— Photo by Amy Lauterbach Pokorny
Maple-syrup-processing equipment, viewed from the loft at Bittersweet Maple in Berne, was part of last year’s “Discover the Hilltowns” self-guided driving tour. The Rensselaerville Library is a stop on this year’s tour, and printed maps of the stops are available at the libraries in Berne, Westerlo, Altamont, Voorheesville, and Bethlehem. The tour runs on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Friday, Aug, 30, a youth STEAM (science, technology,engineering, art, math) program will be held at the Rensselaerville Library at 3:30 p.m. Participants will paint a mural-themed night sky filled with constellations.
Summer Reading Program
The summer reading program will come to an end on Saturday, Aug.31. Make sure you have recorded your books and pick up your prizes. The final raffle drawings will be held that day.
Lawn Party
On Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. the library will host the annual Lawn Party fundraiser at 1440 County Route 351, Rensselaerville. Tickets are $20 at the gate and include food and a drink ticket. Music will be provided by Joe Frisino and Emileigh Tanner.
Story time
Sept. 5 at 10:30 a.m. enjoy storytime with Miss Judy and “My Footprints” by Bao Phi, illustrated by Basia Tran (Author’s birthday: September 1) and the art activity will be Let’s Make Slime.
Family STEAM
On Sept. 6 at 3:30 p.m. join the Family STEAM program and get creative about science, artfully collage a Think-Out-of-the-Box Bulletin Board!
Hilltown tour
Sept. 7 Discover the Hilltowns Tour, a self-guided driving tour of the Hilltowns where the library will be a stop. To obtain more information and download a copy of the map visit http://www.hilltowns.org/discover-the-hilltowns-tour.html
More information on our programs can be found at www.RensselaervilleLibrary.org
On Aug. 24 at noon, author John Gordon II will read from his new book, “Liberty’s Flight.” The book is a fictional tale based on historical events providing the reader with period authenticity.
Historical events and personages include Culloden, Lord Glenbucket, Big John Chattan, the wild geese, colonial America, slavery, Ben Franklin, The Albany Plan, the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy, Sir William Johnson, and others. John will have books for purchase, and he will be happy to sign your copy.
Poetry Group
On Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. join the Poetry Group: Bring your poem! Receive feedback from fellow poets or just share your words.
Book discussion
On Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. join author and former resident of Rensselaerville Kirsten DeLeo for a special evening to celebrate her new book “Present Through The End: A Caring Companion’s Guide to Caring for the Dying!” Inspired by decades of experience caring for dying people and teaching, Kirsten will share stories and practical tools to help us be present even when we feel utterly helpless and respond to the dying person's needs and concerns. Kirsten will have books available for purchase and signing.
Lawn Party
On Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. the library will host the annual Lawn Party fundraiser at 1440 County Route 351, Rensselaerville. Tickets are $20 at the gate and include food and a drink ticket. We do appreciate guests bringing a dish to share.
Children’s programs
Children’s programs scheduled with Miss Judy will include Story Time and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). The upcoming programs are on Thursday Aug. 22 Vincent Can’t Sleep: “Vincent Paints The Night Sky” by Barb Rosenstock themed story time followed by the art activity Starry Night Sky Paintings inspired by Van Gogh. The art activity will be repeated on Friday Aug. 23 at 3:30 p.m. This week’s story time is on Tuesday Aug. 27 with Constellations by F S Kim and the art activity will be paint a mural-themed night sky filled with constellations. The art activity will be repeated on Friday Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m.
Summer Reading
The summer reading program will come to an end on Saturday, Aug. 31. Make sure you have recorded your books and pick up your prizes.The final raffle drawings will be held that day.
More information on our programs can be found at www.RensselaervilleLibrary.org
Still looking for something to do over summer break? The Rensselaerville Library has museum passes to The Clark, The Old Stone Fort Museum, The Albany History and Art Museum, The Iroquois Museum, The Slater and miSci. We also have fishing poles to borrow.
Story Time
Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Miss Judy will host a drop in Universe of Stories themed Story Time followed by a STEAM activity. If you miss the STEAM program on Thursday mornings join us on Fridays for Family STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) themed programs at 3:30 p.m.
The upcoming programs are on Aug. 8 Story Time: “Owl Moon” by Jane Yolen followed by a STEAM activity: Blast Off Collage — make a space scene with a rocket flying through it! The STEAM activity is repeated on Friday August 9 during the Family STEAM Activity: Blast Off Collage- make a space scene with a rocket flying through it!
On Thursday Aug. 15 Story Time: “Many Moons” by Remi Courgeon followed by an art activity: Apollo 11 Moon Landing-Create the surface of the moon in a 3-D painting and on Aug. 16 the Family STEAM Activity: Apollo 11 Moon Landing Create the surface of the moon in a 3-D painting
More information on our programs can be found at www.RensselaervilleLibrary.org
The Rensselaerville writing group will meet on Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Rensselaerville Library.
Writers of all interests, backgrounds, and abilities are welcome. Come put pen to paper in a “free-write” or responding to a prompt and be surprised, amused, and even inspired by what you and others at the monthly session come up with.
Lessard reads from her new book
Saturday, Aug. 10, at noon author Suzannah Lessard will read from her new book, “The Absent Hand: Reimagining Our American Landscape.”
Her new book is an exploration of the meaning of place in our new era: the digital era, the era of climate change, the era of global finance combined with intense nationalism.
This is a literary book yet also deeply reported, is personal and yet focused on what we share. The intention is to reimagine our environment as a pathway to political reinvention.
Rensselaerville, where much of this book was written, has a starring role. Lessard will have books to purchase and sign.
Poets meet
Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 6 p.m., the Rensselaerville Poetry Group will meet. Bring your poem! Receive feedback from fellow poets or just share your words.
Story time
Thursday mornings at 10:30, Miss Judy will host a drop-in Universe of Stories-themed story time. Family STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs are held on Friday afternoons at 3 p.m.
More information on our programs may be found at www.RensselaervilleLibrary.org.
— Photo from Kimberly Graff Zimmer
Paul Grondahl leads a discussion following the screening of “American Creed,” sponsored in part by the Rensselaerville Library on July 28.
On July 28, Paul Grondahl, director of the New York State Writers Institute, moderated a discussion after the free screening of “American Creed,” a documentary examining the values and beliefs that hold Americans together.
Over 55 people came to the program. The event was made possible by support from Citizen Film, the NYS Writers Institute, the Carey Institute for Global Good, and WMHT.
Parade and Block Party
On Aug. 3 the annual Parade and Block Party fundraiser for the library and Rensselaerville Volunteer Fire Department will take place on Main Street in Rensselaerville. A pig roast, buffet, live music, bounce house, face painter, ice cream, raffles and more. Tickets are on sale at https://www.rensselaervillelibrary.org/block-party.html.
Writing Group
The Rensselaerville writing group will meet on Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. Writers of all interests, backgrounds, and abilities are welcome. Come put pen to paper in a "free-write" or responding to a prompt and be surprised, amused and even inspired by what you and others at the monthly session come up with.
Story Time
Thursday mornings at 10:30 s.m. Miss Judy will host a drop in Universe of Stories themed story time. Then family STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) themed programs on Friday afternoons at 3 p.m.
More information on our programs can be found at www.RensselaervilleLibrary.org.
On July 27 at noon, author Darryl McGrath will be at the Rensselaerville Library to discuss her new book, “I’ll Be Home: The Writings of Jim McGrath.”
Jim McGrath was chief editorial writer for the Albany Times Union. His editorials and commentaries charted many of the most critical issues in New York and the country: the death penalty, civil liberties, historic presidential campaigns, the economy, terrorism and more.
The book is both a tribute to a memorable newspaperman and an insider’s perspective on politics and life through the lens of an editorial writer, a position that Jim described as “a great seat at a really weird show.”
“American Creed”
On July 28 at 4 p.m. there will be a free Screening of “American Creed.” a documentary examining the values and beliefs that hold Americans together, followed by a Community Conversation, facilitated by Paul Grondahl, Director of the New York State Writers Institute.
The idea for this film grew out of conversations between two Stanford University professors, political scientist and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy.
Kennedy was drawn to history in large part to determine whether the United State has a “national character,” and if so, what defines it and how it changes over time. This program is an outgrowth of these enduring questions locally.
The screening will be followed by community conversations and refreshments. This free event is provided by Citizen Film, the Rensselaerville Library, the Carey Institute for Global Good, and WMHT. This event will be at the Carey Institute Guggenheim Pavilion.
“Path to Discovery”
Research the “Path to Discovery” with Dr. Joseph Heyman on July 30 at 6:30 p.m.
How did we get here — flying around the world, landing on Mars, man on the moon, driving cars at 65 miles per hour, watching TV, living healthy, searching the web?
It all came from research, perhaps the most exciting lifework one can have! In this discussion, we explore the past and how research is the path to discovering new and exciting futures.
Dr. Heyman will share stories from his 37 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. There are some OTU’s (Out of This Universe) from his career that you may find amazing. He will share stories about solar wind, hiring an astronaut, the Space Shuttle, the Viking Lander on Mars, aircraft, wind tunnels and heart-lung machines.
Block Party
Tickets are now on sale for the Aug. 3 annual Block Party fundraiser for the library and the volunteer fire department at https://www.rensselaervillelibrary.org/block-party.html.
More information on our programs may be found at www.RensselaervilleLibrary.org.
— Photo from Kimberly Graff Zimmer
Ron Barnell, from the Helderberg Earth & Sky Observatory Science Center presents Kim Zimmer, the director of the Rensselaerville Library, with Alan Shepard’s “Moon Shot” book. The book was given to the library in commemoration of the Apollo 11 anniversary signed by the members of the Helderberg Earth & Sky Observatory Science Center after the “Chasing the Moon” PBS program held at the Carey Institute for Global Good on June 27.
On Tuesday, April 23, learn about Lyme disease with author Mary Beth Pfeiffer at the Rensselaerville Library.
The growing threat of Lyme disease will be the subject of an informational event with Pfeiffer, an investigative journalist and author of a new book on the tick-borne illness. In her book, “Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change,” Pfeiffer documents the spread of Lyme disease around the globe as ticks move to places they could not survive before.
The disease infects half-a-million people in the United States and Europe each year and thousands in many other countries. Pfeiffer will discuss how modern medicine has underestimated the epidemic’s danger by framing Lyme disease, mistakenly, as easy to diagnose and straightforward to treat.
Pfeiffer's reporting, which is based on scores of interviews and a review of more than 300 scientific papers, won her the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi award, among seven honors for her articles on Lyme disease.
This program is funded with support from the Library Moon Walk program.
Come start a new chapter with us! This month, starting on April 2, the Rensselaerville Library adjusted hours and went fine free.
The library has adopted a fine-free policy for late items. Borrowers will still be responsible for fees for lost and damaged items. This new policy applies to library cards used at Rensselaerville Library. If you use your Rensselaerville Library card at other libraries in the Upper Hudson Library System, you will be responsible for that library’s lending rules.
Like other libraries across the country, we are eliminating fines to decrease barriers and increase access to resources for our community. By going fine-free, we are ensuring that libraries are for everyone, resulting in a strong community.
New library hours also started on April 2.
The board of trustees and staff have been reviewing building use and surveying community members about the library’s hours. As a result, we are adjusting hours to meet the needs of the community.
The Rensselaerville Library will still be open 30 hours per week but we are closing earlier so we can increase morning hours on Tuesday and Wednesday and add morning hours to Thursday. The new hours, for each day of the week are:
— Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m.;
— Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.;
— Thursday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m.;
— Friday: 3 to 7 p.m.;
— Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
— Sunday: Closed; and
— Monday: Closed.
We anticipate these changes will open new doors for our community, offering the resources they need during the hours that work best for them. We hope that patrons who considered their “late fees” as donations to the library will continue to do so.
On Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Berne, Middleburgh, and Rensselaerville libraries will host a community health fair at Conkling Hall in Rensselaerville.
The Spring Into Health event will include vendors and workshops and is free and open to the public. More details on the event can be found at www.rensselaervillelibrary.org/health-literacy.html. Conkling Hall is located at 8 Methodist Hill Road in Rensselaerville.
How to have a healthy brain
On Tuesday, March 26, at 3 p.m., at the Rensselaerville Library, the Alzheimer’s Association will provide the program, Healthy Living for Your Brain. At any age, there are lifestyle habits we can adopt to help maintain or even potentially improve our health.
These habits may also help to keep our brains healthy as we age and possibly delay the onset of cognitive decline. The workshop covers four areas of lifestyle habitats that are associated with healthy aging: cognitive activity; physical health, and exercise; diet and nutrition; and social engagement.
Please register for this program by contacting Victor Coles at 518-867-4999, ext. 200 or by email at . The Rensselaerville Library is located at 1459 County Route 351 in Rensselaerville.