Due to worsening weather conditions, all Albany Public Library locations are closing at 4 pm today (Friday, Feb. 8).
Please check back here for updates about tomorrow’s schedule. You can also follow our Twitter feed for updates: twitter.com/AlbanyNYPubLib
Visit one of your favorite APL locations this week for some great programs and activities. As usual, all library programs are free and open to the public. Here are just a few of this week’s activities.
TUESDAY, FEB. 5
+ Siena College Prof. Jennifer Dorsey reviews “1812: War and Passions of Patriotism” by Nicole Eustace at 12:15 pm in the large auditorium of the Main Library.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6
+ The African American Literature and Culture Discussion Group meets at 6 pm at the Howe Branch. The group is led by UAlbany Prof. Derik Smith.
+ Drop into the Bach Branch with your ereader or mobile device and get help downloading free library ebooks and audiobooks. The session runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
THURSDAY, FEB. 7
+ Babies and caregivers have fun at the Baby Play Group at the Pine Hills Branch at 11 am.
FRIDAY, FEB. 8
+ Enjoy a sneak preview performance by the Albany Symphony Orchestra hosted by Vanguard. The event starts at noon in the large auditorium of the Main Library.
+ Kids make Mardi Gras masks after school at 4 pm at the Bach Branch.
SATURDAY, FEB. 9
+ Get free income tax preparation services at the Main Library from 10 am til 3 pm at the Main Library. Help provided on a first-come, first-served basis only. For details, please call 427-4303.
+ Celebrate the Year of the Snake with the Chinese New Year family party at the Pine Hills Branch at 2 pm. Bells & Motley will perform the Chinese folk tale “Bawshou and the Dragon” at 2 pm. Chinese flutist Qiang Xu will perform at 4 pm. Light refreshments will be served.
SUNDAY, FEB. 10
+ Watch “The Bourne Legacy” on the big screen in the Main Library’s large auditorium at 2 pm.
For a full listing of APL events, check our online calendar or January/February program guide.
Albany Public Library should be your first stop for income tax assistance and resources this tax season.
On select days from Feb. 2 through April 13, APL will provide free federal income tax preparation for people with an annual household income limit of $51,000. The income tax preparation services are provided by APL’s partners—volunteers from the Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and the AARP Tax-Aide program. For more information about the free tax services available at the library, please call the Main Library Reference Department at 427-4303.
Here is the schedule of free income tax preparation services available at APL:
WALK-IN SERVICES
Saturdays from Feb. 2 through April 13
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Main Library at 161 Washington Avenue
Assistance is on a walk-in basis only. No appointments or reservations will be taken. (Note that the Main Library will be closed on March 16, and there will be no tax help that day.)
APPOINTMENT SERVICES
Mondays and Fridays from Feb. 4 through Feb. 25
12 pm to 4 pm, by appointment
Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch at 148 Henry Johnson Boulevard
Assistance is available by appointment only. Call the United Way 2-1-1 hotline to set up an appointment.
Wednesdays from Feb. 6 through April 10
Hours vary by appointment
Main Library at 161 Washington Avenue
Assistance is available by appointment only. Call the United Way 2-1-1- hotline to schedule an appointment.
This year, all appointments for income tax services at APL are being scheduled through the United Way 2-1-1 hotline. Simply dial 211 on any phone to be connected to an operator who can set up an appointment at the library. Alternate phone numbers for the hotline are: 518-694-8900 or 888-366-3211 or 800-899-1479.
In addition to the tax preparation services, most Albany Public Library locations stock basic federal and New York State income tax forms for individual tax filers. Librarians are helpful in connecting people to information that will help answer their tax questions. And, the library’s website has a special section dedicated to tax information: www.albanypubliclibrary.org/research/taxes/
Don’t let the winter blahs get you down. Visit the library and participate in one of our many free activities.
Here’s a short list of what’s happening at APL this week. For a full schedule, check out our online calendar or program guide.
MONDAY, JAN. 28
+ Celebration National Puzzle Day by helping the Delaware Branch complete a huge puzzle that will be displayed in the branch. Stop by and work on the puzzle during open hours on Monday through Saturday this week. For more information, call Delaware at 463-0254.
TUESDAY, JAN. 29
+ Frank DeSorbo discusses “D-Day 1944″ in a program at 12:15 pm at the Main Library in the large auditorium. DeSorbo is the president of the D-Day Revisited Association.
+ Meet Miss Rose and her certified therapy dogs in the Delaware Dogs program at 4 pm at the Delaware Branch.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30
+ Bring the pre-schoolers to story time at the Delaware Branch or the North Albany Branch this morning. Both story times start at 10:30 am.
+ Kids ages 5-12 can build a neighborhood out of LEGOs during the Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch LEGO Club at 4:30 pm.
THURSDAY, JAN. 31
+ Bring your baby to a baby bounce time story time at 10:30 am at the Pine Hills Branch or at the Main Library.
FRIDAY, FEB. 1
+ Teens enjoy afternoon Wii at the Main Library at 4 pm. Meet up with your friends in the second floor Children’s Room.
SATURDAY, FEB. 2
+ Free income tax preparation services begin today at the Main Library. Walk-in assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis from 10 am until 3 pm at the Main Library only. People with an annual household income limit of $51,000 can get their federal income taxes prepared for free by the library’s partners from the IRS VITA and AARP Tax-Aide programs. For more information, please call the Main Library Reference Department at 427-4303.
+ Two knitting and crocheting groups meet today: Frequent Fibers from 2 to 4 pm at the Pine Hills Branch and Knit2Gether from 2 to 3:30 pm at the Bach Branch.
Make plans to join us at the Pine Hills Branch on Saturday, Feb. 9, for a Chinese New Year celebration for the whole family! From 2 to 4 pm that afternoon, we’ll explore Chinese culture, food, and entertainment in honor of the Year of the Snake.
One featured event will be a performance by Bells & Motley, a music/dance/storytelling troupe. The group will perform “Bawshou and the Dragon,” a traditional Chinese tale of a young boy who tries to rescue the sun from a cave hidden under the sea. Throughout the show, Bells & Motley will evoke a magical atmosphere through ageless symbols, costumes, dance, and performance techniques from the Orient. Before the performance, attendees will learn about different types of historic dragons and create masks of their own to wear in the “Bawshou Pageant” part of the show.
The other featured event is a performance of traditional Chinese flute music by noted local musician Qiang Xu at 4 pm. He is regarded as one of the area’s best Chinese musicians and has performed extensively.
For more information about the Chinese New Year family celebration at the Pine Hills Branch on Feb. 9, please call the branch at 482-7911.
The weather might be freezing, but the activity is heating up at APL this week. We’ve got a number of fun and FREE activities and programs for people of all ages.
Here’s a small sample of what we have planned for Jan. 21 through Jan. 27:
Jan. 21 (Mon)
+ Kids use the library’s supplies to make a creative art project at the Pine Hills Branch from 2 to 6 pm and at the North Albany Branch from 3 to 5 pm.
+ The Main Library hosts “Tracking the Trail: Animals and Their Tracks” by the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology at 3 pm.
Jan. 22 (Tues)
+ “American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama” is reviewed by Paula Rollins for the Friends of APL at 12:15 pm at the Main Library.
+ Local author Vincent Zandri discusses “The New Publishing Model Demystified: An Author’s Experience with E-books and Beyond” at the Main Library at 7 pm.
Jan. 23 (Wed)
+ Get help filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for your college-bound student at the Main Library from 5 to 7:30 pm. Please register at 427-4303.
Jan. 24 (Thurs)
+ Kids, brighten up the winter days with sun catchers made out of recycled plastic bottles. Make your own sun catcher at the Delaware Branch at 4 pm.
+ Join us online for a Twitter party where we discuss upcoming books and enjoy a virtual scavenger hunt. Go to twitter.com/APLMReadersServ at 7 pm.
Jan. 25 (Fri)
+ Drop in for advice about how to repair your credit, and get a copy of your credit report. This session, presented by the Affordable Housing Partnership of the Capital Region, runs from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm at the Main Library.
Jan. 26 (Sat)
+ Young musicians from the Cady School of Music perform a piano recital at the Bach Branch from 2 to 4 pm.
Jan. 27 (Sun)
+ Sunday Cinema at the Main Library features “The Dark Knight Rises” starting at 2 pm. Batman resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy. (PG-13)
For a full list of all library programs, check our online calendar. You can also download our bimonthy program guide.
APL is hosting two workshops where college-bound students can get help filling out the FAFSA, also known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. A completed FAFSA is the first step toward getting the financial aid available to students.
The one-on-one FAFSA completion assistance is available for free on:
5 to 7:30 pm
Main Library at 161 Washington Avenue
Register at 427-4303
4 to 6:30 pm
Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch at 148 Henry Johnson Boulevard
Register at 694-0596
These workshops are provided by the New York State Higher Education Services Corp.
Did you know we have an online reading group?
Adults can participate in our goodreads APL Online Reading Group. It’s a great place to share and connect with local readers, and get suggestions for your next book. Sign up for a goodreads account (it’s free), search the groups for Albany Public Library, and join us for some online book discussions!
We’re also planning a book discussion on Twitter!
Join Readers’ Services librarians on Twitter @APLMReadersServ on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 7 pm for a lively chat. It may be winter, but we’re ready to break out the beach reads and talk about our summer reading plans. Also enjoy a virtual scavenger hunt where one lucky Twitterer will win a prize.
It’s a busy week at APL with tons of free programs and activities scheduled at your neighborhood libraries.
Here are just a few of this week’s scheduled offerings:
MONDAY, JAN. 14
+ Get help with basic computer skills and job searches at the Main Library’s Public Computing Center from 1 to 5 pm.
TUESDAY, JAN. 15
+ Retired economist Olaf Hausgaard reviews “The Price of Politics” by Bob Woodward at the Friends of APL lunchtime book talk starting at 12:15 pm in the large auditorium of the Main Library.
+ The Main Library’s Nonfiction Book Discussion Group talks about “Hallucinations” by Oliver Sacks at 7 pm.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16
+ We have two preschool story times starting at 10:30 am — one at the Delaware Branch and one at the North Albany Branch. These story times are geared toward kids ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers.
+ Dave Lambert and Dan Wonzyk present a live musical performance in a “night for jazz” concert at the Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch starting at 6 pm.
THURSDAY, JAN. 17
+ Help us break in our new puppet theater at the Howe Branch. Kids are welcome to put on their own puppet shows in the children’s room from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.
+ Teens who enjoy anime should attend the Anime Club meeting at the Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch at 4:30 pm. They’ll watch anime, talk about manga, and have Japanese snacks.
FRIDAY, JAN. 18
+ The April Marie Duo performs live music at the Delaware Branch starting at 5 pm.
SATURDAY, JAN. 19
+ Nat Phipps and Pete Toigo play live music at the Pine Hills Branch starting at 2 pm in our regular “music in the afternoon” concert series.
+ The Knit2Gether knitting/crocheting group meets at the Bach Branch from 2 to 3:30 p m to work on their projects alongside fellow fiber artists.
SCHEDULE NOTE: APL is open on Monday, Jan. 21, for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Our locations have a number of children’s activities planned to keep kids busy on their day off from school.
For a full schedule of activities, visit the online calendar or check out the program guide.
The Main Library is hosting an Elmopalooza party in honor of the friendly, furry, red monster on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 1 pm in the large auditorium of the Main Library. Bring your little ones for games, crafts, snacks, and fun as we celebrate Sesame Street-style!
While you’re at the party, you can enter the library’s raffle to win four tickets to see the Sesame Street Live “Elmo’s Super Heroes” show at the Palace Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 3. If your child comes dressed as Elmo (or any superhero) to the Jan. 12 APL party, you’ll get an extra raffle ticket.
For more information about the Elmopalooza party at the Main Library on Jan. 12, or about entering the Sesame Street Live raffle, please call the Main Children’s Room at 427-4310.
