The Ulster County Food Fight is an annual food collection contest held in cooperation with all the libraries throughout Ulster County from Friday, Sept. 1 to Saturday, Oct. 21. The event is part of the Great Give Back, happening Oct. 21 throughout New York State.

The goal of the Food Fight is to fill the shelves of local food pantries and end hunger in our communities. The library that collects the highest number of donations wins the Food Fight and gets a certificate. Last year, thanks to your generosity, Wallkill collected 824 items and won the contest!

You can help us win once more by dropping off nonperishable food items at the library between Sept. 1 and Oct. 21. Thanks to adult programmer Kim O’Sullivan for spearheading this important project!

Shop local to support literacy

he Ulster Literacy Association (ULA) creates programs aimed at increasing literacy levels in Ulster County, which can be transformative for local communities. Saturday, September 23, is Ulster Literacy Day, when participating county bookstores donate 10% of the day’s proceeds to ULA. The funds then go toward supporting ULA programs, such as:

• Individualized tutoring
• Remote tutoring
• Digital literacy tutoring
• Family tutoring
• Tutoring in correctional facilities.

The bookstores participating in Literacy Day are:

• Inquiring Minds, 200 Main St, Saugerties, NY 12477. https://www.inquiringbooks.com/
• OUR Bookshop, 97 Partition St, Saugerties, NY 12477. https://www.our-bookshop.com/
• Golden Notebook, 29 Tinker Street. Woodstock, NY 12498. https://goldennotebook.indielite.org/
• Mirabai, 23 Mill Hill Road. Woodstock, NY 12498. https://www.mirabai.com/
• Rough Draft Bar & Books, 82 John Street. Kingston, NY 12401. https://www.roughdraftny.com/
• Half Moon Books, 35 North Front Street. Kingston, NY 12401. https://halfmoonusedbooks.com/
• Inquiring Minds, 6 Church Street. New Paltz, NY 12561. https://www.inquiringbooks.com/

Visit one or all of them the 23^rd!

On Friday, Sept. 22, a Chair Yoga class will be offered from 7-7:45 p.m. in the courtroom of Shawangunk Town Hall. The event is free, but attendees are asked to bring nonperishable food to donate, as the instructor is passionate about feeding the homeless. Those interested in participating in the class should call or text 845-527-6230 to reserve a spot by noon on Sept. 22.

The 30-Day Step Challenge is another program being offered jointly by VOW and the library. From Sept. 24 through Oct. 23, log your daily steps on the forms available at the library or Town Clerk’s office and submit your log sheets by 5 p.m. Oct. 25 to either the library or to jcraner1999@gmail.com. Prizes will be awarded to the top three people who recorded the highest number of steps. Entry forms (also available at the library and Town Hall) should be submitted to jcraner1999@gmail.com. Good luck!

Chris DiLeo, an English teacher who has written eight novels, will be at the Wallkill Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, to sign and sell his books!

Some of DiLeo’s titles include The Devil Virus, Dark Heart, Hudson House, and The Hands of Onan. All books were will be on sale for $10 (cash only).

The Weekend of Wallkill, which is sponsored by the Vision of Wallkill, is scheduled for Sept. 22 and 23. 

The Wallkill Woman’s Club is selling 50/50 raffle tickets for Billy Goat BINGO, which will take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the Weekend of Wallkill, on Saturday, September 23.

Tickets are $10 each (a donation to the Woman’s Club). Depending on where the goat’s “markers” land during the September 23 event, the prize will be $500 for one winner or $250 for two. There’s no need to be present to win.

Tickets can be purchased at the library or by emailing Lori at sima56@hvc.rr.com. 

The next selection the library’s Fiction Club will discuss will be The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion.

The sequel to The Rosie Project finds Don and Rosie preparing for parenthood along with Don’s best friend Gene, who is now living with them.

The Fiction Club meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28. 

Friday, August 25th was National Banana Split Day! That Friday afternoon featured a happy hour at the library with all the goodies that made a banana split special!

Every Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m. the library hosts our Mahjong Clubs. If you’re a player or just interested in learning, join us! We supply the games and (a limited number of) 2023 mahjong cards. Just drop in, no registration required.

Forgot your card? Check one out at the circulation desk to use during the game!

Coloring pages are no longer just for children! Join us for this creative and relaxing hobby. Just drop in, registration not required. Bring your own materials or use ours.

Coloring Club meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:00-8:00 PM. No registration is required.

Grab a project and come enjoy the craft of your choice, whether it's knitting, crocheting, diamond painting, coloring, embroidery, or cross stitch!

Adult Crafting meets on Thursday afternoons between 2:00-5:00 PM. No registration is required.

We can't believe that fall is right around the corner - we hope that all of our friends who are going back to school have an amazing year! 

MogaWorks on September 16

Ms. Susan spent many years as a music instructor for Music Together (an international music company for kids). More recently, she has integrated yoga, breathing, and relaxation with music into her program, called MogaWorks. 

Ms. Susan spends much of her time teaching MogaWorks in schools and early childhood centers. Though her program is designed specifically for younger children, she has been working with older children during the summer months and the fundamentals of what she teaches can be enjoyed by anyone!

Weekend of Wallkill

Lego Build & Storytime on September 22

As the Weekend of Wallkill kicks off, join Miss Michelle for a "Mad Scientist" Lego build and Storytime! Materials will be provided and/or BYO. Registration is not required.

Forms will be available for those who would like to enter their creations in the Lego contest the following day on the library lawn. The Lego build/Storytime event and contest are free and open to all ages. Be sure to vote for your favorite!

Zoe the Therapy Dog Storytime on September 26

Join Miss Michelle for Storytime in the Children's Room at the Wallkill Public Library...with our special guest, ZOE THE THERAPY DOG!!!

Zoe loves to join in on the fun - she also enjoys being read to and will take some gentle petting along the way… she might even surprise us with some tricks! Registration required.

We have these great new titles heading our way! 

Things in the Basement

• Our doors are open for library services including browsing for library materials, making copies, sending faxes, and using the public access computers.
• Our bookdrop is open for contact-free and after-hours returns of library materials. Be sure to secure DVD and BCD cases with rubber bands.
• Curbside delivery of pre-ordered items is available by request. Call the circulation desk at 845-895-3707 to make a pick-up appointment.
• Fine-free returns on everything, except museum/park passes.
• Inter-library loans are available between all RCLS libraries.
• Online programming, with materials necessary for crafts available for pickup at the library.
• In-person programming, with appropriate social distancing.
• Museum passes are available to Wallkill Public Library patrons for Boscobel House and Gardens, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, Empire Pass, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Mohonk Preserve, Museum Village, and Storm King Art Center. Plus, more print-at-home museum passes available through the Ulster County InfoPortal on the library’s website.
• We are not accepting any donations of books or DVDs at this time.