Get your Duck Derby tickets at the Wallkill Public Library beginning Monday, April 1!

The Duck Derby is an annual rubber duck race on the Wallkill River sponsored by community group, Vision of Wallkill (V.O.W.) to benefit the Wallkill Senior High School Senior Celebration. The race is scheduled for Saturday May 11 at 3 PM, but there will be fun activities for the whole family starting at noon, including a raptor show by conservationist Bill Robinson. Look for more details in our next Blast!

Be prepared to view this solar phenomenon safely

Don't miss out on the celestial spectacle! We're thrilled to announce that we're offering free solar eclipse viewing glasses for the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse. Be ready to witness this awe-inspiring event safely. Swing by the library to grab your pair today! Limit 4 per RCLS library cardholder. First come, first served, while supplies last.

Please note: if you are registered for Miss Michelle's Eclipse Celebration Event on Saturday, April 6, participants will receive solar eclipse glasses to take home. (See article below in Children's Room section.)

A recent article on Hudson Valley Parent's website pointed out that

• U.S. students’ reading scores plummeted to the lowest levels in 34 years.
• Less than 40% of students in public and non-public schools read at or above their grade level.

What's the solution? Turn on the TV subtitles!

Studies show that turning on the subtitles when children watch TV can dramatically improve their literacy — doubling their chances of becoming proficient readers. The best part… subtitles are completely free and proven to improve vocabulary, boost comprehension skills and increase reading fluency. And since we naturally read text on a screen, kids don't even realize they're practicing their reading skills. It's like sneaking veggies into their mac and cheese. Everyone wins!

Read more about this important literacy tool.

Free with your Wallkill library card

Wallkill Library card holders have access to an amazing number of free online resources provided by the Ulster County InfoPortal, a service of the Ulster County Library Association. Finding the site is easy. Just click on the “Reference & Research” tab on our website and scroll down to “Ulster County InfoPortal”. From here you will find a number of tabs with associated content.

Watch

Access to Kanopy -- Stream 30,000 films from collections such as The Criterion Collection and Great Courses, as well as thousands of independent filmmakers. In Kanopy, you will receive 4 play credits every month to watch films or TV series. (Some TV series, like BBC, allow you to access an entire season with one play credit.) 

Read / Listen

Access to Libby ­­-- Borrow ebooks or audiobooks in the comfort of your home, or on-the-go with your tablet, phone or e-reader. Choose from bestsellers, fiction, nonfiction, magazines, books for kids and more. No subscription. No late fees. Ever. The Libby app will walk you through set up, so you can start reading right away.

Learn

Access a number of databases to learn and research at your own pace:

• Encyclopedia Britannica -- both Academic and School versions, offers thousands of up to date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, web sites.
• Craft & Hobby -- how-to instructional videos for 20 different creative interests. Thousands of hours of instruction, including Craftsy videos.
•  The Great Courses -- hundreds of courses spanning thousands of in-depth video lectures on subjects like Science, Health & Wellness, and much more.
• Transparent Language Online -- Build listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in over 100 foreign languages. Includes ESL lessons.
• NOVELny is an online library of hundreds of magazines, newspapers, maps, charts, research and reference books that are available to every New Yorker, free of charge.
• Universal Class -- Participate in lifelong learning courses in over 30 subject areas, many offer continuing education units (CEUs).

Museums

Online passes are available for the following museums:

• Bethel Woods Museum (Bethel)
• FDR Library and Museum (Hyde Park)
• Destroyer USS Slater (Albany)
• Guggenheim Museum (NYC)
• Hudson Highland Nature Museum & Grasshopper Grove (Cornwall-on-Hudson & Cornwall)
• Hudson River Maritime Museum (Kingston)
• Mass MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams, MA)
• MiSci Museum of Innovation and Science (Schenectady)
• NY Transit Museum (Brooklyn)
• Olana State Historic Site (Hudson)
• Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (Red Hook)
• Opus 40 Sculpture Park (Saugerties)
• Thomas Cole National Historic Site (Catskill)

All eResources

Access to all online resources in one place, plus a couple extras:

• JobNow -- Help with resumes and interview skills. High School equivalency and U.S. citizenship preparation.
• New York History -- History & Genealogy -- Lists of historical resources pertaining to Ulster County, the Hudson Valley, and New York State. General resources of interest to genealogists.

Food lovers, rejoice! Starting in April we will launch a fun new food program called The Monthly Munch. Once a month on a Wednesday or Friday, we will offer a cooking, tasting, or making event geared toward kids, teens, and families. 

April is National Pecan month!  

Pop in on Friday, April 12 between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sample delish pecan treats, get recipes and vote for your favorite. Votes count as entries toward an awesome Pecan Gift Basket drawing.

Bring in a pecan recipe of your own or check out a dessert cookbook while here and get another chance for the drawing! Patrons of all ages are welcomed to participate.

May's Monthly Munch will a feature a mini charcuterie board program in honor of National Cheese Month!

Contact Christine Adams if you have any questions.

Don't lose your library card!

If you haven't used your library card in 5 years, you are at risk of being dropped from the RCLS system.

Any activity on your account (including borrowing from our digital catalog) between now and the final purge date of April 1 will prevent your card from being deleted. This is a great time to come to the library and check out a book, magazine, or DVD, or to load the Libby app on your phone or tablet and get started with ebooks and audiobooks.

The new Saturday Morning Book Club will have their second meeting at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 23! They'll be discussing Annie Barrow's The Truth According to Us. The group will be meeting in the library's reading room.

On Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m., the adult fiction book club will meet in our reading room to discuss Beloved by Toni Morrison. This title bridges Black History Month in February to Women's History Month in March. Newcomers are always welcome!

From Goodreads...

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

Sethe works at beating back the past, but it makes itself heard and felt incessantly in her memory and in the lives of those around her. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present.

Now through April 30

Spring into the library for books, movies, museum passes and magazines! Earn chances to win a $25 gas card from Stewart’s! Pick up your new Bingo card today or download your own!

Mahjong meet-ups

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!

Adult coloring club

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.

Adult crafting

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.

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!

Bunny Treat Tray Friday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m.

Paint, cut, and glue all the elements needed to create a cute Easter bunny candy tray. Registration required. Ages 8+.

Our Home School projects were artsy and crafty this month... a group of Easter treat trays and mixed up art intials.

Home School Art programs are offered once a month for each of the two age groups, age 5-8 and 9-12. Register online on our event calendar on our website.

Calling all teens...

• Spark up a conversation!
• Unpack your baggage while playing games!
• Enjoy snacks!
• An after-school hangout!

Join us at the Wallkill Public Library on the following days:

• Monday, April 8, 2:30-4:40 PM
• Monday, April 22, 2:30-4:30 PM
• Monday, May 6, 2:30-4:30

Call/text Marla at 845-542-0217 for more information. Sponsored by the Wallkill Reformed Church.

Keep looking for those signs of spring, library friends!

In the meantime, hop on over to the Wallkill Public Library for some exciting events!

Saturday, March 30 at 10:30 AM Shawangunk Town Hall Community Room

Wrap up the March holiday week at a FREE family-fun variety show, hosted by beloved entertainer David Engel, on Saturday, March 30th at 10:30 a.m.!

Jack Frost is coming to town and he’s bringing wintertime fun! The world's premiere polar prankster and renown ice artist will delight audiences with this heart-warming production!

This program will be in the Town Hall Community Room. The show is geared for children ages 4 and up. Registration is required - secure your child's spot here!

Prior to the show, be sure to join in on the Wallkill Lions Club FREE Easter Egg Hunt on the library lawn at 9:00 a.m. See below for more details!

Saturday, March 30 at 9:00 AM Wallkill Public Library lawn

This event is FREE to kids of all ages! Come out and get a picture with the Easter Bunny, collect Easter eggs, and bring home a bag of treats!

No registration necessary for this event. For additional info, call or text (914) 213-3063.

Did you know that...

on Monday, April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada!

Here at the Wallkill Public Library, we are having an Eclipse Celebration Event on Saturday, April 6th from 11 AM to 12 PM out on the library lawn. In the event of inclement weather, this program will be in the Community Room at Town Hall.

Register here to join us - we will have special guest Shantha Thangiah, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, here to host family-friendly learning and activities. You will also receive a free pair of viewing glasses… a safety MUST for watching a solar eclipse!

Don’t miss out on this amazing time in science history - the next solar eclipse visible from the United States won’t be until 2044!

Zoe endeared our friends with some cool tricks at our last Storytime! Register here to see what she has in store during her next visit on Tuesday, April 2nd.

Registration is REQUIRED. Please register each child separately.

Congratulations, Ellis!

The Wallkill Public Library is happy to share that Ellis R., age 9, won the Guess-the-Number-of-Chess-Pieces raffle at Ostrander Elementary's Family Game Night!

Ellis guessed the exact number of chess pieces that were in our jar - 102! Several children made close guesses of 100 and one guess was as high as 8,100! Ellis' prize was a $25.00 gift card for Barnes and Noble. Congratulations, Ellis!

• 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.
• Grab & GO projects 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.