May 2025 Newsletter

News from Castleton Public Library - May 2025 View this email in your browser Notes from Our Director:  Spring is a wonderful time to explore the outdoors -- and your library can help! May brings the return of our StoryWalks at Schodack Town Park and Schodack Island State Park! The StoryWalk uses pages from a picture book along a walking path so that families can enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time, any time the parks are open. Each StoryWalk begins near the park's playground. We change the book each month from May through October! We also have items you can borrow to help you enjoy the outdoors. Explore underneath the surface of the Earth with our metal detector! Borrow one for 14 days using your library card, just like borrowing a book.  You can also borrow fishing poles from the library for 14 days. The library has several poles to loan -- each pole is ready to go with line, hook, and a bobber.  Best, Melissa Tacke, Library Director Download May events calendar as a PDF Weekly Events Learn & Play Storytime  Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.  May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. Children from birth to age 5 are invited to enjoy stories, rhymes, music, and movement while building their early literacy and motor skills! Our Take-Home Kits Take & Make Craft Kit: Handprint Dinosaur Pick up anytime from Sunday, May 4 through Saturday, May 31. Use your handprints to craft a ROAR-some dinosaur! Our StoryWalks May StoryWalk @Schodack Island - Wake Up by Helen Frost   Location: Schodack Island State Park, 1 Schodack Island Way, Schodack Landing, NY 12156   The StoryWalk begins near the playground and is available anytime!   Enjoy a StoryWalk with your family! Wake Up by Helen Frost will be up all month long. We change the StoryWalk book each month. May StoryWalk @Schodack Town Park - Surprise in the Meadow by Anna Vojtech Location: Schodack Town Park, 498 Poyneer Road, Nassau, NY 12123   The StoryWalk begins near the playground and is available anytime!   Enjoy a StoryWalk with your family! Surprise in the Meadow by Anna Vojtech will be up all month long. We change the StoryWalk book each month.  Our Other Events Drop-In Tech Help   Thursday, May 1, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Stop in anytime with tech questions that our on-site tech guru can help to answer. Friends of CPL Plant Sale Saturday, May 3, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Location: River Rest (Corner of Scott Avenue and Main Street), Castleton, NY 12033 All proceeds benefit the library! An assortment of vegetable plants and flowers will be available, with coffee and donuts also available for purchase. The day will include live music as well -- be sure to stop by!   Little Ones Playtime Saturday & Sunday, May 3-4, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Little ones ages birth to 5 years are invited to drop in any time on Saturday or Sunday to play with a special assortment of fun toys geared toward young children.  After Dinner Book Club - The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty Monday, May 5, 7:00 p.m. Join us the first Monday of each month for a book discussion! Books available at the front desk. This month's title is The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty.  Mother's Day Crafts   Wednesday, May 7, 12:00 - 8:00 p.m. Create a handmade gift for Mom or another special person in your life who deserves to be celebrated!   Film Screening: Free for All: The Public Library Friday, May 9, 4:00 p.m.  Free for All: The Public Library tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures and book bans, meet those who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all. This film screening is made possible by Indie Lens Pop-Up. Saturday Stories Saturday, May 10, 11:30 a.m. Stop by for a weekend storytime and activity geared toward families with young children (ages birth-8) featuring crafts, music and movement, books, and fun! Narcan Training Saturday, May 10, 1:00 p.m.  Join Rensselaer County Department of Health and Nopiates Committee for a free Narcan training. You'll learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and the steps to respond and administer naloxone. This life-saving training provides you with the skills to respond. Job Seeker Help with Rensselaer County Career Center Monday, May 12, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Looking for a new job or fresh career path? Rensselaer County Career Center is here to help! Professional career services include resume development, interview preparation, job search assistance, and career assessment.   Fiber Arts Workshop   Monday, May 12, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. For adults and teens ages 16+. Join us for our monthly Fiber Arts Workshop! Whether you're new to knitting and crochet or a seasoned fiber artist, this is the perfect place to share and create in a friendly environment. All skill levels welcome! Yarn and hooks/needles are available to beginners.  CPL Board of Trustees Meeting Monday, May 12, 7:00 p.m. Monthly meeting of the library's Board of Trustees. Members of the public are welcome to attend.  Bingo Night for Kids and Teens Tuesday, May 13, 6:00 p.m. Recommended for kids age 5 and up. Play Bingo at the library! Learn number and focus skills with the chance to win cool prizes! The game starts at 6:00 p.m.; we'll see you there! Open Mic Night Wednesday, May 14, 6:00 p.m. Musicians and poets - come share your talents! All ages welcome to perform and to watch.   Family Cooking: No-Bake Energy Bites Sunday, May 18, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Get ready for a sweet treat that's good for you! Families are invited to a hands-on workshop where we'll be making no-bake energy bites. Learn how to create tasty, energy-boosting snacks using simple ingredients. This is a perfect opportunity for kids to get creative in the kitchen. All supplies provided. World of Tea   Monday, May 19 – Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m. – Evening Session: 6:00 p.m. Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m.; Evening Session: 6:00 p.m. For adults and teens ages 15+. Join us to explore different varieties of tea from around the globe! You'll create your own signature tea blend, and take some tea samples to brew at home. Career Day: Lawyer   Tuesday, May 20, 6:00 p.m. For grades 4 and up. This monthly series highlights all types of professions to offer an educational opportunity to kids and teens about potential future careers! This month, we'll hear from a lawyer from the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Afternoon Book Club: The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl   Wednesday, May 21, 1:00 p.m. Join us the third Wednesday of each month for a book discussion! Books available at the front desk. This month's book is The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. Friends of CPL Meeting   Wednesday, May 21, 6:00 p.m.  Want to help support and raise funds for the library? Come join the Friends! All are welcome.  STEAM Lab: Paper Chain Challenge Friday, May 23, 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. The challenge begins every half hour: 12:00, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00. Take the paper chain challenge -- see how long of a paper chain you can craft out of a single sheet of paper and compete against others' measurements to find out how how creative you can get!   Family Dice and Card Game Weekend   Saturday & Sunday, May 24-25, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Dice and card games will be set up all weekend to compete and play with your family and friends! Kids Cook Around the World: Tzatziki Dip   Tuesday, May 27, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Bring your passport and learn about this refreshing and easy-to-make dipping sauce! Write Your Life: Memoir Writing for Adults Wednesday, May 28, 7:00 p.m.  In this monthly workshop-style class, we will complete writing exercises that spark creativity and share our own pieces with the group in an effort to hone the craft of storytelling. Teen Scene: Wooden Bookmarks Friday, May 30, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. For grades 6 and up. Teens, join us for a Teen Scene afternoon filled with snacks, music, and wooden bookmark crafting!   After Dinner Book Club - Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg Monday, June 2, 7:00 p.m. Join us the first Monday of each month for a book discussion! Books available at the front desk. This month's title is Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg.    Digital Library Resources Check Out Our Digital Collections! The Upper Hudson Library System hosts a great collection of ebooks, digital audiobooks, digital magazines, and streaming video, resources for research, and more! Click here to visit our page about digital resources.  Borrow a WiFi Hotspot Did you know that we loan WiFi hotspots? They can be borrowed for 14 days -- all you need is your library card! Hotspots are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can only be checked out and returned at CPL. Call 518-732-0879 or email [email protected] for more information.  WiFi Inside & Outside Our Building Our WiFi is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access the public WiFi on the front lawn, or alongside the building on Stimpson Avenue (the signal is strongest near the front of the building). Just look for the network called "Castleton Public Library." There's no password to connect!  Copyright © 2025 Castleton Public Library, All rights reserved.