Tag: <span>UHLS</span>
Altamont Library
I usually question the use of words like “charming” and “quaint” when talking about libraries, since those are often used like real estate euphemisms for “cramped” or “needs work”, but in the case of the Altamont Library, tucked into an old train station, the charm is real. It could easily be on an episode of HGTV’s Tiny Houses. Every corner and nook is utilized and surrounded by attractive touches, giving the illusion of a much larger space. It was a delightful palate-cleanser after the last library I visited.
I love the area, near the beautiful Indian Ladder Trail, and my favorite apple orchard, Indian Ladder Farms. So when we were in the area for apple picking on a hot day, I convinced the family to make a few detours (here and Voorheesville, which is my next blog).
Troy Public Library
This is not the entrance. 
Neither is this.
The building I had always assumed was the Troy library is not, in fact, the library. This was after getting lost just trying to park. “You have reached your destination” said Siri as I drove under Russel Sage College. Um, no. (Rte 2 goes under Second Street). The giant white building is the court house, and the building next to that is the Supreme Court law library… then you have the Troy Public Library. This massive old building (well, American old, built in 1897) is built in an oversized, opulent style, with marble stairs, stained glass windows and roman pillars. A true temple of knowledge. It has that faint “old building” smell familiar in museums and used book shops. It is full of awkward little nooks and crannies, interesting to explore, but not fully accessible. While historical buildings are definitely worth preserving and sharing with the public, trying to run a modern library in one is a logistical nightmare. The library director has had to fight to get an elevator installed, and there is so much more that needs to be done, to keep the building from falling apart, to make spaces for all the things that a library does now that never occurred to the builders, from computer labs to event stages. Doors are left open to allow air flow through the building, which makes me wonder what this is like in the winter.
Tour of Libraries: Guilderland Library
I’m not sure if it’s a good thing to define areas by where you can shop, but if I was to describe where the Guilderland Library was to my friends I would say “near Crossgates Mall”. It’s also close to SUNY Albany’s main campus. This particular library is one of my favorites (but I think one other is my absolute fav).
I wish I had paused to read the sign to find out why there is a life-sized cow (bull? didn’t check) in their foyer.
Jane is visiting all 36 locations of the Upper Hudson Library System (see introduction)
Library Passport Challenge: Rensselaer Public Library
This building used to be a pharmacy, but now is a modern library. It’s right next to the Amtrak station, which is known as the Albany station even though it is in Rensselaer. Possibly because Rensselaer is hard to spell- it’s Dutch.
This library, in Rensselaer county, NY, is not to be confused with Rensselaer Polytech Institute, which is in Troy; or Rensselaerville Library, which is in Albany county; or the Jasper County Public Library, which is in Rensselaer, Indiana. (They apparently get some strange phone calls).
