We’re wrapping up summer reading with multiple award-winning Master Storyteller Diane Edgecomb, who will recount her favorite “Animal Tales.” From folktales about adventurous monkeys to a true tale of a neighborhood squirrel that drives everyone nuts—we’ll have tons of participatory fun with these engaging online stories about four-legged capers. This presentation will be viewable on our GPL Kids and Families Facebook page Sunday, Aug. 15 through Monday, Aug. 23.
Our Tails & Tales Summer Reading Program (SRP) for all ages concludes Friday, Aug. 20. Make sure to log all reading on Beanstack to be eligible for prizes! For kids and teens, go to https://guilderlandlibrary.org/srp. For adults, see https://guilderlandlibrary.org/adultsrp. For virtual teen community service opportunities, please see: https://guilderlandlibrary.org/teenvolunteers. We’ll email participating teens a certificate of total hours earned for eligible submissions at the end of the summer, with a maximum of 20 hours.
Preserve the Bounty
Wondering what to do with the surplus of fresh homegrown garden veggies? Here’s a manageable solution! We’ll convene via Zoom on Tuesday, Aug. 24, at 6:30 p.m. with Karen Roberts Mort, a food & nutrition educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County, to learn safe food preservation techniques such as dehydration, freezing, canning, and fermenting. Tips on preparing, cooking and serving vegetables in quick, delicious and healthy ways will also be shared. Sign up on the Events tab of our website.
Virtual Craft & Chat
Crafters and aspiring crafters: what are you working on? Need ideas? We’d love to chat, share tips, maybe even inspire one another. Whether you knit, stitch, sketch, paint—whatever craft you dabble in—we want to hear about it! Sign up for our next online meetup Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. to receive the Zoom link in advance.
Driving While Black
Author Dr. Gretchen Sorin and filmmaker Ric Burns will spearhead a lively discussion about their acclaimed documentary “Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America,” on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This film, based on Dr. Sorin’s book, explores how access to a car – the ultimate symbol of independence and possibility – held particular significance for Black families during the civil rights era, creating a protective parallel world akin to a modern underground railroad. The “green book” travel guide of safe havens that debuted in 1936 figures prominently in the stories recounted, as well as Sorin’s own family history, in detailing how the automobile fundamentally reshaped African American life.
To receive the Zoom link on the day of the program, please register at: https://bit.ly/Sorinlibraryprogram. To check out the book, audiobook, DVD or sound recording, search the UHLS catalog through https://guilderlandlibrary.org. This program is presented in collaboration with the Upper Hudson Library System, International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, The Cooperstown Graduate Program, and Steeplechase Films.
New Storywalk
Our second storywalk has been installed at Keenholts Park, providing a relaxing way for families to take a stroll and enjoy a story at the same time. Use the entrance by the Guilderland Baseball Dutchmen Field and park in the first lot, then follow the grassy path to find posts with successive pages of the story “Rain”, written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Christian Robinson. We also have a storywalk at Tawasentha Park on the Blue Trail near the bridge, and are planning two more storywalks at DiCaprio Park and Nott Road Park.
Dial a Story
Here’s a way to engage your mind with a brief story while unplugging from technology and relaxing your eyes: Dial A Story! Simply call 518-456-2400 and press 5, then choose 1 for an adult story; 2 for a children’s story; and 3 for an international story. Check back often, as stories are updated on a regular basis.
— Luanne Nicholson
