Guilderland Library Notes for Saturday, June 20, 2020
— Photo from Luanne Nicholson
Lew Warner, Guilderland Public Library’s head of maintenance, crafted this adorable schoolhouse-themed Little Free Library for use in his hometown of Cherry Valley. In addition to the Little Free Library set up in front of GPL, others have popped up in the area, including on GPL Library Director Tim Wiles’s front yard.
Our contactless curbside service by appointment to process materials we have been holding since mid-March (“holds”) is underway as of Tuesday, June 16. Anyone who requested items prior to the pandemic shutdown is being notified and asked to set up their appointment for pick-up.
Our hours of operations for these parking-lot transactions will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Tuesday and Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. Two staggered teams of staff are operating in our building — which remains closed to the public — with stringent procedures to help ensure everyone’s safety.
Our comprehensive COVID-19 Reopening Safety Plan, as required by New York State, is posted on our website at: guilderlandlibrary.org/gpl-reopening-plan. This page also lists a series of frequently-asked questions to help answer concerns as we systematically move forward with gradually reinstating services.
Plant-Based Diet Class
We’re collaborating with Albany Guardian Society to offer virtual personal enrichment classes for all ages. On Thursday, June 18, at 1:30 p.m., we’ll learn how to Boost the Benefits of Plants in Your Diet. This class will cover how to maximize the vitamins and minerals in the fruits and veggies you grow, and how preparing your produce cultivates distinct health benefits. The presenter is Amanda Vrsalovic, garden educator at Capital Roots.
All classes will be held through the video-conference platform Zoom. Please call AGS at 518-434-2140 to register. When registering, let them know you are a GPL patron. You'll receive a link to the Zoom session via email the day before the event. AGS can provide further instructions on Zoom if you’ve never used it.
Digital organization
Note taking, checklists, idea boards, and more — the Internet is home to a variety of free tools and apps designed to help you get organized. On Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m., teens and adults are invited to take a guided digital tour of the best tools you can use to tame the mayhem, stay on deadline, and otherwise streamline your life.
This event will be held via gotomeeting.com, so participants will need to set up an account on that site in advance. Please register on the Events tab of our website. You'll receive the webinar link two hours before class via email.
Trustees meet
The Guilderland Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a virtual Board Meeting on Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m., streamed live on our Facebook page and archived there for later viewing. Public commentary before and during the meeting may be directed to: .
Summer Reading
Registration for our Summer Reading Program for all ages is underway! Children, teens, and adults are all invited to join our literary journey to Imagine Your Story. Participants can log their reading activities in Beanstack and earn chances to win prizes!
Sign up now on our website at guilderlandlibrary.org/srp, and start logging your reading beginning Monday, June 22. Also on this web page, check out our virtual events for all ages, teen selections, storytimes, school resources and more.
Writing contest winners
Our recent ‘Write From Home” contest garnered 42 submissions! All of these works will be posted at guilderlandlibrary.org/wfh/ with the author’s permission.
Here are the winners:
— Grade 4-5 Poetry: “Ode to Lemonade” by Anthony Padula;
— Grade 4-5 Prose: “Journey to Peace” by Aria Ferguson;
— Grade 6-8 Poetry: “Closed Off” by Taylor Yund;
— Grade 6-8 Prose: “Reunion” by Isla Besha;
— Grade 9-12 Poetry: “Memory’s Tragedy” by Amy Meng;
— Grade 9-12 Prose: “Best Summer of My Life” by Noelle Heller;
— Adult Poetry: “Tomato Soup” by Nareen Rivas; and
— Adult Prose: “Dancing with My Mom” by Tom Donovan.
Census update
According to the latest census figures, Guilderland is well above the state and national rates. However, roughly 30 percent of households have not yet responded.
Please take a few minutes to respond today to minimize the follow-up door-knocking phase scheduled to begin on Aug. 11. When everyone is counted, we all win in terms of more accurate local funding and representation in Congress. Go to 2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 for more information.