Current hours for contact-free curbside checkouts at the Guilderland Public Library are: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. Returns may be deposited Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. into one of five sheds in our parking lot (designated by the green canopy). All items are quarantined for 96 hours, then sanitized externally before being reshelved.

How to contact us: For general questions, please call 518-285-0050 or email ask.librarian@guilderlandlibrary.org. For circulation questions or to notify us you’re here to pick up your curbside materials, please call 518-285-0671 or email ask.circ@guilderlandlibrary.org.

Fines: Please note that all fines are still waived. If you should receive a fine notice, we apologize for this error. The system of quarantining returned materials for 96 hours, plus the process of waiving thousands of fines, may result in some oversights. If this should happen, please contact us at: ask.circ@guilderlandlibrary.org to get it quickly resolved. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.

Updates: We are constantly strategizing ways to expand services while remaining safe, and we encourage everyone to sign up for our weekly eNews and monthly newsletters at:  https://guilderlandlibrary.org/get-to-know-us/things/newsletters/ to receive the latest GPL updates. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and our GPL Kids and Families Facebook page, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Education resources

As students and their families prepare for the upcoming school year, flexibility is once again required to ensure the safety of all involved. One constant we can all count on: Children who read for pleasure tend to excel in academics, and well beyond.

Here at your friendly local library, we support learning for all ages, wherever it’s happening. We have several resources — some just introduced — that can bolster academic enrichment, and we encourage you to take advantage of them at https://guilderlandlibrary.org/learning-tools, including:

— BookFlix: This award-winning resource from Scholastic connects imaginative stories with nonfiction knowledge, encouraging early learners to discover the joy of learning to read, then the excitement of reading to learn.  Age range:  Preschool-Grade 3;

— Kids Info Bits: This comprehensive resource, part of the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVEL) features articles on a variety of topics, current event news stories, and pictures and videos to both enhance and retain learning.  Age range:  Elementary;

— Opposing Viewpoints: This timely resource, also from NOVEL NY, lends multiple perspectives to current events to foster a broader understanding beyond the sound bytes and headlines.  At last count, 482 issues of current relevance were covered.  If it's a hot topic, it's likely to be listed.  Educator resources are included.  Age Range:  High School;

— Academic Onefile: This robust online encyclopedia is perfect for completing research projects.  Students can utilize the topic finder, subject guide search and publication search to pinpoint the exact information needed.  Age Range:  High School;

— Learning Express: Students K-12 can use School Center to access practice tests and review the material, and older students can benefit from reviewing the math and ELA modules.  Science and social studies content, technology skills practice, test prep and much more are also included. This comprehensive resource also features several helpful career-related categories for adults.
Age Range:  All Ages; and

— Pronunciator: Explore American Sign Language (ASL), practice newly-acquired English language skills (ENL), or reinforce your school studies with quick daily lessons.  Customize your own course as you choose from a whopping 163 languages.  Age Range:  All Ages.

Night Owls Online

The next installment of our Night Owls Online book discussion group is slated for Monday, Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m. We’re reading New York Times and USA Today bestseller “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad, available on Hoopla in both eBook and audiobook format.

This eye-opening book, complete with journal prompts, challenges readers to tackle the essential task of unpacking biases, fostering greater understanding and collaboration across our multifaceted cultural landscape. Sign up on the Events tab of our website.  

Cooking

Under Pressure

Registration is open for “Cooking Under Pressure with Cornell Cooperative Extension,” happening Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. Karen Roberts Mort will cover the basics of using a multi-cooker: the various models available, handy features, safety tips, additional equipment you can purchase, and tips to make cooking easy and fun.

Recipes will also be shared. Sign up on the Events tab of our website to receive an email invitation the day before this Zoom event.

Seeking supreme creativity! Imagine your most fantastic “Nailed It!” and “Great British Baking Show” aspirations, then get busy crafting your elaborate culinary confection. You could win a $25 gift card to Different Drummer’s Kitchen in GPL’s Fairy Take Baking Competition if yours is judged the best in the land!

Click on the Fairy Tale Baking Competition slide on our website’s home page (www.guilderlandlibrary.org) for the submission form. Submit the completed form, plus a photo of your baked good or dessert representing a fairy tale, folk tale, or nursery rhyme, by Friday, Aug. 14, at noon.  

Curbside services

Checkouts:  Current hours for contact-free curbside checkouts are:  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 to 7 p.m. After requesting materials one of three ways — the Upper Hudson Library Service catalog on our home page, the UHLS app, or by calling 518-285-0050 — we’ll notify you when your item(s) are ready for pickup. When you’re ready to pick up during our curbside service hours, park in the library’s main lot, call Circulation at 518-285-0671, and pick up your materials on a table at the library’s entrance.  

Returns:  Borrowed items may be deposited Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. into one of five sheds in our parking lot (designated by the green canopy).  All items are quarantined for 96 hours, then sanitized externally before being reshelved.  All fines are still waived for the time being. 

For questions on any library-related matter, contact us at 518-285-0050 or ask.librarian@guilderlandlibrary.org.       

Summer Reading

Wrap-Up

Last call for all ages to log the books you’ve read on Beanstack in our Imagine Your Story Summer Reading Program! The deadline is Friday, Aug. 14 to be eligible for prizes, including a $40 gift card to the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza.  Log your books at www.guilderlandlibrary.org/SRP. 

While you’re there, explore Virtual Storytime-To-Go Kits and other great resources, including the GCSD required reading titles. Request to join our GPL Kids & Families Facebook Page, which is chock-full of fun educational resources and craft activities; and subscribe to our GPL YouTube channel, featuring our summer storytimes.

Preserve the Bounty

There’s nothing like enjoying the fruits (and veggies) of your labor, straight from your own garden. What to do with the surplus while it’s still fresh? On Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m., Karen Roberts Mort of Cornell Cooperative Extension will cover how to Preserve the Bounty, sharing safe food preservation techniques such as dehydration, freezing, canning, and fermenting. 

You'll also get tips on preparing vegetables in quick, delicious and healthy ways.  Register on our website to receive the email link for this Zoom event.

Talking Italian

Ciao!  When you think of Italy, tantalizing food, iconic architecture, fashion-forward aesthetics and breathtaking scenery often come to mind. You’re invited to explore this vibrant culture and learn a bit of the language with Talking Italian on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. 

This relaxed virtual chat will focus on the basics of Italian grammar and conversation related to classic Italian coffee and cake. The instructor, Valentina Ciccarelli, hails from Italy and has extensive experience teaching Italian. She adores Italian cooking and baking, and her passion for her native culture and beautiful country is contagious.

Please register on the Events tab of our website and provide your email.  Registrants will receive a digital Italian coffee cake recipe card along with the link to join our Zoom meeting.

Google Apps Suite

Wherever you fall on the tech-savvy spectrum, it’s beneficial to stay informed. Learn about the free productivity suite known as the Google Apps Suite on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. In this overview, we’ll cover the tools available with a Google or Gmail account, how to import and edit documents and files created in other software tools, and best practices for making use of Google's apps.

We’ll take a short tour of four of the most popular tools - Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. This session, led by Librarian and Digital Trainer Nathaniel Heyer, MLS, will be held online via GoToMeeting. Once you've registered, you’ll receive a link to the GoToMeeting session. There is a limit of 10 participants, so don’t delay – sign up today on the Events tab of our website.

Learning Express

Looking for a job?  We’re here to help with free tools at your fingertips. From career prep to computer prowess, sharpen your skill set and enhance your knowledge with Learning Express!  Build a resume or cover letter, explore computing 101, prep for exams, assess career options and much more.

Explore Learning Express, as well as our full complement of learning tools, at https://guilderlandlibrary.org/learning-tools/. Click on the “Job Tools” tab for Learning Express and our handy Job Information Resources guide. Feel free to access WiFi anytime from our parking lot.

Current hours for our contact-free curbside services are: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. for both returns and checkouts.  

Returns: Books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and video games deposited into a designated shed in our parking lot are quarantined for 72 hours, then sanitized before being returned to circulation.  All fines are still waived. Please continue to hold onto Library of Things items (gadgets, board games, folding tables, etc.) for now.

Checkouts: After requesting materials one of three ways — the Upper Hudson Library System catalog on our home page, the UHLS app, or by calling 518-285-0050 — we’ll notify you when your items are ready for pickup. When you’re ready to pick up during our curbside service hours, park in the library’s main lot, call Circulation at 518-285-0671, and pick up your materials at the library’s entrance. Questions?  Call our temporary main number — 518-285-0050 — or email ask.librarian@guilderlandlibrary.org.

Wilder Reads

Book Club

This month, we’re diving into The book “ Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson, which is available for download as an eBook or audiobook on Hoopla and Overdrive. To participate in our lively book discussion, join Wilder Reads Book Club on goodreads.com. 

After joining, we’ll send you an invitation to register for the moderated online event taking place on Friday July 31 at 7 p.m. in Goodreads.

Read it forward:

Antiracism

The topic of antiracism is an important discussion that our country is having right now. We want to help foster this conversation, so we'll give you a book to read without any expectation that you need to return it to us, ever!

We simply ask that you pass it along (“read it forward”) to a family member or friend when you're done reading it, encouraging that person to pass it forward when they're done and keep it circulating.

You can choose from two books: Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead; or “How to Be an Antiracist,” the critically-acclaimed nonfiction work by author and historian Ibram X. Kendi.

Copies are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To participate, fill out our survey starting Aug. 1 here: https://bit.ly/GPLRIFsurvey

Cookbook Club:

Virtual Edition

Favorite kitchen gadgets:  do you have one that you simply could not live without?  We're talking tried-and-true tools at this show-and-tell-style online meetup, Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m.  Sign up on the Events tab of our website to participate!

Family Trivia

Gather ’round on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. and brainstorm on 20 questions of virtual trivia designed for the whole family to play along! We'll be quizzing your knowledge of Guilderland and summer reading program-themed topics involving fairy tales, favorite book series, movies, and TV.

Play along virtually as an individual or team. Trivia Champs will win a gift card to Coldstone Creamery in Stuyvesant Plaza! Team captains should be at least 13 years old and will be communicating with GPL’s hosts.  Please register on our website for the virtual meeting login information.

Fairy Tale

Baking Contest

Break out your mixing bowls and whisks and enter GPL’s Fairy Tale Baking Competition! We want to see your best baking and decorating inspired by fairy tales, folklore, or nursery rhymes! Live out your Nailed It! and Great British Baking Show aspirations by submitting a photo of a sweet or savory baked good or other dessert that is decorated/staged to represent a fairy tale, folk tale, or nursery rhyme.

The GPL community will then vote and award the People's Choice Favorite a $25 gift card to Different Drummer's Kitchen! To enter: click on the Fairy Tale Baking Contest slide on our website's home page for the submission form. Submit it with your completed form by Fri. Aug. 14 at noon.  Looking forward to seeing your creations!

All-Ages

Summer Reading

Everyone is invited to Imagine Your Story and log the books you’ve read on Beanstack through August 14! You can earn points toward fun raffle prizes and enter a raffle to win one of three $40 gift cards to the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza.

Request to join our GPL Kids & Families Facebook Page for tons of fun and educational resources, craft activities and more! We also have Virtual Storytime-To-Go Kits and other great resources on our SRP web page: www.guilderlandlibrary.org/SRP.  

New Language

Database

Even if visiting another country is not feasible at the present time, learning the native tongue of that land is always an option. In fact, learning a new language just got easier!

Our new Pronunciator database features a whopping 163 languages and customized classes tailored to your progress and abilities. Access this dynamic resource, using your trusty GPL library card as your passport, here:  https://guilderlandlibrary.org/research-databases/.

The recently reinvigorated civil rights movement in our nation has spurred the entire Upper Hudson Library System community to closely examine our culture in order to ensure that our commitment to serving our patrons is applied equally across the diverse spectrum we serve.

To that end, 12 Guilderland Public Library staff members recently participated in a virtual brainstorming discussion with 47 of their UHLS colleagues to establish a committee to assess library programs, services, recruitment, hiring, and other aspects of library operations over the next year or more. 

“Our overarching goal is to provide equal access to services for all, regardless of race or ethnicity,” said Guilderland Public Library Director Tim Wiles. “I'm delighted to see our staff's strong interest in social justice manifested by participation in this voluntary effort.”

The UHLS Statement Condemning Racism and Pledge to Help Make a Difference, adopted July 8, 2020 by Executive Director Tim Burke and the UHLS Board of Directors, may be found on the home page of their website: https://www.uhls.org/. A wide array of anti-racism resources may be found at:  https://uhls.overdrive.com/collection/1086653.

Curbside services

Our current hours for contact-free curbside services are:  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 to 7 p.m. for both returns and checkouts.  

Returns:  Books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and video games deposited into a designated shed in our parking lot are quarantined for 72 hours, then sanitized before being returned to circulation.  All fines are still being waived.  Please continue to hold onto Library of Things items (gadgets, board games, folding tables, etc.) for now.

Checkouts:  After requesting materials one of three ways – the UHLS catalog on our home page, the UHLS app, or by calling 518-285-0050 – we’ll notify you when your item(s) are ready for pickup.  When you’re ready to pick up during our service hours, park in the library’s main lot, call Circulation at 518.285.0671, and pick up your materials at the library’s entrance.  Questions?  Call our temporary main number  518-285-0050  or email .
 

All-Ages

Summer Reading

Are you signed up for Imagine Your Story yet at guilderlandlibrary.beanstack.org? Get in on the fun! Everyone is invited to log the books you’ve read on Beanstack and earn points toward fun raffle prizes this summer, including a raffle to win one of three $40 gift cards to the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza.

Storytimes

Family Storytimes are shown Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. on the GPL Kids & Families Facebook Page. We also have Virtual Storytime-To-Go Kits and other resources on our SRP web page: www.guilderlandlibrary.org/SRP.  Check our Events Calendar and social media regularly for entertaining virtual performances from BeeBee the Clown, Magician Jim Snack, Jungle Jim's Magical Balloon Show, a Small Reptiles Animal Show, and Robert Rogers Puppet Company.  

Learn to

Draw Comics

Budding artists entering grades 7 through 12:  hone your comic-drawing skills this summer!  Ten self-paced sessions with professional artist Ira Marcks explore the basics of cartoon storytelling through diary comics — drawings that tell a story. 

On Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m., GPL’s very own artist-in-residence, Tom Nucci, will lead an online wrap-up session to display the finished products, discuss the process, and share tips.  Register on the Events tab of our website; we’ll email you the link to get started.

Meeting Online:

A Primer

From formal business meetings and presentations to casual family chats, free platforms like Google Hangout and Zoom facilitate convening safely and effectively online. In this virtual session Thursday, July 16 at 6 p.m., Librarian and Digital Technology Trainer Beckett Jarvis-Girtler will walk us through their features and explain the pros and cons of each format. Register on the Events Tab of our website with your email and library card barcode.  

Trustees meet

The Guilderland Public Library Board of Trustees will meet virtually for their Annual and Regular Business Meeting on Thursday, July 16 at 6  p.m. This meeting will be livestreamed on our Facebook page and archived there for later viewing. Public commentary may be directed to:  .

Gardening in containers

Limited space at home? You can still grow many fruits, vegetables and herbs in containers on your patio or in windowsills year-round. Join Master Gardener Connie Metcalf from Cornell Cooperative Extension Friday, July 17 at 4 p.m. for this online presentation on successfully maintaining a container garden.  Register on the Events tab on our website to receive the Zoom link the day before the event.