Library users have lots of great ways of accessing library services from the comfort of their own homes (or anywhere in the world, really), and we’ve made some changes to our online services that we’re excited to tell you about!

First of all, many of you have been using the Overdrive smartphone app to borrow free downloadable ebooks and audiobooks. Overdrive actually has two apps at the moment, one called Overdrive and another called Libby.

The company has decided that one app is better than two, and the Overdrive app will disappear from the Apple and Android app stores in February 2022, and it will no longer receive updates. They’re hoping to migrate all users of the Overdrive App over to Libby.

The good news is that, if you start using Libby, you’ll still have access to the same catalog of digital ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines, and if you have holds placed in Overdrive, you’ll keep your place in line when you make the switch. I happen to find Libby much easier to use than the Overdrive app, and if you need any help in the transition just let us know.

In other new app news, if you’ve tried to use our Upper Hudson Library System Mobile app over the past few months, you may have noticed that it doesn’t work very well (or really at all), so we’ve gotten a new one. You can delete the old UHLS Mobile app from your phone or table, go to the app store and search for UHLS Mobile. (Yes, the new app has the same name as the old app.)

Once you’ve downloaded UHLS Mobile, you’ll be able to browse the library catalog, place holds, check the due dates on anything you have checked out, pay fines, and much more.

Another popular service that you have access to with your library card is Ancestry.com. As many library users know, the 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, though, access to Ancestry.com has been temporarily expanded to library cardholders doing their research from home, and remote access has just been extended again until the end of 2021! 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!

Finally, and most exciting, thanks to our good friends at the 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 television 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!

 

 

This coming weekend is Labor Day, a time when we recognize the many ways in which the work that our fellow community members do enriches our own lives.

There’s a wonderful new book by one of my favorite children’s authors, Brian Floca, called “Keeping the City Going,” which, through moving words and beautiful illustrations, recalls the early days of the pandemic, back in March and April of last year when America was united in recognizing the contributions to our society of the first responders, grocery workers, delivery people, and other essential workers. I’ve been thinking about that book a lot since it came out a few weeks ago, and I highly recommend it.

I happen to think that very nearly all workers are essential in their own way, library workers very much included. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our staff members for the incredible work they’ve done since last Labor Day in keeping our library running and thriving.

They are: Ann Cartmell, Jason Cooper, Ann Gainer, Claudia Le Clair, Jo Ann Mulligan, Erika Peterson, Albert Rusch, and Meg Seinberg-Hughes as well as volunteer extraordinaire Elfie Erickson. They are each incredible public servants in their own way, and they each contribute tremendously to our success. Next time you see them, please consider thanking them for all they do for our community.

Holiday

Altamont Free Library will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 4 and Monday, Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day. I think the staff have earned it, don’t you?

Uke 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, Sept. 7 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 hits and tips, learning new tunes, and meeting fellow ukesters. We hope to see you in the park!

“Great Gatsby”

Join the AFL Book Group for a discussion of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, “The Great Gatsby.” Set in the Roaring Twenties amidst all of the glitz and glamour of what Fitzgerald termed the Jazz Age, Gatsby is the classic story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and wealthy man and the lengths he goes to to win back his old flame.

Whether you’ve read it before or not, join us in Orsini Park on Monday, Sept. 13, at noon for what will no doubt be a great discussion. (Yes, we normally meet on the first Monday of the month, but in September, that will be Labor Day, and the library will be closed.)

Enter the Jazz Age on Sept. 13 in Orsini Park, as the Altamont Free Library Book Group discusses F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”

Last week, we wrapped up our 2021 Summer Reading Program, and let me tell you: It was fantastic!

All summer long, the library was a buzz of activity as young friends came and went, telling us about all the cool books they’d read, and how many jumping jacks they could do, and where they last spotted our stuffed llama mascot around the village.

It’s nice to have a quiet library sometimes, but I’ll take a loud and busy one any day, especially in the summer.

Earlier this week, we picked our Summer Reading Program raffle prize winners, and we’ve tried to get in touch with all of the winners, but if you’re not sure whether you or your kids won a prize, you can check out our website, AltamontFreeLibrary.org, where we have a list of all of our winners posted.

Because we had so, so many participants this year, not everybody will have won a prize, but I am so proud of everyone for all of the drawing, and all of the bird-watching, and all of the jumping jacks, and all of the llama-searching, and especially all of the reading that all of the kids did. You should be proud of them too.

These are not easy times to be a kid. It never is, I suppose, but as a parent, I can tell you that having a safe, happy place in the community where kids can be themselves and indulge their interests and their dreams through reading and discovery can make a big difference. We’re so happy to be able to be that place for so many of the incredible kids in this incredible community.

Holiday

Altamont Free Library will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 4 and Monday, Sept. 6 in observance of Labor Day. I think the staff have earned it, don’t you?

Uke 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, Sept.7 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 hits and tips, learning new tunes, and meeting fellow ukesters. We hope to see you in the park!

“Great Gatsby”

Join the AFL Book Group for a discussion of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel “The Great Gatsby.” Set in the Roaring Twenties amidst all of the glitz and glamour of what Fitzgerald termed the Jazz Age, “Gatsby” is the classic story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious and wealthy man and the lengths he goes to to win back his old flame.

Whether you’ve read it before or not, join us in Orsini Park on Monday, Sept. 13, at noon for what will no doubt be a great discussion. (Yes, we normally meet on the first Monday of the month, but in September, that will be Labor Day, and the library will be closed.)

 

As COVID cases have ticked back up locally over the past few weeks, we’ve gotten a few questions from patrons about whether we are keeping things as they’ve been since the beginning of summer, or whether we’re going back to patrons needing an appointment to use the library. The answer is that, for right now, we’re keeping things as they are: No appointments needed, and no time limit for your visit. Another thing that will not change is our masking policy.

Some libraries had eased their restrictions on masking, but nearly all of them have since returned to where we have always been: All patrons over the age of 2 must wear a mask covering their mouth and nose while using the library, regardless of vaccination status.

The New York State Department of Health continues to strongly recommend that masks be worn in indoor settings where the people’s vaccination status is unknown. Many of our patrons are young children, have medical vulnerabilities, or are — for whatever reason — unvaccinated, so at any given time, there may be unvaccinated people in the library who are especially vulnerable to the Delta variant.

The best defense against COVID remains what it has always been: Wash your hands frequently; maintain social distance; and wear a mask, especially when indoors. For anyone who hasn’t done so already, please get vaccinated as soon as you are able to do so.

If you prefer not to wear a mask, we continue to offer Grab & Go service that you are more than welcome to use. The board and I will review this policy at each board meeting going forward. If you have any questions about this, give me a call at 518-861-7239 or send me an email at . On behalf of the entire staff and board, we appreciate your patience and support.
 

Schilling Park

Storywalk

Have you checked out our StoryWalk at Schilling Park yet? If not, you should! Read the positive and vibrant children’s book It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr while walking around this lovely little pocket park just off of Maple Avenue in the Village of Altamont!

Many thanks to our friends at The Upper Hudson Library System and the Village of Altamont for helping make this StoryWalk possible. It’s Okay to be Different will be up in Schilling Park for a little while longer, assuming the posts stay planted and the signs hold up.

Even better, did you know that Altamont Free Library is only one of many libraries hosting StoryWalks throughout the Capital District? The wonderful Guilderland Public Library has put one up in Tawasentha Park, and the equally wonderful Voorheesville Public Library has one in Wallace Park in Voorheesville, and there are many more besides those! For a full list of all the StoryWalks in Albany and Rensselaer Counties, go to UHLS.org/storwalk. Collect them all, and let us know which ones you liked.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

With last week’s concert, we have come to the end of the 2021 Orsini Park Summer Concert Series.

As I write this on Thursday, July 29, I don’t know yet whether or not that last concert was a good one or whether we dodged the rain for a fifth week in a row, but what I do know is that even if that last show was a total wash-out, this has already been the most successful concert series that we’ve ever had.

The crowds have been larger than ever before. We have raised more money for next year’s series than we ever have before. The kids have been more numerous, and happier, and more beehive-active than ever before.

Most importantly, I have heard so, so many people talk about how grateful they are to live in the place that they do, alongside the neighbors that they do, with such a great park, and such a great library, and such great local musical talent. I’ve been humbled by the gratitude people have expressed for the series, and I am myself enormously grateful for everyone who came out to support the concerts and the library. Thank you all!

We have gotten unaccountably, ridiculously lucky with the weather. Every week for the first four weeks of the concert series, we somehow dodged the nearly omnipresent rainstorms.

Every week, I worried from the time I got up on Tuesday morning right up until the bands started playing that the weather would turn and we would have to cancel, and every week, I was calmed and reassured by our concert coordinator Lori McCutcheon that everything was going to be fine, and it always was.

Lori booked a fantastic group of bands for us this summer, and we all owe her a debt of gratitude for her work in making everything come together. Thank you Lori!

The past year has been a hard one, and I’m worried that the coming fall and winter will be tough too. It’s sometimes been difficult to find things in our daily lives to be grateful for, and places where we can remind ourselves that the divisions that we constantly see cropping up on social media and on the news don’t actually reflect most of our lived experiences.

Throughout July, the attendees at our concerts came from a rainbow of political persuasions. Some were vaccine evangelists and some were vaccine skeptics. Some supported the Stewart’s renovation, some opposed it, and some had mixed feelings.

But the pleasures of gathering as a community, and listening to good music, and watching happy kids play games that they’ve just made up are more real and more important than the things that separate us when we only experience our neighbors through the mediation of a screen. We can’t wait to see you all together in the park next summer!  

Summer Reading

The children’s Summer Reading Program is rolling right along! This year, our Summer Reading Program is all about animals, and it has been wild! Come pick up your Summer Reading bingo card at the library and start earning chances to win fabulous prizes, by having adventures, being helpful, and especially, by reading, reading, reading!

Don’t forget that all summer long, Altamont will be playing host to a stuffed friend named Library Llama, and she’ll be hiding in different businesses all summer long. If you can find her, you can be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. Look for clues on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on posters at the library.

Schilling Park StoryWalk

Have you checked out our StoryWalk at Schilling Park yet? If not, you should! Read the positive and vibrant children’s book It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr while walking around this lovely little pocket park just off of Maple Avenue in the Village of Altamont!

Many thanks to our friends at The Upper Hudson Library System and the Village of Altamont for helping make this StoryWalk possible. It’s Okay to be Different will be up in Schilling Park for a little while longer, assuming the posts stay planted and the signs hold up.

Even better, did you know that Altamont Free Library is only one of many libraries hosting StoryWalks throughout the Capital District? The wonderful Guilderland Public Library has one in Tawasentha Park, and the equally wonderful Voorheesville Public Library has one in Wallace Park in Voorheesville, and there are many more besides those!

For a full list of all the StoryWalks in Albany and Rensselaer Counties, go to UHLS.org/storwalk. Collect them all, and let us know which ones you liked.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

— Photo by Joe Burke

Wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Martin displays a red tailed hawk, one of the many wild animals who joined her at Altamont Free Library on Wednesday, July 21.

For three weeks straight, we’ve gotten incredibly lucky with the weather for our Orsini Park Summer Concert Series, and by the time you read this we’ll know whether we were able to pull it off four weeks in a row. Sadly, next week will be the last concert of the series, but we’re going out with a bang!

Please join us in the park on Tuesday, Aug. 3, for E-Block! E-Block is an incredible young band based in Rotterdam, which plays a mix of soulful covers and original tunes. You are absolutely not going to want to miss it, if for no other reason than that it’s going to be a long 11 months before we get to do this again!

All concerts begin at 7 p.m., and are supported in part by the village of Altamont, as well as by donations to Altamont Free Library. It’s been so nice to see you all back in the park after a year away, so break out your blankets and lawn chairs, gather the kids and bring your neighbors, and meet us one last time this summer out at the gazebo!
 

Summer Reading Program

The children’s Summer Reading Program is rolling right along! This year, our Summer Reading Program is all about animals, and it has been wild! Come pick up your Summer Reading bingo card at the library and start earning chances to win fabulous prizes, by having adventures, being helpful, and especially, by reading, reading, reading!

Once you’ve off and running on your bingo card, join us on Thursday, Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. to hear from Katrina Talbot, a wildlife biologist with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, and learn all about the wild animals that live all around us and how we can safely interact with them.  It’s going to be informative and interesting, so don’t miss it!

Don’t forget that all summer long, Altamont will be playing host to a stuffed friend named Library Llama, and she’ll be hiding in different businesses all summer long. If you can find her, you can be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. Look for clues on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on posters at the library.

It’s already been a super fun summer and it’s not too late to join in the fun, so come get your Summer Reading Program brochure and bingo card today!

— Photo by Joe Burke

The Altamont Free Library recently installed a new StoryWalk in Schilling Park, just off Maple Avenue in the village of Altamont, which allows readers to walk through the park while reading the wonderful children’s book “It’s Okay to be Different” by Todd Parr. 

If you need to get out of the house with your young folks, and would like to get a bit of reading done at the same time, why not take a StoryWalk at Schilling Park! Read the positive and vibrant children’s book “It’s Okay to be Different” by Todd Parr while walking around this lovely little pocket park just off of Maple Avenue in the village of Altamont!

Many thanks to our friends at The Upper Hudson Library System and the village of Altamont for helping make this StoryWalk possible. “It’s Okay to be Different” will be up in Schilling Park for the next month or so, assuming the posts stay planted and the signs hold up.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
 

Summer Concerts

in Orsini Park

Please join us in the park for the ongoing 2021 Orsini Park Summer Concert Series! Our concert organizer, Lori McCutcheon, has put together five Tuesdays of great music running through Tuesday, Aug. 3. All concerts begin at 7 p.m., and are supported in part by the Village of Altamont, as well as by donations to Altamont Free Library. Stay tuned for more information about our lineup of awesome musicians in the coming weeks.

Next up, on Tuesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. we’ve got Feed the Animals! Feed the Animals is an Altamont-based band playing radio-friendly rock and pop favorites. It’s going to be a blast!

It’s been so nice to see you all back in the park after a year away, so break out your blankets and lawn chairs, gather the kids and bring your neighbors, and meet us out at the gazebo!
 

Summer Reading Program

The children’s Summer Reading Program is rolling right along! This year, our Summer Reading Program is all about animals, and it has been wild! Come pick up your Summer Reading bingo card at the library and start earning chances to win fabulous prizes, by having adventures, being helpful, and especially, by reading, reading, reading!

After dropping off your Bingo card hope you visited with Lula the Altamont Elementary School Therapy Dog and her owner, Ms. Martin. Reading to service animals is a great way for children to improve their reading skills, and Lula loves stories!

Don’t forget that all summer long, Altamont will be playing host to a stuffed friend named Library Llama, and she’ll be hiding in different businesses all summer long. If you can find her, you can be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. Look for clues on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on posters at the library.

It's already been a super fun summer and it’s not too late to join in the fun, so come get your Summer Reading Program brochure and bingo card today!

Please help us imagine the future of Altamont Free Library!

As we transition back to more normal library services and activities, we’d like to know what your experience of Altamont Free Library was during the pandemic. We would also like to learn what services we put in place during this unique time you may want to see us carry forward. 


Please take a few minutes to take our five-question survey at https://bit.ly/3iZyhzv or find the link on the homepage of our website at www.altamontfreelibrary.org.


We welcome feedback from our community on how we can serve you better, both during these unusual times and as we transition to more normality. Thank you for taking the time to answer this brief survey. We value your input. Thank you for helping us plan and grow!

Summer Concerts

Last week, we kicked off the 2021 Orsini Park Summer Concert Series! Our concert organizer, Lori McCutcheon, has put together five Tuesdays of great music running through Tuesday, Aug. 3.

All concerts begin at 7 p.m., and are supported in part by the village of Altamont, as well as by donations to Altamont Free Library. Stay tuned for more information about our lineup of awesome musicians in the coming weeks.

Next up, on Tuesday, July 6, at 7 p.m. we’ve got the Ultimates! The Ultimates play fun and highly danceable covers and classics with a rotating cast of vocalists. They’re a real party band!

It was so nice to see you all back in the park after a year away, so break out your blankets and lawn chairs, gather the kids and bring your neighbors, and meet us out at the gazebo!

Summer Reading

Last week, we also kicked off our always wildly anticipated children’s Summer Reading Program. This year, our Summer Reading Program is all about animals, and it’s going to be wild!

Come pick up your Summer Reading bingo card at the library and on July 5, start earning chances to win fabulous prizes, by having adventures; being helpful; and especially, by reading, reading, reading!

The next event of our Summer Reading Program will be a fascinating bird walk around the village with local bird expert Dan Capuano on Thursday, July 15, at 11 a.m. Bring a pair of binoculars if you have one, or borrow a pair of Dan’s as we observe and learn all about our fine, feathered neighbors. It’ll be a hoot!

Speaking of wildlife, all summer long, Altamont will be playing host to a stuffed friend named Library Llama, and starting July 5, they’ll be hiding in different businesses all summer long. If you can find them, you can be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. Look for clues on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on posters at the library.

It’s going to be a super-fun summer, so come get your Summer Reading Program brochure and bingo card today!

— Photo from Joe Burke

Meet Library Llama, the mascot for this year’s Altamont Free Library Summer Reading Program. Starting on July 5, Library Llama will be visiting businesses throughout the village of Altamont, and if you can find her and let the library know where she is each week, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. You can find clues at the library and on the Altamont Free Library’s Facebook page. Good lluck!

Next week, we’re kicking off our always wildly anticipated children’s Summer Reading Program! This year, our Summer Reading Program is all about animals, and it’s going to be wild! Come pick up your Summer Reading bingo card at the library and on July 5 to start earning chances to win fabulous prizes, by having adventures; being helpful; and especially, by reading, reading, reading!

The first event of our Summer Reading Program will be an up-close and personal visit with the llamas of Wunsupana Farms on Wednesday, July 7, in Orsini Park. If you watched the recent Memorial Day Parade here in the village, you know how cool these llamas are, and we’ll learn all about them from their owner, Teri Conroy, and her 4-H volunteers.

Speaking of llamas, Altamont will be playing host to a stuffed friend named Library Llama, and starting July 5, the llama will be hiding in different businesses all summer long. If you can find the llama, you can be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. Look for clues on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on posters at the library.

It’s going to be a super fun summer, so come get your Summer Reading Program brochure and bingo card today!

Summer Concerts

Next week, we’re also kicking off the 2021 Orsini Park Summer Concert Series! Our concert organizer, Lori McCutcheon, has put together five Tuesdays of great music, kicking off on Tuesday, July 6 and running through Tuesday, Aug. 3. All concerts begin at 7 p.m., and are supported in part by the Village of Altamont, as well as by donations to Altamont Free Library. Stay tuned for more information about our lineup of awesome musicians in the coming weeks.

First up, on Tuesday, July 6 at  7p.m. we’ve got Lost Jams Found! Lost Jams Found play classic rock, country and oldie favorites by artists from the Beatles to Chris Stapleton.

It’s going to be so nice to see you all back in the park after a year away, so break out your blankets and lawn chairs, gather the kids and bring your neighbors, and meet us out at the gazebo!

Saturday hours

It seems like every week recently, we’re taking another big step back towards normalcy: Two weeks ago, we brought back in-person storytimes in Orsini Park. Then last week, we opened up our doors for walk-in browsing. Well, here’s one more step along the path back to normalcy: On June 5 we resumed Saturday hours! We’re open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays going forward, so come and pay us a visit!

It’s just about time to kick off our always wildly anticipated children’s Summer Reading Program! This year, our Summer Reading Program is all about animals, and it’s going to be wild! Come pick up your Summer Reading bingo card at the library and on July 5, start earning chances to win fabulous prizes by having adventures; being helpful; and especially, by reading, reading, reading!

The first event of our Summer Reading Program will be an up-close and personal visit with the llamas of Wunsupana Farm on Wednesday, July 7, in Orsini Park. If you watched the recent Memorial Day Parade here in the village, you know how cool these llamas are, and we’ll learn all about them from their owner, Teri Conroy, and her 4-H volunteers.

Speaking of llamas, all summer long, Altamont will be playing host to a stuffed friend named Library Llama, and starting July 5, the llamas will be hiding in different businesses all summer long. If you can find them, you can be entered into a raffle for a special prize at the end of the summer. Look for clues on our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as on posters at the library.

It’s going to be a super fun summer, so come get your Summer Reading Program brochure and bingo card today!

Summer concerts

In case you missed it last week, we are very excited to announce the 2021 Orsini Park Summer Concert Series! Our concert organizer, Lori McCutcheon, has put together five Tuesdays of great music, kicking off on Tuesday, July 6 and running through Tuesday, Aug. 3. All concerts begin at 7 p.m., and are supported in part by the Village of Altamont, as well as by donations to Altamont Free Library. Stay tuned for more information about our lineup of awesome musicians in the coming weeks.

First up, on Tuesday, July 6, at 7 p.m., we’ve got Lost Jams Found! Lost Jams Found play classic rock, country and oldie favorites by artists from the Beatles to Chris Stapleton.

It’s going to be so nice to see you all back in the park after a year away, so break out your blankets and lawn chairs, gather the kids and bring your neighbors, and meet us out at the gazebo!

Saturday hours

It seems like every week recently, we’re taking another big step back towards normalcy: Two weeks ago, we brought back in-person storytimes in Orsini Park. Then last week, we opened up our doors for walk-in browsing. Well, here’s one more step along the path back to normalcy: On June 5, we resumed Saturday hours! We’re open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays going forward, so come and pay us a visit!

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