Guilderland Library Notes for Wednesday, February 22, 2023
— Photo from Luanne Nicholson
Nearly 30 years after it was created, this community quilt adorns the Guilderland Room, the local history room of the Guilderland Public Library. It was machine-pieced and appliqued by former GPL employee Shirley Ratta, and contains leaves attached by staff, patrons, board members, and volunteers, plus their signatures on the back, dated March 1993. Former GPL Reference Librarian Eileen Williams recently hand-sewed a “sleeve” along the back so that it could hang on a quilt rod, and former GPL Director Carol Hamblin donated money to the local history room, some of which was used to purchase the quilt rod. Many library hands, past and present, were responsible for this symbolic slice of history now on display.
Escape the winter blahs! Gather a team (up to four players) and set sail with us online on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m. to play Cruise Ship “Tringo” — Bingo mashed up with cruise and vacation trivia! We’ll channel a tropical vibe with questions about cruises, drinks, oceans, creatures, pop culture, and more. Please register on the Events Calendar of guilderlandlibrary.org, and we’ll email your team Bingo card.
Drop-In
Video Games
Grades 3 and up: drop by anytime Friday, Feb. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and others. You’ll help us unlock new characters for the next tournament, too! All games are rated E or E 10+.
Family Literacy Day
Join Barbara Lukas, a family literacy educator from WMHT, for a morning of fun learning activities on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 10:30 a.m. You'll watch a short movie, do crafts and/or science experiments, and get a free copy of “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats! This program is geared for Pre-K-Grade 2. Please register in advance.
Storytimes resume
Mornings are more fun with story time, as we read books, sing songs and get moving together! Caregivers must stay with their children the entire time. Please choose only one story time per week, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 28:
— Toddlers (18 to 36 months) on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.;
— Families (birth to 5 years old) on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.; and
— Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old) on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Intro to Value Line
The library is excited to announce a brand-new digital, financial learning tool available to cardholders in the Guilderland Library service area! Value Line is a unique source of investment information designed to help investors make decisions that fit their individual goals and levels of risk.
In a nutshell, it is: a proven forecaster of stock price performance over the next six to 12 months; a source of interpretative analysis of approximately 1,700 individual stocks and approximately 100 industries; and a source of historical information that helps investors spot trends.
If you'd like to learn more about this tool and how to navigate it, please join us for one of two upcoming Zoom sessions, presented by a Value Line Library Specialist. Registration is now open for Tuesday, Feb. 28 at noon. A second session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 28 at 6 p.m.
The Wild Center’s
Animal Club
Families are invited to join The Wild Center’s Animal Club on Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m., where you’ll get to meet a new Animal Ambassador! We'll hang out with otters, woodchucks, turtles and more. School-age children (and everybody else in your family) can tap their creative side with animal-inspired challenges that merge art and science.
Please note: if your family has its own membership in the Wild Center, you can register through the Wild Center's website: https://www.wildcenter.org/. The Library registration is for non-members only.
Calendar software
Following many months of careful consideration and configuration, GPL is poised to unveil our new calendar software, Library Calendar, at the beginning of March. This new system, which will replace Evanced, provides a more intuitive interface for searching and registering for programs. It also allows for meeting or study room reservations online, in accordance with our policies. We think you’ll be pleased with this user-friendly upgrade! Details may be found at: librarymarket.com/library-calendar.
AARP Tax-Aide
AARP Tax-Aide preparation by trained and IRS-certified volunteers is offered at GPL this season. Call 2-1-1 (the United Way’s call center) to inquire about available tax appointments — please do not call the library. Phone lines may be busy; please be patient. Tax preparation appointments are scheduled on Mondays through April 15. You must have an appointment; no walk-ins.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides in-person and virtual tax preparation help to anyone, free of charge, with a special focus on taxpayers over age 50 with low to moderate income. Please see https://bit.ly/GPLTaxAide for more information.
General info
Contact us at 518-456-2400 or . To set up a passport appointment, press option 2.
Overdue fines were eliminated; patrons will be billed for the replacement cost of lost items.
Masks are encouraged.