May 2019
From The Director
TIME TO VOTE
The 2019 school district vote is coming up on May 21st. Cast your vote between 12 and 9pm in the 3-5 gym at Mill Road Elementary School. You'll find the library's request for additional funding listed as Proposition #3 on the ballot. Approval of the proposition would add $16,400 to the library's annual budget. This amount translates to an additional $3.25 per year for the average homeowner. The library will use the additional funding to meet the community's ever-increasing demand for high-quality programs and resources in the face of increasing operating costs. Please ask Dawn or any of our trustees if you have questions about the proposition. We'd be happy to talk about it. As always, RHPL's budget is available on the website here.
THANK YOU!
A heartfelt “thank you” goes out to everyone who supported the recent Paint the Octagon fundraising event at the Suarez Family Brewery with special guest author Susan Orlean. Everyone had fun, with lively conversation, delicious food, and locally-crafted beer. The library also received many donations from people who could not attend the event. Ours is a generous community and we exceeded the goal for this event. While there is still quite a way to go before we can afford painting, we have made a very encouraging start!
SUMMER SUPPORT
A big thanks also goes out to Ulster Savings Bank! They answered our call for funding help with this year's kids' summer reading program, Surrounded by Science. With this financial support, we will team up with local partners such as John Hardeman from Hardeman Orchards and Annabelle from Annabelle's Village Bake Shop to bring science to life for kids. They will see how science is used in the everyday lives of many professions. Science is not just for scientists! Registration for this year's summer programs opens on Apple Blossom Day.
You can always find detailed information about programs and services on our website and social media pages. Many programs require registration.
Coming this month
Programs for Adults
Events in May for Adults
May's programs for adults include workshops for creativity, professional development and parenting. Start with Hands On: Watercolor as professional artist Mary Belliveau introduces you to this intriguing medium. No experience is required! For some midday relaxation, and a few good laughs, bring your lunch to our first Brown Bag Matinee featuring The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. We’ll provide coffee, tea, and dessert. The Frugal Gardener returns this month to explain how to maintain your summer garden and harvest the bounty it provides.
Understanding Services Provided by a Section 504 Plan with Joyce Hawk provides parents with useful information regarding the Individualized Education Program so you can make sure your child is getting the services they need. Worklife Today in May features an expert in Search Engine Optimization. In layman’s terms: How to get your business noticed online - a must for small business owners. If you need health insurance let the Healthcare Navigator help you select the plan that’s best for your situation.
Lastly, we welcome a new Community Resource Navigator. This representative from Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County is here to help you understand what services are available when you need a helping hand - right here in Red Hook.
Teen spotlight
Teens will be busy at the library this month. Teen Drawing continues with Tim on Wednesdays after school. Whether it’s comics or still-life, this is a non-judgmental zone. Developed following the success of our last Escape event, Teens After Hours: Escape the Library expands the adventure to all 3 levels of the library. Can you out-smart the sinister librarian? The Teen Book Club in May will be reading Fresh Ink, an anthology of comics & stories edited by Lamar Giles. Pick up a copy at the main desk or at the Red Hook High School library.
We also have a special opportunity this month, Poems for Politicians for Teens. Concerned youth who have ideas about how their country, and their world, should be run, have an outlet to express themselves. US Congressman Antonio Delgado is eager to hear from you and promises to share your thoughts with lawmakers in NY and Washington. Now is the time to be heard! This series is non-partisan and no special writing experience is necessary.
Events for Kids and Families
 May starts off with a PJ Storytime and Stuffie Sleepover. Wear your favorite jammies and bring a stuffed animal buddy to hear stories read by Amy and Mrs. Quinn-Carl from Mill Road 3-5 Library. Let your stuffies spend the night in the library and pick them up Saturday to learn of their nighttime adventures. On May 21 when there’s a half-day at Mill Rd School, come to the library to celebrate mummies! At Half Day STEAM: Mummies Day we’ll explore ancient Egyptian mummification and art. There’s a section for kids ages 8-11 and another for the younger ones, 5-7. Also new this coming month is the Not-so-stressful Tween Book Club. Tween readers ages 9 - 12 come to share about your favorite recent read.
Family fun comes three times this month. First will be the Adoptive Families Group. Come for community and conversation with other adoptive families. There’s games and crafts for the kids. Then on Apple Blossom Day join us on the front lawn for Big Games - giant Kerplunk, enormous Mancala, and outsized checkers. Finally, check out Family Movie Night featuring Mary Poppins Returns, a terrific movie for everyone to enjoy.
If your child or teen would enjoy adaptive programs, try All Abilities Kids Music and Movement on the first Saturday of the month. Teens and children with disabilities enjoy stretching, dancing, singing and making music with Amy & Maggie Rothwell. And, twice in May there’s adaptive storytime at All Abilities Kids Storytimes. We tell a story in words, pictures and felt board, sing together and make a craft. All All Abilities Kids programs require registration.
All library programs are free and open to the public and take place at the library unless otherwise noted.
April Snapshot
Sophia & Elliot showing a whole new way to define screen time.
We love the wild enthusiasm kids showed for their shadow puppetry projects in Spring Break Creativity Camp. If you missed it, you can try it at home. Use a flashlight to turn a blank wall into a “screen”. Then take cardboard from cereal boxes, bamboo skewers, and brass fasteners to make your own wacky Pikachu, Harry Potter or dinosaur puppets. Inventing stories is an important part of literacy; use kid-created shadow puppets to increase the fun.
We are always adding to the collection to keep it current, relevant, and useful. Lately we have added a 2nd hotspot (yes, you can actually check out the internet!), a Civics and Citizenship Toolkit, and a canopy for outdoor parties (graduation, anyone?) New to the STEAM collection are a “Brackitz” pulley set, an “Arch-Kid-Tech” Roman arch set and an “Animals in Their Habitats” magnet set for grade schoolers. Have an idea for an unusual item for lending? Please let us know.
Behind the Desk
Auto-Renewal and Courtesy Notices
We have good news! Starting May 15th items checked out from RHPL that are eligible for renewal will renew automatically, making it easier to avoid late fees. Two days before the item is due, patrons will receive an email notification that their item has been renewed, indicating the new due date. Items are eligible for auto-renewal provided they aren’t on hold, haven’t already been renewed twice, and the account is in good standing. For items not eligible for renewal you will receive an email noting the approaching due date. If you do not have email notices enabled in your account and would like to start receiving them, please let us know. However even if you do not have email notices set up, your eligible items will still be renewed - you simply will not receive a notice that it has happened.
Library Closed Memorial Day - 5/27
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