Guilderland Library Notes for Thursday, January 10, 2019

The Brixology engineers from Mad Science will be at the Guilderland Public Library to help as you create your very own walking-insect machine. Put your creature to the test and see if you can make it climb up the steepest branch and crawl over obstacles!

The program, for students in third through fifth grades, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 10, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.  Please register online or by phone.

Tai Chi and Qi Gong with Rich Goodhart​

Tai Chi and Qi Gong are forms of gentle exercise developed more than 1,000 years ago in China.  The practices help strengthen and relax muscles and joints — and is excellent for fall prevention.

Rich Goodhart will present the course on Thursdays, Jan. 10 and 24, at 11 a.m. Please register online or by phone.

We thank the Albany Guardian Society for its help in presenting this recurring program.  Please register online or by phone.

Tax help

Beginning on January 14th, you can call 2-1-1 to make an appointment to have trained, IRS-certified volunteers prepare your federal and NYS tax returns.

United Way’s 2-1-1 call center opens Monday, January 14th at 9 a.m. to schedule appointments, which can occur on Saturdays or Mondays between February 4th and April 8th.

Please be patient, as phone lines may be busy.  Please do not call the library — we will only refer you to 2-1-1. You must have an appointment — no walk-ins.

Bring to your appointment a photo ID, and a Social Security Card for all people listed in the tax return. (Filing jointly?  Both taxpayers need to be present except in cases of illness or infirmity.) Also bring: your 2017 tax returns, all 2018 W-2s and 1099s, End of the year brokerage statements, and all supporting documents for itemized deductions.

TaxAides cannot complete returns with rental income or Schedule C (business profit and loss) if you’ve had a loss or expenses over $25,000. A Hearty Thank You to all our TaxAide volunteers!

Teen Tech Time!

Have you been left to your own devices? That is — did you acquire a new electronic device over the holidays, but you are still working out the kinks and learning how to use it?

If so, then the teen tech time volunteers are here for you Tuesdays, including Jan, 15 and 22, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Get free one-on-one tech help from a Guilderland High School National Honor Society student!

Please register online or by phone. If you can’t make this time slot, we have other dates and times available with adult computer coaches. Please register online or by phone.

Better Books Sale

On Saturday January 12th, from 10 to 4, come in and pick up some bargain books!  While books, DVDs, and CDs are on sale in our lobby Book Nook every day, dedicated volunteers are always busy curating the best new donated titles for first offering at the monthly Better Books Sale!

We thank those volunteers — and you — the customers!  While we’re at it, thanks to all those who drop off book donations — you are helping your library raise funds and promote reading.

Jane Austen Tea Party

Tea and treats will be served on Saturday, Jan. 12, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and we will hear a talk with local expert Dr. David Shapard, author of the annotated editions of Austen’s novels.

Dr. Shapard will also share details about the English Heritage Tour with Jane Austen that he is leading in September, 2019.

Blood drive

Give the gift that keeps on giving — blood.

Every 56 days, most of us can give blood to the American Red Cross, which of course uses it to save lives.  So, every 56 days, we have a blood drive here at GPL!

Our next drive will be Tuesday, January 15th, from 12-6. Feel free to visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment, or try being a walk-up donor if you’d prefer.

The life you save may be your own, or that of one of your friends, neighbors, or loved ones. Or it may just be a fellow human being to whom you have no (previous) connection. There is an urgent need for blood donations at this time.

Medicare 101: A New User’s Guide

Join us on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Janet Kiffney, a certified Medicare Counselor with New York State’s Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program, will present an unbiased “soup to nuts” program on Medicare and answer all your questions, including what does Medicare pay for, how are prescriptions covered, and just what is Medicare Part A?

I Have a Dream!

The library will be closed in honor and celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 21.  Our e-library, where you can download and read e-books and magazines for free, is always open at our website www.Guilderlandlibrary.org

Reading, Walking, and Writing

Our three major initiatives continue — the Winter Reading Challenge, in which we try to read and log 2,000 books in the month of January; the Library Moon walk, in which we are trying to log 240,000 miles worth of steps to metaphorically reach the moon; and the Teen Winter Writing Contest.  Visit our website,www.guilderlandlibrary.org for details or to register.