Fort Plain Free Library

eBooks now available

2012-01-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

Beginning today, Fort Plain Free Library patrons can download eBooks for your computer, eBook reader, and other compatible devices. Browse the collection, check out with your library card, and download to PC, Mac®, and mobile devices including iPod, iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, and many others. With thousands of titles to choose from, the new collection is guaranteed to have something for everyone. You can download best-selling novels, well-known classics, self-improvement guides, and much more. Titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period. There are no late fees! Visit http://mvls.lib.overdrive.com to get started.

Library Closings

2012-01-06T20:10:00.001-05:00

The library will be closed on the following days:
Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 10AM to 1PM
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012

E AudioBooks Now Available

2012-01-06T14:43:00.004-05:00

E AudioBooks are now available from the Mohawk Valley Library System at the Fort Plain Free Library. In order to access the OneClick Digital site go to http://fortplainny.oneclickdigital.com/ This URL will only allow patrons with a barcode from our library to register for an account. Once patrons have registered, they do not need their barcodes again, just their username and password. Loan periods are 15 checkouts at a time, 21 day loan period, and items can be renewed 3 times for 21 days each time. If anyone had technical problems, Recorded Books is providing support. It will be up to the patron to contact Recorded Books directly.

Summer Art Camps

2011-06-30T15:01:00.002-04:00

A series of Summer Art Camps for children going into grades 6 to 8 have been scheduled on Wednesdays, July 13, 20, 27, and August 3,from 9:30 - 11:30 at the Canal Street Studio, 200 Canal Street, Fort Plain in cooperation with the Fort Plain Free Library. Each week, a different painting technique will be Illustrated including Adire Eleso which simulates tie dyeing on July 13 with King Lion's Gift; Japanese brush painting or calligraphy on July 20 with The Spider Weaver; hieroglyphics on July 27 with Tutankhamen's Gift; and beadwork on August 3 with Tremolo ~ The Mohawk Creation Story. Participants are encouraged to sign up for all, some, or one of the sessions.
Register for the basic Summer Reading Program online at http://ny.evanced.info/fortplain/sr/homepage.asp for your chance to win a collection of age appropriate free books. Funding for this program was made possible, in part, with a contribution from the Montgomery County Youth Bureau.

One World, Many Stories

2011-06-09T18:41:00.003-04:00

This summer you and your children are invited to explore the theme One World, Many Stories duringthe Fort Plain Free Library'sSummer Reading Program that will run from June 19 through August 20. The Summer Reading Program will help to keep children reading during vacation by offering free activity sessions that will include stories, crafts, and special presentations for children of all ages. This year, basic record keeping will be done exclusively online either from your home computer or from the library. All ages, pre-school through adult, are encouraged to take advantage of this method of recording books read and even of posting a short review to share particular favorites with others. The online reading tracker at http://ny.evanced.info/fortplain/sr/homepage.aspwill be available June 19, and anyone who registers will be entered into a drawing to win an age appropriate collection of books at the close of the program.

We are particularly excited to once again partner with the Youth Recreation Summer Program to offer this opportunity to their participants. On Friday, July 8, the Summer Reading Program will kick-off with a performance of One World, Many Stories with musician Cathy McGrath, at 2:00, at the Fort Plain High Schoolfor all attending the Youth Recreation Program. Families from the community are, of course, welcome to join us. Beginning on Wednesday, July 13, and continuing through August 10, children who have completed kindergarten, grades 1 and grades 2will be bused from Youth Rec to the library to share in the Summer Reading Program's weekly activity session featuring stories, crafts, and book selection. Children will be able to borrow books, and parents are encouraged to help their youngsters keep track of their selections and bring them to the program on Wednesdays so that they are returned to the library each week. In addition, a series of Summer Art Camps for children going into grades 6 to 8have been scheduled on Wednesdays, July 13, 20, 27, and August 3,from9:30 - 11:30. Watch the papers for specifics of these and other exciting offerings.

Should you have any questions about any aspect of the Summer Reading Program, please stop in at the Fort Plain Free Library or call 993-4646 during regular library hours.

May I?

2011-05-15T13:32:00.001-04:00

As a child I would ask, "Can I have a cookie?" I was always quickly corrected, "Do you mean may I have a cookie?" May 15^th is touted as National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. As synonymous as milk and cookies is NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® semi-sweet morsels and chocolate chip cookies. This product has been on the market since 1939, and there is a very interesting history and recipe collection on its web site. There are also several books devoted to this little piece of perfection, one of which, NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Best Loved Cookies, is available through the library system. A quick perusal of the Fort Plain Free Library shelves finds the following offerings…Double Chocolate Crisps in the Taste of Home Baking Book and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake in the Better Homes and Gardens 9 x 13: The Pan That Can book.
On May 11^th, the Fort Plain Free Library was honored to receive the Mohawk Valley Library System's Library Recognition Award at the system annual meeting in recognition of this past summer's Twain Along the Mohawk event. The award honors the efforts of a library to improve, expand, or enhance services to its community and the region. As stated in the citation, "Books have the ability to bring communities together as we have all seen with the success of community reads. The Fort Plain Free Library took this idea with a twist for its Twain Along the Mohawk program last summer, joining the author and his words with a celebration of community."
On Tuesday evening, May 24, from 6:00 – 8:00, the library will present Fort Plain's Finest Foodies. The program, by public request, will bring together samples and provide demystification of complicated sounding recipes. Participants are invited to bring a prepared appetizer, entrée, desert, etc. that sounds "gourmet" but is, in reality, easy to make. They will hand out copies of their recipes and explain the finer points of its preparation. Plates and service will be provided. The program is free and open to all. For more details, drop by the library.
So, what is the difference between may and can? Anyone may (to imply permission) go the library where they can (to imply ability) learn something new!

Two Weeks For the Price of One

2011-03-31T18:25:00.002-04:00

April 10^th through 16^th is National Volunteer Week. Our mother was always a volunteer, though we didn't attach any special significance to the word. It was just what she did. And when we were pressed into service, volunteered so-to-speak, we thought that we were doing what all offspring of volunteers were supposed to do. After a couple of years of weekly trips to the nearest library in the next town, our mother decided we needed a hometown library. One of my earliest memories of volunteering was sorting boxes of books in the large room above the Redman's Hall in the small town where I grew up. After that, Mom decided to start a volunteer ambulance core, and I was enlisted to draw a depiction of the half-scale Cadillac ambulance for the fund drive. I could go on and on with our mother's efforts, but the point of this tale was her simple definition of volunteering. "Doing something to make the world a better place."

April 10^th through 16^th is also National Library Week. Libraries make the world a better place. The authors whose works of fiction and non-fiction entertain and inform strive to achieve this goal. A volunteer can help to make the library a better place. There are often singular or routine tasks that can be performed by volunteers, thus freeing up staff to accomplish other tasks. The Summer Reading Program at the Fort Plain Free Library is one program that particularly lends itself to this type of service. Should you be interested in volunteering in any capacity, stop in at the library and leave your name, phone number, what you would be interested in doing, and we will get back to you. You never know where a simple act of volunteerism might lead. When Mom and my sister became Candy Stripers at the hospital, my sister went on to become a nurse and hospice volunteer. After a career in business and years of volunteering, my youngest sister went all the way and started her own non-profit, staffed by volunteers. Mom's library efforts (now housed in our old eight-room schoolhouse) started me down the printed path. As for that Cadillac ambulance I drew, it eventually materialized and arrived just in time to deliver my firstborn!

On Tuesday evening, April 26^th, from 6:00 – 8:00, The Fort Plain Free Library will host a program on Iris Folding. Participants will learn how to create beautiful, spiraling patterns using this simple technique. While this program is free, open to the public, and presented by volunteers, seating is limited.

For further information, please call the library at (518) 993-4646.

NetLibrary Access

2011-03-08T16:00:00.004-05:00

Did you know that as a cardholder at the Fort Plain Free Library, you are able to download digital versions of popular bestsellers, book club favorites, and books by award-winning authors free of charge? Over 1,200 titles are available with an additional 30 added each month. Books may be downloaded to your home computer and to many portable listening devices including portable music players, portable media centers, pocket PC's, and some select smart phone devices. Books you choose are circulated for three weeks and are guaranteed to be available whenever requested.

The download service is available 24/7 from the NetLibrary web site that provides access to the downloadable audio book collection that the library has purchased and made available to patrons. First time users must create an account following the directions at http://netlibrary.sals.edu/. After creating an account, users will be able to log in directly to the audio book website without going through a verification process.

Further information on this opportunity or tips for getting started will be provided in person at the library or by calling the library at (518) 993-4646.

Yer Old Sod!

2011-03-04T13:19:00.003-05:00

An Irish Country Courtship (Patrick Taylor), Death of a Gentle Lady (M.C. Beaton)…I spent most of February reading myself through Ireland. Just when I thought I was ready to revisit Jan Karon's Mitford, North Carolina, where did she take her readers but to Ireland via In the Company of Others? Aside from catching a glimpse of people of another time and place or catching up with already familiar characters in their time and place, there is often another gift to be found when reading fiction. I came away with several thoughts beyond the storylines of these excellent books. It's nice to read about people who are satisfied with what they do and care about the people in their charge. They are sturdy, unpretentious, and dependable. They and their likes are the foundation of a community. Moreover, they slow things down for us and, by example, teach us to appreciate the people we know and the beauty of the world around us.

While on the topic of the Irish and upcoming St. Patrick's Day, The Little Book of Irish Family Cooking by Ruth Isabel Ross offers up two interesting recipes, Apple Amber and Bread and Butter Pudding. Check the book out of the library and try one of these recipes for the upcoming holiday. Irish Crochet Techniques and Projects is available on interlibrary loan for those who are a little experienced in crochet. You may want to Google "Mountmellick," Irish Whitework, embroidery as well.

A friend sent me her favorite St. Patrick's Day recipe for Corned Beef Casserole.
Take ten ounces of medium wide egg noodles, par cook, drain, and place in large bowl.
To this, add one twelve ounce can of corned beef, shredded, eight ounces of sharp, diced cheddar cheese, one can of cream of chicken soup, and one cup of milk.
Pour into a greased 2 ½ quart casserole and top with ¾ cup buttered breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for forty-five minutes.
Serves six. Very good!

On Tuesday evening, March 15^th, beginning at 6:00pm, Sherri Byrne will present a program dealing with natural fragrances in the home. She will offer recipes for furniture polish, rug deodorizer, bath salts, dusting powder, and potpourri. Materials are provided by the library, but enrollment is limited to fifteen, so please register at the library prior to the program to make certain there is a spot for you.

For further information on programs or publications, please call the library at (518) 993-4646.

The Old Erie Canal in Fort Plain

2011-02-10T19:39:00.003-05:00

A Power Point presentation featuring images of the Erie Canal in the mid to late 1800's

The Big Chill

2011-01-27T17:48:00.002-05:00

I recently read that the Miriam Webster dictionary company word for the year 2010 was austerity. It brings to mind the native Mohawks for whom the word austerity was a fact of life in February of a bad year. When the Palatine Germans arrived, bringing with them their own lifestyle, pre-planning for the austerity of late winter was slightly more attainable. The harsh existence of ages passed was accepted as day to day life. Yet each culture still found the time and the means to express the beauty of the world around them. With the Palatines in mind, the Fort Plain Free Library will present a program on pierced paper Valentines on Wednesday, February 9^th, beginning at 6:00 pm with local artist and instructor Joanne Resch. Participants will create a project reminiscent of German Fraktur work. The program is free and open to the public but seating is limited.
An upcoming program tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, beginning at 6:00 with Sherri Byrne will focus on herbal fragrances. More details will follow next month. Art and herbs, two ingredients of life, expressed and utilized by every culture that has come into this valley. Through our libraries, we can learn about their continuing influences on our everyday life.
If Cornell Cooperative Extension had been around two centuries ago, it probably would have offered a program called Save Energy, Save Your Energy. Today it's called Save Energy, Save Dollars and on Thursday, February 10^th, from 1:00 – 2:30, Craig Clark of Cornell Cooperative Extension will offer local residents practical advice on how to lower their utility bills through no-cost/low-cost means.
Those of you who haven't been chilled enough by the weather might enjoy reading At the Mercy of the Mountains: True Stories of Survival and Tragedy in New York's Adirondacks by Peter Bronski. As for myself, I'm taking an armchair flight to the warmer climate of Ballybucklebo, County Down, Northern Ireland via An Irish Country Courtship, the fifth book in the Irish Country series by Patrick Taylor.
For further information on any of these programs or publications, please call the library at (518) 993-4646.
Submitted by Sally Taylor, member of the Board of Trustees

Tidbits & Tidings--January, 2011

2010-12-21T15:47:00.001-05:00

I thought that this month's topic had found me when I was gifted with a sixty year old magazine. I was going to begin with the subject of January, named for Janus who in Roman mythology was the god of portals, of beginnings and endings, and how this May, 1948 publication seemed to be serving that very function. I was going to expound upon what I learned regarding our society at that time via the articles, photos, and advertisements; what anyone could learn about us by simply reading a publication of a certain time. I spent two evenings immersed in the 184 page issue, half-expecting to wake up like Christopher Reeves in Somewhere in Time. Alas, it will have to wait because….
This morning I read about a new project called culturomics. Harvard linguists and Google engineers have teamed up to build a database of more than 500 billion words gleaned from five million books published over the last four centuries. It's touted as a new and powerful tool to study cultural change; a beginning that I'm sure will expand to include other facets of our cultural DNA. In the meantime, it's www.culturomics.org, and we would appreciate your comments on this new site.
While looking through the local history section at the library, I found a new title, An Historic Resource Survey, Village of Fort Plain funded by a Preserve New York Grant awarded to the village of Fort Plain by the Preservation League of New York State and the New York State Council on the Arts. As stated in the introduction, this survey assesses the village's "historic resources in a consistent fashion and determines what steps might be taken to further their enhancement and preservation." All properties fifty years old or older are included in the assessment. Included are a description of existing conditions, an historical and architectural overview, a description of historic building styles, photographs of all properties older than 50 years, potential National Register eligibility for these properties, as well as conclusions and recommendations in regard to future planning and development of the area. Full of all kinds of intriguing facts, maps, and photographs, the Historic Resource Survey is available for your perusal and enjoyment during the long winter months ahead.
Looking back over 2010, our craft workshops ranged from redwork embroidery to beaded ornaments and boasted enthusiastic audiences. Looking ahead, potpourri, pin-broidery, pierced paper (typical of early German valentines), and the yo-yo quilt motif are some of the programs in the works for 2011. Meanwhile, in shelf space or cyberspace, the prose and poetry, rhyme and rhetoric contained within the Fort Plain Free Library silently awaits another New Year and the sound of patrons seeking the finest works humankind has to offer.

Time Traveler

2010-11-22T13:04:00.002-05:00

Imagine what our ancestors might have thought if someone told them that all they had to do to get to California was get in a huge aluminum cylinder with fixed wings and strap themselves in. No wagon train, no endless weeks on the trail, no horses or oxen…just noise and an invisible power propelling them down a cement runway until the earth seems to fall away and they are rising higher and higher…they level off and the plane seems to stop! I don't have to imagine this scenario. It's how I feel every time I have to fly. But we do what we have to do, in order to do what we need or want to do, in the time we have to do it in.
Now, returning to my home place and a lifestyle that straddles past and future, projects planned and books piled, I am ready to face winter. I would recommend a newer novel, New York, by Edward Rutherfurd and Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, and, though I haven't read it yet, The Autobiography of Mark Twain, edited by a team led by Harriet Elinor Smith. How fitting that this author with his extensive imagination would pen his autobiography with instructions that it wasn't to be published until a hundred years after his death. The first of three volumes is 700 pages and covers the years 1870 – 1906. What an end to our celebration of Mark Twain's visit to Fort Plain. Well, almost end….
On Wednesday, December 8^th at 2:20 and again on Tuesday the 21^st at 6:00, the Fort Plain Free Library will host a Gilded Gimcrack workshop. Each participant will create a beaded ornament cover reminiscent of The Gilded Age, a phrase coined by Mark Twain to describe a time and way of life. This program is free and open to the public. Each class is limited to ten participants so those who would like to be guaranteed a place may want to pre-register at the library. A refreshment featuring Mark Twain's favorite dessert will be served.
There are new offerings almost daily in the book sale as well as some remaining needlework books. In a tight economy, a gently used book would make a great Christmas gift as well as some handmade gift or baked offering. The library's collection will give you thousands of ideas.
For further information on any of these programs or publications, please call the library at (518) 993-4646.

The Side Show

2010-10-10T17:26:00.002-04:00

Hopefully, October will end drier than it began for all the Halloween trick-or-treaters. Nothing like a crisp, quiet, and dark evening to bring out the imagination! The bakers out there might want to peruse the recipe for Party Monsters on page 28 of the October/November issue of Taste of Home. These hilarious treats are from What's New Cupcake? by Alan Richardson and Karen Tack. For those who are into needlework, this month's American Spirit magazine has an article on a graveyard quilt. The library book sale has been given dozens of embroidery and craft magazines. It's time to plan some winter projects as well as to stock up on reading material for those cold days ahead.
The Glass Castle, a superbly written work by Jeannette Walls, provided a thought-provoking evening for the recent book discussion. I believe that we are all a memoir in the making to our family and friends and even unto ourselves; that we should allow this thought to gently guide us through our days. Most of the people I know have more purposeful lives than some of the "celebrities" that make the news.
I read that it is the fifty-fifth anniversary of the green bean casserole. This is also the fiftieth anniversary of the Thanksgiving that my mother (who was normally a wonderful cook) decided to experiment with the stuffing by adding a generous amount of garlic. The aroma and taste permeated the bird to its wingtips and leached into the gravy. The sides circulated the table and filled plates and stomachs. I decided it's time to add something new to our family's Thanksgiving this year. I perused the library shelves and found Sides by Melicia Phillips with offerings such as Glazed Onions (page 80) and Broiled Stuffed Mushroom Caps with Parmesan (page 96). While these two side-dish offerings sound good, I know that there are hundreds of other ones of the shelves and dozens of time-tested sides to be found in our library patrons' kitchens. To this end, we invite area cooks to bring in recipes for their new or old favorite side-dishes to share with others. Toward Thanksgiving, we will draw a recipe at random from the entries and present that person with a gift certificate from the Plain Food Coop. Please make sure your name and phone number is on the recipe.
On Sunday afternoon, October 17^th, the library will host a book discussion on The Complete Stories of Dorothy Parker from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Barbara Ungar will facilitate this discussion. Copies of the book are available for loan through the library; the title may also be acquired as a book on CD by placing a request either on line or at the library. In addition, a Flower Fairy Wreath workshop will be held on Tuesday evening, October 19^th, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Supplies for this free program are furnished by the library, but seating is limited.
For further information on any of these programs or publications, please call the library at (518) 993-4646.

A Remembrance of Things Past

2010-09-16T17:33:00.001-04:00

As I have often said, our lives are full of rites and traditions. Some of our childhood ones are tied to national celebrations. The new Easter bonnet, for instance. Others are more personal. Take our family pot cupboard cleaning. It usually occurred in late summer or early fall, though not every year. The adults calculated the timing for this chore, formulating a plan of action after the late news one evening and fine-tuning it the next day. Nearing the time (it always seemed to happen in the afternoon), the sky over distant New York City grew dark, the flag pointed ominously to the west, and the adults would send us to the pot cupboard. We no sooner lined up the roasters, pots, and bowls across the archway, than we heard the wind pick up. Then it arrived, the hurricane-driven rain slamming against the east-facing front of the house, attacking the windows right through the screens, driving the sheets of water on the tinned shed roof uphill, under the flashing and shingles, then down through the archway between house and what had once been an enclosed porch, now dining area, into the waiting pots and pans.

Outside, our familiar valley was lost in rain, and wind, and eventually evening. We sat around the table, candles and flashlights readied, eating supper. With the passing of the outer edge of the hurricane, pots were emptied, rinsed, dried and returned to the readied cupboard. The family would turn in for the night, lulled into sleep by a now gentler rainfall on the tin roof outside the bedroom windows.

The weather, like a good book, allows us to be one with our ancestors. Many of our seasonal rites are borne of an instinct for survival. For those of you who knit, the library has several books and publications with patterns for socks, scarves, and hats to keep you and yours warm during the rapidly approaching winter. For those preparing to hibernate, it's time to hit the used book room and choose your reasonably priced supply of winter reading.

The zucchini recipe swap filled the folder with countless delicious recipes and cleared out many of our gently used cookbooks. Now that you've eaten, baked, and frozen enough zucchini to take you over the winter, you might want to peruse the library bookshelves for fall recipes.

By all accounts, Twain Along the Mohawk provided a good meal and great entertainment for area families. While generations come and go, an author sometimes remains, his work often uplifting, inspiring, or even timeless. A man given to humor, Samuel Clemens would have enjoyed the evening and been humbled by the enduring popularity of his works. The Kanzashi program, too, was abloom with participants, all of whom took home a finished project. Watch the papers for news of our next craft program.

Finally, the Fort Plain Free Library will host a discussion of Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle on Wednesday evening, September 29^th, at 6:30 at the library with Jennifer Hill as facilitator. Copies of the book are available for loan through the library; the title may also be acquired as a book on CD by placing a request either on line or at the library. For further information, please call the library at (518) 993-4646.

Twain Along the Mohawk

2010-07-31T13:56:00.003-04:00

On a hundred degree day in northeast New Jersey, in the summer between fifth and sixth grade, during the interval between tomboy and teenager, I took refuge in the cool, earthy dampness under the hedge in our front yard. There, I opened my book and rejoined my two companions Huck and Jim who were waiting for me, hiding in the tall grass of my imagination. It was the summer of Mark Twain, and two of his works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When the school year began, the books were returned to their space on the shelves that lined the staircase. Occasionally over the years, I would touch each in passing, knowing that Huck and Tom, Jim and the Mississippi were still there, unchanged and unspoiled, should I want to go back and visit them.

Now as promised in an earlier column, our special event for the summer is called Twain Along the Mohawk. This year marks the 100^th anniversary of Mark Twain's death. Something you might not have known is that Twain visited Fort Plain in 1868 during a lecture tour promotingInnocents Abroad. The August 14^th program to be held in Haslett Park will start off at 4:30 with a short presentation about life in Fort Plain during that time period by Sandy Cronkhite, followed by a reenactment of Twain's 1868 speech The American Vandal Abroad, and a free community picnic sponsored by the library in cooperation with Manna House, after which Gary Van Slyke will present a concert featuring period song. So bring your blanket or lawn chair and spend an enjoyable evening in 1868. In the event of rain, all activities will take place at the Reformed Church.

Lest the Mississippi fade with summer, the Margaret Reaney Memorial Library in St. Johnsville will hold a discussion on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on October 9^th at 10:00 am. Barbara Unger will be the guest facilitator. For more information, call Dawn Lamphere at 568-7822.

I am told that in some places cars are locked during this weather, for fear someone might leave zucchinis in the back seat. This vegetable has been a staple for thousands of years. It's a low calorie food with excellent levels of vitamins and minerals. In can be used in any of a hundred ways, and if you don't believe this, come in and peruse a cookbook. Speaking of cookbooks, anyone who brings in a zucchini recipe during the month of August will be treated to a free cookbook of his or her choice from our used cookbook stash.

We will travel halfway around the world for another program in August. On Wednesday, August 25^th, at 6:00 pm, we will explore the technique of Kanzashi, a centuries old folded flower technique used to create Japanese hair ornaments. Utilizing Kanzashi in Bloom by Diane Gilleland, we will create a flower and view the various applications available to us today. For more information on any of our offerings, please call the library at (518) 993-4646 or visit the library blog at http://www.ftplib.blogspot.com/.
Submitted by Board of Trustee member Sally Taylor

There’s No Place Like Home

2010-07-29T16:54:00.002-04:00

I recently traveled to South Carolina, home of some of my descendants. I took along the novel A Thousand Country Roads by Robert James Waller. In this poignant epilogue to The Bridges of Madison County, Robert Kincaid takes to the road for a last trip, searching for something to give meaning to the rest of his life. On my return trip, during a marathon layover in Washington /Dulles Airport, I finished the book and still had time to ponder the following thoughts: Is an unfinished work more memorable or satisfying than one that comes full circle?
Don't we spend most of our life seeking those things that give meaning to the rest of our life, and what part does an early and continued exposure to books play in this?
And would Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep consider doing the sequel?
Finally airborne, we approached the vicinity of New York City at 30,000 feet. As always, I recalled a trip home several years ago, before our lives changed, when our pilot descended so low and banked so steeply around the top of the Empire State Building that I might have seen King Kong, had he not fallen off the building innumerable times during a marathon weekend of The Million Dollar Movie a half century ago, a weekend after which the top of the Empire State Building visible from my bedroom window took on a new meaning. But I digress.
We then headed north up the ribbon of the Hudson River as night encroached, a view I have never forgotten. This evening, too far removed from the land, I again drew on the thoughts of that distant evening. I thought about the many people who traveled west through New York State, via wagon, canal, or train on route to a new life. It is the stuff books are made of.
Upcoming events at the library include:
July 22 Annual Fort Plain Free Library Ice Cream Social during the County Line Rebels concert in the park beginning at 7:00
July 19, 26, Mondays with Monet. Summer Art Camp for children in
August 2, 9 grades 2 – 4 with Joanne Resch
July 27, 28, A Day in the Life….Summer Art Camp for children in
29 grades 4 – 6 with Joanne Resch
July 28 Science in the Summer. Science fair led by GE volunteers for grade school children and their families, 10:00 – 11:30
August 3 Canal sailing schooner Lois McClure docked at Lock 15 and available for public boarding, 11:00am – 7:00pm
August 11 Basics of Checking/Credit Cards 101 with Jenny Stasack from SEFCU, 1:00 – 2:30 at the library. Please register by Monday, August 9^th, by calling the library at (518) 993-4646
August 14 Mark Twain will be dropping by Fort Plain. That's all I'm going to say about that now, but stay tuned….
For information about any of these summer offerings, drop by the library or call (518) 993-4646 during regular library hours.
Submitted by Board of Trustees member Sally-Jean Taylor

There's A Summer Place...

2010-06-07T17:31:00.002-04:00

June is National Dairy Month and National Rivers Month. Residents of our area have a lot in common with these national observances. We live in a dairy farm area and on the beautiful Mohawk River!
The recent Redwork class was well-attended. Most of the handwork we do today bridges the ages. Lacework, knitting, crocheting, and the various forms of needle arts started when the world was a very different place. Among the Fort Plain Library’s new arrivals is a work that spans the decades…Thunderstruck by Erik Larson is the true story of two men, Hawley Crippen and Guglielmo Marconi, a nearly perfect crime, and an invention that changed the world. The Taste of Home Ultimate Five Ingredient Recipes Cookbook will not only take you through National Dairy Month with recipes such as Fourth of July Ice Cream Cake, but through the rest of the summer as well. With other offerings like Ball Park Baked Beans and Lazy Lasagna, the book combines a short shopping list of common ingredients with uncomplicated recipes that are sure to become a regular addition to your menu.
I wonder what Dr. Seuss would say about summer reading? Perhaps…
Read a book,
in the park, in the dark,
in your lair, in the air,
read a book most anywhere!
The Fort Plain Free Library 2010 Summer Reading Program, Make a Splash—Read!, will be held June 28th through August 13th. The basic program encourages children to read during the summer months and keep track of the titles completed. A free book will be given to each participant for every five books read and recorded on the online reading tracker at http://ny.evanced.info/fortplain/sr/homepage.asp. Activity sessions will be held weekly on Wednesdays beginning at 10:00 at the library and will include stories, crafts, and special presentations, many for the whole family. The program kick-off performance will be held Wednesday, July 7, at 1:30 at the Fort Plain High School and will feature musician Allen Hopkins with Songs of the Erie Canal.
It’s going to be a great summer at the Fort Plain Free Library! We look forward to seeing you here.

Who Wrote the Book of Love?

2010-05-11T15:43:00.002-04:00

A lot of people gave new homes to a lot of books during the Fort Plain Free Library’s Spring Market Book Sale. Some visitors were unaware that we even had a used book section. Books are added to this collection as donations are received and shelves are weeded. Consider this conundrum…No matter how many people have possessed a given book, the next reader will find the words as new as the day they were penned by the author and given life by the press. Moreover, the book’s content, whether educational or entertaining, will enrich every one of its readers at a different time and in a different way for the duration of its shelf life.
The same might be said for the focus of the holiday that has just passed, Mothers’ Day. Our mother’s love for each of her four works was new and individual. Inspired by a way of life she experienced long before we were born as well as an ongoing process of learning, the wisdom our “author” imparted to us was dedicated to helping us prepare our own life story. Moms or books, the classics remain with us long after the author has died and the copyright has expired.
On Wednesday, May 19th, at 6:00, the library will sponsor a program on Redwork, a type of decorative embroidery popular from the 1860’s to the depression, and so named because it was most often rendered with Turkey Red thread. Each participant will learn the history of Redwork and have an opportunity to create a Penny Square, a decorated piece of fabric that began to appear in the 1880’s and stayed popular for the next half century. This program is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Refreshments will be served.
Submitted by Board of Trustee member Sally-Jean Taylor

A Person of Letters

2010-04-10T12:56:00.003-04:00

I’m sure that the U.S. Postal Service did not have me in mind when they decided to sponsor National Card and Letter Writing Month in April, but, in fact, both the entity and the subject have played an important part in my life. Oh, the power of a piece of paper, envelope, and stamp! At one time, the letter was the mainstay of communication. Mail carriers delivered twice daily to homes in Fort Plain. People met through newspapers that had a section dedicated to that subject. Men on the frontier corresponded with women in the hopes of wooing them west. We all remember the movie Sarah, Plain and Tall, based on the Newbery Award winning book by Patricia MacLachlan that tells the story of a mail- order bride who comes to enrich the lives of a frontier family. Other good books based on letters include The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections by Tom Brokaw that includes the correspondence and reminiscences of ordinary citizens and gives us an intense and personal look at a momentous period in our history, and From A to X: A Story in Letters by John Berger, telling the story of the love that exists between a woman and her jailed lover, a political prisoner.
My sister and I have always corresponded. At Christmas, we each sent the other a Knowles collector’s plate, Norman Rockwell’s Reminiscing in the Quiet, depicting an elderly woman sitting in the attic with old letters on her lap, reflecting on the part they played in her life. Today our electronic correspondence is handy, and yet it reminds me of jet contrails, words in passing, defined only for a moment before fading into nothingness. In the spirit of the written greeting, the Fort Plain Free Library will host a card making workshop with instructor Loralee Whitlock on Thursday evening, April 22, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. While this workshop is free and open to the public, space is limited.
So how did the U.S. Postal Service affect my life? My husband was a letter carrier. Though not visibly given to sentiment, he was keenly aware of his part in delivering an anticipated letter to an anxious parent, a birthday card to an elderly grandparent. I like to think it was prompted by his personal experience…awaiting one of the two thousand letters we exchanged over the three years that we dated a half-century ago!
Submitted by Sally-Jean Taylor

Erin Go Bragh!

2010-03-09T15:59:00.002-05:00

The nice thing about living in this country is that at any given time an ethnic culture is being celebrated somewhere. Like many Americans, I can celebrate several—Scandinavian, English, and Irish. On March 17th, we will again celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not an expert on the Celtic culture. What I know is what I grew up with—The Quiet Man with Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne and Yankee Doodle Dandy with James Cagney. When I moved to the Mohawk Valley, I learned the important role that the Irish played in building the Erie Canal. An interesting book on that subject is How the Irish Built the Erie by Harvey Chalmers, available for loan at the library. Later on, Frank McCourt again visited the Irish in America with his memoirs Angela’s Ashes, Tis, and Teacher Man.
In Celtic Art in Cross Stitch, author Barbara Hammett combines over 75 beautiful designs with a rich history of Celtic art. This style developed over centuries and reflects the varied influences from Mediterranean to Viking that the Celts came into contact with throughout their history. As a result of St. Patrick’s mission to Ireland in the fifth century, the country became a center of learning and scholarship. Monks decorated the four gospel books and carried this Book of Kells across Europe. Today, the Celtic style with its combination of abstract painting and satisfying shapes keeps it a perennial favorite all the world over.
A new offering, Apologize, apologize! by Elizabeth Kelly is available in book or unabridged compact disc. It tells the story of a wealthy Irish family living on Martha’s Vineyard. While I do not have the gift of hyper-articulate conversation so often attributed to the Irish and the characters in this coming of age novel, I can assure you that it is everything the book cover says and more!
Those interested in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, may stop by the library on March 17th for some Irish Soda Bread accompanied by a copy of my mother’s recipe.
Finally, we hope you will join us on Tuesday, March 23, from 1:30 to 2:30, as Beverly Schilling, Senior Consumer Fraud Representative from the Office of the Attorney General presents a Consumer Protection Forum intended to inform citizens about their rights as consumers and who to call when those rights have been violated. Schilling will also discuss scams to avoid and what to do if you fall victim. No registration is required for this free event that is open to any interested individual.

February Tidbits & Tidings

2010-02-04T11:52:00.002-05:00

I am told that the origin of St. Valentine’s Day is attributed to two Christian martyrs of that name. Thirteen centuries after their deaths, St. Valentine’s Day was declared an official holiday by Henry VIII who, I believe, had a wife or two who met the same end as the Valentines. Fortunately, after that era, things got better for this holiday. There was a time, in the youth of my marriage, that I had my “martyr moments.” During one of these, I complained to my husband that he never sent me flowers. A dozen roses from the florist soon arrived. They were then followed by a bill addressed to me! If by any chance there is a young bride out there who has a similar complaint, choose your words carefully. The difference between “send” and “buy” is about twenty-five dollars.

Words, spoken, written, or read, make us what we are. The Literacy Volunteers of Schoharie County is working in the area to recruit potential volunteers to serve as tutors in western Montgomery County. When these individuals are trained, Literacy Volunteers will then begin recruiting students. Potentials volunteers or other interested parties may call them at (518) 234-2576 or visit their website at www.lvasc.org.

For those of you who didn’t get roses, the library will hold a class on making a paper rose Wednesday evening, February 17, beginning at 6:30 pm. Participants will make a lovely red, crepe rose. The program is free and open to any interested adult. While registration is not required, space and supplies are limited.
By the way, February is also Library Lover’s Month. Have you hugged a special book lately?

January Tidbits & Tidings

2010-01-07T14:37:00.005-05:00

By now, we are all in some stage of keeping or forgetting our New Year’s resolutions. For those who are dieting, I recommend Cooking Light magazine that is full of interesting recipes year-round. In addition, the library offers a number of cookbooks dedicated to the art of flavorful, yet light cooking including Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (Apricot Glazed Pork Roast, p. 147) and Better Homes & Gardens Eating Light (Orange-Strawberry Sponge Cake, p.77).

For those who enjoyed our Victorian beaded ornament class but didn’t finish their work, an instructor will be on hand at the library on Tuesday, January 12th, at 12:30 and again at 6:00 to assist participants in completing their projects. New participants are welcome to try as time and space allow. On Wednesday, January 20th at 1:00, Craig Clark from Cornell Cooperative extension of Fulton and Montgomery Counties will offer an encore presentation of his program Save Energy, Save Dollars. Participants will learn low-cost, no cost energy conservation methods that will result in reducing their energy bills. Each participating household will also receive a free energy-saving tool kit. The program is free and open to all. For further information, please call Cooperative Extension at 762-3909 or the library at 993-4646.
I have found a way to make January and February virtually race by. Challenge yourself to clean every shelf, drawer, and closet in the house by the end of a chosen month. In forty years, I have never beaten the calendar and never given up! There are some good books available on the subject at the library—The Queen of Clean Conquers Clutter and 10-minute Clutter Control among them. I’ve learned a few tricks from them, but ignore anything that would interfere with my winter tradition. You notice that I use the word “tradition.” Resolution meaning declaration, announcement, decree--too negative a word for me. Makes me feel as if I am being backed into a corner or pushed off a cliff. But you take tradition meaning custom, habit, or belief…solid, gentle words. Little building blocks for a good foundation. In the end, we all want to be healthier, smarter, richer, happier, better organized. You name the goal, improvement, or outcome you would like to see in your life, and a librarian can help you find a book on the subject. The rest is up to us!

Submitted by Board of Trustees member Sally-Jean Taylor

December Tidbits & Tidings

2009-12-03T17:22:00.002-05:00

It seems to me that our years are punctuated by certain days, and that they accumulate in our memory like so many frames in an old home movie, to be recalled and replayed at will. Christmas Eve has always been the day that I benchmark my life by. I recall so many of them, but one of my favorites was the year that the Christmas season was particularly hectic. I was on my way home from work on that Christmas Eve, my mind filled with dozens of chores that needed attention. But at the edge of town, I stopped and turned the car around. I parked near the town clock and walked up and down Canal Street. The businesses were closing for the holiday. People thinned out and soon the street was empty. Two children appeared from somewhere with the general clamor of youths running on bare sidewalk on that cold, snowless Christmas Eve. They hurried around the bank corner and ran up Division Street toward home and supper. “Children,” I thought, “should have snow for Christmas vacation.” And then it happened. A single flake landed on my coat sleeve, and then another. I looked up and watched as millions of flakes seemed to magically materialize from the void above the streetlight.
Christmas is a season when we are most mindful of those in need around us. In this spirit, the Fort Plain Free Library will be accepting Food for Fines. Any individual who currently owes fines to the library for overdue materials may have those fines forgiven by donating non-perishable food items such as canned or packaged goods to the library. At the end of the program on January 2nd, all items collected will be donated to the Fulmont Community Action Agency.
The two Wednesday evening programs on the log cabin quilt and the Victorian beaded ornament covers were very well attended. We look forward to presenting more such programs in 2010. While we have several ideas, we welcome input from our patrons and hope to hear from you….and see you as well at Fort Plain’s Last Night celebration on December 31st. The library will host The Bard Rocks, also known as Roland Vinyard, who will be performing a wide variety of songs including funny songs, bluegrass, children’s songs, as well as sharing jokes and stories. Performances are scheduled from 6:00 to 7:30 and from 8:00 to 9:30.
Finally, I have come to realize the greatest gift my mother gave me was a weekly trek to the library. It is where I discovered what interested me in life, where I learned to knit and crochet, and where I found good books to read. It is my wish that every child might receive the gift of belonging to a library during this coming year.
Submitted by Fort Plain Free Library Board of Trustee member Sally-Jean Taylor.

October Tidbits & Tidings

2009-10-08T12:01:00.003-04:00

Who can think of October without also thinking of church suppers? There was a time when the children were grown that we decided to treat ourselves to a fall of church suppers. We caught up with friends and neighbors locally and also traveled to other towns in the area, a few further away. Out quest started in late September, and we never had a “real meal” at home until early December! I found the Yankee magazine’s Church Supper Cookbook at the library. The turkey casserole on page 120 sounds particularly appetizing, as does the Cranberry Pot Roast on page 122.
Gardens are winding down. Thanks to the blight, there will be no tomato juice canned this year. However, it’s a great apple year. Applesauce, apple jelly, and several apple pies for the freezer will soon be prepared. Walnuts will be dropping and then pears. To take advantage of this harvest, you might want to explore The Church Supper Cookbook edited by David Joachim and try the Fresh Pear Cake on page 181 or Walnut Cake on page 193. The book also offers a recipe for Pastitsio or Greek Macaroni Pie on page 25, which is good, easy to make and feeds an army.
Speaking of which, a small army filled the library’s Welcome Center recently to learn about the history and making of the Log Cabin quilt block. Brad Flint dropped in with a gorgeous Log Cabin quilt made in 1835. Our thanks to Carol Dingman for a terrific presentation and Emily Loadwick who was on hand in period costume to serve refreshments. Everyone had a great time.
Readings from the Mohawk Valley Sampler will be held at the Margaret Reaney Memorial Library, St. Johnsville, on October 10th beginning at 10:00 a.m. On November 12th, the Fort Plain Free Library will offer The Power of Place from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Both programs are designed to motivate area residents to share their memories about a person, place, or event that illustrates their feelings about living in the central Mohawk Valley. Hope to see many of you there.
October ends with mention of a work synonymous with Halloween, Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. First published in 1820, it is one of the earliest examples of American fiction still read today. The story takes place in the Dutch settlement of Tarrytown, New York. Anyone growing up near Tarrytown as I did…anyone who happened to see Walt Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in the fall of 1958…and anyone, I reiterate anyone, who was thirteen at that time and in charge of two younger siblings on a dark, cold, still Halloween night will recall, as if it were yesterday, the need for looking back over their shoulder every so often and listening for the sounds of echoing hoof beats.
Finally, don’t forget that the library’s used book room is a cornucopia of winter reading. Stop by and see for yourself.
Submitted by Board of Trustee member Sally-Jean Taylor

Tidings & Tidbits

2009-09-08T14:40:00.003-04:00

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month
Did you know that a library is a portal? Cross over the threshold and you can enter the future, revisit the past, or enrich your present. You may

stay in town or travel anywhere in the universe, real or imagined! Last week I witnessed a murder in a 1932 circus tent (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen) and planned a weekend trip to Lake George (Adirondack Life magazine) as I perused the library’s new arrivals and used book corner.

I caught up on upcoming programs such as The Log Cabin Quilt scheduled for September 30th and the ongoing Mohawk Valley Sampler project that encourages residents to submit a poem, short story, essay, sketch, or musical interlude about an event, place, person, or moment that best captures their feelings about the central Mohawk Valley. I am polishing my piece for this worthwhile undertaking. In a world of “giant” entities, it is easy to forget that we are valued components of this place and time. What we feel is important and should be recorded for our grandchildren and others. I encourage everyone to contact Dawn at the Margaret Reaney Library, 568-7822, or Laura at Fort Plain, 993-4646, for more information about this project.
…Which reminds me. It’s Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month. Writers, like readers, are allowed to go elsewhere at will. Editors are writers chained to reality. So, if you see Josh, be kind to him!

Submitted by Fort Plain Free Library Board of Trustee member Sally-Jean Taylor.

2008 Erie Canalway Heritage Award of Excellence

2008-10-28T19:58:00.003-04:00

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission recently awarded the Fort Plain Free Library an Honorable Mention for the 2008 Erie Canalway Heritage Award of Excellence. The award honors and celebrates significant places of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and recognizes excellence in the implementation of the Erie Canalway Preservation andManagement Plan.
The 2008 Jury selected the library for Phase I of renovation and restoration to the facility, enabling it to serve as a welcome and visitor center for Erie Canalway Trail users, boaters, and other visitors to FortPlain. The jury commended the library for providing an “anchor” for the community as a central meeting place with “something for everyone,” including traditional library users, genealogical researchers, cyclists, boaters, and other travelers; preserving and showcasing the community and canal history of Fort Plain; contributing to local and regional economic and recreational revitalization plans; forging partnerships with neighboring towns to further expand visitor services; and inspiring renewed community pride.
2008 Erie Canalway Heritage Award of Excellence recipients included Canal Place in Little Falls and the School Street Hydroelectric Facility, Brookfield Renewable Power, in Cohoes. Historic Palmyra’s William Phelps General Store and Home in Palmyra also received an honorable mention. More information on both the Canalway and the Award of Excellence is available at http://www.eriecanalway.org/.

Do We Have Your Sampler Submission Yet?

2008-07-11T15:58:00.003-04:00

The Margaret Reaney and Fort Plain Free Libraries have been collecting works from local residents since late 2007 for inclusion in A Mohawk Valley Sampler, a compilation of reminiscences and writings about an event, a memorable person, or a special place that defines the writer's feeling about living in the central Mohawk Valley. Ali MacDonald, writer-in-residence for the project, will be available to meet one-on-one with interested individuals on Friday, July 18, from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Fort Plain Free Library. “These working sessions are intended to assist individuals interested in sharing their recollections. I will be available to help a person get started, to fine tune a piece that has already been written, or to explore the best form to use to present a specific emotion or scenario,” MacDonald said recently. “I would also be happy to transcribe a person’s memories or stories or work with them to capture, on paper, their feelings about a very special place, the central Mohawk Valley.”
Individual sessions with MacDonald are available on a drop-in basis and no appointment is necessary. For additional information about the Mohawk Valley Sampler project or this month’s working session, please call the Fort Plain Free Library at (518) 993-4646.

Grand Opening a Success

2008-06-12T18:37:00.002-04:00

Despite hot, humid, and stormy weather, the Grand Opening of the Fort Plain Free Library’s newly repaired/restored/and renovated quarters held on Sunday, June 8, was an unqualified success. Those in attendance viewed the first of many displays of Clinton Liberal Institute artifacts and memorabilia prepared by board member Eileen Chambers. Quite a few confessed that they had no idea that this co-ed preparatory military boarding school attended by the likes of Simon Lake, inventor of the submarine, had been located in Fort Plain at the end of the 19th century. In addition, they were able to view a Power Point presentation featuring some of the many photographs and postcards donated to the library by local historian Myron Saltsman. The images depicted the Old Erie Canal in Fort Plain and provided a wealth of easily understood information about the engineering marvel that made the village a prosperous commercial and transportation hub.
Visitors also commented on the new herb and perennial garden in keeping with the period of the house designed and planted by Sherri Byrne, owner of The Herb Cupboard. The garden will grow and change over the years adding to the attractiveness of the exterior. Also unveiled was a large landscape painted by local artist Joanne Resch that graces the Willett Street entrance to the building and welcomes residents and visitors alike to the facility and the community. The painting depicts the Mohawk River, Abeel’s Island, a packet boat traveling the Canal, and emphasizes the natural beauty of the area. Finally, all enjoyed a lovely assortment of snacks and refreshments prepared by library patron Donna Ahrens. For those who missed the Grand Opening, feel free to stop in during regular library hours for a tour of the facility. For pictures of the event, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone.

GRAND OPENING

2008-05-18T10:08:00.001-04:00

The Fort Plain Free Library will host a Grand Opening to celebrate the completion of its repair/renovation/and restoration project on Sunday, June 8, from 1:00 - 4:00. Construction on the project began in September, 2007, and work included the repair and restoration of the front porch, the addition of a handicapped ramp at that entrance, upgrading of the lights and windows resulting in a reduction in energy costs, repair and restoration of the interiors of the two former front parlors, and the installation of secure, custom display shelving. The first of many displays of Clinton Liberal Institute artifacts and memorabilia has been prepared by board member Eileen Chambers. The custom display shelving added as a central part of the project allows the library, for the first time, the opportunity to share this remarkable collection with the public on a continual basis.
Sherri Byrne, owner of The Herb Cupboard, has planned and planted an herb and perennial garden in keeping with the period of the house. The garden will grow and change over the years adding to the attractiveness of the exterior. Local artist Joanne Resch was commissioned to paint a large landscape that graces the Willett Street entrance to the building and welcomes residents and visitors alike to the facility and the community.
Funds for the project were provided, in part, by the New York State Canal Corporation, the New York State Library through the Public Library Construction Grant program, Senator Hugh Farley, the Yerdon Foundation, the Arkell Foundation, the family of Bob and Ruth Moyer, family and friends of Evelyn Cranker, American Legion Post #554, McFee Memorials, Midvale Veterinary Clinic, the Shults Agency,
Canajoharie - Fort Plain Elks, Loyal Order of the Moose, and Loren Prime.

Nearing Completion....

2008-04-15T18:30:00.002-04:00

Staff and volunteers have spent the past several weeks rearranging fixtures and furniture and reshelving our non-fiction and reference collections. It is wonderful to have these materials back and available for loan to the public. A collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the Clinton Liberal Institute has been artfully arranged on the new custom display shelving and is available for viewing. A small amount of detail work on the now lovely front porch and the restored fireplace in the Welcome Center remains. In addition, a landscaping project will begin shortly now that the weather has improved. For recent photos, please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/ or stop in at the library during regular library hours.

Well Worth the Wait

2008-01-26T15:21:00.000-05:00

Recent work on our ongoing renovation/restoration project has centered on the installation of the custom display units that will house the library's Clinton Liberal Institute and local history collections. Repair and restoration of the fluted columns that have traditionally graced the front porch is also complete and the pillars were put into place earlier this week. In addition, the bookshelves have been returned from storage and the non-fiction collection will be reshelved when detail work is complete in the project area. For photos of this exciting aspect of the project, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/.

Looking Good!

2007-12-16T13:12:00.000-05:00

Progress continues inside the library as doors into the non-fiction area and Visitor's Center are in place, new carpeting has been installed, and the tiling in the entranceway is complete. The removal of the stairway and wall at the beginning of the entranceway has opened up the area considerably. Work within the next weeks will focus on new lighting for the media center, the completion of the front porch with the addition of the rebuilt pillars and refurbished railings, and the return of our non-fiction collection and fixtures. For new photos, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/ with particular attention to images 8 and 10 - 14.

Progress!

2007-11-23T17:10:00.001-05:00

Progress is noticeable these last two weeks as the siding is completely installed and painted and new windows are in place. The interior walls are finished for the most part, primed, and the actual painting of both the walls and the molding has begun. Three of the four entrances into the area have been reconfigured with the two into the Visitor's Center becoming windows and the one into the non-fiction room remaining an entrance but reconfigured to match its counterparts. The tile in the bathroom as well as the fixtures have been replaced. Next week, work will begin on the columns on the front porch and continue in the bathroom and entrance way. For the latest photos, visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157603278099305/.

Putting It Up Instead of Taking It Down

2007-11-02T15:02:00.000-04:00

Work on the library's repair and restoration project has entered a new phase as crews swiftly apply the new siding. New concrete piers are in place and framing for the front porch and the handicapped ramp has begun. Inside, application of gypsum board over the existing plaster walls continues. Electricians have rewired to accommodate new recessed lighting, the addition of a closed circuit television system, and the switchover of much of the outside wiring to underground conduits. During the next few weeks, work will center on modifications to the present bathroom, installation of the more energy efficient windows, and further work to the front porch. For photos of the building with its new siding in place, please visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157602849990824/.

A Mohawk Valley Sampler

2007-10-21T14:12:00.000-04:00

The Fort Plain Free and Margaret Reaney Memorial Libraries have begun a joint project that will ultimately result in the creation of a published work entitled A Mohawk Valley Sampler. Throughout the fall and winter, we will be gathering area residents' impressions and reflections about a person, place, event, or moment that best captures their feelings about living in the central Mohawk Valley. Submissions may be in any format whether a poem, short story, essay, sketch, or even an original musical interlude. Project staff will proofread the selections with an eye toward spelling and grammar, but we would like to offer the community your perspective in your own voice.
To get the project started, we will be offering a Basics of Memory Writing Workshop with writer-in-residence Ali MacDonald on Saturday, November 10, from 9:00 – 3:00 at the Reaney Memorial Library in St. Johnsville. Lunch will be provided. Ali is a St. Johnsville resident and published author who has vast experience with writing workshops and is a master at helping people express themselves on paper. Should you be interested in attending this free offering, please call the St. Johnsville library at (518) 568-7822 to register for an enjoyable day.
Ali will also be offering monthly one-on-one sessions with interested individuals throughout the winter. At this time, participants may bring ideas about or rough drafts of submissions to the working session, and Ali will assist the writer in saying what they wish to communicate in the most effective fashion.
We all have a wealth of information to share with our neighbors. Whether it be a remembrance of growing up in Fort Plain decades ago, information on an historical aspect of the Valley, a brief narrative about a resident who has had an impact on our lives, or even a sketch of a place that means a good deal to us, residents are encouraged to share these musings and feelings with their community.
Should you have any questions or comments about the project, please contact the library at (518) 993-4646 or by email at fpfl@sals.edu.

Keep Track of Your Reading Online

2007-10-19T19:27:00.000-04:00

Ever get halfway through a book and realize you had already read it? At a loss to remember the name of the author of that book you really enjoyed and whose works you would like to read more of? Interested in what your neighbors have been reading and recommend? Take advantage of the library's Reading Tracker to keep an easily accessible list of your reading on our online site, reader.mvls.info/ftp. The site is available from any computer and, once you create an account, the titles you have read and recorded will be available to you for at least one year. While you are listing what you have read, check out what others are reading and write and post a short review of your own. Children and teens can use the site as well and may also help select New York State's favorite book by clicking on the 3 Apples Children's and Teen's Choice Book Award tabs.

Abatement Complete

2007-10-11T17:53:00.000-04:00

Initial work on Phase I of the library's repair, renovation, and restoration project is nearing completion. Abatement of lead paint and asbestos was finished last week. Old paneling is gone and walls and doorways have been removed in preparation for a new entrance way. In the coming weeks, work will focus on the installation of insulation and siding, wiring, the bathroom, and the foundation of the pillared porch. It is exciting to get clues into what the facility will look like in the future. For most recent photos, click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157602375814485/.

Demolition and Abatement

2007-09-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

Work on the repair, renovation, and restoration project began this month with removal of the gray paneling from the interior two rooms of the library and the siding from the exterior of the facility. In addition, Sullivan Contracting of Sauquoit began the extensive lead-paint abatement that the project requires. For photos of this phase of the project, go to www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/. Stay tuned for updates on a regular basis.

Renovation/Restoration Work to Begin

2007-09-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

The construction company of Bast Hatfield will begin work on the library's long-awaited renovation/restoration project on Monday, September 10. Work to be done during the project which will be completed in an estimated three months includes the much needed repair and restoration of the front porch as well as the addition of a handicapped ramp at this entrance, an upgrade to existing lighting and windows, replacement of the gray paneling that now detracts from the historic aspects of the two former front parlors, the renovation of the twin fireplaces that are the centerpieces of these rooms, and the installation of custom shelving that will allow us to securely display our artifacts and memorabilia from the Clinton Liberal Institute.
We hope to proceed with as little disruption to existing library service as possible. Though our non-fiction collection is in storage for the duration of the project, patrons can request materials online or in person at the library. Daily delivery insures that requests are filled in a short period of time. The middle children's room is still available, but the non-fiction room, the Visitor's Center, and the booksale area will be inaccessible. Wireless internet access may be used throughout the rest of the building.
We're expecting some dust and a good deal of noise, but bear with us. We think you will be pleased with this section of the library at the close of 2007!