We are currently operating at half-staff with two staggered teams. In this way, we can effectively lessen the likelihood of any potential exposure to the virus. Our building remains closed to the public until further notice, and we continue to offer several virtual programs through the Events tab at guilderlandlibrary.org.
Curbside Services
As our reopening plan unfolds, our contact-free curbside services are progressing smoothly. Unlike a retail establishment or restaurant, our items get recirculated, so additional safety precautions must be enacted. We started by offering pickup for holds by appointment. Next, we added the return of borrowed material, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11 am – 3 pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays 3 – 7 pm. Books, DVDs, CDs and audiobooks are deposited into a designated shed in our parking lot, quarantined for 72 hours, then sanitized before being returned to circulation, in strict adherence to CDC guidelines.
This systematic approach is necessitated by the fact that about 17,000 items were checked out as of our shutdown on March 13, not including thousands of other items acquired through Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS) interlibrary loans. We continue to waive all fines so that patrons and staff alike can ease back into the process and not be overwhelmed. We ask that patrons continue to hold onto Library of Things items (gadgets, board games, folding tables, etc.) for the time being.
As we continue to reintroduce levels of service, checking out new materials is available as of July 1st. If you are craving the printed word – a physical book to enjoy outdoors this summer – you’re in luck! After requesting materials one of three ways – through the catalog on our home page, the UHLS app, or by calling 518.285.0050 – we will notify you when your item(s) are ready for pickup. When you are ready to pick up during our current service hours (Mon.-Wed.-Fri. 11-3; Tues.-Thurs. 3-7), contact us at 518.285.0671, park in the library’s main lot, and pick up your materials at the pre-designated table at the library’s entrance. It’s that easy!
Summer Reading Program
Readers of ALL ages: do you like to be rewarded? Have you signed up yet for our Summer Reading Program, Imagine Your Story, on beanstack.guilderlandlibrary.org? There are prizes to be won while diving into some good books. Parents, this is a great opportunity to model a lifelong love of reading—the real prize!
On Beanstack, you can track the books you’ve read and earn points toward fun raffle prizes:
• Kids and Teens: earn extra points by completing special book challenges based on some of your favorite series
• Adults: read more than 12 books over the challenge period to be entered into a raffle to win one of three prizes: a $40 gift card to the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
Family Storytimes start July 7, and will air Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. on the GPL Kids & Families Facebook Page. Request to join this group today, if you haven’t already!
We also have Virtual Storytime-To-Go Kits on our SRP web page: www.guilderlandlibrary.org/SRP. There you’ll find fun eBooks, songs, and rhymes for toddlers and preschoolers that you can share at home together.
Check our Events Calendar and social media regularly for updates on exciting virtual performances, including: BeeBee the Clown, Magician Jim Snack, Jungle Jim’s Magical Balloon Show, a Small Reptiles Animal Show, and Robert Rogers Puppet Company.
Magician-in-Training Academy
Ages 10 and up – adults too – can learn to become a magician with a world-famous practitioner. Instructor Tom Verner founded Magicians Without Borders, performing in over 40 countries for over one million people, and he’s more than happy to share tricks of the trade he’s honed over many years of practice. In this eight-session self-paced virtual course, you’ll use props you have at home or can buy at your local drug store for only a few dollars.
This training isn’t just for children; it’s great for adults also – perhaps a grandparent who would enjoy the creative challenge of performing magic for the grandkids; a business professional who wants to make a presentation more engaging and entertaining; or a teacher who wants to incorporate magic into their lessons. The possibilities for adding a touch of magic to your life and work are endless! See the Events tab of our website to sign up.
Garden Journaling
We’re working with Cornell Cooperative Extension to offer this fun gardening program online, The Evolution of a Garden: Keeping a Garden Journal, on Friday, July 10 at 4:00 p.m. Join Master Gardener Mary Carol White for this virtual presentation as she highlights the practical benefits and enjoyment that come from keeping a garden journal. You’ll learn from the presenter’s 40-plus years of journaling about her own varied and extensive gardens.
— Luanne Nicholson
