Bethlehem Library Notes for Thursday, May 24, 2018
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
Celebration on the Green: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers enjoyed the sunny weather as they frolicked on the Bethlehem Public Library’s Green for a Springtime Celebration on Friday, May 18.
The Bethlehem Public Library will be closed Memorial Day weekend, Saturday through Monday, May 26 to 28.
Please be aware that the library could also be closed for some of Thursday, May 24, and all of Friday, May 25, to accommodate the final phase of our heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning construction project. No part of the library will be accessible at that time, including the book drops. Due dates on materials have been adjusted to prevent any overdue fees associated with a possible closing.
Our phone system, website, and BCN-TV public access station may also be down during this time and possibly through the holiday weekend.
We thank you for your understanding as we wrap up this much-needed project to modernize our heating and cooling system to prepare our building for a comfortable and sustainable future.
Election results
The library would like to thank voters for approving the $3.9 million budget levy for 2018-19 on Tuesday, May 15, by a vote of 2,017 to 221 — a margin of about 85 percent.
Your continued support allows us to remain agile and able to offer materials and services — traditional and innovative — that reach beyond the fixed constraints of our building’s physical footprint. Details of the budget are online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Voters on Tuesday also re-elected trustees Mark Kissinger, Caroline Brancatella, and Harmeet Narang.
The library at your doorstep
Books to People is a free library delivery service available to residents of the Bethlehem Central School District who are unable to visit the library because of a permanent or temporary medical condition.
The library van will deliver requests every two weeks, and pick up returns. You can request books, circulating magazines, DVDs, music CDs and audiobooks. You can ask for your favorite authors, large print or specific genres, such as mystery, thrillers or romance.
To ask for this delivery service, contact the library information desk at 518-439-9314, press 2.
Be a summer volunteer
We’re looking for volunteers who will be in grades six to 12 in September to help with our summer reading program. Our teens staff the summer reading desk, assist with online submissions, read to children, review books, and help with programs and activities.
Applications are available online at www.bplteens.org and in the library. They will be accepted until 9 p.m. on June 4 or until all positions are filled. Volunteers must attend an orientation session.
BPL librarian in national journal
Bethlehem librarian Catherine Stollar Peters, who heads up the Tech Services and Circulation department, was featured in a “Notable Dissertations” article in the May 2018 issue of American Libraries.
Peters, who earned her Ph.D. earlier this year from the University at Albany, looked at how libraries facilitate personal digital archiving, as well as the barriers some people face when using library technology to manage their personal information.
Her dissertation was one of eight highlighted in the article for its relevance and measurable recommendations for change. It can be viewed at bit.ly/2FNAlbE.