Bethlehem Library Notes for Wednesday, May 15, 2019

— Photo by Kristen Roberts

A Senior Sock Hop at Bethlehem Town Hall Friday, May 10, was a nostalgia trip for guests 60 and older. The event was a collaboration among Bethlehem Public Library, Bethlehem Senior Services, and Bethlehem Senior Projects Inc.

Meet some adoptable furry friends Saturday, May 18, beginning at 11 a.m. during the Bethlehem Public Library’s first-ever Forever Home Pet Adoption Day.

A number of local dog and cat rescues will be joining us in the Community Room and the Board Room, and there will be fun activities throughout the day, including a craft for children, therapy dogs to read to, dog and cat toys to make for donation to local rescues, and more.

Get to know some sweet animals looking for a forever home, as well as the local pet adoption organizations that foster them as they await adoption.

This event is supported by the Friends of the Library, who will be on hand to collect donations of pet food and supplies for local animal rescues.

Those who meet their “forever friend” at the event will be eligible for a special gift once the adoption is complete.

Art and Woodstock

Next up in our Coffee and Conversation series is “Historic Woodstock Art Colony” on Friday, May 17.

Art historian Karen Quinn, from the New York State Museum, will talk about America’s first intentionally created, year-round arts colony and discuss the museum’s Arthur A. Anderson collection, which represents the diversity of works created there.

The collection, which was recently donated, features more than 1,000 works by almost 200 hundred artists. Highlights of those works on display in the museum’s West Gallery through the end of the year.

Coffee & 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.

How does your garden grow?

Did our Seed Library inspire you to give gardening a try but you’re still a little unsure of how to get started? We’ll help you cultivate that green thumb Sunday, May 19, at 2:30 p.m. with a Gardening 101 program presented by Master Gardener Judith Fetterley. She will provide an overview of gardening, including site assessment, plant selection, tools and tips.

This event supports the BPL Seed Library, which is located behind the Information Desk and features a variety of open-pollinated vegetables and some herbs and flowers.

Budget and candidate info

The library has a proposed budget of $4.3 million for the 2019-20 fiscal year. The levy portion of that comes in at $4 million – a proposed increase of 3.31 percent, within the state-mandated cap.

A detailed budget chart is available online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org, along with information about the candidates for the Board of Trustees and their statements from the library’s Meet the Candidates night. On the ballot this year is one open seat on the board.