Friday April 26, 2024 
Attention Local Authors! Enter Our Short Story Competition “Pen to Pandemic”
East Greenbush – At the East Greenbush Community Library, we love our local authors! In support of our home-grown talent, the Library, in partnership with the Town of East Greenbush and the Hart Cluett Museum, is hosting a short story competition. The theme is “Pen to Pandemic.” This work of fiction will be set in Rensselaer County during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Any genre is welcome. The word count must be between 1500 to 2000 words. The contest is open to adults 18+ who reside in Rensselaer County. Participants must provide a name for their story when registering for the contest. All stories must be previously unpublished, original stories. Registration begins online on January 15th at https://eglibrary.org/pen-to-pandemic/. Submissions must be received by March 15, 2021 (.doc or .pdf format) and emailed to pentopandemic@nulleglibrary.org. For questions, contact Jody Squadere, Adult Services Librarian, at 518-477-7476 ext. 107.
Stories will be judged anonymously by a joint committee. The judges are Roberta (Bobbie) Reno, East Greenbush Town Historian, Kathy T. Sheehan, County & City Historian at the Hart Cluett Museum, and Frankie Y. Bailey, Professor at the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Albany (SUNY) and published author. Fifty (50) entries will be accepted. One entry per person. Two winners will be chosen (one from each age group; 18-49 and 50+). Winners will be notified by May 1, 2021. The Library will host a public reading for the winners to read their stories and publish their work.
North Greenbush Public Library Update
NORTH GREENBUSH – The North Greenbush Public Library will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day, Monday, January 18 and will reopen for appointments and Grab ’N’ Go item pick up on Tuesday, January 19, at 3 PM.
Only five days left to read “Spinning Silver” before the upcoming virtual book club meeting on Tuesday, January 19, at 6:30 PM. Naomi Novik’s book, an award-winning fantasy book, will spin you through wonder and terror; available as an ebook on Overdrive. Call the library for the Zoom link to join the discussion.
The library’s Winter Reading Challenge continues through February 27. Download a Bingo sheet or pick up several at the circulation desk. Completed sheets will be entered in a prize-winning raffle; one winner from each category–children, teen, and adult–will be announced on March 1. And beginning January 18, make the dark days of winter a little lighter with craft kits from the library – children’s kits include a paper plate snowflake twirler, a polar bear paper plate
craft, and coffee filter snowflakes; teens and adults can create a desk calendar with the help of a tutorial posted on the library’s YouTube page.
Our hours for appointments and Grab ’N’ Go remain 10 AM to 2 PM on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; Tuesday and Thursday 3-7 PM. A mask is required for both appointments and Grab ’N’ Go. Call the library at 518-283-0303.
The Book Seller is Closed Temporarily
TROY – Due to an increased positivity rate for COVID19 in Rensselaer County and the Capital District, the Troy Public Library has taken a half step back from their original re-opening plans. Access to the Main Library and Lansingburgh Branch is by appointment only. All visitors are required to make an appointment by calling the Main Library at 518-274-7071 or the Lansingburgh Branch at 518 235-5310.
Unfortunately this has required a temporary closing of the book store. Plans are being made for an off site Pop Up sale of a gently used books in the near future. Till then, Happy New Year from the Friends of the Troy Public Library. We look forward to extending good wishes in person real soon.
Adult Evening Book Group Meeting
TROY – The Troy Public Library’s Lansingburgh Branch Evening Book Group will be discussing Jeanine Cummins’ American Dirt on Tuesday, January 19th at 6PM.
Our monthly book group meets to discuss a wide range of book selections. New members are always welcomed. Monthly participation is not necessary, come for the books that interest you! This meeting will be conducted via Zoom.
This discussion is free and open to the public. For more information and to register call the library at 518-235-5310 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org Troy Public Library’s Lansingburgh Branch is located at 27 114th Street, Troy, NY.