Friends Adrienne Gelfand-Perine and Donna Richardson at a past Harvest Faire.

So often, people work behind the scenes, you probably don't know their names, they get very little credit for all they accomplish but they make great things happen. Think about all of the talent behind the scenes of a movie creation...hundreds of people working to make a great picture, but only the actors get the credit. A great movie won't ever be seen, however, if producers don't fund it and a strong crew works to make it happen. In library world, our "producers" are the Friends group. The fund-raising arm of the library that keeps the tax burden low for our users and allows us the freedom to bring you innovative and creative programming.

So much of what you enjoy about our library is because of the efforts of our small but mighty and dedicated Friends: President  Adrienne Gelfand-Perine, vice president Donna Richardson, treasurer Marla Landsman, Shelly Runowich, and Zoraida Lugo-St. Paul. 

Over the course of this past year, our Friends group has funded over $5,000 of materials so our library can offer you the kind of quality services and programs you have come to expect. Their funds supported:

•  a home cinema projector
•  presentation cart for the projector
•  tripod projection screen
•  flat screen TV and mounting bracket
•  books and digital materials
•  Adirondack chairs for the front lawn
•  dinner for teen volunteers
•  PlayStation 4 for gaming afternoons for teens
•  museum passes for library patrons (coming soon!)
•  snacks and beverages for all events

Friends' treasurer Marla Landsman sells mums at a recent Harvest Faire with daughters Jillian (left) and Emily.

But these funds didn't fall from the sky. The Friends raised these dollars through a series of fundraisers, from the Harvest Faire to bake sales, raffles, and the Used Book Shop, which is operated by Mike Demeo. This core group has worked hard and now they need more help....YOUR help. Do you have a few hours a month, a few hours a year, to put toward helping bake, compile raffle baskets, gather gift certificates from local businesses, volunteer at the book store, run a public movie, or come up with new ideas for funding?

Please come to our Friends Meet and Greet Feb. 28, from 10-11 in the community room of Town Hall. Enjoy refreshments, meet the Friends, see where your efforts could fit into the goals...or help create new ones. Most of all, be part of the effort to keep creating the Wallkill Public Library as the best little library in the Hudson Valley. Thank you!

- Mary Lou Carolan
Director, WPL

Though it's predicted that there will be one million fewer qualified graduates than available tech jobs in ten years, many K-12 schools still do not teach the basics in computer science. This leaves students in the lurch come college time, when launching into a CS major without any background training is as daunting as calculus would be to someone who never learned basic math.
But hope is not lost - young students can still gain a good grasp of computer science through programs like Masters of Code, which will be offered at the library beginning Feb. 19.
The six-week curriculum will teach students ages 10 to 18 computer programming basics using Scratch, a language that makes it easy to create games and animation. Repeat-loops, conditionals, and basic algorithms will be learned (and none of these are as complicated as they sound!). 
Space is limited and registration's required - you can sign up now online or by calling 895-3707.

Tuesday: Textile Tuesdays and the Quilters' Circle meet between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the community room of Town Hall. The Teen Anime Club meets at 3 p.m.
Wednesday: Toddler Story Time meets at 10 a.m. and again at 11:15 a.m. The Chess Club meets from 6-7 p.m.
Thursday: The Knit and Crochet Club meets at 6:30 p.m.
Friday: The Junior Maker LEGO Workshop for ages 4-7 will take place from 4-5 p.m.

 Congratulations to Douglas Richardson, the mastermind behind the Little Free Library which now stands on the lawn of our own (slightly bigger) library, for making Eagle Scout!
Doug came up with the idea to put the book exchange on the front lawn of the library while trying to decide on his Eagle Scout project. He and his Boy Scout Troop 76 worked most of a Saturday setting up the exchange as well as the new benches and birdhouses Doug, his father John, and Assistant Scoutmaster Wayne Dailey built.
A Court of Honor celebrating Doug's Eagle Scout rank will be held in February. Congratulations, Doug!

Whether you're a new owner of a digital device or have had one for months and are still intimidated by it, the library's here to help!
Appointments are available on Fridays to assist users who would like to better familiarize themselves with their eReader or tablet, be it a Kindle, iPad, or Nook. A staff member will show you how to peruse the library's digital collections, download what interests you, manage your online library account, and answer whatever questions you may have. Call today for an appointment - 895-3707.