Bethlehem Library Notes for Thursday, April 26, 2018
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
Magic: A scarf makes a perfect prop for peekaboo at a recent story time held in the Children’s Place at the Bethlehem Public Library.
The Bethlehem Public Library has a proposed budget of $4.2 million for the 2108-19 fiscal year. The levy portion of the budget is about $3.9 million, an increase of 2.78 percent over last year and within the state-mandated spending cap.
With the proposed spending plan, the library strikes a balance between new and core responsibilities with a greater allocation of funding for the materials line, allowing for the ongoing purchase of movies and books — in print and digital formats — and providing a boost to the Library of Things collection.
Salary and general operations costs remain largely stable, with a small increase to the furniture and equipment line to accommodate some planned service enhancements.
“The 2018-19 budget is based on actual lending data and allows us to remain flexible in serving the needs of the community while staying within the state-mandated tax cap,” said library Director Geoffrey Kirkpatrick.
A detailed budget chart is available in the May/June issue of the Footnotes newsletter and online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Bethlehem Central School District residents will vote on the budget Tuesday, May 15, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bethlehem Central High School.
Also on the ballot are two full-term, five-year seats and one partial-term seat on the board of trustees. On the ballot are Caroline Brancatella, Mark Kissinger and Harmeet Narang, all of whom are current trustees on board.
An informal Meet the Candidates evening will be held at the library Wednesday, May 2, at 6 p.m.
Dealing with ASD
On Monday, April 30, learn how to address the sometimes challenging behavior of a child with ASD, autism spectrum disorder, at our “Tantrums, Tears and Timeouts” program, presented by University at Albany’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities.
The talk takes place 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is geared toward parents and other caregivers.
Glimmerglass with Friends
The Friends of the Library are once again sponsoring two trips to Glimmerglass Opera this summer: “The Barber of Seville” on Monday, July 23, and “West Side Story” on Thursday, Aug. 16.
The Glimmerglass trips are a great way to enjoy an elegant outing while supporting the Friends. Each bus will leave CDTA’s Delaware Avenue park-and-ride lot next to Mercato’s Restaurant at 9:30 a.m. on the day of the performance.
The cost is $135 for each outing, which includes lunch at the Otesaga Hotel. Your check is your reservation — no refunds are given unless your seat is sold. For more information, contact Polly Hartman at (518) 439-3291.
Seats fill quickly. You will find a reservation form in the May/June edition of Footnotes and online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Join the conversation
Coffee and Conversation continues Friday, April 27, with “Enterprising Waters — New York’s Erie Canal.” Brad Utter, senior historian at the New York State Museum, will provide an overview of the museum’s new exhibit highlighting the canal.
Coffee and Conversation programs are free and open to everyone. They begin at 1 p.m. and last about 60 minutes with a coffee and social hour following. The series is co-sponsored by Bethlehem Senior Projects Inc.