Guilderland Library Notes for Thursday, April 30, 2020

We miss you!  We hope you are doing well, and we look forward to the eventual day we can reopen our building.

People often think libraries are all about books, and they are — right. But we are also all about people.  Libraries are vibrant, exciting hubs where you can find knowledge, entertainment, and community connections. You can still find a host of educational and entertainment options on our website:  www.guilderlandlibrary.org.

Regarding the community connection, find us on Facebook and Instagram; call us at 518-285-0050; and email us at . We hope to be back serving you in person soon.

Little Free Library

Meanwhile, in addition to our ever-expanding online resources, we’ve installed a Little Free Library in front of our building, which is already gaining popularity. The idea is to “Take a Book, Share a Book.” 

We’ve stocked it with a variety of titles for all ages to start us off. Bring a book or two that you’d like to share, and/or take one that you’d like to read. (If you have several books to donate, please use our green Better World Books bin located in our side parking lot.)

We’ll periodically replenish these offerings as needed. We hope you’ll find — and leave — some reading treasures for others to enjoy.

Staying connected

Check back often to find out what’s new, as we’re constantly adding and refreshing:

— Log onto guilderlandlibrary.org, and refer to the “Healthy at Home” page to view all of our online resources in one convenient place — e-books; e-magazines; audiobooks; The New York Times; The Great Courses, Qello concerts, IndieFlix films and Acorn TV shows through RBDigital; databases such as ancestry.com and Consumer Reports; library cards; Hoopla (750,000-plus audiobooks, movies, music, comics, e-books, TV shows and more); videos to help you get started with our digital resources; and much more;

— Join our new GPL Kids and Families Facebook group, featuring Virtual Story Times, fun and educational content, and creative things to do;

— Sign up for e-news at the top of our home page; and

— Access wifi 24/7 from our parking lot.

Cookbook Club: At-Home Edition

Our ever-popular Cookbook Club is going virtual! We’ll be holding bimonthly sessions of Cookbook Club for up to 15 patrons.

We’ll have a special guest at our debut event on Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m.; then on May 20, we’ll be sharing ideas about suitable substitutes for ingredients for specific recipes. We encourage you to bring your own ideas and suggestions to these online meetups.

To register, visit the Events Calendar on our website, and be sure to provide an email with your registration. You’ll receive an email invitation the day before the event.

Write at Home Contest

Grades 4 through adult: Submit your best poem and/or prose to us by Friday, May 15, at noon — you might just win a prize! All forms of poetry and prose are eligible. Requirements include:

— Poetry: two pages or 500 words maximum;

— Prose: five pages or 1250 words maximum; and

— Participants must reside within the Guilderland School District or possess a Guilderland Public Library card.

Submissions must be an original previously unpublished work, and all characters must be original or be in the public domain. School assignments are acceptable. Only one entry per category. All entries must be typed and double-spaced (where appropriate), and in word doc, google doc, or pdf format. We cannot accept image-based works like picture books or graphic novels.

Email questions and entries as an attachment or share as a google doc to: with your name, address, age group, and writing category in email; do not include any identifying information on the actual submission.

All submissions will be posted on the GPL website (with permission), including special recognition for one winner per age group and category. Winners may choose one item from The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza with a maximum value of $30.

Wilder Reads Book Club

Our Healthy at Home webpage also features the Wilder Reads Book Club. This Goodreads discussion group is moderated by GPL librarians Dustin and Josalyn Wilder. Everyone age 18 and older is encouraged to join this vibrant literary community.

Staff Bookshelf Picks

Check out our online recommendations for your next good read, updated weekly. Our staff scoured their own shelves at home to put together a great list of books — both fiction and non-fiction — to inspire your reading pursuits.

You’ll find links to our lists on the Healthy at Home page. Every title listed is available in Overdrive, either as an e-book or audiobook, sometimes both.