Children ages 2 through 7, with a caregiver, are invited to register to join us at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11, as we welcome Barbara Lukas from WMHT Public Television. We’ll watch the “Duck on a Bike” story, make a duck hat, and take home the award-winning picture book.  

Cooking with love 

 Please register to join us at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 11 as we explore tips for eating a more sustainable diet by adopting a plant-rich diet.  We will examine how to reduce food waste in our households by planning, purchasing, preparing, and preserving in different ways. A cooking demonstration will take place and clever recipes using parts of vegetables which are usually wasted will be shared. Please register. 

Bricks and Bots 

Students in grades K through 5 are invited to register to join us at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 12. You can use the library Lego bricks for building and Ozobots to learn easy coding. Take your turn playing a Lego videogame on the big screen.  

Teens care 

Teens should register for this community service project to sew sensory blankets for infants. Join us at 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 12 to earn community service credits. All supplies will be provided.  

Peter Van Keuren Trio 

April is Jazz Appreciation Month! Please join us at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 13 to enjoy the Peter Van Keuren Trio, featuring piano, bass, and saxophone with vocals. This concert is sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and Jim Clark Community Performance Fund, arranged by the Albany Musicians Association. No registration needed. 

Library expedition

Start your Library Expedition with activities for tweens, teens, and adults. Join us from 1 to 3:30 p.m., Saturday and/or Sunday, April 15 and 16. Create a mini work of art, make a paper circuit bookmark, spin the trivia wheel, and snap a picture at the train photo booth. While you’re here, pick up the official Library Expedition map and continue your journey to visit the rest of the 36 libraries in the UHLS this spring and summer.

April book talks

We’ll be discussing these books in April:

— Fiction Book Discussion: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 19 and/or 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 4;

— Family Book Discussion/Middle School Book Club with author virtual visit: “The Blackbird Girls” by Anne Blankman, 10:40 a.m., Sunday, April 2;

— Graphic Novel Book Discussion: “Chivalry” by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 26;

— Kids’ Book Discussion: “Adventures in Fosterland” by Hannah Shaw, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12;

All discussions will be held in the library community room, unless otherwise stated. Please register online each month for any of the book discussions. Limited copies of some titles are available for $5, compliments of the Friends of the Library. Library copies will also be available for checkout and downloadable ebook and audiobook versions are on Overdrive. 

Holiday hours 

The library will be closed on Sunday, April 9, in observance of Easter. 

Maple Sugaring: Students in kindergarten through fourth grade are invited to join local author and science educator Anita Sanchez at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 17, as she takes us on an exploration of how trees work and why sugar is so important. Best of all, we’ll get a taste of real maple syrup! Registration is required. 

Mush!

What does it take to care for a team of Alaskan huskies? Musher, Karen Land, will answer these questions and more when she and Noggin, the Alaskan husky, visit the library from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 24.

Ms. Land is a writer, public speaker, and three-time participant in the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race as well as many other sprint and endurance races around the country. Since 2000, she has given over a thousand presentations and has traveled to nearly every state with her Iditarod dog sled, mushing gear, Arctic clothing, and beloved dogs. For ages 3 to adult. Please register. 

  Coding with robots 

Students in grades 4 to 8 are invited to learn coding with the library’s Ozobots and build robots using LEGO SPIKE bricks and app. Please register to join us at 2 p.m., Friday, March 17. 

Seashell Crafternoon 

Adults of all ages are invited to join us as we celebrate craft month at the library at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 22. We’ll be using seashells to create a design on a wooden plaque, all while dreaming of tropical beaches. Registration is requested.

Teen Time 

Teens in grades 6 and up are invited to join us at 3 p.m., Friday March 24 to play games with their friends. You can play Switch on the big screen, tabletop games, Magic the Gathering or other card games. Snacks are always provided. Please register. 

Musical

Instrument Collection 

Do you have a gently-used musical instrument that you no longer use? Maybe it’s time to think about donating it to a worthy cause. Starting at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 1, in the library community room, Albany Vanguard will be collecting musical instruments in good condition. These instruments will be made available to Capital Region music-program students that do not have the ability to purchase their own instruments. Thank you in advance for your generosity! 

Preschool story time 

How can we make someone  feel welcome? Children ages 2-5 w/caregiver are invited to join us at 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 21, as we highlight some of the books from “The Welcoming Library” collection. The collection helps raise awareness and build sensitivity for all ages through children’s literature. Every preschool storytime includes an interactive, theme-based, multi-age storytime with an emphasis on early literacy that will include an art activity that can be completed at the library or at home. No registration needed. 

March artist 

Our gallery artist for the month of March is Gwen Libby. Gwen is a 92 year old self-taught watercolorist. Her paintings are on exhibit until the end of March, so please be sure to stop in to enjoy her wonderful display.

This week is your last opportunity this year to enjoy viewing all of the lovely handiwork created by the Nimblefingers group, here at the Voorheesville Public Library. From quilts to baskets, needlepoint to knitting, these crafters create a multitude of beautiful pieces.

Their annual gallery display brightens our library every February and we are so grateful! The Nimblefingers group meets every Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the library community room to work on their handcrafts, visit with friends, have some yummy snacks, and just sit back and relax. They are always open for new visitors and make everyone feel welcome! 

Read and Explore:

Welcoming Refugees 

This year, Students Rebuild is inviting students from around the world to join in an adventure of learning, empathy, and art. Students in grades 4 to 6 are invited to channel their creativity to welcome people displaced by war and other crises by creating postcards that will be sent to young refugees around the world.

Join us at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Feb. 24 as we share some books about refugee families, then get creative with this community service challenge. The Bezos Family Foundation is donating $5 to refugee-aid organizations for every postcard created. Learn more at https://www.studentsrebuild.org/challenges/refugee. Please register. 

 Teen Time 

Students in grade 6 and up are invited to come to the library at 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, to unwind with your friends. Play Switch games on the big screen, tabletop games, Magic the Gathering or other card games. Snacks will be provided. Please register. 

Creativity Lab 

Students in grades 6 to 12 are invited to come to the library after school at 3 p.m., Friday, March 3 for some creative lab time. This week we'll try out the new LEGO Spike robotics kits. There will be snacks. Please register. 

Preschool

Story Time

Children ages 2-5, with a caregiver are invited  to join us at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28, as we learn how to make someone feel welcome. Today’s storytime will highlight some of the books from “The Welcoming Library” collection, which will be on display in the library during the month of February.  Enjoy an interactive, theme-based, multi-age storytime with an emphasis on early literacy that will include an art activity that can be completed at the library or at home. No registration needed. 

Lost Radio Rounders 

Join us at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Mar. 9 to enjoy The Lost Radio Rounders, as they perform their Irish Roots concert, featuring traditional Irish tunes and American songs that borrow Irish melodies. Since 2009, Albany’s Lost Radio Rounders have been one of upstate New York’s premiere acoustic Americana duos, and in 2021 they welcomed banjo, guitar player and vocalist Paul Jossman to the fold. Jossman and Lost Radio Rounders co-founder Michael Eck are both members of the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame. No registration is needed. 

Weather 

If the Voorheesville School District delays opening by 2 hours or closes for the day due to inclement weather, all morning library programs will be canceled. Please call ahead for any afternoon or evening programs.

Join our Antiracism Learning Circle.

At 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, we’ll screen a special short preview of the film “Making Black America: Through the Grapevine,” which is scheduled for full release on PBS for October 2023. This 20-minute overview will highlight some of the intimate conversations and interviews with Black community leaders as well as leading historians and experts.

Come ready to have open, civil conversations and grow your knowledge and understanding, as we explore antiracist ideas and practices. Ground rules will be shared and followed. Please register. 

Creativity Lab: Sewing 

Students in grades 6 - 12 are invited to join Mrs. Sternklar at 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17, to learn about the quilters of Gee’s Bend and try your hand at sewing simple quilt blocks. Please register. 

The Art of

Book Folding 

Book lovers and crafters of all ages are invited to join us at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, as we welcome Beth Oldrich, author of “Beginnings in Book Folding” and “Book Folding for Beginners and Beyond”. Book folding is the art of folding pages in books to create book sculptures. In this class, you will create a heart that will make the perfect Valentine’s day gift for that someone special in your life. Please register. 

A Magical World

with Ron Cain 

The Voorheesville Library will be celebrating Take Your Child to the Library Day, Saturday, Feb. 11, with a very special event! Join us at 2:30 p.m., as magician Ron Cain will take children on an imaginary trip through his magical library that will transport them to fantastical places like Wonderland, Neverland, Hogwarts, and Oz. Children will help Ron perform illusions inspired by storybook characters and come up with ideas for improving their world. Suitable for all ages with families. No registration required. 

Stretch, walk, recover 

This is your last chance to join fitness professional Nancy Hallock at 10 a.m., Friday, Feb. 10, as she leads participants through a routine of safe stretching, strengthening, and mobility exercises designed to enhance your daily walk. The class also includes a short walk and recovery session. Designed for adults of all ages and abilities, this program will help you prepare your muscles for exercise, and help them to recover afterwards. Made possible through the Northeast Wellness and Fitness Initiative.  

Nimblefingers exhibit 

Visit the library during our regular hours in the month of February to enjoy viewing all the lovely handiwork created by members of the Nimblefingers group. From quilts to baskets, needlepoint to knitting, these crafters create a multitude of beautiful pieces. Their annual gallery display brightens our library every February and we are so grateful! 

Pancakes & Pajamas

Children ages 3 – 6 and their families are invited to register for this scrumptious storytime, 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21. Grab your favorite stuffie, wear some comfy pajamas, and join us for plentiful pancake and pajama stories and activities. Be sure to bring your appetite, as our party will end with pancakes and syrup for all.