July 15, 2022
Wallkill to offer digital navigation services
A huge congratulations to circulation desk tech and adult programmer Kim O’Sullivan for getting accepted into the Digital Navigators of the Hudson Valley program! She is one of a limited number of participants from libraries and community-based organizations to get training in assisting patrons in accessing and using technology. Once her training is complete, she will be able to assist community members with affordable Internet access, device acquisition, technical skills, and application support.

The Digital Navigator program includes:
  • Access to digital literacy resources
  • Quality technical support
  • Applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration

This training is provided via a partnership between Southeastern NY Library Resources Council, RCLS, and the Mid-Hudson Library System. Many thanks to Kim for applying to the program!
Mahjong 101 welcoming rookies again Aug. 11
While the Mahjong lessons offered by Eileen Masterson are ongoing (Thursday nights from 6-8), the participants who have the basics of the game down now need time to progress to the next level. Therefore, though newcomers are welcome to come and watch the game tables, the remaining July sessions will not offer introductory lessons regarding the game.

If you’ve never played and would like to learn, you can register for the Aug. 11 session of Mahjong 101. That’s when the workshop will start again from the beginning and cover rules, strategies, etc. We hope you’ll join us!
Miss Michelle’s hubby wins Best of Hudson Valley award!
You know Miss Michelle puts on awesome storytimes and other programming, but did you know she’s married to a famous writer?

Her husband is A.J. Schenkman, author of Unexpected Bravery: Women and Children of the Civil War, Patriots and Spies in Revolutionary New York, and other historical books, and he’s just been named Hudson Valley Magazine’s Best of Hudson Valley for his writing!

A huge congratulations to A.J.! You can find his books on our nonfiction shelves, or place an interlibrary loan order for them at the circulation desk!
Assemblyman encourages reading with summer challenge
Assemblyman Brian D. Miller is sponsoring the New York State Assembly’s 2022 Summer Reading Challenge!

Participants will pick up a brochure (located on the table in front of the circulation desk at the library or download one online) and mark off the calendar inside for each day in July and August that a child reads, whether it’s with an adult or on his/her own. Once you’ve marked off 40 days or more, you can return the completed form to the assemblyman’s office and your child will be awarded the New York State Assembly Excellence in Reading certificate.

The assemblyman’s local office is at 14 Central Ave., Suite 101, PO Box 247, Wallkill, NY 12589.
Seniors get discount to state parks
Did you know that New York State offers free admission for ages 62 and over at all parks listed in the library’s Empire Pass brochure? By showing a driver’s license, seniors are eligible for free admission/parking only Monday through Friday through New York State's Golden Park Program.

The Empire Pass provides unlimited day-use vehicle entry to most to most facilities operated by New York State Parks and the State Department of Environmental Conservation, including forests, beaches, trails, and more. The library loans these passes out to Wallkill patrons upon request. Ask about them at the circulation desk!
Fiction Club chooses July read
The library’s Fiction Club will be meeting again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28, when they’ll be discussing Lynn Austin’s Chasing Shadows.

We’re always looking for new fiction readers! Feel free to drop in at the meeting, whether you’re able to read the book or not. 
Summer reading... not just for kids!
Just read a book or magazine or listen to an audiobook. Each time you do, we will give you a chance to win one of our amazing adult summer reading prizes. Entering is fast and easy! And, the more books you read or listen to, the higher your chances are to win.

Adult summer reading is for readers ages 18+ (you must be 21 or over to enter for prizes containing wine). Our program kicked off June 29 and runs through the end of August. Winners will be announced Thursday, September 1st.

Good luck and keep on reading!
Wallkill Quilting Circle thanks you for your support
The Wallkill Quilting Circle would like to thank the community for their generous donations of batting and fabric to be used to make quilts to support Project Linus, a non-profit organization that provides new, handmade blankets or quilts to children who are seriously ill or traumatized. The Quilting Circle has all the materials they need to complete their quilts for this great cause!

The Wallkill Quilting Circle gathers on Textile Tuesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM in the Community Room of the Shawangunk Town Hall located at 14 Central Avenue, Wallkill, NY 12589. All crafters in any medium are welcome to join the group – knitting, crochet, quilting, weaving, needle punch, etc.
What's happening at the library...
Dive In! food and water fun!
The water (and the snacks) are great!
Friday’s Dive IN! Food and water FUN did not disappoint! Over 25 kids decorated their snack, sun-bathin' bear-brella cupcakes, and dove right into the action. Our homemade sprinkler water slide was a huge hit, add water squirters and sponge bombs, it was buckets of fun for kids and adults too!
Decorative seashell tile coasters on the lawn
Making decorative seashell tile coasters on the lawn
Thank you to Sherwood Tile of Newburgh for the donation of tiles for our first Workshop Wednesday program of the summer. Using sea-themed paper napkins, Mod Podge and cork backing everyone left with decorative a tile coaster, wall hanging, or both.
BIG Bingo!
Bigger is better when it comes to Bingo
The community room was the place to be for BIG Bingo last Friday. We played 9 games! 9 winners claimed big prizes like a Pizza Picnic Party and Big Bag of Fun in the Sun outdoor activities, along with lots of big novelties, silly string and more! Join the calling for more BIG Bingo fun on Friday, July 22nd at 3pm.

Smash journaling
Message in a Bottle was the theme for week 1
Not only did participants learn about the history of messages, they created their own messages to be send to our friends at RCLS. They also designed their smash journal and listened to the famous song by The Police, while making faux sushi snacks. 
From Miss Michelle
Thanks to everyone who has been a part of our Oceans of Possibility summer reading challenges, programs, and special events thus far - we’d like to share some splash-tacular highlights… 
At our kick-off event on 6/29/22, The Traveling Lantern Theatre Company delighted us with their performance of Camp Ocean… 
The following week, Karen Pillsworth, our local Storyteller Laureate, led our imaginations through fantastical journeys… 
During our first Saturday special event, the amazing clip-clapping Spoon Man had us smiling and dancing away…
Throughout our Summer Reading Program, we will continue to have activities throughout the week and host special events every Wednesday (and on one more Saturday), including this Wednesday 7/20/22 when we welcome Joe Fischer, magician extraordinaire!

Be sure to check out our brochure and/or calendar to reserve your spot(s) online now for continuous waves of summer learning and fun! 

And if you haven’t joined our summer reading challenge yet, swing by the library to grab a “Connect More!” fish or email Miss Michelle at mgreco@rcls.org to request a PDF.

Read as many books listed on your fish as you can and submit your work after 8/15/22 to receive a prize. For each row of 4 you complete, you earn a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card - with up to 10 possible chances to win!
Be sure to check out some suggested summer reading titles from our RCLS colleagues! Complete lists are available in the Children's Room...
Picture books
Hum and Swish
How to Catch a Mermaid
Bubbles... Up!
The Little Wooden Robot
and the Log Princess
Early Readers
Ivy and Bean (series)
The Owl Diaries (series)
Graphic Novels
Cat Kid, Comic Club (series)
InvestiGATORS (series)
Narwhal and Jelly (series)
Pawcasso
Junior Novels
The Beatrice Prophecy
Kaleidoscope
Once Upon a Tim
The Last Kids on Earth (series)
The World According to Humphry (series)
Stuntboy
Too Bright to See
Non-fiction
Where is the Great Barrier Reef?
(part of the WHOHQ series)
Hammerhead vs. Bull Shark
(part of the Who Would Win? series)
We hope to “sea” you soon!
Michelle Greco, Children's Coordinator
New in adult fiction...
Steve Berry
Geraldine Brooks
Julie Clark
Lucy Clarke
Kristan Higgins
Hilary Mantel
Meg Mitchell Moore
Ottessa Moshfegh
Library services at a glance
  • Masks are optional for the most part, during both visits and programming, however, there are still some programs that require masking. If masks are required for a particular program, it will be indicated at the bottom of the program summary when you register for that event via the online activities calendar. If you’re ever in doubt, feel free to call the circulation desk and ask! And if YOU feel more comfortable wearing a mask to the library, don’t hesitate to do so. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
  • Our doors are open for library services including browsing for library materials, making copies, sending faxes, and using the public access computers.
  • Our bookdrop is open for contact-free and after-hours returns of library materials. Be sure to secure DVD and BCD cases with rubber bands.
  • Curbside delivery of pre-ordered items is available by request. Call the circulation desk at 845-895-3707 to make a pick-up appointment.
  • Fine-free returns on everything, except museum/park passes.
  • Inter-library loans are available between all RCLS libraries.
  • Online programming, with materials necessary for crafts available for pickup at the library.
  • In-person programming, with appropriate social distancing.
  • We are not accepting any donations of books or DVDs at this time.