Guilderland Library Notes for Thursday, July 8, 2021

Our Summer Reading Program offers something for everyone, infancy through adulthood! Children from birth through grade 12 are encouraged to enjoy books, complete activities, attend programs, earn points and win prizes.

Teens can serve as GPL technology volunteers this summer and participate in Read It Forward. Adults can register their reading for a chance to win a grand prize gift basket and $50 gift card from The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, plus other prizes. Any format or genre counts toward SRP goals.

As you read this, we’ll be wrapping up Week 1-Farm Week and getting ready to launch Week 2-Forest Week. Register for woodland-themed preschool and teen activity kits in advance and pick them up during our curbside hours starting Tuesday, July 13, at 9:30 a.m. 

We’ll have a virtual bedtime story time on Wednesday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m., featuring stories, songs, and rhymes — the perfect wind-down to an active summer day for preschoolers and kindergarteners. On Thursday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m., we’re organizing a Family Nature Walk at the Albany Pine Bush Great Dune for all ages. Along the way, we’ll be looking for native plants, animal tracks, and birds.

Check our Events calendar frequently at guilderlandlibrary.org and register up to two weeks in advance, or call us at 518-456-2400, ext. 3. Registration is required for all SRP programs (unless otherwise noted) and in-person library programs are limited to Guilderland Central School District residents.

More SRP details for kids and teens may be found at:  https://guilderlandlibrary.org/srp and on our GPL Kids and Families Facebook page. For adult information, go to:  https://guilderlandlibrary.org/adultsrp.

Summer schedule

Per our traditional summer hours, we are closed on Sundays during July and August. Our current curbside hours  are: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Easy perennials

Love the look of a lush flower-filled garden and a classic border with three seasons of continuous bloom, but not the work involved? This online talk on Tuesday, July 13, at 9:30 a.m. is for you!

We’ll cover the basics of lower-maintenance gardening, including choosing the right plants and shrubs, and provide examples and plant lists. This program is presented by Judith Fetterly, master gardener and owner of Perennial Wisdom, in collaboration with Albany Guardian Society. Please register on the Events tab of our website; AGS will email the link in advance.

Fermenting foods

Food and Nutrition Educator Karen Roberts Mort, from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County, returns for a Tawasentha Park program on Tuesday, July 13, at 6 p.m. We’ll learn about the history and health benefits of fermented foods, and make small batches of sauerkraut and kimchi at the small pavilion.

Space is limited; masks are required. Please register on the Events tab of our website, or call 518-456-2400, ext. 3.

Tiny Art Extravaganza:

Call for Artists

To celebrate GPL’s grand reopening, we’re filling our glass display cases with tiny artwork specially-made by you, our patrons!  Here’s how it will work:

— Register online through our Events calendar (or call us at 518-456-2400, ext. 3);

— Pick up a supply kit starting Thursday, July 15. The kits include a tiny canvas with easel; a small birdhouse to paint; or a supply of sculpting clay, plus anything else you’ll need (we’ll choose a kit for you);

— Share your finished product with us through Saturday, Aug. 21;

— Come see your work proudly on display for our official reopening in September, while you tour our freshly-expanded and renovated facility; and

— We'll return your project to you in the fall. Thank you for participating!

Golf tourney

Golfers of all skill levels and sponsors wanted! The Guilderland Library Foundation is hosting a golf tournament at Western Turnpike Golf Course on Friday, Aug. 13, with shotgun start at 9 a.m., lunch, and 19th hole celebration at 2 p.m. included.

The cost is $125 per golfer, or $25 to attend the 19th hole afternoon celebration only. Sponsorship opportunities are due by July 15 and the registration deadline for golfers is Aug. 1. For more information, please see: https://bit.ly/GLFGolf2021. Email any questions to: guilderlandlibraryfoundation@gmail.com.

Construction update

We’re on budget and 11 months ahead of schedule with our extensive building project! Completion is expected around Labor Day.

More details, including monthly progress reports, may be found at: https://bit.ly/GPLbuildingproject.  Due to limited interior space from construction plus social distancing constraints, GPL is not currently open to public browsing.

Contact us at 518-456-2400 or ; and check www.guilderlandlibrary.org, Facebook and Instagram for further information. Also, consider subscribing to weekly updates at: http://bit.ly/GPLeNews, and to our YouTube channel for engaging story times.