A whopping 1,163 books were devoured during this year’s Adult Summer Reading Program! That’s a lot of reading, and we want to thank the 143 people who participated in this summer’s raffle.

The number of books participants have read during this program has gone up considerably each year. In 2019, only 394 books were read! Last year, 836 books were read by 102 participants.

Our Adult SRP readers should pat themselves on the back, as a recent Gallup poll found that Americans are reading an average of about 12 books a year. Many of our participants read many more than that in a few weeks, including:

·        Keira W., who read 60 books

·        Carina G., who read 49

·        Michelle M., who read 45

·        Vicki S., who read 36

·        Sam S., who read 35.

Thank you to all who participated, and congratulations to those who won a raffle basket!

A recent news article has once again noted that American students are floundering, as gauged by plummeting national test scores and classroom unpreparedness. The article cited a lack of quality tutoring as contributing to students’ academic shortcomings, which makes the library’s Tutor.com offering more relevant than ever.

Your students (and you!) can access Tutor.com with a library card barcode. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see that one-on-one live tutoring isn’t the only option open to you. Study resources such as worksheets, videos, study guides, and lessons are available 24/7. Test prep is available for the SAT, AP exams, and grad school tests, and there are even career services like resume and cover letter help and job opening lists at users’ disposal.

If you or your child need a little extra help, Tutor.com may be your answer – and it’s totally free to library card holders! Check it out today.  

The library’s annual budget vote and trustee election will take place from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday, September 19, at the library.

This year the library is proposing a $7,454 increase to the tax levy, which comes out to a total of $380,142 for the 2024 fiscal year. This is a less than 2% increase determined in accordance with the tax cap formula. 

Three candidates will also be running for the three available positions of library trustee: Lynne Diener, Susan Burhans-Haldeman, and Larissa Burke. If elected, their (staggered) five-year terms will begin December 1 of this year.

Those who reside in the Town of Shawangunk and Wallkill Central School District are eligible to vote in this election.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Starts September 20

Fall into our Autumn 2023 Adult Book Challenge! Game sheets are available at the library circulation desk September 20 through November 20. For each challenge leaf you complete, you will receive one raffle ticket to be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to BookShop.org. All completed game sheets must be turned in no later than 6 p.m. on November 20, 2023. The drawing will be held and the winner will be notified on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. Good luck to all!

Registration is not required nor available for this event.

Wednesday, October 4, 6 p.m.

Town Hall Community Room

We all have favorite household products that we rely on because they work well. It could be anything from a preferred cleaner to a preferred toothpaste. Some of the brands and products we’ve grown to love contain chemicals that don’t love us back. Bleach, ammonia, and oven cleaners are examples of chemical cleaning agents that can irritate our skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. Some beauty products also contain fragrances and chemicals whose health risks are still unknown. Many of these products are also classified as Hazardous Waste and require safe disposal.

Although eco-friendly alternatives are becoming more widely available in stores, you can easily make your own at home with very simple and low-cost ingredients! Curious? Join us at our Eco-Friendly Home workshop to learn how to make your own products that are better for the environment, your health, and your wallet!

This class will be hosted in-person at the Town of Shawangunk Town Hall Community Room by Tanesia White of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA), in collaboration with the Wallkill Public Library. After a short presentation with several demos, participants will leave with their own recipes and DIY Products. All class materials are provided.

Wednesday, October 11 at 6 p.m.

These adorable little wooden witches have so many options when it comes to decorating! You may wood burn details, or paint and add embellishments. Registration required. Adults, teens, kids age 10+.

The We Recycle Battery Box collection is open and ready to accept used batteries to be recycled! As part of the Great Give Back, the Wallkill Public Library will be collecting batteries and cell phones to be recycled. 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. Thank you!

Saturday, November 4 at 11 a.m.

Join us at the Shawangunk Town Hall Community Room for an exciting and brain-teasing adventure with the Wallkill Public Library! Our Jigsaw Puzzle Race is a one-of-a-kind library program that combines friendly competition, teamwork, and the joy of completing puzzles. Whether you're a puzzle pro or a newbie, this event is sure to challenge your skills.

Race Against the Clock: Gather your friends, family, or fellow puzzle enthusiasts to form teams of 2-4 participants. Each team will receive a jigsaw puzzle to complete within a designated time limit. The faster you finish, the closer you get to victory!

Prizes and Bragging Rights: The first team to complete their puzzle will be crowned champions and receive a fabulous prize! Even if you don't win you keep your puzzle!

Refreshments: Enjoy complimentary refreshments to keep your energy levels up as you race to piece together your puzzle masterpiece.

Fun for All Ages: This event is suitable for puzzle enthusiasts of all ages, making it a fantastic family activity or a chance for friends to bond over a shared challenge.

Registration: Pre-registration is required to participate. Register your team by October 21, 2023 to secure your spot in the race.

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. 

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.

As we are look forward to those crisp fall leaves and tasty apple everything here in the Children's Room, our regular programming is back in full swing!

• Storytime is on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM, 
• Crafting Caboodles is on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM, and 
• STEM is on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM.
• Take-and-makes - sign-up on Tuesdays for pick-up on/after Thursdays.

See our online calendar to register for all Children's programs.

Thank you, summer readers!

A final thank you to everyone who participated in our summer reading program! We had two reading challenges for children - in one, participants logged in 4,590 hours of reading and in another, participants read 1,210 books! 

Also, kudos to all of the participants who handed in book reviews - keep an eye out in the mail for a special thank you! Some books that received top marks and/or cool commentary are:

Dogman #3: A Tale of Two Kitties 

by Dav Pilkey

4/5 stars

Quinn B. states: "My favorite character is Lil Petey. I like him because he writes books."

Fairy Unicorns #1: Magic Forest 

by Zana Davidson

5/5 stars

Evelyn P. states: "I loved this book. If you like unicorns, magic and adventure - read it!"

Minecraft: The Island 

by Max Brooks 

5/5 stars

Elly D. states: "I would read this book to others, and I would read this to myself again too."

Out of My Mind 

by Sharon M. Draper

5/5 stars

Mikaela B. states: "It was a touching book about a girl finding herself. And I highly recommend this book!"

Reading Makes You Feel Good 

by Todd Parr 

5/5 stars

Alessandra V. states: "I love the front cover because it has a couch outside for people to read."

Smug Seagull 

by Maddie Frost 

5/5 stars

Aidan R. states: "My not-so-favorite part of the book is when the crab pinched the beach ball because that was not very nice."

And the winner is...

The winner of our Legoland raffle is Parker K.! We hope that Parker and his family have a brick-tastic time at Legoland!

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.

Check out these new picture books that snuck in since the last Blast!

• 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.