As the days get shorter and the weather more unpredictable, we are making some small changes to our curbside service for staff and patron safety. Curbside is now available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
We’ve also reduced the number of drive-up spaces as more and more people opt to use our in-person service, and we’ve moved our walk-up pickup point closer to our garage access to take advantage of the lighting and sheltered space.
Curbside pickup, which was launched in 2020 as a pandemic necessity, has remained popular even as in-person restrictions have eased. We continue to fine-tune this service, but rest assured it remains a core part of what we do.
Thanksgiving hours
The library will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, and remain closed Thursday, Nov. 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The library will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25. Staff and trustees would like to wish our neighbors a very Happy Thanksgiving!
The library will also be closed all day Friday, Dec. 2, for staff training.
Download content
Did you forget to stock up on books for the weekend? Don’t worry: Hoopla has got you covered. With Hoopla, Bethlehem cardholders have on-demand digital access to ebooks and audiobooks, digital magazines, movies, music, comics and TV shows. The best part is there’s no waiting.
You can now get up to 10 instant borrows each month, but some titles are “Bonus Borrows” and won’t count toward your monthly total. Start reading with Hoopla today! Visit www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/borrow/hoopla for more information.
When it comes to downloadable content from the library, Hoopla’s just the tip of the iceberg. Your library card also gives you access to OverDrive, Flipster and Kanopy. Visitwww.bethlehempubliclibrary.org and head to the library’s eContent page to learn more about these services and to see what’s available to download and stream. Need additional help? Just send us an e-mail to or give us a call at 518-439-9314.
Sunday music
Join us Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. for some classical chamber music by the Lark Strings. The quartet is made up of locally based musicians with extensive training and professional experience on an international level. Concerts take place in the Community Room and are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome.
Weather warning
It’s that time of year again. In the event of inclement weather, the library’s telephone system will provide information on a closing or delayed opening. Weather conditions can occasionally cause icing near the entrances and curbside pickup area that could lead to closure even when the town roadways are clear. Call ahead at 518-439-9314 if you are unsure. Information may also be available on our website at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
Bethlehem staff and trustees are currently taking a closer look at the library building and how it could best serve the community.
At the end of 2019, the Bethlehem Public Library was starting to put the finishing touches on a long-range plan that would provide a blueprint for our future in terms of services and space needs. As we all know, things changed dramatically in early 2020 with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
We were able to adjust the long-range plan to be flexible enough to encompass a rapidly evolving outlook, but felt it was important to go back to the drawing board when it came to looking at the library building and how it could best serve our community.
Keeping in mind the public feedback we received when we started this process, we have once again turned our gaze toward the future of this building. We have recently hired an architect to come up with some ideas that incorporate those earlier comments while also addressing new issues that became apparent over the past couple of years.
We welcome your input as we move forward and encourage you to share your comments. Email your thoughts to Library Director Geoff Kirkpatrick through the online form at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/about-us/contact-us/contact-the-director.
Or stop by one of our monthly board meetings, which take place the second Monday of the month. Public comment is open at the beginning and end of each meeting.
Yoga at the library
Yoga has long been recognized for its many physical benefits, such as increased flexibility, balance and muscle tone, as well as mental benefits, including stress relief and improved concentration.
Want to learn first-hand if this might be something for you? The library will be hosting two upcoming Community Yoga sessions with Dan May, who will share Jai Yoga School's Bhakti yoga tradition that includes song, cultural information and stories. Sessions will take place Saturday, Nov. 19, at 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. Community Yoga is a gentle and grounding community-level yoga class designed for practitioners of any skill level. Registration required for this program, but space is limited. Doors will open 15 minutes prior to the start of the event.
More Sunday Music
Our ever-popular concert series, A Little Sunday Music, continues the 2022 season Sunday Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. with some classical chamber music by the Lark Strings. The quartet is made up of locally based musicians with extensive training and professional experience on an international level.
Concerts take place in the Community Room and are free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. We would like to thank the Friends of Bethlehem Public Library for generously sponsoring this musical event.
Thanksgiving hours
The library will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, and remain closed Thursday, Nov. 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The library will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25. Staff and trustees would like to wish our Bethlehem neighbors a very Happy Thanksgiving!
The library will also be closed all day Friday, Dec. 2, for staff training.
Fredrik Backman, whose new novel, “The Winners,” is the third installment of the Beartown series, will hold a virtual discussion through the Bethlehem Public Library on Dec. 10, at 2 p.m.
According to the Red Cross (www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/), someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. You can do your part. The Bethlehem Public Library is once again hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive — on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Community Room. Donors must be at least 17 years old and in good general health. To make an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: Bethlehemlibrary.
This year, the Red Cross is reminding donors that checking the box that indicates your race lets their laboratories know they should conduct additional screenings that can determine if you’re a match to help a patient with sickle cell disease or a rare blood type. A patient is more likely to find a compatible blood match from a donor of the same race or a similar ethnicity. To learn more, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Diversity.
Author talk with
Fredrik Backman
Save the date Saturday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. for a virtual discussion with bestselling author Fredrik Backman, whose new novel, “The Winners,” is the third installment of the Beartown series. Backman is also the author of the celebrated novel “A Man Called Ove,” which has been adapted into the English-language film “A Man Called Otto” starring Tom Hanks and scheduled for release at the end of December.
The author’s “Beartown” — which inspired the HBO series of the same name — focuses on a small town obsessed with the local junior hockey team that is rocked by a shocking act of violence. The series continues and tensions rise when it’s rumored that the Beartown hockey team will be disbanded in “Us Against You.” The series comes to an evocative conclusion with “The Winners,” which returns to the close-knit, resilient community of Beartown for a story about first loves, second chances, and last goodbyes. Backman is also the author of “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry,” “Britt-Marie Was Here” and “Anxious People.”
This talk is offered to Bethlehem cardholders as part of the library’s partnership with the Library Speaker Consortium and will stream live to registered participants with an opportunity for questions. Visit libraryc.org/bethlehempubliclibrary/22313 to sign up.
Get to know some of your favorite authors and enjoy Q&A opportunities with bestsellers through other virtual author talks through the Library Speakers Consortium. Recordings of past author events are also available. Visit libraryc.org/bethlehempubliclibrary for more information or to register for one or more upcoming talks.
Santana in
the spotlight
At our November Listening Party, we will hear the music of legendary guitarist Carlos Santana with insight from special guest host Hal Miller, a local resident and jazz expert, who has been associated with the Santana Band as a percussionist for more than 30 years. In 2015, Miller co-authored Carlos Santana’s biography, “The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light.”
Take part in the discussion in-person or online Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. Visit our online calendar at bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up.
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
The Bethlehem Public Library and the town Parks and Recreation Department hosted a Trunk or Treat event Wednesday, Oct. 26, at Elm Avenue Park, featuring dozens of community organizations.
The Friends of Bethlehem Public Library bus trip to New York City in December has been filled, but keep an eye out for more opportunities to travel with the Friends this spring, when they are planning to host an excursion to Boston.
Taking part in activities hosted by the Friends is just one way to support this community organization. In October, the Friends sent out a mailer describing all of the different ways they give back to the library and how you can help. This all-volunteer organization meets every other month and is currently welcoming new members.
Meetings are held on the third Monday of the month and open to the public. If you are interested in learning more about the Friends of Bethlehem Public Library, visit www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/about-us/friends-of-bethlehem-public-library.
Get your
books delivered
Did you know the library has a free delivery service for residents of the Bethlehem Central School District who are unable to visit the library because of a permanent or temporary disability or medical condition. There is no age restriction.
The library van will make deliveries to your home every two weeks and pick up materials ready for return. The service will begin shortly after your request is processed. You can end the service at any time.
To request delivery service, call the library at 518-439-9314 or use the online Books to People request form at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/services/books-to-people. A member of our staff will take your name, address and phone number, ask about the types of materials you would like to receive, and set up a delivery schedule.
Patchwork of history
At our next Coffee and Conversation program Friday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m., join correspondent docent Julie Johnson for a discussion of the DAR's (Daughters of the American Revolution) masterpiece quilts. Johnson will provide an overview of the masterpiece quilts in the DAR Museum’s collection and the women who made them. The quilt collection is focused on quilts of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The beauty of barns
Former history professor at Columbia-Greene Community College Ted Hilscher will be at the library Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. to talk about identifying the barns and associated outbuildings of the Hudson Valley. His presentation will also include information on local barns still found in the Town of Bethlehem. Hilscher is New Baltimore’s town historian and has been active in the Columbia-Greene Historical Society as well.
This event is part of a series of historical talks presented through a partnership with the Town of Bethlehem Historical Association. Registration is optional, but is advised due to limited seating. Visit our calendar at bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up.
Blood drive
Bethlehem Public Library is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Community Room. Donors must be at least 17 years old and in good general health. To make an appointment call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: Bethlehemlibrary.
— Photo by Kristen Roberts
The Bethlehem Public Library’s new MakerBot Method 3D printer is available for the public to use.
In 2014, we added a MakerBot 3D printer to our collection of tech tools. It was one of the first 3D printers in the area available to the public, and it saw steady use, from everyday tinkerers to library programs for children and adults. We have to admit, that original MakerBot was a workhorse, even churning out dozens of specialty pieces for face shields to be used by frontline workers in the early days of the pandemic.
As we prepared to reopen our Studio Makerspace this summer, there was a renewed interest in bringing back the 3D printer. Sadly, our eight-year-old MakerBot had given us all it had and could not be brought back online. With demand for 3D printing still high, we decided to replace that trusty original with a sleek new MakerBot Method.
The MakerBot Method is just as user-friendly as the original with some notable improvements, including dissolvable supports, a non-stick build plate, enclosed build space, video monitoring and more. Our new 3D printer has both practical and whimsical applications. Bring your ideas to life when you use it to print spare parts or tools, jewelry, home decor, figurines and so much more. Build your own 3D files or download a ready-to-print file from www.thingiverse.com.
The MakerBot Method is part of a collection of tech tools available through our Studio Makerspace, where you’ll also find a FASTphoto scanner, podcasting and video equipment, a VHS-to-DVD convertor and more. Studio Makerspace time can be booked in two-hour blocks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays up to two weeks out through our Book a Space webpage at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org.
Founding Mothers of NPR
You’re invited to an enlightening hour with highly acclaimed writer, journalist, broadcaster and speaker Lisa Napoli as she discusses her group biography of the four women whose voices defined NPR, “Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR.” This virtual author talk, facilitated as part of the Library Speakers Consortium, takes place Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 4 p.m.
In the years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, women in the workplace still found themselves relegated to secretarial positions or locked out of jobs entirely. This was especially true in the news business, a backwater of male chauvinism where a woman might be lucky to get a foothold on the “women’s pages.” But, when a pioneering nonprofit called National Public Radio came along in the 1970s, and the door to serious journalism opened a crack, four remarkable women came along and blew it off the hinges.
Hear Napoli’s captivating account of these four women, their deep and enduring friendships, and the trail they blazed to becoming icons. They had radically different stories. Based on extensive interviews and calling on the author’s deep connections in news and public radio, this book is as beguiling and sharp as its formidable subjects.
Visit libraryc.org/bethlehempubliclibrary/20031/register to sign up.
— File photo
The Bethlehem Public Library is once again taking part in the town’s annual Trunk or Treat event at Elm Avenue Park Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Get financially fit: A presenter from the Cornell Cooperative Extension will join us for our Friday, Oct. 21, Coffee and Conversation to discuss personal finances as they relate to aging.
Participants will learn strategies to assess financial situations, understand the importance of goal setting, and share ways to manage personal spending plans. You will also learn how to protect yourself from consumer scams. The event takes place at 1 p.m. in the Community Room.
Trunk or Treat
at the park
How many treats do you get when the library and the Town of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation department team up to host an awesome Halloween extravaganza? A whole trunkload!
Drop by Elm Avenue Park Wednesday, Oct. 26, beginning at 4 p.m. for our annual Trunk or Treat community-wide event, featuring dozens of creative trick-or-treating stations hosted by local groups such as the library Friends, area scout troops, Delmar-Bethlehem first responders, high school clubs and more.
Halloween costumes are too special to wear just once, so strut your spooky stuff while “trunk or treating” your way through the parking lot. This free event is suitable for all ages.
Trick or Treat
at the library
This Halloween, pint-sized princesses, ghouls, pirates and superheroes will haunt our hallways as they trick-or-treat their way among the books. On Monday, Oct. 31, we’re hosting a special trick-or-treating time for our littlest patrons up to age 6 and their families. Stop by anytime between 10 a.m. and noon. Kids can show off their costumes and enjoy Halloween in a safe, dry place. Pick up a free treat bag in the Children’s Place and get started on some library trick-or-treating fun.
This annual event at the library is a favorite among staffers, so don’t be surprised if you see some of them getting into the spirit of things, too!
Learn about Libby
If you’d like to take advantage of our ebook and audiobook collection, Libby experts from OverDrive will be available later this month in a series of virtual programs to help you access our library’s digital collection through the free Libby app.
Libby Basics on Monday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. is for those who haven’t used the Libby app yet to borrow digital titles. This virtual session will get you up to speed on everything you need to know to get started with Libby, including: finding your library and signing in, navigating the app, browsing and searching for titles, borrowing titles and placing holds, managing notifications, and much more.
Want to learn the experts’ favorite tips and tricks? Then the Tuesday, Oct. 25, Libby Deep Dive session is for you. OverDrive experts will show you how to get even more out of our digital collection. The program starts at 10 a.m.
Want to read more free e-magazines? Learn all about Magazines in Libby on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 10 a.m.
To sign up for one or more virtual sessions visit bit.ly/UHLSLIBBY.
Can't attend live? Sessions will be recorded and emailed 24 hours after the webinar to everyone registered.
— Photo by library staff
The Bethlehem Public Library is collecting new, unopened household cleaning and hygiene supplies for the Bethlehem Food Pantry through Oct. 21 as part of The Great Give Back.
Family film fright: The recently released “Hocus Pocus 2” may have a whole new generation under the Sanderson sisters’ spell, but you can watch where it all began at our screening of the original “Hocus Pocus” (1993, PG, 95 minutes) on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 2:30 p.m.
People of all ages are invited to join us in the Community Room for this modern Halloween classic about three 17th-century witches, hanged for their murderous crimes, who are resurrected on Halloween in modern-day Salem by an unsuspecting boy.
Music to your ears
Our Little Sunday Music series continues to showcase amazing musical talent with the Oct. 16 concert “Spero Plays Nyro.”
Pianist and singer/songwriter Christine Spero will perform the songs of Laura Nyro, who would have been 75 this week, and was the enigmatic songwriter behind top-10 hits recorded by The Fifth Dimension, Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Barbra Streisand.
Her groundbreaking music crossed the genres of folk, rock, and jazz.
The concert will be held on the Green, weather permitting. The series will continue indoors for the months of November and December.
A Little Sunday Music performances are sponsored by the Friends of Bethlehem Public Library.
Trustees meet
The Bethlehem Library Board of Trustees will meet Monday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. in the boardroom. This meeting is taking place on the third Monday of the month to avoid holiday conflicts.
Members of the public can attend the meeting in person or watch it live on the library’s YouTube channel.
Spooky
story stroll
Children and their families are invited to take a hike on the nature loop at Elm Avenue Park and enjoy a self-led Halloween story at a special Trick or Treat Story Stroll Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. In conjunction with the Bethlehem Public Library, Parks and Recreation staff will be dressed up along the loop to hand out treats. Halloween bags will be provided by the Friends of Bethlehem Public Library.
Peek into
the dark corners
Just in time for spooky season, join us for the inaugural meeting of our Dark Corners Book Group, our first one ever dedicated to literary thrillers, mysteries, suspense, horror, and maybe even some true crime.
Be sure to grab your copy of our first title, “Whisper Down the Lane” by Clay McLeod Chapman, which will be discussed at the Wednesday, Oct. 26, meeting. This true-crime-based horror novel takes its inspiration from the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s and is a tense and compulsively readable exploration of a world primed by paranoia to believe the unbelievable.
Copies are available at the Information Desk. This title is also available in ebook and e-audiobook from Libby and e-audiobook from Hoopla. The discussion begins at 7 p.m. Visit bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up.
A great way
to give
We will be collecting new, unopened household cleaning and hygiene supplies for the Bethlehem Food Pantry through Oct. 21 as part of The Great Give Back. Please consider donating. A collection receptacle will be set up in the lobby.
— Photo provided
Storyteller and author Joe Bruchac will be at the Bethlehem Public Library for two storytelling programs Monday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Do you have artwork, a collection, or a message you would like to share with others? The library has display and exhibit spaces available to the public on a first-come basis.
It is easy to sign up through www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org by clicking on the “Book a Space” tab, or visit the Information Desk to see what is available. Reservation priority is given to residents of the Bethlehem Central School District.
The different exhibit areas include: hallway wall space; a 6-by-3-foot exhibit table opposite the entrance to the library proper; and locked exhibit cases in the hallway and Children’s Place. Reservations for these spaces can be made up to 12 months in advance.
These spaces provide a public forum for the community to engage with diverse ideas, and the library does not exclude materials based on the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation. The library’s Displays and Exhibits policy, available on the website, provides additional guidelines.
Tales for
young and old
Preeminent storyteller, author, and Abenaki elder Joe Bruchac returns to the library for two storytelling programs Monday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern woodlands, Bruchac has performed extensively throughout the world.
He is the author of more than 130 books in several genres for young readers and adults. He lives in the Adirondack foothills town of Greenfield Center, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him.
Copies of his work will be available for purchase and signing following both programs. These programs will take place on the Green, weather permitting. Seating is available on a first-come basis.
The Great
Give Back
The Great Give Back is an opportunity for library patrons all across the state to partake in meaningful, service-oriented experiences. At the Bethlehem Public Library, our visitors can participate in the following ways:
— 1. First, we are collecting new, unopened household cleaning and hygiene supplies for the Bethlehem Food Pantry through Oct. 21. A collection receptacle will be set up in the lobby; or
— 2. Stop by the library’s Community Room Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. to create handcrafted cards with kind and inspiring messages to be given to people at local assisted-living facilities.
Reciprocal
borrowing
The Upper Hudson Library System has teamed up with the Mid-Hudson Library System to allow access to more ebook, digital audiobook, and e-magazine borrowing options through Libby. Through a reciprocal lending agreement, patrons in both systems can now borrow available titles from the other’s catalogs.
To get started, go to the menu, tap “Add Library” and search for the Mid-Hudson Library System. You’ll be prompted to enter your library card number to sign in.
If you’ve got questions about this new service, we can help. Stop by the Information Desk, give us a call at 518-439-9314 or email info@bethpl.org.
In early 2023, OverDrive will finish the process of discontinuing its legacy app in favor of the reader-friendly Libby app.
Libby makes it easy to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines to read on your smartphone or tablet. With your library card and the app, you have access to OverDrive’s extensive digital collection.
Libby is compatible with all major computers and devices, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, and Chromebooks. Through Libby, you can also send titles to your Kindle. All titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period and there are no late fees. Readers can also download titles onto Libby for offline use.
Are you struggling with the transition from the OverDrive app to Libby? We can help. Stop by the Information Desk or sign up for one of the following programs sponsored by the Upper Hudson Library System to get your questions answered. Visit bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up for these:
— Monday, Oct. 24, from 10 to11 a.m.: The Basics
Learn everything you need to know to get started with Libby’
— Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 10 to11 a.m.: Deep Dive
Learn some of our favorite tips and tricks to enhance your Libby experience. This will include the reciprocal lending agreement; and
— Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 10 to11 a.m.: Magazines
Learn all about Magazines in Libby.
Are you too nice?
At our Thursday, Oct. 13, Virtual Author Talk, Dr. Aziz Gazipura, a leading expert on social confidence, will talk about how to stop being too nice and worrying about what others might think.
Are you too nice? Do you find it hard to be assertive and ask for what you want? Did you know millions of people struggle with being “too nice?” Being nice can make it hard to speak up, say “no,” or do something that might upset someone.
Dr. Gazipura will showcase lessons from his book ,“Not Nice: Stop People-Pleasing, Staying Silent, and Feeling Guilty ... And Start Speaking Up, Saying No, Asking Boldly, and Unapologetically Being Yourself,” to teach participants that the opposite of nice is not mean but rather real.
You’ll learn how to say “no” when you want and need to; confidently ask for what you want; and eliminate feelings of guilt, anxiety, as well as stop worrying about what others will think.
The discussion begins at 4 p.m. Visit bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up.
Bus to NYC
with Friends
There are still a couple of seats left for the library Friends’ trip to New York City on Saturday, Dec. 3. The bus will leave CDTA’s Delaware Avenue park-and-ride lot in Elsmere next to The Warbler Brewery at 7:30 a.m.
The bus will depart New York City promptly at 6 p.m. Bryant Park is the arrival and departure point in New York.
The cost is $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers. For more information, call (no texts) Patty Caporta at 518-439-1328.
— Photo provided by the author
Shreya Sharath, 13, will read from and discuss her fantasy novel, “The Hidden Realm,” at Bethlehem Public Library on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m.
What happens when the best painting you have ever created turns into a portal that takes you to a hidden world? Find out when 13-year-old author Shreya Sharath reads excerpts from her children’s fantasy novel, “The Hidden Realm,” on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Community Room.
In “The Hidden Realm,” artist and protagonist Rachel must navigate a world of fairies, unicorns, and magic as she attempts to bring together the power of all four elements to save the Realm.
Families with children ages 6 to 12 are invited to listen to Shreya’s stories and join in a discussion about the writing process. Younger children can also enjoy coloring activities.
Shreya, who lives in the Capital Region, is drawn to art in many forms. She uses acrylics, pastels, charcoal, and graphite pencils to create striking images, including artwork in “The Hidden Realm.” She enjoys learning various forms of dance and music and loves writing short stories and poems, often reflecting upon her own experiences.
“The Hidden Realm” is her first novel. Join us for a special evening to celebrate this achievement.
Along the Erie Canal
Find out how the Erie Canal changed the course of our region’s history at our next Coffee and Conversation program on Friday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m. Storyteller and author Sandy Schuman will present “The Erie Canal: A Story of Building the Impossible” detailing the saga and lasting legacy of the Erie Canal.
Officially opened in 1825, this 363-mile-long canal traversing a mountain range allowed the Northeast and Midwest United States to affordably exchange goods for the first time, which catapulted the economies of both regions for generations to come.
Our Coffee and Conversation series is co-sponsored by Bethlehem Senior Projects Inc.
One to grow on
Get ready for the next growing season with an upcoming gardening program for all ages at the library.
Worm wrangler Bill Richmond from the Adirondack Worm Farm will be at the library the following Monday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. for an introduction to the world of worm farming and composting with worms. Learn how worms convert household food scraps into all-natural compost. Visit bethlehem.librarycalendar.com to sign up.
Banned Books Week
Let’s band together to read banned books. The Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union is teaming up with the Upper Hudson Library System to celebrate during National Banned Books Week our constitutional right to read what we want.
On Thursday, Sept. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., a “Read Out” will feature regional notables — actors, writers, politicians, poets, and activists of all types — sharing parts of their favorite books that have, at one time or another, been banned or challenged in the United States.
Limited in-person seats will be available at Albany Public Library’s Washington Avenue branch, and the program will be broadcast live on Zoom. In-person seats are available on a walk-in basis as space permits.
Register at tinyurl.com/ReadOut22 for more information and to receive a Zoom link to this hybrid event.