Update as of Nov. 11, 2011

The Board of Trustees has chosen a furnace contractor and we are on his list. Temporary heaters are to be installed this weekend and that will help to dry out the building even more. Wood studs are @ 14.5%, not dry enough to insulate and sheetroock over yet. Electrical work continues, and the fire alarm system is temporarily reconnected. Loose floor tiles have been removed, so when the time comes, carpeting can be glued to a dry secure surface.
The Front Room looking towards the front hall & The Reference Room looking towards Knower Ave.

STATUS UPDATE as of Sat. 10/15/11

Thanks to many great volunteers, all the water soaked and mud coated stuff has been removed from the building. Keep finding little pockets of goop, but that's minimal. Water, power, phone/fax, and WiFi internet have been restored. JA has loaned me a computer so you can return books here again. The studs have been tested for moisture, but they are not dry enough yet to put the walls back together. The furnaces in the cellar are ruined and must be replaced, so it's a little chilly in here. Suburban brought us a new propane tank today and got the remaining furnace in the attic working, so I hope that with some fans going, some of that heat will make it downstairs. The (replaced) dehumidifier and sump pump in the cellar work constantly, but the ground is SO saturated, water continually oozes in through the fieldstone walls. I wish everything was back to normal, but it will be a long time before it is. I'm there most every day, so stop in and say hello - I miss you guys!
Cathy

To Donate to The Library

The #1 need as of mid-October is for MONEY. Furnaces, ductwork,
electrical, hot water, walls, flooring, cabinetry, shelving, fire alarm system - all these things have to be replaced/repaired before we can even think of reopening. Please mail a check to P.O. Box 519, Schoharie, NY 12157.
If you wish to donate books, etc. (preferably new ones!), be aware that there is no space to store them in the Library itself. Please send them to:
Margaret Carballeira, Trustee
630 Rickard Hill Road
Schoharie, NY 12157
OR
Meg Berdan, Trustee
c/o Golding Middle School
193 Golding Drive
Cobleskill, NY 12043

Volunteers Wish List

Since so many of you have asked, here's my Volunteers Wish List
of things that still need to be done at the Schoharie Library.
1. all the nails bent down where they come through from the siding
(to prep for new insulation)
2. last several pieces of drywall removed
3. several sand tubes emptied and carried up from the cellar
4. plaster walls in the original part of the building checked and
any loose/bubbling areas scraped off
5. bottom 2 or 3 wooden shelves rewashed after plaster checked
6. remaining mud removed from the cellar (not very much left, honest)
7. brick walkway edged and cleaned so the bricks can be read again

We made progress!
Thanks,
Cathy Caiazzo

Help us help our neighboring public libraries recover from Hurricane Irene!

The Schoharie Free Library and the Middleburgh Library in Schoharie County need your help to rebuild their recently damaged book collections. Schoharie Library lost the bottom two plus shelves throughout and Middleburgh lost the bottom one plus shelves due to Hurricane Irene damage.
Three local independent bookstores have established funds to help them purchase replacement titles. Your donations in any dollar amount will be greatly appreciated. Please call the Open Door Bookstore in Schenectady at 518-346-2719; Market Block Books at 518-328-0045 or Book House in Colonie at 518-489-4761 with a credit card to donate. Or, stop by any of these stores in person to donate.
Sue Rokos
MVLS

TO CLARIFY THE BOOK DONATION SITUATION

At the moment, the Schoharie Library doesn't have enough space to store the books you would like to give to us. I stand corrected that the space I thought was available is not, so please do not ship any books to MVLS, either. We need to replace furnaces, carpeting and shelving before any books find their new homes. We are working on creating a list of the books that we know we need to replace and will post the list as soon as it is available. We would appreciate donations of replacements for the books we lost. The Library and I deeply appreciate your concern and best wishes.

Thank you, Cathy Caiazzo, Director

Shelving? Not yet, but it will be again! ->->->

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!

Due to water damage from Irene, the Library is closed. The closest functioning library at this time is Community Library on Union Street in Cobleskill. We had the cellar entirely full of mud and water and 27" of the same on the first floor. Water was restored Thursday afternoon, but the power won't be hooked back up until after the building wiring is repaired and passes inspection. We are very grateful for all the patrons, friends, and passers-by who have all helped in so many ways. We will be back!
Cathy Caiazzo, Director

Fall Haiku

"All day long the sound
Of steady rifles, scoring
A requiem for deer."

from "Whisperings on the Porch: a collection of Haiku" by Anthony Navarra (0963204130)

Iona Troupe

Irish Dance returns to the Library, featuring our very own Rosie, on Saturday August 6 @ 11am. Kate Watson and her daughter Brigid teach Irish step and ceili dance to anyone enthusiastic enough to try at their studio in Sharon Springs. Iona Troupe performs at many area venues and has danced at Branson, MO. Next big trip will be to Virginia Beach!

Science@ the Library

Mhoawk Valley Library System and GE Volunteers present the program formerly known ad Science in the Summer on Friday July 22 from 2->3:30. This hands-on experimenting with different science stations is perfect for school aged children and their families. Don't be surprised if you get wet, though!

Tales 'n Tunes

Musical and storytelling duo Carol Connolly and Don Darmer, together as "Tales 'n Tunes," presented "World Passport," their program for this year's Summer Reading Program "One World, Many Stories." Kids clapped and sang and roared their way through songs and stories from other countries, then replenished the lost calories with cookies made from recipes of some of those countries.

Llamas on Parade!

You really shoulda been here - we had fun! John Conboy brough 2 of his 21 llamas Frankie and Camouflage, to the library for the morning. For the full set of photos, see our Flikr page.

Summer Reading Program

"One World, Many Stories" is the title of this year's summer reading program for kids pre-school to HS seniors. Sign up, keep track of the time you spend reading, come in for prizes and to enter drawing for more prizes, earn a free book, help give a llama to a needy family in another country, come to the live programs and performances, play the games and puzzles on the SRP website , explore the NYState SRP website- have fun and READ!

Summer 2011

Welcome back Rose Carballeira, Sage College student, for another round of working Circulation Desk for me. That means I can get out into the rest of the Library and WEED WEED WEED older, uncirculated books to make room for the newest publications. Shelf space, after all, is finite. I might even be able to clear out the cellar, organize the work room, file a bunch of papers - plans, I got!
Cathy

Local History/Railroading Book

For local history and railroad buffs, Len Kilian presented a program about his new book “Smoke Under Vroman’s Nose: A Photographic Memoir of Railroading and Everyday Life in the Schoharie Valley.” Mr. Kilian worked with the late Ed Scribner and many others to record the doings of the Schoharie Valley Railroad and the Middleburgh and Schoharie Railroad. You may contact the author @ (518) 887-5244 or Box 175, Rotterdam Junction, NY 12150.

As of June 22, I have 2 autographed copies left at the Library - first come, first sold for $35 each!

Fox Creek Farm CSA Program & Raffle

"Fox Creek Farm of Gallupville Community Supported Agriculture Presentation and Raffle on Thursday, April 7th, 7:00 p.m.

Come learn more about Community Supported Agriculture from Sara and Raymond Luhrman of Fox Creek Farm. On this night we will open the raffle for a 2011 CSA membership, valued at over $560, to benefit the Schoharie Free Library. The drawing will be on May 12th. Tickets are $5 each, or 5 tickets for $20.

What’s great about Community Supported Agriculture?

 Better Health: Meet the challenge of eating lots of vegetables every week
 Better Taste: There’s no fresher locally grown organic produce available. Watch the kids change their attitude about veggies!
 Preserve local farmland: Keep Schoharie beautiful, support a viable family farm and provide employment in the community
 Help the environment: Fox Creek Farm uses organic practices that don’t pollute our water, air and land. Maintaining soil health while feeding people great produce is our top priority
 Build Community: CSA brings together a diversity of people all interested in good food and where it comes from

CSA membership is an excellent way to support local agriculture, reduce food miles, and to provide healthy, fresh and wholesome vegetables for you and your family or friends. It also connects you with the place your food is grown and with the people who grew it.

A share in the CSA entitles the winner to a vegetable pick-up weekly in season at the site of their choosing. The vegetables are all produced organically on our farm in Gallupville. The farmers plan a week’s share to be enough for a family of four or two vegetarian adults. The vegetables are what is in season and what is split evenly over all the members. Members assume some risk because of weather or crop failure, but Fox Creek Farm, going on its 8th year, has an excellent record of maintaining satisfied members by growing a variety of crops with careful practices.

Sites include Gallupville, Altamont, Delmar, Schenectady and Delmar. The new CSA member must simply pick a permanent site on the membership form and pick-up their vegetables at the designated time (usually 4-6:00 p.m.) and day (either Tuesday or Friday, dependent on site). The season runs from about the beginning of June until the end of October.

There is no work requirement; however, the new member is entitled to all CSA activities and events including our Garlic Harvest Festival, potlucks and workshops. We also have an extensive U-Pick, free to members, with cherry tomatoes, flowers and culinary herbs. Membership also gives you access to one of the most beautiful, least known spots in Schoharie County, where you can picnic, hike, or see how your food is grown anytime during the season.

www.foxcreekfarmcsa.com
(518)872-2375

Buy Local, Eat Well, Be Healthy, Protect the Environment"
Sara Luhrman

Girls Night: The Raffle!

The newest basket raffle at the Schoharie Library is for 2 tickets from Proctor's Theater to see "Girls Night: The Musical" on Friday April 22nd @ 8pm. Included for the lucky winner is a gift certificate from Pinhead Susan's (a restaurant within walking distance of Proctor's), a gift certificate for 2 pedicures from
"You're Worth It" Salon and Day Spa in Schoharie, a bottle of wine, a gift set of Pamper Yourself Socks and Foot Lotion and the basket/cloth itself, donated by The Apple Barrel in Schoharie.

Girl Scouts Storytime

Our local Girl Scout troop will entertain kids during spring break by dressing up as the characters from the books they will be reading. Following the stories will be craft time that follows the theme of the day. Tuesday's theme is "It's All About Bugs," Thursday's theme is "Magic Wand Making" (and it's NOT just for girls, either!), and Friday's craft is "Make Your Own Bookmark." All programs run from 1:00-2:30 and are free to the public. Please come and support your friends and neighbors.

Goin' Away

I will not be at work for a few days this week (Thurs, Fri & Sat). Instead, I will be taking care of my daughter after her neck/spinal surgery. Please be patient with the nice people who will be filling in and keeping the library running!
Cathy

What a Week!

Came in on Monday and the furnace in the downstairs front rooms was blowing cold air. RJDowns came and installed a stop-gap glow plug until they can get the correct part.
Thursday the lift decided to go up by itself. Glenn and his helper replaced a bad button.
Also Thursday the WiFi decided to not connect to the internet. MidTel to the rescue on that one.
Friday the grouted joints in the entryway landing started popping up, probably due to water/ice from the weather. That's a warm weather fix, so it will have to look unfinished for a while.
I hope bad things come in fours, not threes; I'd hate to think we were starting another triple play.
Cathy

Joe Heyman Program

Joe Heyman Photo Show and Lecture
Monday February 7th @ 7pm

Nationally recognized photographer , NASA scientist and father of our own Laura Rosenthal will present photos from around the world, bringing together his rocket-science background with his passion for nature, art and people.

Joe has also donated a framed and signed piece of his work titled "Serengeti Nap" (#1 of 15) for a fund-raising library raffle. Tickets are only $5 each and the drawing will be right after his program. The photo may be seen in person at the Circulation Desk.

e-Audiobooks for you? Yes!

Want an audiobook to listen to while you commute, do housework, or just for pleasure? Don’t have a cassette tape player anymore, but do have a computer or an MP3 player? Come to the Schoharie Free Library on Thursday February 3rd @ 7pm and Trustee Jody DeJong will show you how to download free e-audiobooks from the Library’s service, NetLibrary. If you have a wifi-enabled laptop, bring it along and use the Library’s free WiFi hotspot. If you don’t have a library card to use, we can issue you one that very evening; you will need your driver’s license or other photo ID.

Hooray - it snowed! As anyone who has ever come into the building knows, i LOVE snow! I spent the majority of my childhood up in Watertown, NY, so I come by it naturally.
I went to a Workshop @ MVLS on Thursday about adding Library message to Facebook and smart phones. Anyone have any opinions on that? We were also told we need to blog more, at least once a week. Let me konw what you think about that, too.
Cathy