August 27 at 7pm in the WPL Reading Room via Zoom

Join National Park Service Ranger Dani Massaro on a virtual walkthrough of Val-Kill, the home of Eleanor Roosevelt. She wrote that Val-Kill was "where I used to find myself and grow. At Val-Kill I emerged as an individual." We'll explore the rustic cottage in the woods that served as a retreat for Mrs. Roosevelt during her husband's lifetime and became her permanent home after FDR's death in 1945. Val-Kill was central to Eleanor Roosevelt's development both as a person and as a political figure, activist, and diplomat, and today is the place where we honor her life and legacy.

Dates: 8/31, 9/14, 9/28, 10/12 & 10/26 from 8am until 9am

Join Dan Perkins on a birdwatching walk. This walk is for both experienced and beginning birdwatchers. On 8/31, 9/28, and 10/26 we'll be starting on the Wallkill Library Lawn, and taking a walk up the nearby Rail Trail to see what winged friends we can spot.  

On 9/14, and 10/12 we'll be meeting in the parking lot of the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge at 902 Hoagerburgh Rd, Wallkill, NY 12589 for a nice change of venue. We may even have a guide from U.S. Fish & Wildlife for the 10/12 walk! Either way, bring your binoculars, birding guides, and some comfortable walking shoes!

Thursdays from 2pm until 4pm starting in September 

Having trouble figuring out your new phone? Need some pointers on how to send that photo to your relatives? Until further notice, the Wallkill Public Library will be conducting weekly Tech Support sessions every Thursday from 2 to 4 starting in September. Swing by the library Reading Room if you need a hand, and we'll do our best to get you the answers you need and give you the know how to do it yourself. 

No registration required! Walk-ins welcome.

September 17 from 10am until 9pm

The Wallkill Public Library will be conducting a vote for our annual budget on September 17. If you are interested in casting your vote please drop by the library. All material regarding the 2025 Library Budget will be available for review at the library.

September 10 from 6 to 7pm in the Library Reading Room

As fall approaches, many of us start thinking about cleaning up our yards and gardens. Following five simple steps can help turn your garden into a winter haven for birds and pollinators! Learn about each step and how birds and pollinators utilize our gardens throughout the fall and winter. Presented by Pam Golben, environmental educator. Registration required.

September 26 at 6:30pm in the Town Hall Community Room

The Wallkill Public Library is looking for volunteers to help guide the Friends of Wallkill Public Library into the future. If you love the library and would like to learn more about how you can help us make it a better place come and join us on 9/26 at 6:30pm in the Town Hall Community Room. The library director, Dan Perkins, as well as two outgoing Friends, Adrienne Gelfand-Perine & Marla Landsman, will discuss the group's mission, what it is the group has achieved in the past, and where we'd like you to help us take it in the future. Please join us to make the library a better place!

Looking for low-cost, fun, family-friendly activities to slip in before school starts? Wallkill Library card holders have access to an amazing number of free online resources including print-at-home museum passes provided by the Ulster County InfoPortal.

To start your adventure, click on the Reference & Research tab on our website, scroll down to Ulster County InfoPortal, and click the Museums tab to explore your options (or click the button below). Online passes are available for the following museums:

• Bethel Woods Museum (Bethel)
• FDR Library and Museum (Hyde Park)
• Destroyer USS Slater (Albany)
• Guggenheim Museum (NYC)
• Hudson Highland Nature Museum & Grasshopper Grove (Cornwall-on-Hudson & Cornwall)
• Hudson River Maritime Museum (Kingston)
• Intrepid (NYC)
• Mass MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (North Adams, MA)
• MiSci Museum of Innovation and Science (Schenectady)
• NY Transit Museum (Brooklyn)
• Olana State Historic Site (Hudson)
• Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (Red Hook)
• Opus 40 Sculpture Park (Saugerties)
• Thomas Cole National Historic Site (Catskill)

Passes may be reserved up to 30 days in advance and can be printed from home or at the library. Some museums also accept passes displayed on a phone.

The library also has physical museum passes that Wallkill users can check out for three-day loans, including: the Empire Pass good for entry to all NY State Parks, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, Historic Hugueunot Street Tour Pass, Mohonk Preserve, Motorcyclepedia, Museum Village, and Storm King Art Center.

Ireland Tate, 10, learned to crochet at the Wallkill Public Library’s Family Crafty Yarn Club this past spring. As a 4-H member, Ireland crocheted a bouquet of flowers and entered her creation at the Ulster County Fair. Ireland's crochet bouquet was awarded a blue ribbon for excellence and was selected as an exceptional exhibit by the 4-H judges at the Ulster County Fair to go to the New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY to be judged again at the state level.

We are so proud of you, Ireland!

Get ready for a spooky, stylish adventure at the Wallkill Public Library! From September 20 to November 2, 2024, we’re hosting the Tiny Skeleton Fashion Show, a unique art event where creativity meets the macabre.

Dig through your closets, craft supplies, and imaginations to dress a tiny skeleton in your most inventive costume using items from home. Join us in showcasing your ghoulish creations in our exhibit and celebrate the fall festive season in a fun and artistic way!

To participate in the Tiny Skeleton Fashion Show, register today to reserve an 8-inch posable skeleton for pick up on August 21! Registration is required

Please return skeletons no later than September 18!!

Thursday, August 22, 2024 from 1 to 6pm

Wallkill Reformed Church Fellowship Hall, 45 Bridge Street, Wallkill, NY 12589

Donors needed! Be part of something big! Come give blood in August for a $20 Amazon.com gift card by email.

To schedule your appointment, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RedCross. Use sponsor keyword: Wallkillrefchurch

Knock, knock. Who's there?

Fairy and Gnome Door-making was so popular, we scheduled a second workshop... they all have a "welcome-to-my-little-home" feeling!

There was lots of action around the pond, and patrons hopped in for three full Frog & Toad felting workshops this summer.

BIG Bingo was our largest game to date! Over 50 patrons played for cool prizes including craft, science, and scrapbook kits, little toys and cans of silly string… a fan favorite!

Friday, August 23 at 1 pm

Rescheduled from July.... Roasted hot dogs, chips, watermelon & water fun on the lawn... bring your suits and towels!

Everyone welcomed, registration required.

The adventure continues...

Wednesday, August 28 at 6:00pm

Design, decorate, distress... the options are endless with a little suitcase! Learn hands on with workshops using a variety of tools and materials, geared to older kids and adults. 

The options are endless when designing and decorating a little wooden suitcase! YOU decide! Decorate a basic little suitcase, maybe a bed for a tiny doll, put photos in it for a unique frame idea, add flowers for a botanical display, mini storage for little things, a business card holder, etc...

Bring any personal items or materials you have to make your idea pop! Ages 10+. Registration required.

Summer reading for adults continues through the end of August!

We are in the final weeks of Adult Summer Reading. If you have admired the prizes on display at the library, there's still time to enter to win one! Read a book, ebook, or magazine, listen to an audiobook, or participate in one of our great programs. Each time you do, ask for a chance to win one of our amazing adult summer reading prizes. Entering is fast and easy -- fill out your ticket with your name, phone number, and what you finished! The more books you read or programs you attend, the higher your chances are to win.

Adult summer reading is for readers ages 18+. Our program runs through August 31. Winners will be announced Tuesday, September 3rd. Good luck and keep on reading!

The Saturday Morning Book Club will have their next meeting on Saturday, August 24 at 10:30 a.m. They'll be discussing Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson.

Duty. Honor. Country. That’s West Point’s motto, and every cadet who passes through its stone gates vows to live it. But on the eve of 9/11, as Dani, Hannah and Avery face four grueling years ahead, they realize they’ll only survive if they do it together.

Everyone knows Dani is going places. With athletic talent and a brilliant mind, she navigates West Point’s predominantly male environment with wit and confidence, breaking stereotypes and embracing new friends.

Hannah’s grandfather, a legendary Army general, offers a stark warning about the dangers that lie ahead, but she moves forward anyway, letting faith guide her path. When she meets her soul mate at West Point, the future looks perfect, just as planned.

Wild child Avery moves fast and doesn’t mind breaking a few rules (and hearts) along the way. But she can’t outpace her self-doubt, and the harder she tries, the further it leads her down a treacherous path.

The world—of business, of love, and of war—awaits Dani, Hannah, and Avery beyond the gates of West Point. These three women know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But soon, that adage no longer rings true—for their future, or their friendship. As they’re pulled in different directions, will their hard-forged bond prevail or shatter?

Beyond the Point is a heartfelt look at how our closest friends can become our fiercest battle buddies. After all, the greatest battles we fight rarely require a uniform.

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 am to 2 pm.

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

Mahjong meet-ups

Every Wednesday at 1 pm and Thursday at 6 pm 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 2-5 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!

Family Crafty Yarn Club

Mondays at 11 a.m.

Join us for our Family Crafty 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. Great for homeschoolers! Age 8+. Contact Kim O'Sullivan with questions.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming! 

Though summer is still in full effect, Children's Room programming is back to our regular schedule and has returned to the Children’s area on our lower level. Storytime is on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 AM, Crafting Caboodles is on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM, and STEM is on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM. We also have take-and-make sign-ups again! Please click on the button below to link to our online calendar to register for these programs.

Summer Reading Challenge - there's still time!

Our reading challenge will continue throughout August. Children ages 12 and under can hand in their reading challenge sheets on or after August 27th for a small prize... and chances to win our adventurous grand prizes!

Prize winners will be announced around the first week of September.

Summer Reading Program Finale... with a twist!

This year, we flip-flopped our finale - we enjoyed our ice cream first and then were entertained by a live performance of "The Quest for Kakapo" by the Traveling Lantern Theatre Company. We learned a lot about the kakapo, a rare, flightless parrot from New Zealand, and marveled at the worldwide adventures encountered by the bird and its friends. Thanks to everyone who celebrated the end of an amazing summer programming season with us!

Shawangunk Town Camp

Miss Michelle was honored to host a community craft at the Shawangunk Town Camp this summer. We made our own pet parrots and the kids did a great job - they even made a lovely "thank you" poster for our library!

Bees & Beekeeping with Miss Jillian!

Join Miss Jillian from the Wallkill Public Library on August 31 at 11:00 AM as she discusses the importance of these amazing pollinators in nature and the art of beekeeping at this kid-friendly program (ages 12 and under).

Please click on the button to link to our online calendar to register.

Book Christmas in August!

Back in the spring, the Ramapo Catskill Library System headquarters gave member libraries an opportunity to request free books for their collections. The Children's Room recently received a box of goodies and we are so grateful - stop in to check out some wonderful new titles!

We also have the following recently published books on the way:

• 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 for all ages!
• Museum passes are available to Wallkill Public Library patrons for Empire Pass, Mohonk Preserve, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum, 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.