North Greenbush LibraryThe 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.
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 LibraryI 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.
No, I didn’t go to the Bahamas, or even to Nassau County. Nassau Free Library is out in the pretty countryside in Rensselaer County. The building is an old house, built upon over the years. Their most recent renovation put in a meeting room in the basement.
Ramp entry in the back of the building.
Sometimes it’s hard not to be jealous. To be held up against something and found wanting is very hard, even when it’s an “apples and oranges” thing. I’ve explained to my library board that we’re a Stewart’s Shop, and this library is Target, and there’s nothing wrong with being either until you demand that Stewarts starts carrying furniture. But I digress. The East Greenbush Library is a special district library that covers a sprawling township with no real center. They are next to the Greenbush YMCA, and the night I visited they were hosting a farmer’s market in the parking lot between their buildings. 
Fancy entry hallway has large meeting rooms on both sides, and built in display cabinets currently showing off a scout display, kid’s creations and ads for summer programs.
I think this is my favorite library in the system. I’ll give you a definitive answer when I’ve visited them all. It’s in a beautiful suburban area Northeast of Albany (on the Western side of the Hudson). It’s very well-funded, but it’s not just about that.
“People think innovation is about one massive change, but it’s not, it’s many little changes, over time,” said Director Geoff Kirkpatrick. It’s experimenting, accepting failure as a part of growth. Trying new things like 3D printers, charging stations, mini golf in the library, wifi at the pool and lending out things like fishing poles
and metal detectors. Even under-funded libraries like mine can get that mindset, and experiment with things like traveling story times, seed libraries and appliance repair nights.
The Albany Library serves over 97 thousand people, so they get more than one library branch. Seven total, in fact. Getting to all of them was a challenge all by itself. The Library Director completed a “bike to work day” by reaching them all by bike (and bus) in one day, and I am just now realizing what an accomplishment that was. Well done, Scott! They are very dedicated to bike and bus transportation. They have bike-care stations at each branch and sell bus passes.
Tour of Libraries: Guilderland LibraryI’m not sure if it’s a good thing to define areas by where you can shop, but if I was to describe where the Guilderland Library was to my friends I would say “near Crossgates Mall”. It’s also close to SUNY Albany’s main campus. This particular library is one of my favorites (but I think one other is my absolute fav).
I wish I had paused to read the sign to find out why there is a life-sized cow (bull? didn’t check) in their foyer.
Tour of Libraries: William K Sanford Town Library (AKA Colonie Library)The William K Sanford Town Library, next door to the Times Union Newspaper building, lies at the end of Wolf Road, a shopping/restaurant destination for the Albany area, and close to the Albany airport. When approaching from Wolf Road you have to make a slingshot around a roundabout.
From what I can tell, this low brick building is technically one story, with a second story wedged in by sheer willpower. They have done a lot to make what they have attractive and useful, but it could really
do with a renovation. (Update: They are planning renovations. “We will be repairing the roof, then renovating. We will moving departments to better use our space, and we’ve been getting input from the community,” said Library Director Evelyn Neale ) As I was trying to take pictures, I found it difficult because there were people everywhere, tucked into every nook and cranny, reading, studying, working on laptops, tutoring and browsing.
Jane is visiting all 36 locations of the Upper Hudson Library System (see introduction)
This building used to be a pharmacy, but now is a modern library. It’s right next to the Amtrak station, which is known as the Albany station even though it is in Rensselaer. Possibly because Rensselaer is hard to spell- it’s Dutch.
This library, in Rensselaer county, NY, is not to be confused with Rensselaer Polytech Institute, which is in Troy; or Rensselaerville Library, which is in Albany county; or the Jasper County Public Library, which is in Rensselaer, Indiana. (They apparently get some strange phone calls).
