Guilderland Library Notes for Tuesday, October 27, 2020
— Photo from Luanne Nicholson
Guilderland Public Library’s collection, periodicals, reading room, and public computers are walled off in plastic as part of the library’s construction project.
We are off to a solid start with our building project, which officially kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 15! The first step inside involves the removal of all ceiling tiles and grid, which gives contractors the ability to work on the infrastructure behind the lighting — a new sprinkler system, electricity, and data wired throughout.
Whole sections where patrons used to sit, browse, or congregate are encased in protective plastic, augmenting the plexiglass panels that stand ready for welcoming patrons back safely to the main areas of the library before the end of the year. The scene is somewhat reminiscent of a transparent Halloween fun-house maze, while still allowing for daily staff duties.
Outside, trees are being cleared on our adjacent lots to the east, 2220 and 2218 Western Ave. This area will become an overflow parking lot, accommodating 43 more parking spaces. During construction, this staging area will allow heavy equipment access to the hillside area where the 6,555-square-foot children's services addition will be constructed. We are being judicious with tree removal, retaining as much of the natural landscape as possible.
We will continue to keep you posted as this project unfolds. Updates are also posted on our website: http://bit.ly/GPLbuildingproject, Facebook and Instagram. We encourage you to subscribe to our weekly eNews and monthly newsletters at: https://bit.ly/GPLeNews.
Current hours
Stop by and browse our Normanskill Room collection on a self-serve basis during our curbside hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please follow all stated guidelines, and bring your library card. Restrooms are not available, due to construction. Restrooms are not available, due to construction.
Our return shed hours are: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All materials are quarantined for 96 hours, then sanitized prior to reshelving.
Policy Committee meets
The Guilderland Public Library Policy Committee will hold a virtual meeting on Friday, Oct. 30 at 4 p.m.
Election Day
Guilderland Public Library is a polling place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parking will be available at part of our main lot, and auxiliary lot on the opposite side of MercyCare Lane. Curbside services and Normanskill Room browsing will be suspended that day, and restrooms are not open to the public.
Night Owls Online
Our monthly literary meetup, Night Owls Online, is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. This month’s selection is award-winning bestseller “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. This intimate autobiography is lauded as an intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States.
Please place a hold on a physical copy for curbside pickup, as eBook copies are limited. Call us at 518.285.0050 or email us at for assistance placing a hold, and register on the Events tab of our website. All are welcome!
Hamilton Trivia
Theater buffs, history buffs, music buffs — whatever kind of “buff” you are, you’re bound to enjoy our Hamilton Trivia Night! This latest installment of our popular virtual trivia nights happens Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Don’t miss your shot - join us for 20 questions of good fun! Sign up on the Events tab of our website.
Albany Guardian Society
We’re partnering with Albany Guardian Society to virtually offer “Buying and Selling on the Internet Using Ebay, Craigslist, and Amazon” on Monday, Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Find out how to set up an account to buy and sell, as well as how to negotiate and/or bid for an item.
We'll introduce popular ecommerce websites, discuss how to make your experience successful, and cover ways to protect your private information on the web. Presenters Eleonora Morrell and John Dowley are Training and Development Specialists with MicroKnowledge, Inc.
Please register on the Events tab of our website. Albany Guardian Society will email you the link to participate and pertinent information the day before the event.
Virtual Cookbook Club
Fall is here, which usually means a busy season of entertaining. Though it might take on a different dynamic this year, don't let stress take over — simply take out your slow cooker and prepare holiday meals with ease and joy.
For this month's Cookbook Club, we'll be using “Fix-It and Forget-It Best of Fall Recipes.” We’ll download the eBook from Hoopla, with no wait times or holds. Then we’ll choose any recipe, make it at home in advance, and meet up online Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. to talk about the book and our culinary results. Sign up on the Events tab of our website; we'll email a link for the videoconference to all registrants the night before the program.