Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, May 13, 2015
To judge by last week’s temperatures, we’ve skipped from a long winter right into an early summer. The calendar assures me, however, that it’s still the springtime, and what better to do in the springtime than a little bit of gardening? The Altamont Free Library has a great event coming up soon that will allow children ages four to eight to do just that.
Grow your own salsa
Have you ever made food from your own freshly grown vegetables? Every wanted to try it? Next week, here at the library, you can. We’ll have two great volunteers from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Virginia Dorwaldt and Ronnie Siegel, leading a program based on the book “Chicks and Salsa” by Aaron Reynolds where participants will learn all about growing the vegetables that go into making our food!
Then, you’ll pick vegetables that Virgina and Ronnie have grown and turn them into a delicious homemade (or, actually, library-made) salsa. We’ll be running the program two times: First on Monday, May 18, from 10 to 11 a.m., and then again on Thursday, May 21, from 4 to 5 p.m. Each session will be limited to seven children, so please call the library at 861-7239 to sign up for either session. Better yet, sign up in person and check out a copy of “Chicks and Salsa” while you’re here.
Encore orientation
We’ve heard a lot of frustration with the library’s new online system, which, believe me, the library staff very much shares. On Thursday May 14, at 6 p.m., we’ll be holding an orientation to our new online catalog called Encore. Whether you’d like to reserve items or check your account from home, use our brand new databases or just browse for your next movie, CD or book, we’ll cover everything that the system can allow you to do.
Please bring your library card, or at least have your card number memorized, and join us for this enlightening event.
Book discussion
On Monday, May 18, at 7 p.m., the Penultimate Monday Book Group will be meeting to discuss “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque. This classic, which has been called “the greatest war novel of all time,” is another in our series of books that many of us read in high school or were supposed to read in high school but didn’t that we’re revisiting as mature readers.
With the 100th anniversary of the events described in the book upon us, it seems to be as good a time as any to tackle it. Please join us for what will no doubt be a great conversation.
Australian Potluck
We usually hold our Eat Around the World Potluck on the last Monday of the month, but since that would be Memorial Day, the May potluck will be held on June 1, at 6 p.m. This month we’ll be sampling the cuisine of Australia.
We’ve already heard a lot of jokes and stories about eating kangaroo. I don’t know if anyone will be making kangaroo, but I do know that we’re probably the only library in America whose director has to wonder whether or not that will happen in his library.
Join us, won’t you? Bring a dish to share.