Altamont Library Notes for Thursday, September 13, 2018
On Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m., the Guilderland Public Library will host a seminar on Medicare, led by Michael G. Stanton of Halliday Financial. If you or someone you know is turning 65, getting ready to retire, or may be losing an employer plan, this course will help you discover an understanding of Medicare.
From Part A to IRMAA (income-related monthly adjustment amount), learn the fundamentals of how each section of Medicare works in this class aimed at making complex information easy-to-understand. Please call us at 518-861-7239 to reserve your spot.
Juice and Jammies Story Time
On Friday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., put on your pj’s and join Ms. Erika for a pre-bedtime story, snack and craft! This low-key storytime will be just the thing to prepare your young folks to count some sheep.
Back to School Worry Dolls
Has coming back to school got you a little anxious? On Friday, Sept. 14, from 8 to 9 p.m., come hang out with other folks who can relate, have some snacks, and make some crafts. This program is for grades six and up, please. Call ahead at 518-861-7239 to sign up in advance.
Climate-change talk
For anyone feeling powerless and uncertain about our planet’s future, University at Albany Assistant Professor Maia Boswell-Penc has a message of hope and empowerment, stressing self-care and environmental justice in the face of a changing climate.
An author and researcher, she will speak on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. This talk, called “Healthy You, Healthy Earth” will discuss the ways that you as an individual can have a positive impact on the climate.
Upstate Potluck
As you may know, every month we hold a very popular potluck dinner where we focus on a different national or regional cuisine every month. Since the early fall gives us such wonderful food here in the Capital District, we’ll be coming back home this month.
At 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, we’ll be sampling the foods and drinks of Upstate New York! If you’ve never joined us for a potluck before but have always wanted to, this is the month to do it! Please call the library to register in advance and bring a dish to share. If you need inspiration, check out one of our upstate-focused cookbooks.
Mystery Book Club
On Thursday, Oct. 18, we’ll have the first meeting of a new book club dedicated to mysteries!
If you’re a mystery reader, let us know what authors or genres you’d like us to tackle: Hard-boiled or cozies? Louise Penny, Janet Evanovitch, James Lee Burke, or all of the above?
Let us know, save the date, and keep an eye on this space for our inaugural choice!
Book bingo for teens
Teens, are you feeling nostalgic about the Summer Reading Bingo and want in on the fun?
If so, you can participate the library’s first-ever Teen Summer Bingo. Stop in for a bingo card, read the books on the squares to get bingo, and get entered to win cool prizes. For further questions and rules, call or stop in the library and ask a staff member. Happy reading!
Stop to smell the books
Altamont Free Library is incredibly lucky to belong to a community of spectacular libraries throughout Albany and Rensselaer Counties. Each library is unique, as are the communities they serve.
Some lend out drones and have high-tech maker spaces. Some have life-sized mastodons, or paintings by Grandma Moses. Some even are former train stations!
If you’d like to learn more about the community of local libraries, try your hand at the 2018 Upper Hudson Library System Library Expedition! Think of it as a kind of Cannonball Run for nerds.
The idea is for folks, as individuals, families, or teams, to visit every single one of the 36 library locations in our two-county library system between the beginning of September and the end of November. Prizes will be awarded for visiting five, 15, 25, and all 36 libraries.
It’s a fun challenge for folks who love libraries and want to explore parts of the Capital District they may have passed by or passed through but never stopped to smell the books. If you would like to be a 36er — and who wouldn’t? — stop by the library and pick up your official map and get your official Altamont Free Library stamp on your passport! All aboard for adventure!