A Mohawk Valley Sampler

The Fort Plain Free and Margaret Reaney Memorial Libraries have begun a joint project that will ultimately result in the creation of a published work entitled A Mohawk Valley Sampler. Throughout the fall and winter, we will be gathering area residents' impressions and reflections about a person, place, event, or moment that best captures their feelings about living in the central Mohawk Valley. Submissions may be in any format whether a poem, short story, essay, sketch, or even an original musical interlude. Project staff will proofread the selections with an eye toward spelling and grammar, but we would like to offer the community your perspective in your own voice.
To get the project started, we will be offering a Basics of Memory Writing Workshop with writer-in-residence Ali MacDonald on Saturday, November 10, from 9:00 – 3:00 at the Reaney Memorial Library in St. Johnsville. Lunch will be provided. Ali is a St. Johnsville resident and published author who has vast experience with writing workshops and is a master at helping people express themselves on paper. Should you be interested in attending this free offering, please call the St. Johnsville library at (518) 568-7822 to register for an enjoyable day.
Ali will also be offering monthly one-on-one sessions with interested individuals throughout the winter. At this time, participants may bring ideas about or rough drafts of submissions to the working session, and Ali will assist the writer in saying what they wish to communicate in the most effective fashion.
We all have a wealth of information to share with our neighbors. Whether it be a remembrance of growing up in Fort Plain decades ago, information on an historical aspect of the Valley, a brief narrative about a resident who has had an impact on our lives, or even a sketch of a place that means a good deal to us, residents are encouraged to share these musings and feelings with their community.
Should you have any questions or comments about the project, please contact the library at (518) 993-4646 or by email at fpfl@sals.edu.

Keep Track of Your Reading Online

Ever get halfway through a book and realize you had already read it? At a loss to remember the name of the author of that book you really enjoyed and whose works you would like to read more of? Interested in what your neighbors have been reading and recommend? Take advantage of the library's Reading Tracker to keep an easily accessible list of your reading on our online site, reader.mvls.info/ftp. The site is available from any computer and, once you create an account, the titles you have read and recorded will be available to you for at least one year. While you are listing what you have read, check out what others are reading and write and post a short review of your own. Children and teens can use the site as well and may also help select New York State's favorite book by clicking on the 3 Apples Children's and Teen's Choice Book Award tabs.

Abatement Complete

Initial work on Phase I of the library's repair, renovation, and restoration project is nearing completion. Abatement of lead paint and asbestos was finished last week. Old paneling is gone and walls and doorways have been removed in preparation for a new entrance way. In the coming weeks, work will focus on the installation of insulation and siding, wiring, the bathroom, and the foundation of the pillared porch. It is exciting to get clues into what the facility will look like in the future. For most recent photos, click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/phaseone/sets/72157602375814485/.