Bethlehem Library Notes for Wednesday, June 22, 2022
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
The Bethlehem Public Library is starting to bring back the toys in the children’s area – and there are even more on order! The return of toys is part of the final phase of the library’s phased reopening plan.
Get to know some of your favorite authors and enjoy Q&A opportunities with bestsellers through one of the following virtual author talks available to Bethlehem cardholders. Talks will occasionally feature more than one author at a time, and additional copies of the featured books will be available.
These two talks are coming soon:
— June 29 at 7 p.m.: Author talk with Reavis Z. Wortham: “The Texas Job”
Reavis Z. Wortham will discuss his new book, “The Texas Job.” Set in 1931, this well-crafted crime novel features Texas Ranger Tom Bell, a supporting character in “The Right Side of Wrong,” Wortham’s third Red River mystery. Bell becomes a target when he discovers a dead body on the outskirts of Pine Top, a bustling oil boomtown in East Texas; and
— July 7 at 9 p.m.: Author talk with Alka Joshi: “The Henna Artist”
Join us for an enchanting evening with New York Times Best Selling author and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Alka Joshi as she discusses her captivating and bestselling novels, “The Henna Artist” and “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur.”
Alka Joshi was born in India and immigrated to the United States when she was 9 years old, and published her debut novel, “The Henna Artist,” at the age of 62. Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, “The Henna Artist” leads the audience on a journey through 1950s post-independence India that is all at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.
In this interview, Alka will share her inspirations for her work, how her mother’s life story has influenced her writing, and her experience and role in the creation of a Netflix series based on her books.
To sign up for one of these talks or see what other ones are coming up, visit www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/author-talks.
Read with us
this summer
Sign up for our 2022 Summer Reading Challenge today and start tracking your progress through challenge cards for a chance to earn some great prizes. This year’s theme, Oceans of Possibilities, explores animals and the stories inspired by the sea.
The Summer Reading Challenge is open to everyone — pre-K to adults.
Register online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org, and join us for the Summer Reading kickoff Friday, June 24, as our friends from the Puppet People present two performances of “The Pirate of Book Island.”
Coming soon:
Fine-free borrowing
Bethlehem Public Library is going fine-free on July 1, 2022. From that day forward, we will no longer charge fines for overdue books and other media. Replacement fees and charges for lost or damaged items still apply, and fines of $1 per day for Library of Things items and interlibrary loans, as well as $5 per day for museum passes and Wi-Fi hotspots, will remain.
Fine free means judgment free. If you’ve been avoiding the library because you’re worried about paying fines, we are happy to welcome you back! Click here to register for your new card online (www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/borrow/online-library-card-application), or give us a call at 518-439-9314 or e-mail us at to check if you already have a card.