Fluff tickets still available 
Books Alive! cast members and their families will be taking a trip down to New York City for an off-Broadway show Saturday, April 26, and you're invited!
Fluff is being performed at 42nd Street's New Victory Theater at 3 p.m. that day. Presented by Brisbane, Australia's Cre8ion, the 50-minute comedy features an offbeat family's quest to bring Fluff and other lost, misfit toys into their home.
A Coach bus will leave Wallkill Public Library at 11 a.m. that day and arrive in the city by around 1 p.m., so families will have time for some lunch and shopping.
The show will also include a texting game after the performance, as well as a congratulatory pizza party in the theater for this year's Books Alive! participants.
The bus will leave the city at 5:30 p.m. and arrive back at the library at around 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $35. The bus ride is $25. Only eight tickets are left, so those interested in joining the group should contact Adrienne at 895-8712 asap!
It's never too late to become a reader!
This will be the third year World Book Night has been celebrated in the U.S., and the second Wallkill Public Library has participated as a host location for the April 23 event!
The goal of World Book Night is to spread the love of reading by distributing free books to light and nonreaders.
And lest you think because your husband's a nonreading 38-year-old, all is lost, don't despair! Even grown-ups can get turned on to reading.
Penny Foody is a case in point. Up until about seven years ago, the Wallkill Public Library Book Club member was a nonreader. Then she happened to be on a committee that was hosting a women's conference whose guest speaker was author Lynn Austin. Figuring as a committee member she should familiarize  herself with Austin's work, Penny forced herself to pick up one of the writer's novels.
"I made myself read one AND I could not put it down," Penny says. "I then proceeded to read every book she had ever written, and then it just blossomed into other books from there."
Penny now reads three to four books a week!
 If you know of someone who has yet to fully experience the joy of books, bring them out Wednesday night! 
Coming up at the Wallkill Public Library 
Monday: Earth Day Recycled Art Workshops feature Pretty Plastic at 10:30 a.m. and Creative Cans at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Book Buddies meets at 10:30 a.m. The Creative Writing Club meets at 3:30 p.m. The Adult Fiction Club meets at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes were Watching God.
Wednesday: Mommy and Me meets at 10 a.m.,followed by Toddler Story Time at 11 a.m. The Teen Anime Club meets at 3 p.m. Family Art is offered at 6:30 p.m. The Quilters' Circle meets at 6:30 p.m. in the community room of Town Hall.
Thursday: The Knit and Crochet Club meets at 6:30 p.m.
Friday: Arbor Day Art is offered at 4 p.m.
Saturday: The area's fourth annual Clean Sweep takes place from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers meet at the library. Rain date is Sunday, April 27. Call 256-0446 or email cleansweepwallkill@yahoo.com for more information.
 
School libraries suffer, according to ALA
Though libraries continue to evolve, meeting their communities' needs in the process, school libraries are falling prey to tight budgets.
So says the American Library Association's 2014 State of America's Libraries report.
Ninety-six percent of those surveyed agreed public libraries are important because they promote literacy and a love of reading as well as provide access to materials and tech resources.
School libraries, on the other hand, continue to suffer at the hands of the seemingly never-ending recession and federal neglect, forcing some districts and states to either get rid of professional staff or eliminate their libraries altogether.
The ALA remains on the forefront of efforts to shore up support for school libraries, emphasizing their crucial roles in preparing the nation's children for both college and careers.   
Goddess Girls come to children's room
Don't let your kids wind up like that Wheel of Fortune guy who lost $1 million because he couldn't pronounce "Achilles"!! Get them reading mythology, now!
A fun way to do so is with The Goddess Girls series, a new addition to the Wallkill Public Library whose copies are already flying off the shelves.
The Goddess Girls focuses on Aphrodite, Persephone, and other characters as they attend Mount Olympus Academy and hone their divine skills. Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams use imaginative plots to catch today's youth up on Greek mythology.
Among the series' books the Wallkill Public Library offers include Persephone the Daring, Medusa the Mean, Aphrodite the Diva, and more. Pick one up today!
 
Results of tech usage survey are in
The library plays a vital role in providing tech resources to its community, according to the results of a recent survey.
The Ulster County Library Association conducted the survey to gain a better understanding of computer and Internet usage by library-goers.
The libraries in Ulster County offer patrons the free use of 174 computers, wireless Internet, and assistance. Of the 661 respondents who reported visiting the library in the past year, 74 percent used a public access computer, many of whom for their job or educational activities. Sixty-three percent of users received help from a staff member while using the computers. Eighty-three percent had access to the Internet at home, work, or school, but still chose to use the library's technology.
You can see other highlights of the report here.
Rail Trail decorated with new StoryWalk®
Girl Scout Troop 60226 has once again used the StoryWalk® Project to decorate the local Rail Trail with the pages of a children's book for all to enjoy .
Runners, walkers, bikers, and bladers can peruse The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, as they travel down Wallkill's popular trail. The laminated pages are an effort to combine physical activity with literacy - two causes the Girl Scouts value highly!
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