The Library Spotlight

Join roadside naturalist Rick Bunting for a photographic journey of some of the variety of sightings and stories that he enjoyed throughout this past year. We will be visiting birds and butterflies, moths and insects, frogs and dragonflies and much more. The vast majority of the photos were taken along the roadside and Rick shares them as a way of reminding us of the incredible variety of Nature's gifts that are accessible to all without needing to climb a mountain or trek through a wet marsh. Co-sponsored with the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society. Seating is limited and registration is required. Please register through this link.

Rick Bunting is retired from a teaching career of thirty-three years which included fifteen years at the Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District. He is Professor Emeritus from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam where he served as Chair of Music Education and conductor of the renowned Crane Chorus. Since his retirement he has pursued his passion of Nature study (with an emphasis on birds) and spends many hours photographing all that he sees. From that passion has come the joy of sharing what he sees with other people through programs based on his photographs.

The BAD Authors Tour," featuring Richard Lovrich, author of Have a Very Bad Day and JPV Oliver, Gent, author of I Know This Looks Bad: Errors and Graces in a Louche Life, makes a stop at SSPL to bring to you a warm, funny, and sometimes ironic show based on their respective books! Lovrich, an Independent Creative Director, photographer, and former Creative Director for Proctors Collaborative, and Oliver, a student of the world and former speechwriter for Seagram's and General Electric, possess a combined knowledge and wit that is sure to surprise and entertain! Books will be available after the show, and the authors are happy to sign copies and chat. Visit this link to register. 

Preschoolers ages 2-5, accompanied by an adult, are invited to attend a Karner Blue Butterfly story, craft, and walk led by an Environmental Educator from Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. Siblings are welcome. Please dress for the weather.

Park in Parking Lot #1 and meet by the flagpole across the street if the weather is nice; if not, under the covered pavilion. Register each preschooler (adults do not need to register) online through this link, in the Children's Room, or by calling 518-584-7860 extension 305.

This presentation will discuss the construction and success of the Erie Canal and the subsequent “canal craze” that sparked the idea of a Great Sacandaga Canal. Discover the area’s efforts to expand their commercial reach as they sought to draw raw goods and resources from the Sacandaga Valley and throughout the Adirondack Mountains down to the Mohawk Valley, and wider global economic market. No registration required.

David Brooks is the Education Director at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter, N.Y. – within the system of sites operated by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Schoharie Crossing interprets and preserves the significant history of the Erie Canal and its contributions to the state as well as the nation.

Join local author, Piet Marino for a reading of his re-released star reviewed novel, Dough Boy about "fifteen-year-old Tristan who has never been comfortable with his weight, and whose unease is heightened when his  parents divorce and his mom’s boyfriend’s beautiful daughter moves in and tries to change him." Following the reading, Piet will talk about his recent independent publishing endeavor. A question and answer discussion will follow the presentation. This program is for aspiring writers, those interested in independent publishing, fans of books, and humor. Registration is encouraged, but not required. Books will be available for sale and for signing. Please register through this link.

Piet Marino’s novels for young adults, Doughboy and Magic and Misery, were both nominated for YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults. Magic and Misery made Booklist's Top 10 Fiction for Youth and the ALA Round Table’s Rainbow Books Bibliography.