It's finally here! Join the community for the third annual Duck Derby, a fun, family-friendly event this Saturday, May 11. The Duck Derby is hosted by Vision of Wallkill and Wallkill High School’s Senior Celebration Committee. Yellow rubber ducks will be launched into the Wallkill River, each contending to cross the finish line at Popp Park to claim the coveted “Fastest Duck” award and cash prize.

The Duck Derby will take place at Popp Park (3081 Route 208, Wallkill, NY 12589), starting at noon. There are plenty of activities before the race: a bounce house, DJ and music, contests and games with ‘Ducky’ twists. The Wallkill Woman’s Club will be selling flowers just in time for Mother’s Day. Vendors will be offering BBQ and hot dogs for purchase, making it an easy and affordable lunch for the family. At 1 p.m., enjoy the Birds of Prey presentation sponsored by the Wallkill Public Library (see below for more info).

If you haven’t adopted your duck before getting to Popp Park for the derby, you can do so between 12 and 2:30 p.m. Ticket sales end at 2:30 p.m. on derby day. Click here for the schedule of events.

The Duck Derby main event kicks off at 3 p.m. Boaters will paddle up the Wallkill River to launch the rubber ducks and you can watch them float downstream towards Popp Park. Winners will be announced once all the rubber ducks have been retrieved from the river.

For more information about the Duck Derby, or for tickets, call/text: VOW at 845-325-2329 or Sr. Celebration at 845-728-0606.

Please note: this is a rain or shine event. The derby race may be cancelled if the river conditions are deemed dangerous for our boaters, kayakers, volunteers and spectators.

Your next great read is just a click away

If you want some help finding a new book, give NoveList a try. You can get to the database from our website. It’s easy! Just scroll down our homepage to the big button labeled “Novelist” and click. You will need your library to log in. Use Novelist to search for new titles based on your preferences. For the easiest search, try the "Recommended Reads Lists." They’re located on the left side of the Novelist homepage and span all genres and age levels. 

Find your mix! Do you like books that are action-packed and fast-paced? Amusing and engaging? No matter your mix, NoveList gets to the root of what you love about a book — and delivers great recommendations. Browse pre-made appeal combinations on the NoveList homepage under “I’m in the mood for books that are...”. Or create your own special mix using the appeal mixer located beneath the suggested combinations. Plug in your preferences and get instant reading recommendations. It’s actually a lot of fun to use! 

Have a preference for certain genres? Zero in on titles from your favorite genres or explore new ones with our genre browser, located under the appeal mixer. 

If the library is closed or your favorite library staffer is busy, you can still get book recommendations from NoveList! It’s available 24/7 on our library’s website, and because it’s connected to the catalog, you can place holds easily.  

It was lots of fun forming pepperoni roses, mixing herbed dip, and assembling personal charcuterie to celebrate National Cheese Month!

Join us Friday, June 7th to get the dunk on National Donut Day! Check our online calendar later in the month to sign up!

Ulster County Older Adults Empowerment Council

Presents 

Seniors Helping Seniors Stay Afloat:  All in the Same Boat!

Learn about the various senior groups throughout the county - how they were formed, what they do, how they support and assist each other. In addition, hear about some of the fun activities, how they socialize and help each other, and how being part of a group can help prevent seniors from being isolated and becoming a victim of various scams that target seniors.

Hybrid Event: Via Zoom & In-Person on June 13, 2024, 1:30-3:30 pm        

Ulster County Senior Hub, 5 Development Court, Kingston, NY 

To register: Call OFA 845-340-3456 or click link to join via Zoom Meeting Registration - Zoom

There is also an option to watch at a local library too! Wallkill Public Library will be streaming this program live in our reading room. No registration required to watch at the library!

Featured Speakers / Groups: 

·        Local SSIP Groups (Seniors Serving in Place) – both established and new 

·        Rhinebeck at Home 

·        Catskill Neighbors 

·        Vet2Vet – Veteran Support Groups

The Saturday Morning Book Club will have their next meeting at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 29. They'll be discussing Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. The group will be meeting in the reading room.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.



Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. – Goodreads

On Wednesday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m., the adult fiction book club will meet in our reading room to discuss the classic World War I novel, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Set against the looming horrors of the battlefield - the weary, demoralized men marching in the rain during the German attack on Caporetto; the profound struggle between loyalty and desertion—this gripping, semi-autobiographical work captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its inexorable sweep. Ernest Hemingway famously said that he rewrote his ending to A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times to get the words right. – Goodreads

2024 Chronogrammies

Thanks to our community, Wallkill Public Library has reached the final round of the Chronogrammies 2024 – awards sponsored by Chronogram Media celebrating the creative people who make the Hudson Valley absolutely amazing. (We are the only Ramapo Catskill Library System member library in the final round!)

Show your support and help us win by clicking the button to submit your vote! Find us in the "Library" subcategory of "Arts & Entertainment." You can submit one vote per day through May 15th!

Textile Tuesdays

The Wallkill Quilter's Circle is sponsored by the Wallkill Public Library. The Circle meets for Textile Tuesdays in the Community Room at the Shawangunk Town Hall on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Bring your present project and your lunch and join us! No registration necessary.

Mahjong meet-ups

Every Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Thursday at 6 p.m. the library hosts our Mahjong Clubs in the Reading Room. If you’re a player or just interested in learning, join us! We supply the games and (a limited number of) mahjong cards. Just drop in, no registration required.

Forgot your card? Check one out at the circulation desk to use during the game!

Adult crafting

Grab a project and come enjoy the craft of your choice, whether it's knitting, crocheting, diamond painting, coloring, embroidery, or cross stitch!

Adult Crafting meets on Thursday afternoons between 2:00-5:00 PM in our Reading Room. No registration is required.

Recycling made easy

Wondering what's the best way to get rid of those used batteries rolling around in your junk drawer?

The Library accepts used batteries and cell phones to be recycled! You will find the WeRecycle Battery Box located on our window seat. Please use a plastic baggie (found on the side of the box) to place your batteries or cell phones in before placing them in the battery recycle box. Quick, easy, convenient, and environmentally friendly!

Creative Containers Wednesday, May 29

Get creative! 

Turn otherwise used, ready for recycling, containers into lovely vessels for gifts, storage and more! 

Bring your own or use what we have on hand. Registration required. Ages 10+

Wednesday, May 15, 7:00 p.m.

Do you love puzzles like we do? Join the club! 

If you have puzzles hanging around, drop by once a month and exchange a puzzle for another. Puzzles MUST have ALL the pieces and be in new or like new condition. 350-1000 piece puzzles suggested. 

Mondays at 11 a.m.

Join us for our Homeschool Yarn Club on Mondays at 11 a.m.! Bring your own project or learn the basics of crochet or knit. All levels of experience are welcome! This is a drop in style club - registration not required or needed. Age 8+. Contact Kim O'Sullivan with questions.

Experience the joy and meaning of the weekly Jewish day of rest called Shabbat. We’ll read PJ Library stories that teach us about Shabbat and other holidays coming up, make a craft, sing songs and dance. We’ll learn about the rituals and get to know each other as we celebrate and reflect on the week that has passed and make wishes for the week to come. For children up to age 8 with a caregiver.

Note date change this month. Shabbat Storytime will meet on the fifth Friday in May.

Brought to you by the PJ Library program of Ulster County. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Ulster County.

As we are all enjoying these lovely spring days, we also have a lot happening in the Children's Room this month!

During our community's 3rd annual Duck Derby on Saturday, May 11th, Brian Robinson of Robinson's Wildlife Lectures will provide an educational wildlife presentation with live birds of prey and reptiles at 1:00 PM. His presentation will focus on the amazing adaptations these animals have as well as their importance in nature. Click the button for more information about this program and all of the quack-tastic events happening at the Duck Derby! Registration is not required – join us at Popp Memorial Park! 

Zoey endeared our friends with some cool tricks at our last Storytime! Register here to see what she has in store during her next visit on Tuesday, May 21st at 10:30 AM.

Registration is REQUIRED. Please register each child separately.

On Saturday, May 25th at 11:00 AM, join lifelong environmental educator George Steele on an adventure in identifying the tracks of eight mammals found in our fields and forests. We will also make animal track bandanas for exploring at home and beyond!

For our Earth Day craft, we took some old DVD cases, along with some household items, and repurposed them in to "Upcycled Earth's Layers" guides! 

Are you a teen looking for volunteer opportunities for community service for your school and/or an organization? Then stop by our library to fill out a form or grab one off of our website. We are especially looking for assistance during our Summer Reading Program - spend time outdoors and lend a helping hand during our fun events and special performances! 

Check out our special book display featuring books about feelings, emotions, and self-care. 

I spy photos of some library staffers getting caught reading on the Children's Room bulletin board!

• 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.
• Grab & GO projects with materials necessary for crafts available for pickup at the library.
• In-person programming, with appropriate social distancing.
• Museum passes are available to Wallkill Public Library patrons for Boscobel House and Gardens, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, Empire Pass, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Hudson River Maritime Museum, Mohonk Preserve, Museum Village, and Storm King Art Center. Plus, more print-at-home museum passes available through the Ulster County InfoPortal on the library’s website.
• We are not accepting any donations of books or DVDs at this time.