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We can't do it without you |
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 Many people mistakenly think that public libraries receive all of their funding from the state government. That is not true. All of the funding for the Wallkill Public Library comes from our Town of Shawangunk, Wallkill school district taxpayers. We simply could not exist without your ongoing support. One of the reasons we are able to offer such wonderful programming, collections and services, is because you have always supported our efforts.
This Tuesday, Sept. 25, from noon to 8:00 p.m., is our annual budget vote and board trustee election. We have copies of the complete budget on our website: www.wallkillpubliclibrary.org, as well as an information packet on the budget and the bios of the candidates running for office at the front desk. We ask that you take a few moments to review these documents and know where your dollars are going; and to learn about your neighbors who are willing to step up to the plate to help guide our library into the future in the important role of trustee.
In the face of huge technological and financial challenges, public libraries are meeting the needs of their communities in an ever more increasing way. Rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated - in fact, we may be needed now more than ever. We are the only public space in our immediate area offering free access to the Internet and WiFi, but you can come here for no reason at all or to meet with friends, attend a program, or relax and read one of the four newspapers or 52 magazines we subscribe to. We provide photocopying, scanning, and fax services for a nominal fee; and offer unparalleled children's programming to strengthen your child's literacy skills, foster creativity, learn how to research, and provide a safe place to play or come to after school to do homework.
 The recent decision to implement the common core standards in our schools offers an even bigger role and opportunity for our library. These standards place a strong emphasis on inquiry-based modes of learning and teaching utilizing nonfiction materials as a basis for instruction. As our library staff sat down to consider this change and how we can support the teachers, parents and students, we all felt these standards are a natural connection because inquiry-based learning is what we do best.
This coupled with the fact that the media literacy position in all three elementary schools was eliminated years ago from the school budget, provides us with a great opportunity to provide the educational community as well as parents and children with the educational tools and resources needed to meet the goals of this new curriculum. We are revamping our nonfiction and biography collection and offer stellar scholarly resource tools for students of all ages - for free - through our website. The fact that we are open weeknights, Saturdays and most school holidays adds a great benefit to students seeking to succeed.
We can't continue to do all of this without asking, once again, for your support. This is truly YOUR library, and if you haven't visited us in awhile, please come check us out. We hope to see you Tuesday!
- Mary Lou Carolan |
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Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library  Monday - Bring your little one in to create his/her own Mini-Masterpiece at 10:30 a.m. This week's featured artist is Andy Warhol - infants and toddlers are welcome in with their caregivers to make footprints in the famous artist's style.
Tuesday - Book Buddies meets at 10:30 a.m. The budget/library trustee vote takes place from noon to 8 p.m. Kids - you can vote, too! Come in between 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. and cast your vote for your favorite ice cream flavor and author. Guess how many materials are in the "Guessing Jug" - the one who comes closest to the correct number wins the whole thing! Light refreshments will also be served. Wednesday - School is closed but the library's open! Though there will be no StoryTimes today, ages 5 and up can come in and create a Make and Take Masterpiece at 4 p.m. Thursday - Get a fall preview of the latest in children's releases during Family StoryTime at 4 p.m. Miss Carolyn will read a few of our very newest books. A craft will follow. Friday - Lego Building will be offered at 4 p.m. Saturday - The Harvest Faire is back for its third year! Browse, shop, eat, and enjoy the entertainment from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
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Harvest Faire comes back for its third year  The Friends of the Wallkill Public Library are sponsoring the third annual Harvest Faire Saturday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Businesses and vendors (like Creations by Pamm and Wallkill Karate) will be joined by representatives from a huge assortment of companies and groups (such as the Times Herald-Record and the Historical Society of Shawangunk and Gardiner) on the library lawn that day. Visitors can stop by their tables as well as those belonging to garage sale, antique merchants, and others throughout the day. Food, a game corner and bouncy house for the kids, day-long entertainment, tricky trays, mums, pumpkins, and many other attractions will be on site! If you're interested in renting a space for the event, contact Donna at jdrich612003@yahoo.com. Vendor applications are being accepted until Thursday. Those who would like to volunteer their time for all or part of the day should get in touch with Mary Lou Carolan at 895-3707 or mlcarolan@rcls.org. If you'd like to donate something for that day's bake sale, call Shelly at 895-2219. Donations are also being sought for tricky tray baskets. Originally wrapped gifts can be brought to the library by Monday for this purpose. Thanks to all who are donating their time and effort! |
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Rushdie memoir revisits frightening past  Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses is probably his most famous book - not owing to its literary merit, though it was shortlisted for the Booker prize and won the Whitbread novel award, but because of the fatwa the book triggered in 1989.
Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called for Rushdie's death after many Muslims said his book was offensive. Rushdie went into hiding, where he would remain for nearly 10 years, living under the name Joseph Anton (a combination of the first names of writers Conrad and Chekhov, respectively). Rushdie uses the alias as the title of his new memoir, which details his ordeal underground. In the book he describes the drama surrounding his long years on the run, how it affected his family and work, and how he eventually regained his freedom. The recent violent protests sparked by an American-made YouTube video make Rushdie's book all the more timely, despite the fact the events he describes began more than 20 years ago. Stop by the library and pick up the book today - it's one of our new releases. And if you're interested in learning more about Rushdie, check out NPR's recent interview online. |
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Joyce's Fairy Tale is no bedtime story  Some Kind of Fairy Tale, by Graham Joyce
For twenty years after Tara Martin disappeared from her small English town, her parents and her brother, Peter, have lived in denial of the grim fact that she was gone for good. And then suddenly, on Christmas Day, the doorbell rings at her parents' home and there, disheveled and slightly peculiar looking, Tara stands. It's a miracle, but alarm bells are ringing for Peter. Tara's story just does not add up. And, incredibly, she barely looks a day older than when she vanished.
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Keep your kids in the know about news
 Keeping your children - even those in elementary school - up to speed about what's going on in the world is a worthwhile pursuit for those who want to make sure their kids are aware of the huge impact they themselves can have on the world. Keeping abreast of the news also enriches children's understanding of other cultures (as well as their own), builds their compassion for those less fortunate than themselves, and - hopefully - heightens their appreciation of their own lifestyles here.
Since handing them your copy of The Wall Street Journal may not be the best means of enticing them to enlighten themselves, a more attractive alternative might be a site like Youngzine.
Children can visit this interactive site and learn about the news and events shaping their world without the bias and sensationalism that sometimes taints the mainstream media. The site can also be a great resource for teachers and their classes. It's a great way to keep your kids informed about the world in which they live.
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Library lobby gets a much-needed facelift Thanks to Leonard Adams of Perfect Combination Painting for brightening up the lobby of the library - for free! For those who have noticed and like the teal color, you can pick up some of your own at Weber's Hardware and Paint.
If you're looking for help with a painting project, either at home or at the office, you can contact Perfect Combination Painting at 895-1260. |
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Claim what's rightfully yours...your talent!
 I don't know about you, but I talk back to the newspaper, the radio, and the television on a fairly regular basis. It's one of the reasons my 13-year-old runs screaming from the room once I get started on a rant. It's also one of the reasons I love writing because I get things off my chest, express my opinions, and state my case for all the world, or mostly my journal, to hear. The problem is, the world is not hearing women's voices as often as it should, and news stories are often so one-sided I can barely make it through an entire editorial without audibly expressing my opinion. Channeling this energy into a more effective and productive place is one of the reasons I attended The OpEd Project's "Write to Change the World" workshop last Saturday.
How curious it was to be in the company of such incredibly intelligent and well-spoken women having the kind of dialogues I long to have - only to find myself dumbstruck early into the workshop. When confronted with the fill-in-the-blank statement: I am an expert at________, because_________, it was as if I had never done anything worth noting in my entire life. I'm 52 today! So, why is it so difficult to claim that space?
Last night I was watching the TV show, Broadway or Bust, a chronicle of the lives of extremely talented young people vying for coveted parts in a Broadway show. Each one is so gifted in their own right that it seemed almost absurd to try and choose "the best." In fact, one of the judges noted that during the final selection, with only a handful of roles to fill, their decisions were not made solely on who is the most talented (they are all talented) but about who stood out, who truly understood their role and added their own spark to it. In a sea of beautiful head shots on the decision board, it was the people who left an impression that were selected for the coveted roles.
So claiming our expertise and articulating it clearly and confidently is a critical reason why people are selected for jobs, speaking opportunities, op-ed pieces, TV appearances or book deals - not just because we're great at what we do, but because we stand out with the story we have to tell and how we tell it. It made so much sense after having sat in the workshop last Saturday in a room full of incredibly talented women (and one incredibly talented man), that it will be those of us who claim our voice, through a well-crafted and articulated story, that will truly stand out. When you stand out, people listen, they want to know more. As writers, dreamers, visionaries and thought leaders - isn't that what we are striving for?
(For the record, my name is Mary Lou Carolan; I am an expert in community development and marketing for the past 25 years. I have worked with organizations and small businesses to build vibrant, artistic, pedestrian-friendly downtown communities in cities around the country such as San Diego, San Antonio, Grand Rapids and in Ulster County, NY. My programs include the "Find Ike Scavenger Hunt," winner of the 2008 Children's Program of the Year award for uniting children's activities with downtown revitalization efforts; and the 2011 award -nominee "Books Alive," now in its eighth year, uniting theatre arts and public libraries. I am the recipient of the 2008 "Pride of Ulster County Award" for innovative community programs, and have been published in the book "Marketing for Libraries" (2012), and "The Impatient Optimist," the official blog of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.)
Mary Lou Carolan
Director
This blog originally appeared in The Byline Blog for The OpEd Project.
 | | Mary Lou Carolan (second from left, back row) stands with other attendees of last weekend's "Write to Change the World" workshop. |
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