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THE BLAST
THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM
WALLKILL PUBLIC LIBRARY
| | | Kick Off Your Holidays in the Hamlet | | |
'Tis the season to make merry with the library staff. Wallkill Public Library is thrilled to be able to participate in the Holidays in the Hamlet on December 6 at 2:15pm in the Town Hall Community Room. This year we will have a holiday-themed story time, crafts, cocoa, and to cap things off, we'll be joined by Happy Cheeks Face Painters! We thank Vision of Wallkill for once again inviting us to participate, and we look forward to seeing you all!
Registration is REQUIRED. Please register each child separately using on-line registration. This program is designed for children and accompanying adults. Please plan to attend and be engaged with your child for this program. Drop offs will not be permitted.
Register at: https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15765979
| | Holidays in the Hamlet 2025 | | |
Celebrate the Season
Vision of Wallkill (VOW) is pleased to host its 4th Annual Holidays in the Hamlet, a family-friendly community celebration to be held on Saturday, December 6, from 3 - 6:30 pm on the Wallkill Public Library Lawn. The event invites residents and visitors to come together and celebrate the holiday season with festive activities, local talent, and community spirit.
Pre-event activities run from 2:15 to 3:15 pm, featuring story time, children’s crafts, and Happy Cheeks Face Painting, sponsored in part by the Wallkill Public Library.
The Main Event begins at 3 pm, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy seasonal refreshments and shop from a curated selection of local artisan vendors. Attendees will also be treated to performances by students from area school choral groups on the steps of the Shawangunk Town Hall.
The highlight of the afternoon is when Santa Claus arrives at approximately 4:45 pm to lead the annual tree-lighting ceremony. Following the tree lighting, children will have the opportunity to meet Santa in person. Families are encouraged to have children prepare a letter for Santa and include their mailing address so Santa can send them a reply. Letters may be handed directly to Santa during the event.
The celebration concludes with a fireworks finale near Garrison Park, offering a bright and festive close to the evening.
Attendees are encouraged to dress warmly and bring cash for food and shopping. Vision of Wallkill looks forward to welcoming the community for an afternoon of holiday cheer in the Hamlet.
Student Volunteers Needed:
Students interested in volunteering between 12 and 7 pm are encouraged to text or call 845-527-6230 for additional information or to sign up.
| | The Wallkill Library staff would like to share our favorites with you. Come check out our staff picks for Books and DVDs! We've made a display of our favorite books and DVDs for teens and adults. We'd love to hear what you think of our picks and discuss our favorite books and movies with you. | | Friends Holiday Quilt Raffle | |
Win a handmade holiday quilt!
The Friends of the Wallkill Public Library are holding a raffle for a whimsical holiday quilt. The 4' x 4.5' quilt, featuring snowmen and snowflakes was made and donated by Marilyn Tinelli. It is currently on display at the library.
Each raffle ticket is $5 or purchase 5 tickets for $20. Proceeds to benefit the Friends of the Wallkill Public Library and Vision of Wallkill. You may purchase advance tickets at the library. The winner will be drawn on December 6 at the Holidays in the Hamlet event. You need not be present to win.
| | | Wallkill Public library is a proud participant in the Toys for Tots program. Help us fill the box with gifts, smiles, and holiday magic for children who might otherwise go without. No matter the size of your gift, your generosity brings hope, laughter, and unforgettable moments to children. Donations will be accepted during normal library operating hours. Please do not leave donations by the library entrances or book drop. | | | | |
Let's keep a good thing going!
The Wallkill Public Library is proud to announce that we are continuing our efforts to help support the Loaves & Fishes Food pantry do the good work that they do within our community. We invite patrons to drop off unopened, unexpired, non-perishable food items at the library. Let's help our neighbors in need. Donations will be accepted during normal library operating hours. Please do not leave donations by the library entrances or book drop.
| | Calling All Local Authors! | | The Friends of the Wallkill Public Library are excited to announce their plan to hold a Local Author Book Fair. It is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 with a snow date for Sunday, March 29. It will be held in our wonderful Wallkill Volunteer Fire Department Community Room. We are welcoming published writers, illustrators, photographers of both adult and children's books. Plans are already underway, and space is limited to 15 participants. Each space with an eight-foot table is $25. For more information or an application, please contact Adrienne at dramapearl2@gmail.com. | | | "I made it at the library..." | | |
Workshop Wednesday Holiday Cards
Holiday cards were a huge hit, with many variations using the same materials!
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Home School Art: Paper Mache Pumpkins - Part 1
Tressa and Megan gave a sticky thumbs up to Part 1 of paper mache pumpkins.
Part 2 will be painting and decorating!
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Home School Art: Paper Mache Pumpkins - Part 2
It's a wrap on the home school art club's paper mache pumpkins!
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Beyond the Book (Club)
Friday, December 5 at 4:15 PM
Beyond the Book is a monthly book club for tweens, where stories spark real-world adventures! This month, we’re diving into the thrilling I Survived the Black Death, 1348 by Lauren Tarshis. Join us for lively discussions and—of course—pizza! Come for the books, stay for the fun, and leave with skills that go beyond the page.
Registration is required. Click the button below or use this link to register:
https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15715947
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Grow Your Own Herbal Tea
Sign up today for our take and make herbal tea growing kit!
Each month register for a new herbal tea kit to grow at home. Kits will include basic instructions and information, a starter pot, starter soil and seeds.
Registration is required. Any take and make kits not picked up within one week of the pick-up date will be offered to the public.
| | If you would like to attend virtually, contact Kim O'Sullivan at kosullivan@rcls.org. | | |
The Adult Fiction Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 3:45pm to discuss Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
'The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!'
Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.
-- from Goodreads.
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Reading ahead?
January's Adult Fiction selection
The Adult Fiction Book Club will be meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 3:45pm to discuss The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli.
| | | Saturday Morning Book Club | | | | |
The Saturday Morning Book Club will hold their next meeting on Saturday, November 29 at 10:30 a.m. They'll be discussing June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde.
June views the world differently from others. A keen horticulturist, she can name every flower species in the alphabet, yet when it comes to people and relationships she's still learning.
After her mother's sudden death, June must vacate her home. But when the social worker urges her to move into a flat with no garden, she resists. With no other options, she embarks on her first solo trip in search of a father she’s seen only in a single old photograph.
When June unexpectedly shows up at her father’s door, he panics and turns her away, unwilling to jeopardize his idyllic life and new family. On her way out, she spies an unruly backyard, and with nowhere else to go, she quietly moves into her father’s garden shed. Once again she can spend her days surrounded by flowers. But when her father’s twelve-year-old son discovers June, she must choose between being seen for the first time or running away.
-- from Goodreads
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Reading ahead?
December's Saturday Book Club
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter. We'll be discussing it on Saturday, December 27 at 10:30 AM.
Knives Out gets a rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers Christmas romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.
The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.
-- from Goodreads
| | | Friends of the Wallkill Public Library Fundraiser | | |
What's in your bag?
The Friends of the Wallkill Public Library are selling beautiful, sturdy canvas bags printed with our logo to continue our fundraising efforts. From now through Thanksgiving, purchase a canvas bag for $15 (or two bags for $25) and find a bonus gift card in your bag! Bags are available at the library circulation desk. Thank you for helping us do more for our library.
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Turn in your cards by 12/1!
You have just a few days left to participate in the Autumn 2025 Adult Book Bingo challenge at the Wallkill Public Library for a chance to win a $25 gift card for Wright's Farm Market!
Finish off those last chapters and check off your bingo squares on your card. We've given you a couple extra days... Cards are now due by end of day, Monday, December 1.
| | Click the titles to link to our online catalog to read descriptions, reviews, and place holds. | | | |
2025 Reading Challenge
Join the year-long 2025 Reading Challenge at the Wallkill Public Library! Ask for your challenge card at the Circulation Desk. Read a book for each month as outlined on our challenge card and earn one raffle ticket for every completed month. Complete three challenges, and you’ll receive a special incentive prize plus an extra ticket for the final prize drawing.
The grand prize will be announced later, and the drawing will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026. Don’t miss out on the fun and the chance to win fantastic prizes while expanding your reading horizons!
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Expanded Tech Support
10:00-4:00 PM weekdays
Technology doesn't just give you headaches on Thursdays. So, the Wallkill Public Library will be offering Tech Support from 10-4 on weekdays from now on, rather than just on Thursdays from 2pm until 4pm. So, if you're having issues with your cellphone, tablet, or other technology please stop by the front desk of the library. We'll be happy to lend a hand if we can.
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Textile Tuesdays
The Wallkill Quilter's Circle is sponsored by the Wallkill Public Library. The Circle meets for Textile Tuesdays in the Community Room at the Shawangunk Town Hall on Tuesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM for a come-as-you-please work session.
Bring your present project and your lunch and join us! No registration necessary. New members always welcome!
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Mahjong Meet-ups
Every Wednesday at 1 PM and Thursday at 6 PM the library hosts our Mahjong Clubs in the Reading Room. If you’re a player or just interested in learning, join us! We supply the games and (a limited number of) mahjong cards. Just drop in, no registration required
Forgot your card? Check one out at the circulation desk to use during the game!
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Pinochle
Thursdays, 1-3 PM
in the Library Reading Room
Come and join the new Pinochle gathering in the library Reading Room on Thursdays between 1-3pm. If you're a novice player, we'll have some more experienced players to teach you the rules and how to play 4-handed pinochle. Please sign up and identify whether you are already a player or want to learn how to play. Registration is required.
Click the button below or use this link to register: https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15334618
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Lend-A-Pole Program
Thanks to the Federated Sportsmen’s Clubs of Ulster County (FSCUC), patrons are able to borrow fishing poles from the library!
The FSCUC donated a Lend-A-Pole cabinet filled with poles, tackle boxes, and informational pamphlets to the library. Patrons can check fishing poles out just as they would a museum pass or book. Borrowers also get to take out – and keep! - a tackle box, as the FSCUC will replenish the supply when it gets low.
Ask at the circulation desk for assistance.
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Battery Recycling Made Easy
Wondering what's the best way to get rid of those used batteries rolling around in your junk drawer?
The Library accepts used batteries and cell phones to be recycled! You will find the WeRecycle Battery Box located on our window seat. Please use a plastic baggie (found on the side of the box) to place your batteries or cell phones in before placing them in the battery recycle box. Quick, easy, convenient, and environmentally friendly!
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Clynk Bottle & Can Collection
Stop by the circulation desk to grab a Clynk bag and tag, then simply:
- Fill the bag with aluminum cans and plastic bottles eligible for the NY bottle deposit.
- Donate your filled Clynk bag by dropping it off at the Clynk collection area located at the entrance of your local Hannaford grocery store. Follow the instructions on or next to the Clynk door.
Together, we can all make a positive impact on the environment and help the library at the same time!
| | Children's Program Highlights | | Infant/Toddler Story and Sensory Time | |
Thursday’s session was full of music and discovery!
Little hands explored puzzle pieces while tapping along to cheerful tunes on musical instruments. These activities help build fine motor skills, spark creativity, and make learning fun!
| | | Lego & Building Club Highlights | | This Saturday was all about creativity and speed! Most of our builders designed, constructed, and raced their custom cars down the Lego ramp! Others explored their engineering skills while building marble runs and Hex bug tracks. | | Check Out New Activities in the Children's Section | | |
Resources in the Children's Section
Games & Learning Tools: Puzzles, flashcards, and dominoes can be found on the bottom shelves of the nonfiction and biography sections.
Crayons & Extra Coloring Sheets: available in the nonfiction area for kids who want to color in the library.
| | Coloring Pages & Parent Handouts: located at the bottom of the stairs by the children’s computers. | | Update on Train Table: additional tracks and people added. | |
1000 Books Before Kindergarten | | |
Wallkill Public Library is proud to participate in the
1000 Books before Kindergarten program.
This program is a national initiative which promotes bonding through reading between infants and young children and their caregivers/parents using a simple and fun approach to establish strong early brain development and literacy skills. There are also incentive prizes along the way! Any child from birth to kindergarten-age can participate.
This is a multi-step program that takes approximately 1 to 3 years for each participant to complete. Caregivers and parents who are interested in participating in this with their infants and young children should speak with Miss Sarah, or any of the library staff members at the desk if you're interested in participating or registering a reading milestone!
| | Ongoing Children's Programming | |
TUESDAYS
10:30 AM Family Storytime
Children of all ages are welcome. The books and activities will be centered around children ages 4-10 years of age. Registration is required.
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11:00 AM Crafting Caboodles
Join Miss Sarah for crafts in the Children's Room. We will celebrate a different theme every week by making fun creations! Ages 3+ (younger children may attend, but this may require more assistance from the parent). Registration is required.
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11:30 AM Take & Make Craft Sign-up deadline
If you aren't able to attend Crafting Caboodles, register for a Take and Make Craft. The craft will be ready on Thursday morning through the following week. Registration is required.
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WEDNESDAYS
11:00 AM STEM Explorers
Ages 4+. A wide variety of topics and activities pertaining to science, technology, and math will be covered. (Younger children may attend, but this activity may require more assistance from the parent.) Registration is required.
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THURSDAYS
10:30 AM Infant and Toddler Storytime
The books and activities will be centered around children ages 0 to 2-3 years of age. Music, finger play, and sensory activities for infants/toddlers may also be included. Registration is required.
Take & Make Craft Pick-up available anytime after 10AM for the next week.
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Some SATURDAYS
Check Wallkill Public Library events calendar for dates
10:00 AM Family Storytime
Children of all ages are welcome. The books and activities will be centered around children ages 4-10. This will be a "repeat" of the previous Tuesday's story time. Registration is required.
Our next meeting is:
Saturday, December 20 from 10:00 - 10:30 AM
Click the link to register: https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15466618
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10:30 AM Crafting Caboodles
Join Ms. Sarah for Saturday crafts in the library Children's Room (for children age 3 & up). This will be a "repeat" of the previous Tuesday's craft.
Our next meeting will be in January. Check our online calendar to register later in December.
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10:45 AM Lego Club
This program is for children ages 3-11 who enjoy building with Lego bricks. During sessions, participants will be able to test the creativity and ability by engaging in Lego building challenges, along with building just for enjoyment.
Our next meeting is:
December 20 from 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Click the link to register: https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15466619
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Zoe the Therapy Dog
Join Miss Sarah for Storytime in the Children's Room at the Wallkill Public Library... with our special guest, ZOE THE THERAPY DOG for two sessions this month, Tuesday, December 2 and December 16! Zoe loves to join in on the fun - she also enjoys being read to and will take some gentle pets along the way… she might even surprise us with some tricks!
Click the link to register for the 12/2 session: https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15010432
Click the link to register for the 12/16 session: https://wallkillpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/15010434
| | | New Spanish Launguage Titles for Children | | Local Vaccination Clinics | | Business services available at the library | |
Copy & Print
Copying and self-service printing is available from our public access computers.
- Letter size B&W $.10
- Legal size B&W $.20
- Letter size Color $.30
- Legal size Color $.40
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Fax
Faxes can be sent and received at a charge of $1.00 per page.
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Scan
Scan documents to your portable USB drive. There is no charge for this service!
| | Library services at a glance | |
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Our doors are open for library services including browsing for library materials, making copies, sending faxes, and using the public access computers.
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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.
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Fine-free returns on everything, except museum/park passes.
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Inter-library loans are available between all RCLS libraries.
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In-person programming for all ages!
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Museum passes are available to Wallkill Public Library patrons for the Empire Pass, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, Historic Huguenot Street Tour Pass, 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.
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We are not accepting any donations of books or DVDs at this time.
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