Thursday, October 29, 2015

Luther 'Ticky' Burden

From the district:

The City School District of Albany is saddened to report the news of the death of Luther "Ticky" Burden, a 1972 graduate of Philip Schuyler High School and a 2014 inductee into the district's Hall of Fame.

Burden is considered the finest basketball player ever to come out of Albany. After earning All-American status during his career at Schuyler, Burden went on to a stellar career at the University of Utah. He was a first team All-American at Utah in 1975 and played on the United States team that traveled to the World Championships in Puerto Rico. There, he average 20.2 points per game, a record that stood until 2012.

The Virginia Squires of the former American Basketball Association drafted Burden and he averaged 20 points in his one season with the team. He went on to play for the NBA's New York Knicks for the next two seasons, ending his pro career in 1978.

For almost three decades, Burden had lived in Winston-Salem, N.C., teaching basketball to and coaching children at the Gateway YWCA there. You can read more about Burden in the Hall of Fame section of our website.

Burden suffered from ATTR amyloidosis, a disease that causes the body's immune system to produce abnormal forms of antibodies. He was hospitalized last week and died early Thursday.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Albany school board candidates on Facebook

There are eight candidates competing for three school board spots – one 4-year term, one 2-year term and one 1-year term.

You can find more information on each candidate’s Facebook page:
·         Mark Barthhttps://www.facebook.com/MarkBarthAlbany?fref=ts
·         Ellen Roach: www.facebook.com/albanysbo

The League of Women Voters, the NAACP, and the Albany City Council PTA held a candidates forum on October 20

Sunday, October 18, 2015

7 Reasons Libraries Are Our Only Hope In Case Of A Zombie Apocalypse

When the zombie apocalypse rises from out of nowhere, as The Walking Dead has shown us it will, there will more than likely be wide-spread confusion as to where everyone should run to... I'll share with you the perfect hideout answer: Libraries. Yes, you heard that correctly. I'm not talking about your tiny home-town library or bookstores, but the giant academic libraries that are the heart of college campuses and cities.

Academic libraries are usually somewhat massive, which means they'll be able to hold a lot of people. The giant front doors are more than likely heavy and lock-down approved. Libraries are full of resources and entertainment, so really, what better place could you go to? If you still need further convincing, I've got a couple good reasons for you. Because this is important business, people.

More from Bustle.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Libraries at the Crossroads

American libraries are buffeted by cross currents. Citizens believe that libraries are important community institutions and profess interest in libraries offering a range of new program possibilities. Yet, even as the public expresses interest in additional library services, there are signs that the share of Americans visiting libraries has edged downward over the past three years, although it is too soon to know whether or not this is a trend.

A new survey from Pew Research Center brings this complex situation into stark relief. Many Americans say they want public libraries to:

support local education;

serve special constituents such as veterans, active-duty military personnel and immigrants;

help local businesses, job seekers and those upgrading their work skills;

embrace new technologies such as 3-D printers and provide services to help patrons learn about high-tech gadgetry.

Additionally, two-thirds of Americans (65%) ages 16 and older say that closing their local public library would have a major impact on their community. Low-income Americans, Hispanics and African Americans are more likely than others to say that a library closing would impact their lives and communities.

More from Pew Research Center

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Albany School District Candidates' Forum October 20

Albany School District Candidates' Forum
Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society, 405 Washington Ave, Albany, New York across from the downtown SUNY campus

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

New York Voter Alert -OCTOBER 9 DEADLINE!

The deadline for New Yorkers to register or change party affiliation in time to vote in the April 2016 Presidential primary, Democratic or Republican,. isth - in only 2 days! Because of New York’s obscure election law and closed primaries, voters who wish to change to a party in order to vote for their candidate to do so right now!

While NY does have online registration, it is now too late to use the online tool! If you need to update your registration, the safest way is by visiting your local Board of Elections. You can find the nearest BOE location here.

All set? Help spread the word to other New York voters .Be sure to forward this email along to any potential voters that might not know about the deadline!

Bruce Hallenbeck on the History of horror films 10/17 at Howe branch of APL

Event Type: Adult Program
Age Group(s): Adult (Ages 18+)
Date: 10/17/2015
Start Time: 2:00 PM
End Time: 4:00 PM
Description:
Horror films are something that have captured people's imaginations for generations. They take our real life fears and warp them into something bigger than life. Join us at the Howe Branch on October 17th for a presentation on the history of horror films and other things that go bump in the night. Leading this event will be Bruce Hallenbeck, the author of books such as "Monsters of New York: Mysterious Creatures in the Empire State" and "The Hammer Frankenstein: British Cult Cinema: as well as a contributor to a number of magazines on the subject of horror films.
Library: Howe Branch
Location: Howe Large Meeting Room

Monday, October 05, 2015

FRIENDS OF THE ALBANY PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR TUESDAYS IN NOVEMBER 2015

161 Washington Avenue at noon

November 3—Book Review—Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. Reviewer: Harris A. Sanders, Albany architect.

November 10—Author Talk—Bruce W. Dearstyne discusses his book The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History.

November 17—Book Review—Butcher’s Crossing, a novel by John Williams. Reviewer: Casey Seiler, Times Union state editor & columnist.

November 24—Book Review—Confronting the Classics: Traditions, Adventures, and Innovations by Mary Beard. Reviewer: Sylvia Barnard, PhD, classicist retired from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Saturday, October 03, 2015

CheckItOut - Taylor Swift Parody Video for National Library Week

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library's parody of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." In homage to Taylor Swift and her outspoken support of public libraries and literacy and in celebration of National Library Week. April 2015.

Watch now.

Thursday, October 01, 2015

1st Saturdays At Pine Hills: Sensory Story Time

Hey Albanians! hThe Pine Hills branch of the APL is starting something new on the first Saturday of each month (2pm) - a monthly Sensory Storytime and playtime intended for kids on the Autism Spectrum, their siblings and their parents/caregivers. Come with your little ones for a soft opening.

This program will feature thirty minutes of books, songs and movement, followed by an hour of play time. Children can participate as much or as little as they want, and sitting still is not required. It's intended for kids up to age 8, but we won't even hold you to that. This will be a really welcoming, supportive, and fun environment for families. This storytime is the only one where participation is limited, to 10 families, so sign-up on the website or call the children's desk for questions, comments or any specifications you or your child might have.