Week Calendar

Please join us in the Large Meeting Room where your toddler is free to roam and play in the space during stories, fingerplays, songs and rhymes for ages 2-5 and their caregivers. 

[For ages 0-18 months] Please join us in our Youth Services Programming Room for stories, fingerplays, songs, and rhymes for children ages 0 to 18 months and their caregiver.

[Ages 0-6 and their Caregivers]  Come to Bach for a fun and educational storytime full of silliness, singing and movement.  Then, stay to play!

[Ages 1-4] Come join Gruff the friendly storytime monster and his human librarian side-kick for fun stories, silly songs, and dancing. Bring your energy and your little one and get all the wiggles out! 

[2-5] Come on down to the historic Howe Branch of the Albany Public library for Stories, Songs, Dancing, Playtime and Crafts!

[For adults] English as a new language can be challenging and there is always room for improvement.

[Ages 0-5] Join us for stories, songs & fun for preschoolers and their caregivers every week at the Delaware Branch.  Then, every week after Preschool Storytime-- stay & play!

[Ages 0-24 months] Join us for fun songs and short books to introduce your baby to storytime! We will meet in the community room, and babies and their caregivers are welcome to stay and play after storytime.

[Ages 0-5] Join us for a sensory friendly storytime with dimmer lights, fidget toys, and fun songs, followed by unstructured play time.

[For ages 0-18 months] Bring your baby and bounce along to fun stories, songs, and rhymes. Baby Storytime is a 15-minute program, followed by a relaxed playtime where you and baby will meet new friends.

[For adults] The City of Albany's new Department of Neighborhood Services wants to hear from you! Please stop by the Pine Hills Branch to meet with Alex Word, the Neighborhood Specialist for Pine Hills. 

[For ages 1-4] Please join us for stories, fingerplays, songs, and rhymes for toddlers and their caregiver. After storytime, enjoy unstructured playtime with sensory blocks, cars, balls, and much more!

[For Ages 0-5] Join us for stories, songs, and movement activities. Bring the whole family and enjoy Saturday at the library!

[For Ages 0-5] Join us for stories, songs, and movement activities. Bring the whole family and enjoy Saturday at the library, where we're Growing Readers.

[For Ages 0-5] Join us for stories, songs, and movement activities. Bring the whole family and enjoy Saturday at the library!

[Adults] Bring your device & your questions and we'll figure it out together. This is a one-on-one help session. Registration is required; call 518-427-4300, ext. 4 to register, or register online. Tech Help is offered every Monday. 

Come Join us at the Howe Branch or on Zoom to get some light movement in to start your week off right! Please Make sure to bring a water bottle, walking shoes and to wear comfortable clothing for movement i.e. Leggings and a tee shirt.

[All Ages] The library will place Lure Modules at the Tree of Iron sculpture Poke Stop behind the library on Wednesdays in January.  Stop by on your lunch & catch some Pokémon! And did you know that we're also a Pokémon Go gym?

[Adults] Come celebrate National Hot Tea Month! Did you know that aside from water, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world?

[For Adults] This class is designed for adult newcomers to Albany who have some basic English language skills and are looking to improve their fluency and communication abilities.

[For ages 18+] Are you a fiber crafter? Does your family have all the hand knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, mittens, or shawls that they could possibly use in this lifetime?

Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County ENL class

Patrons can call Emma Schreiner at 518-434-0540 for scheduling and more information.

[For Adults] Classes are provided to help students improve English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Classes are free to students age 21 year or older. 

[Adults 18+] We welcome any kind of knitting, crocheting, quilting or needlework. Is it a hobby that you enjoyed in the past and would like to get back to? You can bring a project that you’re working on, or one that you want to start.

[For Adults] Join us for a free movie screening with coffee and the chance to talk to community services providers! Housing Services, mental health providers, and others will be available to answer questions and provide information. 

Beyond the Pines: Colonial Schenectady.  Explore early Schenectady: its founding, its people, and what life was like for early Schenectadians in the 1600s and 1700s.

[Ages 18+] Would you like to update or create a résumé? Having formatting nightmares? Need help tweaking or writing a cover letter? The Delaware Branch offers one-on-one sessions every Thursday between 1-2pm. 

Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County ENL class

Patrons can call Emma Schreiner at 518-434-0540 for scheduling and more information.

[For Adults] Classes are provided to help students improve English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Classes are free to students age 21 year or older. 

Join us as we screen a discussion with bestselling author and educator Tiffany Jewell (author of This Book is Anti-Racist, Everything I Learned about Racism I Learned in School, and more) light refreshments provided.

[For Adults] This class is designed for adult immigrants and newcomers to Albany who are preparing for the USCIS citizenship and naturalization process.

Join us as we talk about The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger by Marc Levinson.  

Wellness Series: How to Put Down Your Phone - Ancient tips for managing a busy mind and a busy world

Like me . . . do you get completely distracted by your busy mind, the phone, news, and endless doom scrolling?

[Adults 18+]  Looking for help so you can confidently use a computer?  Sign up for a 30-minute session for help with:

Join us as we chat with the New York Times bestselling author, Amanda Montell about her newest book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality. 

[Ages 18+] Join us for a watch party to chat with the New York Times bestselling author, Amanda Montell about her newest book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality. 

[For adults] Each month, from January to May 2025, join us for a new 1-hour documentary film screening followed by a moderated community conversation organized by WMHT. All films will eventually air on PBS's Independent Lens. 

[All Ages]

Celebrate Martin Luther King Day with four hands on art sessions:

Poetry Writing by local author Jillian Baxter drawing participant exercises from poets of the 60's civil rights movement.

[Ages 0-5] Bring your preschooler to create with clay at the library! Registration is necessary; register online or call 518-427-4300 ext. 4 to reserve a spot. 

[Adults] The City of Albany's new Department of Neighborhood Services wants to hear from you!

The City of Albany's new Department of Neighborhood Services wants to hear from you! Please stop by the North Albany Branch to meet with Lori Kochanski, the Neighborhood Specialist for North Albany. 

[Ages 5-17] Kids love reading to Rocket, certified therapy dog.  Why?  Because he's soft, cuddly and a good listener.

[Ages 4-8] Visit the Pine Hill Branch library and explore our extensive picture book collection! Each week our "Book Buddies" will read pre-selected books featuring award winning authors.

[For Teens] Not a Number is an interactive child trafficking and exploitation prevention curriculum designed to provide youth with information and skills in a manner that inspires them to make safe choices.

[Adults 18+]  Looking for help so you can confidently use a computer?  Sign up for a 30-minute session for help with:

[Adults] The City of Albany's new Department of Neighborhood Services wants to hear from you!

[Ages 5-11] Become a Library Scientist and together we will explore the world through STEM!

Inspired by our own ears, this week's experiment will explore how we can SEE and FEEL sound.

We have video games, anime, and potential make crafts! A place to hang with friends after school.

[For Ages 6 - 14] Calling all little Makers! Along with access to all of the Albany Made Lab equipment, Mini Makers will be abke to use some of our favorite Youth Services gadgets and tools.

[For ages 3-7] Join us for a sensory friendly storytime with interactive stories, songs, dance, and play! 

Join us every Tuesday after school for crafts and fun at Arbor Hill West Hill!

[Ages 5-12] Come create with clay at the library! Registration is necessary; register online or call 518-427-4300 ext. 4 to reserve a spot. 

Breakfast is great! Breakfast closer to dinner? Even better! come make pancakes at Bach!

Breakfast is great! Breakfast closer to dinner? Even better! come make pancakes at Bach!

Come join us at North Albany to create a handheld blizzard in a jar! Using mineral oil, food coloring, and glitter in a mason jar creates a blizzard when shaken.

[Ages 7-11]  What's a Shrinky Dink? Big fun!  Color a picture on "magic" plastic, then shrink it in the oven.   Now you have a cute charm for your backpack!  

[For Ages 10 to 17] A space welcoming all gamers age 10 to 17. Come play our Nintendo Switch on a big screen. Compete with others in multi-player chaos with up to 8 players at once!

[Ages 9-17] Hang out at the library and choose from our selection of board games or video game to play with your friends!

[For All Ages] Calling all Artists, Musicians, Crafters, Makers and Menders! Stop by the self-directed open Makerspace and start (or finish) something!

[For Ages 13-17] Clash your favorite gaming icons in the ultimate showdown. Tweens and Teens are invited to bring their friends and play Super Smash. Come see if you are good enough to beat our library gamers!

[For ages 9-17] Play various video games including Smash Brothers, Tekken, Mariokart, NBA 2K22 on the Nintendo Switch, XBox or PS4 with your friends! 

(7+) Hey you! Yes you. Do you have a story that you want to tell, but you don't know how to start it? Or are you stumped on how your cast of charaters might play out in certain situations? Well this might be the program for you.

[Ages 18+] Are you into movies? Perhaps you enjoy cult classics! Welcome to Cinemania! It's like a book, but faster.

This month's film is The Princess Bride (1987), Directed by Rob Reiner.

Come celebrate and share your love of anime and manga with other teens while snacking on Pocky.

Learn about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant in New York State. Topics will include security deposits, repair requests, and how to address common landlord-tenant issues effectively.

[Ages 2-7] Join us in your jammies for Pajama Storytime!  We will read books, sing songs, and have lots of cozy fun!

Tales of Albany, New York Book Club

Join me for a fun evening hour of discussing "The Crazy Ladies of Pearl Street: A Novel" by Trevanian. Copies of the book may be found at the Albany Public Library. 

[Adult - Ages 18+]. Join us to discuss our selected classic or popular book (usually non-fiction but could be fiction) that focuses on personal development and self-cultivation.

[For ages 6-14] Minecraft beginners and experts: come build your world and characters in a weekly Minecraft competition with your friends at the APL Washington Ave. Branch.