Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, April 5, 2023
On Tuesday, April 4, all of the libraries in Albany and Rensselaer Counties will celebrate the kickoff of the 2023 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 April and the end of August. In 2018, folks who visited all 36 libraries got their very own gold library card, but we couldn’t have the same prize this time, so this time, anyone who completes the entire expedition will receive a platinum library card!
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!
Spelling bee
Speaking of our friends in UHLS, we’re also happy to announce the Great Guilderland and Altamont Spell-Off! Sharpen your pencils and break out your dictionary! Altamont Free Library and Guilderland Public Library are teaming up for an old-fashioned spelling bee!
Join us at Guilderland Public Library on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. as Altamontians and Guilderlanders vie for spelling glory, the nerdiest kind of glory there is! The winners will qualify to compete against teams from other UHLS libraries in a final spell-off, to be held April 30 at the Colonie Town Library!
Teams of two spellers each are invited to sign up for the event. Choose a partner and team name! Going solo? We'll pair you with another singleton contestant, if possible. Participants can be age 10 or older, but at least one person on your team should be age 18 or older.
For more details and to register, please go to https://guilderland.librarycalendar.com and click on the April 11 event on GPL’s online calendar of events. Spots are L-I-M-I-T-E-D, so register today!
Earth Day
happenings
Earth Day is coming up on Saturday, April 22, and we’ve got two cool things going on that day. First, we’ve got the annual Village-wide Green & Clean sponsored by Altamont Community Tradition from 9 a.m. to around noon. We’ll pick up sticks and trash, prepare garden beds, and generally give Orsini, Schilling, and Angel parks a nice spiffing up. It’s a great way to give back to the community and to show your gratitude for the wonderful place that we call home. If you happen to have some garden tools and/or a wheelbarrow that you can bring, it would be greatly appreciated.
If you’re not at the Green & Clean, why not start your day off with an inspiring screening of the award-winning documentary “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva” at Guilderland Public Library? Presented jointly by the Guilderland Public Library and the Altamont Free Library, the film tells the remarkable life story of Indian eco-activist Dr. Vandana Shiva and her struggles with the corporate industrial agriculture giants.
The film also aims to shine a light on where we are today — industrial food accounts for up to 40 percent of carbon emissions, while pesticides destroy soils, water systems, and biodiversity, and harm human health. While the film is for all ages, we especially encourage teens and young adults to attens. As an additional feature, we will be giving away a copy of Dr. Shiva’s brand-new memoir, “Terra Viva: My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements,” to the first 10 people to attend the event!
I Love
My Library
The I Love My Library Gala is back! Please join us on Saturday, May 20, at the beautiful Flower and Fine Arts Building on the Altamont fairgrounds. This is our most important fundraiser, and we haven't been able to hold a gala in three years, so we couldn’t possibly be more excited for this event.
More information will be available soon including how to join the Honorary Committee and purchase tickets, so stay tuned. In the meantime, find yourself a babysitter, pick out something neat to wear, and save the date!