Brunswick Community Library I was in Brunswick on a Saturday for a Cub Scout event. I was pleasantly surprised to see the Brunswick Library was open until 6 on Saturdays,…
Category: <span>Geek Travel</span>
Sand Lake Town Library On Take Your Child to the Library Day, I of course had to do so, and since taking my kids to work would be dull, off…
Cohoes Public Library I’ve been in Cohoes quite a few times, sometimes even intentionally (it’s where you end up when you keep going on 787 North instead of turning off…
RCS Library
The Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Library, which has very sensibly shortened its name to the RCS Library, has a checkered past which reminds me of swamp castle in Monty Python’sHoly Grail (and that fourth one stayed up!) That’s not something I’m explaining, just that things are looking up for them- they are in a wonderful space and in the process of expanding.
Menands Library
My first attempt to visit, on my way to the Watervliet Library, was a failure, because their hours are, in library jargon, “wackadoodle”. I had glanced quickly at their schedule, saw they were open until 8, and just assumed they would be open at 3. Nope. They were open 5-8 that day.
Watervliet Public Library
The Watervliet (pronounced “water-vill-eet”) library is in the same building as the city’s senior center. It had a massive renovation in 2016.
There’s a large bell in the lobby. I learned from my mistake from the Guilderland library (will anybody ever comment on why there’s a cow in their lobby??) and read the plaque.
Altamont Library
I usually question the use of words like “charming” and “quaint” when talking about libraries, since those are often used like real estate euphemisms for “cramped” or “needs work”, but in the case of the Altamont Library, tucked into an old train station, the charm is real. It could easily be on an episode of HGTV’s Tiny Houses. Every corner and nook is utilized and surrounded by attractive touches, giving the illusion of a much larger space. It was a delightful palate-cleanser after the last library I visited.
I love the area, near the beautiful Indian Ladder Trail, and my favorite apple orchard, Indian Ladder Farms. So when we were in the area for apple picking on a hot day, I convinced the family to make a few detours (here and Voorheesville, which is my next blog).
North Greenbush Library
The North Greenbush Library covers the township of North Greenbush and is located in Wynantskill, Southeast of Troy.
When I visited the Troy libraries, I saw that they were struggling with buildings in need of renovation and repair, but had staff who curated and cared for the collection in spite of the awkward spaces. The North Greenbush Library… I am trying to find the right words so I don’t hurt feelings.
Troy Public Library
This is not the entrance. 
Neither is this.
The building I had always assumed was the Troy library is not, in fact, the library. This was after getting lost just trying to park. “You have reached your destination” said Siri as I drove under Russel Sage College. Um, no. (Rte 2 goes under Second Street). The giant white building is the court house, and the building next to that is the Supreme Court law library… then you have the Troy Public Library. This massive old building (well, American old, built in 1897) is built in an oversized, opulent style, with marble stairs, stained glass windows and roman pillars. A true temple of knowledge. It has that faint “old building” smell familiar in museums and used book shops. It is full of awkward little nooks and crannies, interesting to explore, but not fully accessible. While historical buildings are definitely worth preserving and sharing with the public, trying to run a modern library in one is a logistical nightmare. The library director has had to fight to get an elevator installed, and there is so much more that needs to be done, to keep the building from falling apart, to make spaces for all the things that a library does now that never occurred to the builders, from computer labs to event stages. Doors are left open to allow air flow through the building, which makes me wonder what this is like in the winter.
Castleton Public Library
I took a long drive down a winding, unlined road, questioning Siri’s navigational skills, to find the village of Castleton-on-Hudson. I found the charming red building at the bottom of a steep hill.
The library is part of the village hall. The front door is not accessible, but the back door is. I commented to the director that the back hall could be signposted a little bit better. Working with the town in a shared space is somewhat difficult (as is relying on their help, I can attest to that).
The library is one long room in the building, but recent improvements have made best use of the space.
