story time at ARC
Since June, we’ve been doing our weekly Tuesday morning story times for children outside in Orsini Park or our back patio, and it’s been a ton of fun! Now that the weather is getting colder, we’re moving storytimes a few blocks away and indoors!
Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 26, please join us in the community room at Altamont Reformed Church at 129 Lincoln Ave. in Altamont on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for a super fun morning of songs, stories, and activities!
We’re moving to ARC so that our Storytime families have lots of room to stretch out and distance themselves from one another. Since this is an indoor program, all participants over the age of two must wear masks for the duration of the program. Many thanks to Altamont Reformed Church for hosting us this fall and winter. We hope to see you there!
Sign up for an oral history interview!
Altamont has such a rich and interesting history, but it rarely gets written down. The best way to collect the history of a place is through recorded interviews with people who live there.
If you or a loved one have long memories and stories to tell about Altamont, please join us this coming Sunday, Oct. 10, to record a one-on-one oral history interview, which will be recorded and transcribed so that we always have it.
You can either bring a loved one to be an interviewer or, if you’d rather, I can conduct the interview myself. Either way, we’ll take care of the recording and have some sample questions ready to help you get the conversation started, so you can just relax and let your memories unfurl.
To sign up for a one-hour block of recording time, give us a call at 518-861-7239 or email me at .
Founders Day
It’s almost time for Founders Day! What? You’ve never heard of Altamont Founders Day? That’s probably because this is only the second time it’s being celebrated.
This October, we’re commemorating the 1890 founding of the village of Altamont with a weekend of great events that will celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community.
As discussed above, we’ll be collecting oral histories on Sunday, Oct. 10. Also that day, the village will play host to folks from all over the region as we show off our Museum in the Streets with guided tours of the historic core of the village. If you’ve never done the Museum walking tour, this would be a perfect opportunity!
Later, we will celebrate the opening of a new exhibit on the history of car racing at the Altamont fairgrounds, put together by Village Archivist Dan Barker at the Village Archives and Museum in Village Hall. Please join us as we celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community!
Altamont
ghost stories
Speaking of collecting stories, our good friends Thom Breitenbach and Tom Capuano have been busy over the past year collecting a different kind of stories: Ghost stories! Specifically, they’ve been seeking out ghost stories that occur in and around Altamont.
They’ve collected over 70 stories into a new book called “True Ghost Stories from Altamont & Surrounds” and just in time for Halloween, they’ll be holding an event where you can purchase the book here at the library.
Join Tom and Thom on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. to learn about all the creepy, spooky, frightening, and/or simply unexplainable things that your friends and neighbors have seen here over the years.
Kanopy
Did you know that, thanks to our good friends at Guilderland Public Library, you now have a new way to watch movies and TV for all ages for free by using your library card! Kanopy is a streaming service that is available now for free for Altamont or Guilderland cardholders.
You just use your barcode to start setting up an account (you will need an email too!) and then you have access to a multitude of movies, documentaries, and TV shows, and you can watch on a smart device; a streaming tool, like a Roku; or on a smart TV. Follow this link for more instructions: https://guilderlandlibrary.org/e-library-landing-page/. Please call or stop in with any questions and we hope you enjoy!
I love the Guilderland Public Library. I love its wealth of resources and its exciting and innovative programs. I love its “try anything” approach to serving its community. I especially love its world-class staff, which includes some of the best librarians I have ever worked with.
This week, the Guilderland Public Library is reopening to the public for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. When it does, visitors will be able to experience the years-in-the-making renovations that the GPL has undergone.
I had the chance to get a sneak preview of the renovated library last week, and let me tell you: Even though there are still a few more things to finish before the renovation is totally finished, you are in for a treat! GPL is now bigger than ever, with more meeting spaces, a larger children’s and young adult area, and a beautifully reimagined main reading room.
It has incredible murals, a delightful fish tank, and more room to show off its phenomenal collections. I am so excited for you to be able to go take a look yourself!
Ukulele group
Do you uke? If you do, even if you’re not very good yet, please join our monthly outdoor ukulele meetup. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. in Orsini Park, and we’d love for you to join us. Bring a song or two to share with the group if you like.
This is a fun, inviting way of growing as a player, picking up hints and tips, learning new tunes, and meeting fellow ukesters. We hope to see you in the park!
Oral-history interviews
Altamont has such a rich and interesting history, but it rarely gets written down. The best way to collect the history of a place is through recorded interviews with people who live there.
If you or a loved one have long memories and stories to tell about Altamont, please join us on Sunday, Oct. 10, to record a one-on-one oral history interview, which will be recorded and transcribed so that we always have it.
You can either bring a loved one to be the interviewer or, if you’d rather, I can conduct the interview myself. Either way, we’ll take care of the recording and have some sample questions ready to help you get the conversation started, so you can just relax and let your memories unfurl.
To sign up for a one-hour block of recording time, give us a call at 518-861-7239 or email me at .
Founders Day
It’s almost time for Founders Day! What? You’ve never heard of Altamont Founders Day? That’s probably because this is only the second time it’s being celebrated.
This October, we’re commemorating the 1890 founding of the village of Altamont with a weekend of great events that will celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community.
As discussed above, we’ll be collecting oral histories on Sunday, Oct. 10. Also that day, the village will play host to folks from all over the region as we show off our Museum in the Streets with guided tours of the historic core of the village. If you’ve never done the Museum walking tour, this would be a perfect opportunity!
Later, we will celebrate the opening of a new exhibit on the history of car racing at the Altamont fairgrounds, put together by Village Archivist Dan Barker at the Village Archives and Museum in Village Hall. Please join us as we celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community!
One of the questions we get asked most frequently here at the library is: Are there any good books on the history of Altamont? We tell them that of course there are!
Keith Lee’s recent book in the Images of America series is about as good as you could hope for, and of course the old standby, “Old Hellebergh” by former Guilderland Town Historian Arthur Gregg, is still pretty good.
We even have a walking tour that leads folks through Altamont history, but the best resource for Altamont history is still, as it has always been, the people that live here. We’d like to collect some of that history and preserve it for posterity, and we need your help.
If you or a loved one have long memories and stories to tell about Altamont, please join us on Sunday, Oct. 10, to record a one-on-one oral history interview, which will be recorded and transcribed so that we always have it.
You can either bring a loved one to be the interviewer or, if you’d rather, I can conduct the interview myself. Either way, we’ll take care of the recording and have some sample questions ready to help you get the conversation started, so you can just relax and let your memories unfurl.
To sign up for a one-hour block of recording time, give us a call at (518) 861-7239 or email me at .
Founders Day
It’s almost time for Founders Day! What? You’ve never heard of Altamont Founders Day? That’s probably because this is only the second time it’s being celebrated.
This October, we’re commemorating the 1890 founding of the village of Altamont with a weekend of great events that will celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community.
As discussed above, we’ll be collecting oral histories on Sunday, Oct. 10. Also that day, the village will play host to folks from all over the region as we show off our Museum in the Streets with guided tours of the historic core of the village. If you’ve never done the Museum walking tour, this would be a perfect opportunity!
Later, we will celebrate the opening of a new exhibit on the history of car racing at the Altamont fairgrounds, put together by Village Archivist Dan Barker at the Village Archives and Museum in Village Hall. Please join us as we celebrate the history of our beautiful and unique community!
Exhibits
Speaking of exhibits, we’re so lucky here in Altamont to be surrounded by extraordinary artistic talent and collectors of interesting things, and for the first time in a very long time, we have a new art exhibit hanging in our Community Room.
Painting Joy is an exhibit of wonderfully vibrant paintings by local artist Maria DeAngelo. You’ll immediately recognize a few prominent local landmarks in her work, including a certain train station that I personally am very fond of. Painting Joy will be on display through the end of October, so come check it out! Thank you, Maria, for allowing us to show off your incredible work.
COVID restrictions
On a sadder note, we are all aware that COVID numbers are once again spiking in the Capital District. The staff, trustees, and I all remain committed to providing as much access to library resources as we safely can.
For the time being, we are not reducing access to the library or our collection, either by imposing headcount restrictions or time limits on visits, though we do continue to require masks to be properly worn by all visitors at all times.
If public health conditions make it necessary for us to make changes to our mode of operation, we will announce those changes through our Facebook and Instagram feeds, on signs on the library doors, and on our website. Those changes will also be announced in this weekly column, though there will necessarily be a time-delay between the changes being made, and the publication of the column.
Please remember that we take many factors into consideration when making decisions about restricting access to the library, but the most important considerations must always be the health and well-being of our users and our staff. If you have any questions about our mode of operation now or in the future, please don’t hesitate to call me at 518-861-7239 or email me at director@altamontfreelibrary.org.
As I’m certain you all know, September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. I’m sure that everyone is busy planning their annual barbecues and fireworks displays to commemorate the celebration, so I’ll be brief.
I wish I still had my first library card from the grand old Huntington Public Library down on Long Island. It was a simple yellow cardstock affair that became very flimsy and bedraggled over time.
I remember how carefully and neatly I tried to write my name on it, because getting my very own library card was such a momentous occasion for me. It was my first slice of adulthood: The first thing I owned that wasn’t an undersized, kid-ified version of what my parents used when they used the library. Mine looked and acted just the same as theirs did. It felt powerful, and it was.
I’ve only ever really moved to a new city twice, first to New Paltz, New York for college, and afterwards to Albany. One of the first things I did when I moved to Albany was to get a library card, and I still have and use that one.
It’s 19 years old, almost half as old as I am, and, despite some cracks and some fading, it still works just as well as it ever did. I’ve added new barcode stickers to it over the years, and taped and laminated it to prevent additional deterioration, but the underlying card itself is solid and sound. I never leave home without it, and that will never change.
What has changed in the 35-odd years since I got my first library card is what I’m able to do with it, which is so much more than what I was able to do with my childhood library card, because libraries do so much more now than they ever have before. Where once you could use your card to check out books, LPs, and maybe movies, your library card now opens up an entirely broader world of art, culture, learning, and empowerment.
With an Altamont Free Library card, for example, you can access every word that The New York Times has ever printed online and for free. (Just go to AltamontFreeLibrary.org/Times for all the details.)
You can access a catalog of tens of thousands of ebooks, digital magazines, and digital audiobooks from anywhere in the world, and, again, for free, through the Libby and Hoopla smart device apps.
You can borrow museum passes for free entry to some of the greatest museums that our region has to offer. You can research your family history from anywhere and — one more time — for free through the powerful genealogical databases available through Ancestry.com.
Most recently, thanks to our friends at Guilderland Public Library, we added a new way to watch movies and TV for all ages for free by using your library card using the Kanopy streaming service. (Follow this link for more instructions: https://guilderlandlibrary.org/e-library-landing-page/...)
My old card couldn’t do any of those things, but yours can!
Not to mention, of course, that you can check out books. Not only our books, but the books and movies and museum passes at any of the other libraries in Albany and Rensselaer counties. If we don’t have something here, we can usually get it for you from one of those other libraries. If it isn’t at any of those libraries, we can have them sent to us from farther away.
In the past two weeks, we’ve gotten books for our patrons from libraries in Illinois, Iowa, and New Mexico!
So, if you haven’t used your library card in a while, or lost it, or never had one to begin with, come see us! We’ll be happy to see you, and you’ll definitely be happy to see what you’ve been missing.