Roe Jan Community Library announces programming

April 18, 1 p.m. Book Marks! Book Club. Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb.

Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. This month we are reading Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. Copies are available through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Hoopla, and Libby.

April 20, 11 a.m. Water Bottle Fireflies. Get crafty this Earth Day! Join us in making water bottle fireflies by recycling materials. Let’s celebrate by creating something beautiful while reducing waste. Light up your Earth Day with creativity! No registration is required.

April 20, 2 p.m. Cookbook Club. Join our Cookbook Club led by Outreach Library Associate Fran Colombo. Meets the 3rd Saturday of the month. Members choose a recipe and bring the cooked/baked dish to the next meeting, where the group will discuss the book and share in a community meal.

Bring copies of recipes to share with other foodies! For our April meeting, we will be cooking from local chef Dan Pelosi’s new cookbook, Let’s Eat! The book is available to browse at the library — ask for it at the front desk. All are welcome to join!

The more, the merrier! For more information, contact Fran at outreach@roejanlibrary.org.

April 22, 5 p.m. Free Film Screening: Plastic Earth. In recognition of Earth Day 2024’s theme of “Planet vs. Plastic,” the Roe Jan Library invites you to a screening of the 2023 documentary Plastic Earth, which looks at how plastic pollution is affecting the earth, and how we can solve the problem together. An official selection of the International New York Film Festival, the film follows Janice Overbeck, a concerned mother, as she embarks on a journey to uncover the full extent of the problem and the innovative solutions being developed to tackle it.

Through interviews with leading scientists, engineers, researchers, and environmental advocates, Janice gains unique insights into the efforts to control the plastic epidemic.

April 25, 2:30 p.m. Tea Time at the Library. Every 4th Thursday of the month, Library Associate Fran Colombo hosts a special tea time featuring guided conversation, crafts, special guests, and local tea and coffee options provided by the Library. Each month’s gathering has a different theme; listen, discuss, and enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee if that’s your preference!) and sometimes a fun activity.

There will also be plenty of time to chat, get to know your neighbors, and wind down.

This month join us for Tea Time with Sharon Flitterman-King for a discussion on her book, A Secret Star, a fictionalized account of a young Jewish girl during WWII and the Polish family that saved her from the Nazis.

April 25, 6 p.m. Art in the Evenings with Tia. Beat the winter blues with color and art! Fun classes for all skill levels.

In each class, we will learn about and create a piece of art inspired by a specific artist. For our April 25 class, we will be creating works inspired by the artist Katsushika Hokusai. To register, email youth@roejanlibrary.org as space is limited.

April 28, 1 p.m. Library of Local: Back to Nature — Composting.

To gardeners, compost is black gold. Compost is generated from biodegradable waste. Amending your soil with compost improves your soil by providing nutrients, helping retain moisture, balancing the PH, suppressing disease, and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.

During this presentation by Master Gardener Volunteer Tammy Rusoff, we will cover the biochemistry of composting, what to include in the mix, types of containers or bins, and how to avoid problems. You will learn how to generate compost from different sources.

Tammy was born and raised in Minnesota and is now a resident of Ghent. She has a master’s degree in social work. She moved to NYC and continued her work for a total of 20 years. Upon her retirement, she became a master gardener volunteer 11 years ago. She became interested in gardening following her husband’s passion for gardening. While his interests focused on flowers, trees, and shrubs, Tammy took a different path, focusing on nutrition and health, growing vegetables, composting, soils, and landscape design using native plants.

This program is presented in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties

Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Story Art with Tia. A free drop-in program specially designed for young children and their parents or caregivers that combines the magic of storytelling with creative art activities inspired by children’s storybook readings. Ages 2 and older.

Wednesdays, 1 p.m. Homeschool Wednesdays. Join Tia in the Children’s Room for this weekly gathering of young minds for fun learning activities, crafts, and special guests from the community. Recommended for ages 4 and older.

To receive updates on field trips and other upcoming programs, email Tia at youth@roejanlibrary.org.

Thursdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Qigong & Tai Chi at the Library. Qigong and Tai Chi are approaches to movement that have been practiced for hundreds of years and are particularly helpful for dealing with stress, limited ability to move, and for those wishing to develop better balance and flexibility, and they can be practiced by nearly everyone, young and old.

Although Tai Chi is generally practiced standing, Qigong can be modified to allow participants to be seated.

This weekly drop-in class, open to all, is taught by David Haines, who has been a practitioner of Qigong, Tai Chi, and mindful movement for 50 years, a teacher for 40 years, and a certified Trager Movement practitioner for 35 years. Classes are held in the Roe Jan Library Community Room or outdoors, weather permitting.

Wear comfortable clothes.

Thursdays, 6 — 7:30 p.m. English-Language Tutoring by Appointment. Free English-language tutoring will be available between 6 and 7:30 p.m. by appointment on Thursday evenings.

This tutoring program is intended primarily for adults. Instruction will be one-on-one or in small groups with Yvonne Acevedo and will be geared toward everyday conversational needs.

Free childcare will be provided for children ages 3 and up. Please e-mail director@roejanlibrary.org or call 518-325-4101 to schedule an appointment.

Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. Storytime Saturdays. Join Tia for stories and activities every Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m. All ages are welcome.

Saturdays, 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. Friends of Roe Jan Library Bookshop Open. Cash and check only.

Book donations will be accepted from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Appointments are no longer required.