Items tagged with 'Albany Public Library'
The Albany Public Library is eliminating late fines for books and other items
Updated
The Albany Public Library announced today that it's eliminating late fines for books, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks starting January 1.
It's also waiving previously racked-up late fees for these types of items.
But if there aren't fines, what's going to prompt people to bring books back on time?
Well, you might be surprised about how that works now.
Silent films with live scores return to the Albany Public Library this month
A still from He Who Gets Slapped. / via archive.org
The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular returns next week. The series shows silent films along with live scores performed by local musicians at the Washington Ave Branch:
October 10: The Prolific Magic Egg and Sherlock Jr. - Psychedelic Snakeskin
"'The Prolific Magic Egg' is a 1903 short film directed by and starring Georges Méliès. 'Sherlock Jr.' is a 1924 film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. Psychedelic Snakeskin will provide the live accompaniment using analog and digital instrumentation to bring attendees sound-collage music from the outer edges."
October 17: The Three Ages - Ryan Devine and Friends
"This 1923 film stars Buster Keaton and showcases the wonder of love and romance through three historical periods. [Ryan] Devine plays keyboards for a number of local bands, is a member of Victory Soul Orchestra, and teaches piano."
October 24: He Who Gets Slapped - Raurri Jennings
"Lon Chaney plays a bitter clown in this 1924 film. Jennings is lead singer and guitarist for popular local band Front Business. He is new to the Silent Film Spectacular this year."
The films start 7 pm.
APL advertises on AOA.
"South End: Past and Future - The Journey to Rapp Road and Beyond" at APL
This looks interesting -- a use of new tech to help tell an important local history story.
The Albany Public Library's Howe Branch will be hosting an event with the Rapp Road Historical Association called "South End: Past and Future - The Journey to Rapp Road and Beyond." Blurbage:
Come learn about the African-American history of Great Migration from Mississippi to Albany, New York, and its connection to the South End. Experts from the Rapp Road Historical Association will use Augmented Reality (AR) technology to bring pictures to life and show how African-Americans migrated from Mississippi to settle in the South End and Rapp Road. They will also share new opportunities for studying and sharing your own family histories. Light refreshments will be served.
The event is Wednesday July 25 at 6 pm at the beautiful Howe Branch (105 Schuyler Street). The event is free, but registration is requested (see the link for details).
Crime fiction writing workshop at Albany Public Library with Frankie Bailey
This could be interesting and fun: Local author Frankie Y. Bailey will leading a crime fiction writing workshop at the Albany Public Library's Howe Branch in July. Blurbage:
Come learn the craft of crime fiction writing in this 4 part series! Local criminal justice professor and mystery writer Frankie Y. Bailey will lead this hands-on program for patrons of all experience levels. This program is designed as a four-part series, but participants who are unable to attend every module are still welcome to sign up.
The class is on Mondays at 6 pm starting July 9. It's free, but registration is required.
Bailey is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice at UAlbany. And she's written a bunch of mystery / crime novels, including a near-future detective series set in Albany.
Bailey will be honored with Alice Green at the Albany Public Library Foundation's Literary Legends Gala October 20.
Frankie Bailey photo via author website
APL Foundation Literary Legends 2018: Alice Green and Frankie Bailey
Alice Green and Frankie Bailey
The Albany Public Library Foundation will be honoring Alice P. Green and Frankie Y. Bailey at its Literary Legends ceremony this fall. But next week -- Thursday, June 7 -- the two authors/scholars will be at an-evening-with-the-authors event at the Albany Public Library to talk about their work. From Literary Legends blurbage:
Alice Green is an Albany giant--a notable activist and community leader. She has never ignored the importance of culture in her tireless work for justice. A champion of literature, she founded the Paden Institute, a residency for writers of color in the Adirondacks. She is also a founder of one of Albany's longest running black newspapers, The South End Scene.
Frankie Bailey is a distinguished scholar and professor of criminal justice at the University at Albany. She is also a mystery writer who has popularized the streets and places of Albany with mystery readers across the country through her Hannah McCabe novels, The Red Queen Dies and What the Fly Saw.
Together, Green and Bailey have written three books. Wicked Albany (2009) and Wicked Danville (2011) are popular nonfiction works that explore crime and justice in the Prohibition era. "Law Never Here": A Social History of African American Responses to Crime and Justice (1999) is a scholarly nonfiction work that traces the evolution of the criminal justice system from slavery through the 20th century.
The June 7 event is at the Albany Public Library Washington Ave Branch from 6-8 pm. Tickets are $25 and available online. There will be a reception with wine and dessert and tea and coffee, and then a conversation with the authors and audience Q&A.
Literary Legends 2018
This year's Literary Legends even is Saturday, October 20. Tickets go on sale May 30.
photos: Alice Green via Center for Law and Justice | Frankie Bailey via author website
Silent Film Spectacular 2017
The 1906 silent film The ? Motorist.
The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular series returns for a new season next week. The APL will be showing three sets of silent films during October with live musical score at the Washington Ave Branch:
October 11: Three Short Films with Live Music by Psychedelic Snakeskin
The films are: "Merry Frolics of Satan" (1906), "Menilmontant" (1928), and "The Motorist" (1906)
October 18: Film "Our Hospitality" (1923) with Live Music by Ryan Devine and Justin Fuld
October 25: Three Surrealist Short Films with Live Music by Scum Couch
Films: "L'Etoile de Mer" (1928), "Le Retour a La Raison" (1923) and "Un Chien Andalou" (1929)
The films start each Wednesday at 7 pm. Admission is free.
APL advertises on AOA.
New app for Albany Public Library and other local libraries
Screenshots from the app.
Check it out: The Upper Hudson Library System has moved to a new app, which includes the Albany Public Library and many other local libraries.
Features blurbage:
Access the entire library catalog:
* Search for books, movies, music and more.
* With your library card, you can:
* Place, check the status, or cancel holds.
* Check due dates.
* Renew items.
* View your account balance.
Access library digital resources:
*OverDrive
*Flipster
*Mango Languages
There's also info in the app about library locations and events.
Another feature that's fun: The app can scan a book's barcode (via the phone's camera) and check the availability of the book in the library.
The app is available for both iOS and Android. It's free.
APL advertises on AOA.
APL Silent Film Spectacular 2016
The season includes a screening of Un Chien Andalou, the surrealist film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador DalÃ. (The opening scene is infamously shocking.)
The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular series returns for a new season this month. The series shows old silent films with a live performance of the score by local musicians.
Here are the two performances this month (blurbage via APL):
October 19: Man with a Movie Camera -- original music by Buttfort
"This 1929 film showcases urban life in a Russian city through the eyes of a cameraman. The band is a three-piece ensemble that renders sensitive folk ballads submerged in chaotic experimental noise landscapes."
October 26: A Night of Surrealist Film: L'Etoile de Mer, Le Retour a La Raison, Un Chien Andalou -- original music by Scum Couch
"These three short films, created between 1923 and 1929, explore notions of romance, fantasy, and horror in experimental and surrealist fashion. The band crafts pieces of contained chaos, as the massive and distorted rhythmic backbone of the songs undulates between flurries of melody and flourishes of chaotic improvisation."
The performances start at 7 pm in Washington Ave branch's large auditorium. They're free.
APL advertises on AOA.
Albany History Race 2016
The Albany Public Library's Albany History Race returns September 24 and this year's event is focused on historic buildings. Blurbage:
Anyone interested in Albany's storied past is invited to participate in this "Amazing Race"-style scavenger hunt around the city. For this year's race, the Albany Public Library is partnering with Historic Albany Foundation and showcasing the endangered buildings of our city. Over the course of a couple of hours on that Saturday afternoon, teams will receive clues and location histories written by Historic Albany Foundation and dash around Albany making quick stops at historic locations. The final stop of the race is McGeary's Pub (4 Clinton Sq.) where all participating teams will receive 20 percent off their food and drink that day. The fastest teams will receive bragging rights and prizes from The Albany Distilling Company, Historic Albany Foundation, and other Albany businesses.
The event starts at 1 pm on Saturday, September 24. It's free to participate, but registration is required (registration starts September 1). See the link above for details.
APL advertises on AOA.
Running history tours of Albany
Bus tours. Bike tours. Walking tours. Yep, sure.
Running tour? That's a new one to us.
The Albany Public Library has organized a series of running history tours of downtown Albany. Blurbage:
Explore 2.5 miles of historic downtown Albany as a pair of running librarians lead you and a small group of participants on a narrated history run through our city! If you can comfortably run an 11 minute mile (5.5 mph) over 2.5 miles, you'll have no problem keeping up. We'll take three short breaks at historic points along the way. Lace up your sneakers, bring headphones or borrow some of ours. We'll provide a digital audio player you'll hold while running containing a narrated audio tour. The tour was developed from information gathered in our library's Pruyn Collection of Albany History, local history blogs, and other resources!
The first tour is Saturday, July 9 at 10. There are four more tours scheduled over the course of July and August, three on Saturday mornings and one on a Wednesday evening. The group meets up at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center at Quackenbush Square, and the morning tours end at The French Press Cafe and Creperie and the evening tour at McGeary's.
The tours are free, but registration is required. Details at the link above.
APL advertises on AOA.
Bike repair -- at the library
We were walking by the Albany Public Library's Bach Branch and had a chance to check out one of the library system's new bike repair stations, which were unveiled last week. Blurbage:
The stations, manufactured by DERO, contain all the tools riders need to perform basic bike repairs and maintenance, including changing a flat tire, adjusting brakes, and fine tuning gears. Each station includes the following tools: Philips and flat head screwdrivers, various Allen wrenches, a headset wrench, a pedal wrench, several sizes of box wrenches, tire levers, and an air pump. The tools and air pump are securely attached to the stands using stainless steel cables, but are still easy to access for those using the stations. The stands have hanger arms that allow users to spin the pedals and wheels while making adjustments.
There are a few pics after the jump.
The free-to-use stations are at three branches: Bach at 455 New Scotland Ave, the Delaware branch at 331 Delaware Ave, and the Arbor Hill/West Hill branch at 148 Henry Johnson Blvd.
Funding for the stations came from the Capital District Transportation Committee's Capital Coexist program.
APL Silent Film Spectacular returns this spring
The famous Odessa Steps scene from Battleship Potemkin.
The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular series returns for another season in April. The APL will be screening silent movies with live soundtracks performed by local bands.
The screenings are each Wednesday in the large auditorium of the APL branch on Washington Ave, starting at 7 pm. They're free.
Here's the full lineup:
Literary Legends 2015
Maguire and Smith
The Albany Public Library Foundation's Literary Legends gala returns November 14 -- and it will be honoring Gregory Maguire and Barbara Smith.
Maguire is the author Wicked, which was, of course, adapted into the huge Broadway hit. He grew up in Albany's Pine Hills neighborhood and graduated from UAlbany.
Smith is a noted activist and author, and longtime Albany resident who served on the Common Council.
The Literary Legends gala is a fundraiser for the Albany Public Library. It includes live music; food catered by Café Capriccio, New World Bistro, Saati's, and Yono's; a silent auction, and the awards ceremony. It's Saturday, November 14 at the APL's Delaware Branch. Tickets are $75 and available online.
AOA is a media sponsor of the Literary Legends event.
APL Silent Film Spectacular 2015
The 1924 version of Peter Pan is among the silent films on the slate.
The Albany Public Library's Silent Film Spectacular returns for another season this month. The APL will be screening silent movies with live soundtracks performed by local bands.
The screenings are the next four Wednesdays in the large auditorium of the APL's main branch on Washington Ave, starting at 7 pm. They're free.
Here's the full lineup:
Albany History Race
The Albany Public Library is sponsoring an "Albany History Race" this Saturday, November 8. Blurbage:
Anyone interested in Albany's storied past is invited to participate in this "Amazing Race"-style scavenger hunt around the city. Over the course of just a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, teams will receive clues and dash around Albany completing challenges. The final stop of the race is McGeary's Pub (4 Clinton Sq.) where each participating team will receive 20 percent off their food and drink that day. The top three teams will receive bragging rights and prizes.
The hunt begins at the Main Library's Albany History Room at 1 pm on Saturday. It's free to participate, but you must register (and you can do so online).
APL advertises on AOA.
Pine Hills Spelling Bee for Adults
The spelling bee for adults is returning to the Albany Public Library's Pine Hills branch September 18. The first bee was last year and we hear it ended up being very popular. Blurbage for this year:
We'll begin the evening with some challenging team competitions to test your spelling skills. Then we'll start the main event where one member of each team competes in a traditional spelling bee. Teams may swap out players throughout the event, allowing for everyone to participate if they'd like. Snacks will be provided and the best teams will be handsomely rewarded with prizes.
Teams can include 2-5 adults. It's free to participate, but registration is required: call 427-4376, or email aplp1@albanypubliclibrary.org.
The bee starts at 7 pm on Thursday, September 18. The Pine Hills branch is on Western Ave near the merge with Madison Ave. So there's that whole strip of restaurants just across the street for you team to celebrate its victory after the bee.
APL advertises on AOA.
Garage Bands series back at the APL
Party Boat is one of the first bands up in the series.
The Albany Public Library is bringing its "Garage Bands" series back this summer. The shows feature local bands playing in the garage of the APL's main branch on Washington Ave.
The all-ages shows have an early start and end time (6-8 pm), so they can be a good event for people with young kids. And they're free.
The first show is this Friday, July 18. The full slate is after the jump.
Views of Albany then, now online
A view of Broadway from the corner of State Street in 1910.
The Albany Public Library has a pretty impressive collection of the city's history in the Pruyn Room -- its local history room at the main branch of the library on Washington Avenue. And as of this week, for the first time, some of those images are now available online.
APL has been working with New York Heritage -- "a free online portal designed for researchers and history buffs" -- to digitize the collection in the Pruyn Room. The library's starting with a series of photos from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and an interesting scrapbook with before-and-after shots of downtown Albany, the O'Brien Federal Building, and 787.
Geography bee for adults at APL
Could be fun: The Albany Public Library has organized a "Geography Bee for Grownups" March 13 at the Pine Hills branch (517 Western Ave). Event blurbage:
APL's creative librarians have come up with some non-traditional geography challenges based on kids' games. Instead of "pin the tail on the donkey," you'll play "pin the city on the state." You'll use your best crayon skills to draw maps. And, you'll do some local Google street-view stalking to figure out where in the world Carmen Sandiego's been hiding.
There will be prizes for the best teams, along with state-shaped cookies and other snacks for participants.
This is a follow-up of sorts to APL's spelling bee for adults last fall, which we hear was a lot of fun.
The geography bee is from 6:30-8 pm this Thursday, March 13. It's a team competition, and teams need to register ahead of time because space is limited. Registration is free. To register, call the Pine Hills branch at 482-7911 ext. 230.
And that branch is pretty much across the street from a whole strip of restaurants/bars -- from Tierra on up to the Madison Pour House -- if you're looking for someplace to grab a drink or something to eat afterward.
The APL advertises on AOA.
Lydia Davis at Albany Public Library
Man Booker International Prize winner -- and UAlbany professor/writer-in-residence -- Lydia Davis will be at the main Albany Public Library this Saturday for a talk and discussion about her work. The Friends of Albany Public Library will honoring Davis with their Author of the Year Award at the event.
Davis won the prestigious Man Booker International Prizer this past May for her body of work, which includes super short stories -- some no longer than a sentence or two -- as well as highly-regarded translations of French works. She also won a MacArthur "genius" grant in 2003.
The APL event is at 1:30 pm on Saturday, December 7. It's free and open to the public.
The APL advertises on AOA.
photo: David Ignaszewski / MacMillan
APL Silent Film Spectacular 2013
A nefarious lodger?
The Albany Public Library's annual "Silent Film Spectacular" series returns this week. Over the course of October it will show classic silent movies -- "from the dramatic to the macabre" -- accompanied by a score performed live by local musicians.
The screenings are the next four Wednesdays in the large auditorium of the APL's main branch on Washington Ave, starting at 7 pm. They're free.
First film up, this Wednesday (October 9): Hitchcock's The Lodger, with score performed by members of Alta Mira, Hand Habits, Maggot Brain, and The Slaughterhouse Chorus.
The full lineup is post jump.
Collecting Summer in the City PoeTweets
The Albany Public Library's "Summer in the City PoeTweet Contest" ended Saturday night. The week-long contest was pretty much what it sounds like: short poems about summer in Albany, submitted via Twitter.
We thought it'd be fun to collect the entries from the context hashtag. So... that's what we did.
There were some beautiful entries.
Summer in the City PoeTweet
The center of the square circles in shadows as the sun sets quietly on hop scotch sidewalks
That's an entry from @thebeatenpoet in the Albany's Public Library's Summer in the City PoeTweet Contest on Twitter.
As you can probably guess, it's contest to write tweet-length poem about summer in Albany. Blurbage:
One Tweet = one entry. You can submit one entry per day; your Tweets must be your own. (So, you can have up to 7 chances to win.) The subject of your Poetweet must be "Summer in Albany." Include #APLMRS in your Tweet so we can find it.
The winner will be selected by poet Dan Wilcox "based on creativity, originality, and poetic skill." The contest runs through August 3 at 11:59 pm.
You can follow along with the entries by watching the hashtag #APLMRS.
Yep, APL advertises on AOA.
The story of your house
One of the interesting things about the Capital Region is that there's history seemingly everywhere. Maybe even in your own house.
This Saturday (June 1) at the Albany Public Librarian's main branch there's first part of a two-part workshop on researching the history of your house. The how-to session features a solid lineup of experts:
+ Tony Opalka, Albany city historian
+ Ellen Gamache, APL local history librarian
+ Cara Macri, director of preservation services at Historic Albany Foundation
+ Akum Norder, writer of the Times Union "A History of Here: Life in Albany, Past and Present" blog. (Akum has been doing extensive research about the history of her house and the Pine Hills neighborhood. She's posted a research guide online.)
The workshop is 2-4 pm in the library's large auditorium. It's free.
The second sessions -- "An Uncommon Cape: Researching the Histories and Mysteries of a Property" -- is June 8, same place and time. More details post jump.
Silent Film Spectacular Series at APL
The Albany Public Library has brought its silent film series back. During October it will be showing four Halloween-appropriate silent films at the main branch on Washington Ave -- with a live score performed by local musicians.
This year's slate starts with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on October 10, and runs every Wednesday through October 31. The screenings all start at 7 pm -- and they're free.
Full schedule and descriptions post jump.
Murder of Cherry Hill: Speaking of the macabre, the APL has also has two talks about the Cherry Hill murder lined up. Historian Jane Ladouceur will be talking about the story surrounding the infamous 1827 murder in Albany's South End -- it involves a prominent family, love, cheating, trials, and a public hanging (if it happened today, Nancy Grace would probably self combusted with excitement). The talks are October 6 at 1 pm at the main library, and October 10 at 2 pm at the Pine Hills branch.
... said KGB about Drawing: What's something that brought you joy this year?