Friends of the Folsom Library

2012-03-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Lunch & Learn for March:

Lunch & Learn

Co-sponsored by Friends of the Folsom Library

and the Rensselaer Retirees Forum

"Fuel Cells and

Their Role in Electrochemical Energy Conversion”

Speaker: Daniel Lewis, Assistant Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering

The talk will review the fundamentals of electrochemistry and materials science as it relates to fuel cells for electrochemical energy conversion. Different types of fuel cells will be discussed and current and future applications will be presented.

Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research Lab in Materials Research Center

Friday, March 9 ~ 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Folsom Library Fischbach Room

Free! Everyone is welcome!

Bring your lunch or purchase one at the Library Cafe.

Dessert will be provided.

2012-02-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Board Changes

Ray Lutzky ’02, Chair of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Folsom Library, proudly announced to the board today the election of Rick Hartt ’70 to serve a two-year term on the board. The board voted electronically, and it was unanimous. Rick, former Director of the Rensselaer Union for nearly 33 years, will serve a two-year term. I’m confident that I can say we all look forward to working with him. Welcome aboard, Rick!

Ben Hunt ’11, Rick Hartt ’70, & Mike Spitz ’11 at farewell reception for Rick inMarch 2011
Photo by Travis Cano

Dennis Fitzgerald '61

Additionally, the board reluctantly has to say good-bye toDennis Fitzgerald '61. He's been a member of the Friends board since 2006. Dennis, who completed over 31 years oftransit management at the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) inAlbany, served nearly 23 years as CDTA’a Executive Director, making him one ofthe longest tenured CEOs in the transit industry. Dennis either chairs or is amember of several committees, panels, and boards and unfortunately found itnecessary to resign from the Friends board due to a scheduling conflict. He willbe missed, but I know I’ll see him at a future Friends event; Dennis has alwaysbeen a big supporter of Friends and our programs. Thanks for your service, Dennis!

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

2012-01-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

February's Lunch & Learn:

Lunch & Learn

Co-sponsored by Friends of the Folsom Library

and the Rensselaer Retirees Forum

"Moving Toward the Light – One Family’s Journey into Solar Power”

Speaker: Jim Evans, Director, Multimedia Services

What do you do when you want to offset your carbon footprint but don’t have the room to plant 34 acres of trees? You do the next best thing and install 50 photovoltaic panels. The result—elimination of about 287 tons of carbon pollution, generation of about 1104kWh of power each month, and a dramatic reduction in your electric bill. Join us to see what it took and how the Evans family did it.

Friday, February 10 ~ 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Folsom Library Fischbach Room

Free! Everyone is welcome!

Bring your lunch or purchase one at the Library Cafe.

Dessert will be provided.

The Library of America

2011-12-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

While there is an accelerated movement toward ebooks, it is my belief that there will always be some amount of print books published. I predict there will be an increasing number of small, boutique publishers focused on providing collectible books with very high quality paper and bindings for collectors and libraries. A model already exists -- The Library of America. The Library of America series seeks "...to preserve the nation's heritage by publishing America's best and most significant writings in authoritative editions..."

Thanks to a donation by long-time friend to the Rensselaer Libraries, Ken Hoffman '73, we have been able to purchase a number of these Library of America classics, including those shown in these photographs from the "New Books" area on the main floor of the Folsom Library. See below for a photo of the bookplate Ken requested be inserted in each of the books purchased through his donation.

Click here for information on how you can donate to the Rensselaer Libraries.

Bob Mayo
Director, Rensselaer Libraries

John Irving

2011-12-14T07:33:00.001-08:00

I subscribe to author John Irving’s Facebook page, and the other day he had a posting on his new novel, In One Person, to be published May 8, 2012. Irving notes “My thirteenth novel, In One Person, is about sexual identity. Billy the bisexual narrator and main character, tells the story of his life as a “sexual suspect” – from his adolescence in the fifties, through the AIDS epidemic, into the present…. In One Person is my most political novel since The Cider House Rules and A Friend for Owen Meany.”

Thanks to the generosity of a number of donors, we have every novel written by John Irving available in the Folsom Library including The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany. And thanks to the Friends of Folsom Library, we have the DVD The Cider House Rules starring Toby Maguire, Charlize Theron and Michael Caine (who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). Irving has a cameo appearance in the film as the stationmaster in the train sequence.

A Prayer for Owen Meany is my favorite book of all time. Touching, funny, and the best novel ending I’ve ever read. The DVD adaptation of this book is called Simon Birch. I have a good friend, who I didn’t know was a John Irving fan, who has a one-year-old son named Owen. I asked her how she came to name him Owen. “We named him after Owen Meany, my favorite character from my favorite novel of all time.”

Irving has been involved in wrestling all his life. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He mentions RPI in his memoir The Imaginary Girlfriend (within the collection Trying to Save Piggy Sneed): “In the quarterfinals, I pinned a guy from R.P.I. – I remember where he was from only because Lee Hall or Caswell asked me what “R.P.I.” stood for and I realized that I didn’t know how to spell Rensselaer or Polytechnic. …”

Try some John Irving out during the upcoming holiday break!

Bob Mayo

Director, Rensselaer Libraries

Cider House Rules - Trailer

Simon Birch - Trailer

Upcoming Lunch & Learn Programs

2011-12-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that so far we have four programs scheduled for 2012. Here's the lineup:

January - no program

February 10 - Jim Evans, Director of MultiMedia Services, will report on his recent home solar cell installation

March 9 - Professor Dan Lewis, leader of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research Lab, will educate attendees about the work performed in the lab

April 13 - Tom McMartin, part time interpretive ranger with the National Park Serivce, will talk about the “Saratoga Battlefield: Turning Point of the American Revolution”

May 11 - Senior Brandon Graham will talk about "W2SZ: The Amateur Radio Club of RPI"

Adrienne Birchler

Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

December's Lunch & Learn Program

2011-11-30T12:40:00.001-08:00

Here's what's planned for December's Lunch & Learn:

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time for remembering and appreciating the special people in our lives—not only our family and friends, but also our Friends. Thank you, Friends of the Folsom Library, for your continued support over the years. You play an important part in sustaining the liveliness of the Folsom Library through the funding of various academic and artistic endeavors. The library is grateful for your generosity.

Wishing you and the special people in your lives a

Happy Thanksgiving!

Adrienne Birchler

Coordinator

Friends of the Folsom Library

Russell Banks: Books and DVDs

2011-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Russell Banks is a New York State author who has been churning out best sellers for years. Thanks to the Friends of Folsom Library, his brand new novel Lost Memory of Skin is available in the Class of ’96 Reading Room as are two DVDs of feature films which were adapted from his books and received widespread critical acclaim: James Coburn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and Nick Nolte was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for their roles in “Affliction;” “The Sweet Hereafter” won three awards, including the Grand Prix and the International Critics Award. (See Affliction (the book), Affliction (the movie), The Sweet Hereafter (the book), and The Sweet Hereafter (the movie).)

Banks was on campus several years ago as the featured novelist for the McKinney Contest event (which The Friends have been co-sponsoring for years). I was fortunate to meet Russell and he is a fabulous guy. I strongly recommend you try him out. I’ve listed my five favorite Banks books below.

Bob Mayo

Director, Rensselaer Libraries

Affliction

Cloudsplitter

The Sweet Hereafter

Rule of the Bone
Trailerpark

Read More

New York Times Book Reviews:

Affliction (1989)

Cloudsplitter (1998)

Lost Memory of Skin (2011)

Rule of the Bone (1995)

The Sweet Hereafter (1991)
Trailerpark (1981)

Russell Banks' Facebook Page
Russell Banks (Wikipedia)

What is that Thing?

2011-11-18T09:34:00.001-08:00

The above photo was taken in Folsom Library's Open Study Room 142C on the bottom floor. Do you know what the gray box is?

Retiree Irv Stephens, our Rensselaer Libraries Historian, explained it to me: from 1976 to about 1990 there were a number of these devices connected to electric typewriters. Twenty-five cents got you 1/2 hour of typewriter time! Somehow this one survived (sans typewriter).

Bob Mayo
Director, Rensselaer Libraries

Student Activism at RPI During the Protest Era

2011-11-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

As you probably recall, last month I informed you that there was going to be a Protest Era Alumni Panel Discussion taking place during Reunion & Homecoming 2011. As it turned out, the panel consisted of nine RPI alumni and one former dean (Friends Board member Carl Westerdahl, who came to Rensselaer in 1969 as an assistant dean of students). The group discussed student activism at RPI in the mid-to-late 60s and early 70s and took turns ruminating on this challenging time in the Institute’s history and their involvement.

The discussion was well-attended by alumni, staff, students, and Friends, and the accounts related were interesting and thought-provoking. The two hours allotted zipped by. I would gladly have stayed longer to hear more anecdotes.

Friends Board members had been hoping for quite a while to have this topic touched on in a Lunch & Learn or other program. We just had to wait for Rick Hartt '70, former director of the Rensselaer Union, to retire and clear some time on his still-busy schedule! The wait was worth it, though; not only was the presentation excellent, but the topic was timely in light of the spread of Occupy Wall Street encampments across othe nation.

A big thank you to Rick for assembling the panel and acting as moderator! He also gave me copies of student-produced documents from the era to duplicate and make available to attendees. Friends Board member Meg Gallien, who's the Alumni News Editor, also gave me reprints of the article, "The Class of '70: Voices of a Generation," that she wrote for the March 1995 issue of Rensselaer. I still have some copies of Rick's documents and Meg's article, so let me know if you'd like me to send copies to you. My e-mail address is bircha@rpi.edu.

If you'd like to view the two-hour video of the event filmed by RPI TV, Rensselaer's student-run television station, here's the link:
http://www.rpitv.org/productions/413-student-activism-at-rpi-during-the-protest-era .

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

Upcoming Luncheon and Discussion with Author and International Educator Kris Holloway

2011-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Rensselaer held its annual benefits fair for employees. During my shift at the library’s table in the Armory, I spoke to J. Louis Trzepacz, Class Dean for the class of 2014. After telling Louis about this week’s Lunch & Learn program with local author Edward Chevrette, he asked if I could let Friends know about another author’s appearance that’s coming up. I said, "Absolutely!"

In celebration of International Week (November 13-18), author and international educator Kris Holloway will be on campus for a luncheon and book discussion on Monday, November 14th. Her memoir, Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali, explores her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa.

Prior to the event, the Rensselaer Union bookstore will have a limited supply of Holloway's book for sale. Any remaining copies will be available (cash sale only) on the day of the event. Following her talk, Holloway will be available to sign copies of her book.

The free luncheon and discussion will be held in the Heffner Alumni House dining room at noon and is being sponsored by the Office of International Programs at Rensselaer. I would love to go, but I’ll be attending a workshop in Albany that afternoon. For more information, see http://www.lib.rpi.edu/documents/ies.pdf

Adrienne Birchler

Coordinator

Friends of the Folsom Library

Some DVD Reviews

2011-11-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

Information Technology Librarian Matt Benzing has offered brief reviews of four DVDs he's recently seen:

Animal Kingdom

Gut wrenching crime drama from Australia that earned a best supporting actress nomination for Jacki Weaver. Well written, well acted movie with a cohesive thematic structure and a dark view of crime and punishment. Reminded me a lot of Sean Penn's At Close Range, but even grittier. One of those movies that you think about for days.

Electric Shadows

Nostalgic, sweet, yet tragic story about how a woman, her daughter, and the boys and men in their lives are comforted by movies and buffeted by fate. Not exactly a Chinese Cinema Paradisio, but similar in its love for film and its yearning for a lost innocence. Many reviewers have pointed out that the story rests upon a number of incredible coincidences; I think that this is intentional and is meant to echo the contrivances of the old movies the characters embrace. Well acted (especially the kids), well directed, and beautifully photographed.

Never Let Me Go

I can't say too much without creating a "spolier," although it’s not really that kind of film; it plays its hand early on. A group of young people at an exclusive school learn that they are being raised for an unpleasant purpose. Not a suspense film like you might think; it's not about trying to escape or outrage at their plight but rather a parable about the way in which people can be conditioned to accept anything, a society wants the benefits of technology but closes its eyes to the costs, and the fact that we all are in a desperate situation but go on about our lives like we have all the time in the world. Beautifully shot, too.

Baraka

Tremendous movie with no dialogue, no narration, just gorgeous evocative images from around the world, demonstrating the fragility and beauty of our planet and the highs and lows of human existence. The title translates to "Blessing," and that's just what it is.

All of these DVDs are available at the Folsom Library, thanks to the generosity of Friends.

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

2011 Toys for Tots Campaign

2011-11-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

The Folsom Library is a designated drop off site for this year’s

United States Marine Corps’ Annual Toys for Tots

campaign for the 2011 holiday season.

For over 44 years, this wonderful program has helped distribute new toys to less fortunate children in the Capital Region so they too could experience the joy of Christmas.

Please consider donating a new, unwrapped toy and depositing it in the box on the Folsom Library’s main floor between now and December 15th. You will help make this a merrier Christmas for an area youngster.

Thanks!

Adrienne Birchler

Coordinator

Rensselaer Libraries

Still Bill

2011-11-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

I recently watched the Still Bill DVD (like most Folsom Library DVDs, a gift from the Friends of Folsom Library) a documentary about Bill Withers that I strongly recommend. I don't think this film got wide distribution, but I thought it was fabulous -- one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

If you're old enough, you may remember Bill Withers as the singer/songwriter of hits like Lean on Me and Ain't No Sunshine. Don't expect to see Bill a la Keith Richards at the Super Bowl concert. This DVD's about how to be yourself as you grow older gracefully and how Bill Withers is still himself at 70-something.

Bob Mayo, Director - Rensselaer Libraries

Click here for the Still Bill trailer.

Ain't No Sunshine

Bill Withers

November's Lunch & Learn Come Fly with Us!

2011-11-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Time of departure: 12 noon, Friday, November 11th

Terminal: Folsom Library

Gate: Fischbach Room

Your captain: Edward Chevrette

Meals: None (but you can purchase one at the Library Cafe and the flight attendant will provide dessert)

Alumnus Paul Miller (class of 1970) inquired earlier this year if his first flight instructor, Edward Chevrette, could come to talk about his recently published book that recounts his career as an instructor and corporate jet pilot and how things have changed over the years with regard to teaching and commercial flying. While Paul was at RPI on a navy scholarship, he was given the opportunity to pursue a private pilot’s license at the Rensselaer County Airport in Postenkill, where he met Ed. Besides talking about his book, Wings of Fortune, Ed will also speak a little about how he got his book self-published by Troy Book Makers, a firm located downtown.

Paul went on to have a career as a naval aviator in the US Navy, and, after retirement, had a second career as an international airline captain. I’m sure Paul has interesting tales to tell, too. :)

Hope you can join us.

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

Amateur Radio Club's Exhibit

2011-10-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Senior geology major Brandon Graham approached me last week about the possibility of installing a display of some of the Rensselaer Amateur Radio Club’s vintage equipment. 2011 marks the club’s 100^th anniversary, and Brandon felt this would be a good way to commemorate this juncture. We were more than happy to accommodate his request because the library likes to showcase items pertaining to the history of the Institute and appreciates students lending us their memorabilia, artwork, photographs, etc. to exhibit.

The club actually started out as the Troy Wireless Club and was founded by a twelve-year-old boy who operated Troy’s first wireless station. Several RPI students joined him and they met regularly at the Troy YMCA. Eventually the club became a Rensselaer-sponsored organization and members met in a part of the Sage Laboratory for many years. Members now meet in the Ham Shack at 250 Sunset Terrace.

Besides the display of old equipment, Brandon also has on view several of the hundreds of QLS cards that the club has received from other hams with calls similar to that of the club and the club's cards over time. He informed me that amateur radio operators exchange QSL (Query Station Location) cards to confirm two-way radio contact between stations, and the club is proud of the vast number of cards members have collected. RPI’s amateur radio call sign is W2SZ.

Director Bob Mayo was delighted with the idea of this exhibit because he was a ham years ago and plans to get back into it when he retires. Bob has lent his Vibroplex key, or "Bug," to the exhibit.

Brandon, who serves as the club’s president, is passionate about amateur radio and is very knowledgeable on the topic. He’d love to see more students join the group. I’ve asked him to consider speaking at an upcoming Lunch & Learn, and he said he’d be happy to next semester. Here’s hoping he won’t be scheduled for a noon class on Fridays next spring.

For more on the club’s history, check out http://w2sz.union.rpi.edu/History.pdf.

We expect the exhibit to remain on the second floor of the library until sometime in March. Stop by to see it if you’re in the area.

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

Folsom Library Institutes a New Reference Model

2011-10-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

If you've visited the Folsom Library recently, you've probably noticed that the Information Desk/Reference Desk you would encounter when you walked in is no longer there. What's more, the Circulation Desk has been renamed the Service Desk. Why the changes, you ask? You can read all about the new reference model the Folsom Library has implemented in the just-published ENY/ACRL (Eastern New York Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries) newsletter. Director Bob Mayo and Manager of the Architecture Library and Reference and Instructional Services Fran Scott wrote the article you'll find on page 3: http://www.enyacrl.org/Fall2011Newsletter.pdf

Last June I attended the 2011 Annual NYSLAA (New York State Library Assistants' Association) Conference held on the campus of the State University of New York Geneseo (where Bob got his Master's in Library Science, by the way). One of the workshops I attended was "Single Service Point: The Future of Library Service," presented by members of SUNY Geneseo's Service Desk management team who had just gone the single service point route. The speakers said that it took them a little less than a year to iron out the wrinkles, but comments from patrons have all been positive and the librarians and support staff are happy with the outcome because they're afforded more time to work on other tasks. One of the librarians at Geneseo noted that they depend a lot on their student workers; they've proven to be integral part to making the new model work. According to our Service Desk staff, Rensselaer students working in the Folsom Library are doing an admirable job taking on their new duties, too.

Student worker Erin Gilbert and Library Specialist Michele Matthews assist students at the Service Desk.

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

The Troy University

2011-10-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Did you ever hear of The Troy University? I hadn’t until Automation Archivist Tammy Gobert ’08 told me about it and offered to assemble a display of materials about the university that were uncovered in a tin box taken from the cornerstone of the building. The cornerstone was unearthed when the building that was once The Troy University was torn down in 1969 and its contents donated to the Institute.

Tammy has three cases filled with rare photographs, documents, a handsomely handwritten manuscript describing the formation of The Troy University, and a wood baluster retrieved from a circular staircase in one of university’s towers. The exhibit will be on display until the end of the year. If you plan to be on campus for Reunion & Homecoming 2011, why not stop by the Folsom Library (which, incidentally is erected on the very site where The Troy University sat) and check out Tammy’s exhibit.

In the event you’re not able to visit the library to see the display, here’s a bit of history about The Troy University and what followed it:

Construction of the imposing four-story Byzantine-style structure with four stately spires and two towers began in 1856. The university opened as a non-denominational Christian college run by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1858 but had to close after only four years due to financial problems. One class did graduate.

The photo below is from a picture postcard from 1896. The majestic building sits atop the hill with the RPI campus in the foreground. Here all four spires are still intact. It was unfortunate that lightning strikes either completely destroyed or damaged the spires over the years. I’m told it was at one time the largest building in Troy.

About a year after The Troy University closed, the building and surrounding grounds were purchased by the Catholic Church and used to house St. Joseph’s Seminary until the 1890s.

In 1908, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet bought the building and established a convent and novitiate there four years later. For a period of time, the building (still called St. Joseph’s Seminary) also housed a chapel, but in 1930 the nuns decided to build a separate building of worship. The splendid St. Joseph’s Chapel was built across from the seminary. A connecting structure was added to link the two buildings. You can see it in the photo below.

In the 1950s, the sisters decided to consolidate and move their center of operations to another location. They sold the entire estate in 1958 to the Institute.

St. Joseph’s Seminary was renamed University Building, and RPI used it for classes and administration offices. St. Joseph’s Chapel was deconsecrated and found another use as RPI’s library from 1960 to 1976. Over time, The University Building deteriorated and was demolished in 1969. When the library outgrew its space in the old chapel, the former location of the University Building was one of the spots considered and finally selected for a “fine new library.” The Richard G. Folsom Library was erected and opened in 1976. Ultimately, it was decided to renovate the now empty chapel into a new computing center, and the Alan M. Voorhees Computing Center (a.k.a. VCC) opened in 1979.

Thinking of the VCC before its reincarnation (pun intended) reminds me of something. Before I started working in the library, I worked in the VCC for 17 years. My office on the second floor was built over what was once the chapel’s main altar. Of course, when the chapel was converted into a secular building, most reminders of its former function were removed and the walls, many of which had saints or religious symbols painted on them, were whitewashed. (I was told that the stained-glass windows weren’t removed because it was deemed unsafe to tamper with them because of the high lead content.) However, the dozen or so saints that were so intricately painted on the celling of the chapel weren’t eliminated because the renovation was going to end with the second floor and the space above that was going to be off limits unless someone climbed a ladder and entered that level through one of two trapdoors. For me, it was always a thrill when an electrician or other worker asked for access to the top level. While he was occupied getting a ladder, I would be busy notifying the building staff that here was a rare opportunity for them to come see the saints. I used to tell folks that I felt blessed to have the saints looking down on me.

I wish the photo above, taken from the souvenir book the sisters had produced when their chapel was dedicated, were in color.

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

Upcoming Friends Event on October 21, 2011

2011-10-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Protest Era Alumni Panel Discussion

Friday, October 21, 2011

12:00 noon to 1:30 pm

Rensselaer Union, Mother's Coffeehouse

Friends of the Folsom Library is pleased to co-sponsor the Protest Era Alumni Panel Discussion during REUNION & HOMECOMING 2011. The discussion will focus on student activism at RPI in the mid-to-late 60s and early 70s and will provide an opportunity to reflect on this important time in Rensselaer's history.

Retired Director of the Rensselaer Union Rick Hartt '70 has assembled a panel that, in addition to himself, will include Mark Rice '71, who was Grand Marshal in 1971; John Cimino '71, who developed the seeds of the organization Creative Leaps International during that time; Julia MacDonald '72, who was one of the first women on WRPI; architects Chico Christopher ‘70, Joe Fama ‘70, and Bob Mitchell ‘68; Siena College professor Chuck Rancourt '70; and Carl Westerdahl, who was at that time Assistant Dean of Students. Rensselaer Professor Emeritus Michael Halloran ‘73 will moderate.

Questions to be discussed include:

* What is your perception of the impact of student activism on the RPI campus during your time here?

* What impact did your involvement have on your life?

* For those who have stayed connected to RPI, what kind of long term impacts do you think student activism had on the campus?

* What differences do you see between the student culture of today and our time?

The panel discussion is just one of many events offered to Rensselaer alumni, faculty, staff, students, and Friends during the weekend. If you’re interested in attending this event (or any of the others), go to http://alumni.rpi.edu/s/1225/start.aspx to register using your alumni, faculty, student, or staff ID. If you don’t have a Rensselaer ID, please contact Adrienne Birchler (bircha@rpi.edu or 518-276-8329) and she’ll register for you. Feel free to pick up some lunch to bring with you. The Rathskeller, McNeil Room, and Father’s Marketplace in the Rensselaer Union will be open. Dessert will be provided by the Friends.

Hope to see lots of Friends there!

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

Welcome to the Friends of the Folsom Library BLOG!

2011-07-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

At the April 20, 2011 meeting of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Folsom Library, it was decided that the number of issues of our newsletter, Folsom Library Unabridged, would be reduced from two a year to one a year and that I would maintain a blog (a blend of the term "web log") to keep all of our members current on library happenings. In addition to reducing the amount of valuable resources consumed, the money saved can be spent on other things for the library; e.g., strengthening the library's collections, facilities, and services and sponsoring special programs throughout the year. Plus, when there's a hot item to post, you can receive it immediately.

You can subscribe to the blog to have blog postings automatically sent to your e-mail address. Simply insert your email ID in the text box in the column to the right, entitled "Follow by Email," and click "Submit."

Blogging is becoming more and more popular everyday and it's time for Friends to join the bandwagon. Not only will our blog keep everyone up-to-date on what's going on in the Rensselaer Libraries (Folsom and Architecture Library in the Greene Building), but because it's interactive, we'll be able to connect with others who share an interest in the libraries. Feel free to let us know your thoughts and opinions. Maybe you have an idea for a future Lunch & Learn program. Or maybe you want to recommend that great book you just finished. Friends, we'd love to hear from you, so blog away!

Adrienne Birchler
Coordinator
Friends of the Folsom Library

Friends of the Folsom Library

The Library of America

John Irving

Upcoming Lunch & Learn Programs

December's Lunch & Learn Program

Thanksgiving

Russell Banks: Books and DVDs

What is that Thing?

Student Activism at RPI During the Protest Era

Upcoming Luncheon and Discussion with Author and International Educator Kris Holloway

Some DVD Reviews

2011 Toys for Tots Campaign

Still Bill

November's Lunch & Learn ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ Come Fly with Us!

Amateur Radio Club's Exhibit

Folsom Library Institutes a New Reference Model

The Troy University

Upcoming Friends Event on October 21, 2011

Welcome to the Friends of the Folsom Library BLOG!

November's Lunch & Learn Come Fly with Us!