Thursday April 25, 2024 
North Greenbush Public Library Update
Get your tools ready, your diggers, backhoes, and hard hats – plastic, please! We’re heading outside for Outdoor Storytime with Ms. Donna on Tuesday, May 3 at 11 AM for a morning creating and building anything you can imagine! Our theme is “construction” and we will be getting our hands thoroughly involved. Be prepared for stories, songs, and crafts all about “construction.”
Do you need new gardening gloves, perhaps a trowel or pruning shears? Then don’t forget to purchase raffle tickets for the NGPL Friends Gardening basket raffle -tickets are three for $1. The drawing will be held May 16.
And while you’re considering all the gardening supplies needed this season, why not get a few reusable tote bags to carry them in. For $3 you can purchase one of our forest green totes with the library’s distinctive logo; for one dollar more you can fill it to brimming with books during our used book bag sale. And there are a few days left to purchase a Hannaford Helps Reusable Bag at the Hannaford on Main Ave in Wynantskill during the month of April. The
NGPL has been selected as this month’s beneficiary of the program! Each time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased we will receive a $1 donation!
Interested in what’s up at the library? The NGPL Board of Trustees monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, April 28 at 7 PM, in the meeting room at Eastwyck Village (1 Eastwyck Circle off Best Road.) All are welcome to attend!
Library hours are Monday-Friday, 10 AM to 7 PM; Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM; Grab ‘N’ Go is available. Masks are strongly encouraged for all patrons. Questions? Call 518-283-0303.
Troy Public Library Evening Book Discussion
The Troy Public Library’s Evening Book Group will be discussing Amanda Montell’s, “Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism,” on Monday, June 6th at 6:30pm. Copies of the book will be available at the checkout desk throughout the month of May.
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 will be a hybrid meeting, participants may choose to attend either in-person, or through Zoom.
This discussion is free and open to the public. Registration is required. To register call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy, NY.
Events at Castleton Public Library, 5/1-5/7
CPL is located at 85 S. Main St., Castleton, NY. All events are free. Questions? Call 518-732-0879.
Weekly Programs
Pajama Storytime – Tues., 5/3, 6:00pm – Feel free to wear your pajamas or bring a stuffed animal friend to this evening’s storytime! Ages birth-8.
Learn & Play Storytime, Thurs., 5/5, 10:30am – Children from birth to age 5 are invited to enjoy stories, rhymes, music, and movement while building their early literacy and motor skills! Join us every Thursday for fun and learning.
Events and Take-Home Kits
Cool Science at Home Kit: Make a Sundial – Kit available for pick-up through 5/28 – Learn about how sundials work by making your own to show the time when it’s sunny outside!
Take & Make Craft Kit: Flower Craft – Kit available for pick-up through 5/28 – Create your own fun flower crafts to decorate your home or give as a gift!
Guided StoryWalk – Mon., 5/2, 10:30am. Location: We’ll meet at the beginning of the StoryWalk (near the playground) at Schodack Island State Park – 1 Schodack Island Way, Schodack Landing, NY 12156 – Join us (weather permitting) to explore the newest StoryWalk book together! May’s StoryWalk book is Peaceful Garden by Lucy London. This book will be up on the StoryWalk all month long!
After Dinner Book Club – The Glitter in the Green: In Search of Hummingbirds by Jon Dunn – Mon., 5/2, 7:00pm – Join us for a book discussion! Books available at the front desk starting 4/4.
Bridge Club – Fri., 5/6, 10:30am – Come play bridge with us! Geared toward beginners and players who need a refresher.
Sand Lake Town Library Events
Saturday Book Talk – May 14, 11am – 12pm join Dr. Steven Sandler as he discusses his novel, The Age of Worry. Dr. Sandler will discuss the novel as it developed from insights gained in his practice of psychotherapy. The novel addresses the intense emotional conflicts within a family. The main character, Daniel, struggles with the disappearance of his mother years ago and the current conflicts with his own teenage daughter. There will be a reading of selected passages, followed by a Q&A session and book signing. Light refreshments will be available.
Steven B. Sandler is a psychiatrist in Albany, New York. Dr. Sandler teaches psychotherapy to psychiatrists and psychologists in training, and he has lectured widely on the topic in the U.S. and Canada. He is the author of Tea with Freud: An Imaginary Conversation about How Psychotherapy Really Works (2016).
Book Club – Wednesday, May 4 at 7pm on zoom discussing “Matrix” by Lauren Groff.
Check the Community Calendar at sandlaketownlibrary.org for events around town. Submit non-profit community events to info@nullsandlaketownlibrary.org.
The library is located at 8428 Miller Hill Road, Averill Park. Hours: M-TH 11 – 8; F 11 – 3; Sat 10 – 2. Masks encouraged. Call 518-674-5050 with questions.
Computer Basics Bookcamp
Join us this is a 4-session, Basic Digital Literacy training series, presented by Delia Hubbard, Digital Literacy Educator and certified Microsoft Office expert on Fridays, 10am-12pm, May 6 – 27,. Participants should bring their own devices. The instructor will have several laptops available for anyone who doesn’t have a device to bring.
May 6: Device Basics, 10am-11am or 11am-Noon
(Choose one or both sessions)
Participants can bring their own laptop, cell phone, or tablet (or use CCE provided laptops) to learn about how to log in, get online, and perform basic navigation tasks.
(10am-11am Laptop Basics, 11am-12pm Tablet/Cell Phone Basics)
May 13: Finding Reliable Information Online, 10am-Noon
Participants will learn how to use search engines, like Google, to find information online and evaluate its reliability. This session includes discussion on search tips, clickbait, pop-up windows and more. Participants will also search for information on topics of interest to them.
May 20:Staying Safe Online, 10am-Noon
Participants will how to create a long, strong password they can remember, how to avoid falling for malicious emails (specifically phishing), and how to identify a reliable, encrypted website for online shopping. Discussion will include web payment services such as PayPal and Venmo.
May 27:E-Mail Basics, 10am-Noon
Participants will create an email account with G-Mail if they do not already have an email account, and learn how to send, read, respond to, and delete email messages.
This in-person event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. To register call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy, NY.
Friends of Poestenkill Library present Spring Market Day!
The Friends are excited to present our Spring Market Day, to be held on Saturday, May 14 on the library lawn from 9am-12pm, with a rain date of Sunday.
There will be a book sale, bake sale, board game sale (new!), flower baskets, gift basket drawings, a small jigsaw puzzle sale, and more, with tasty breakfast and lunch items available for you to enjoy while you shop. Come mingle with your neighbors and support the library!
Haiku Highway
Join us for this series, Tuesdays, May 3, 6-7:30pm (May 3, 17, & 31, June 14, July 12, & August 9), and learn the art of Haiku! This is a workshop in the practice and history of Haiku poetry. Local Haiku poet, John Stevenson will mentor participants in their journey into learning this unique art form. Please bring a notepad and pencil to the first session.
John Stevenson is a former president of the Haiku Society of America and former editor of their literary journal, Frogpond. Since 2008, he has been managing editor of The Heron’s Nest, a leading journal of English-language Haiku. Since 2007, he has judged the English sections of a student haiku contest sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations.
This in-person event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. To register call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy, NY.
Save the Date – Sand Lake Garden Faire!!!
The Sand Lake Garden Club, in conjunction with the CCE Rensselaer County Master Gardeners, are proud to announce our very first Garden Faire!
There will be plants (annuals, perennials, vegetables, and herbs), floral arrangements, new and used garden tools, garden decorations, baked goods, and several vendors selling their wares. There will also be a raffle for a quaint raised garden, a beautiful wreath, and a planted ceramic urn. Please join us on Saturday, May 14 from 8-1, at the Salem United Methodist Church in West Sand Lake, rain or shine. See you there.
At Wit’s End
The North Chatham Free Library will host a special treat for moms of all ages on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 8 at 3:00 P.M. Actor and educator Nancy Rothman will perform as columnist and Queen of domestic humor, Erma Bombeck, in excerpts from the play “At Wit’s End” by sisters Alison and Margaret Engel. This event will take place outdoors in the garden behind the library, or in case of inclement weather, at the North Chatham United Methodist Church a few doors down the street.
Erma Bombeck’s observations, popular in the 70’s and 80’s, took familiar but trying situations like childcare, checkout lines and house cleaning, and made them funny. For example, “Never go to a doctor whose plants have died.” “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved away the dessert cart.” “Cats invented self-esteem.”
Nancy Rothman is well known in our area through her many performances as actor and storyteller and leader of workshops for public schools and arts organizations, and as a private coach. She has over thirty years’ experience performing regionally, in New York City, as well as internationally.
Pre-register by email for limited seating: registernorthchathamlibrary@nullgmail.com
This project is made possible with funds from the Restart NY Regrants, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered in Columbia County by CREATE Council on the Arts.
6 Tips to Reduce Digital Eye Strain
Have you experienced digital eye strain? Symptoms include blurry vision or burning, itching, and tired eyes after using a digital device such as a computer, tablet, or cell phone. In America, it is estimated that digital eye strain affects nearly 2/3 of adults and up to 80% of children ages 10-17.
Here are six tips from Cornell Cooperative Extensions Digital Literacy Program to help you take care of your eyes and reduce the symptoms of digital eye strain:
1.Practice the 20-20-20 rule
For every 20 minutes using a digital device, take a brief screen break for at least 20 seconds, and focus your eyes on something 20 feet or more into the distance.
2.Take longer breaks during longer screen time sessions
For every 2 hours of screen time, users should take a longer break from all screens for at least 10-15 minutes
3.Blink, blink, blink.
Make an effort to blink often, and try squeezing your eyes closed extra tight every now and again. A tight squeeze instead of a quick blink can help release additional lubricating oils to soothe your eyes.
4.Consider blue light filtering glasses
The lenses of blue light filtering glasses are thought to help with sleeplessness and overall eye health.
5.Adjust your angles
Avoid glare from windows and overhead lighting on your screen by adjusting the angle of your monitor. Gently tip the screen up or down slightly.
6.Adjust your device settings
Use dark mode, comfort lighting settings, and lower your brightness.
If you are having difficulty finding or changing your display settings, stop by a free Cornell Cooperative Extension “Bring Your Own Device Tech Help” event offered at many local public libraries, or call (518) 272-410.
Adult Book Group
TROY – Our monthly book group meets the first Monday of every month at 6:30 pm 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 is a hybrid program, you may attend in person or via Zoom according to your preference.
Here are our upcoming book selections:
•May 2nd – The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Shwalbe
•June 6th – Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
•July 11th – Cuba: An American History by Ada Frerrer, Chapters 1-21
•August 8th – Cuba: An American History by Ada Frerrer, Chapters 22-33
•September 5th – The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
This discussion is free and open to the public. Registration is required. To register call the library at 518-274-7071 or online at www.thetroylibrary.org Troy Public Library is located at 100 Second Street, Troy, NY.