Afternoon Activities Program
The Afternoon Activities Program is on pause while we hire someone for the position. Please reach out to Melissa at mcarll@sals.edu if you are interested in this position or would like to learn more.
Tai Chi with Lila Brown at Bancroft
| Date | Thursdays |
| Time | 3:15- 4:30 pm |
| Description | Instructor Lila Brown offers Tai Chi to the Salem community at the library, free of charge. We start with gentle, healing Qi Gong warm-ups and dip in to the beginning of the Yang Style Short Form. Improve your flexibility, balance, breathing, strength, and posture while developing focus, patience and awareness; mental, spiritual, and physical. Enjoy the flow of movement and mindfulness. Perfect for all ages and conditions. No previous experience necessary. Space generally limited to 8 participants. Drop-ins are welcome when space allows. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | To register for your spot, and for more information, contact Lila at LilaRBrown@gmail.com. |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or slm-director@sals.edu for questions |
Bancroft at the Back to School Bash
| Date | Wednesday, September 2, 2026 |
| Time | 4:00 – 6:00 pm |
| Description | The Historic Salem Courthouse and Salem Washington Academy and the PTA team up for this awesome program at the Courthouse. Kids get free school supplies, there are snacks to eat, and more. Bancroft will be at this event to talk about upcoming library programs, ways to encourage your child to read, and more! |
| Location | Historic Salem Courthouse Community Center, 57 East Broadway, Salem, NY |
| Registration | No registration needed – FREE Program |
| Contact | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |
Seed Library is Now Open!
| Date | Spring- Summer 2026 |
| Time | during library hours |
| Description | Bancroft Public Library’s seed library is now available. Stop by the library to pick out your seeds for this season. Cornell Cooperative Extension has offered great resources on gardening, and Bentley Seeds from Cambridge has provided the packets. (Thank you to Beth DellaRocco for coordinating this opportunity) |
| Location | Library |
| Registration | stop by anytime |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu |
Voter Registration Information Table
| Date | Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 4 – 6 pm Thursday, October 1, 2026, 4 – 6:30 pm Thursday, October 15, 2026, 3:30 – 6:00 pm |
| Time | see above |
| Description | Washington County Board of Elections will have an info table in Proudfit Hall on select days in September and October 2026. Stop by Proudfit to learn about absentee ballots, voter eligibility, and more! |
| Location | Proudfit Hall or outside |
| Registration | No registration needed. |
| Contact | Washington County Board of Elections for more information: 518-746-2180 |
Save Your Seeds – Make Your Own Seed Packets!
| Date | Wednesday, September 9, 2026 |
| Time | 3:30 – 5:30 pm |
| Description | Have seeds from your garden? Would you like a fun and cool way to store those seeds for next year? Come to Bancroft on September to learn how to make seed packets out of any paper that you might have around your house. Program is suitable for kids and adults. |
| Location | Bancroft Public Library |
| Registration | No registration needed |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu for questions |
LARAC Arts Grant Information Session
| Date | Tuesday, September 15, 2026 |
| Time | 4:00 pm |
| Description | LARAC is proud to announce Community Art Grants are available for 2027! For over 25 years these grants have been available through LARAC and the New York State Council on the Arts, through the Statewide Community Regrant program with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. These grants are awarded annually to Warren and Washington county artists, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and groups. LARAC’S THREE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ARE: Program Support: Available to Warren and Washington County based NYS registered non-profit organizations. Applicants may apply for up to $5,000 in funding for no more than 3 separate arts or cultural programs. Individual Artist: Available to individuals over the age of 18 years old whose permanent address is in Warren or Washington County. Artists can apply for either $2,500 or $5,000 for the creation of one new body of work. Art Education:Available to Warren and Washington County-based individuals or NYS registered non-profit organizations for educational arts programs taking place in schools or community settings. Applicants may apply for up to $5,000 for one educational program. Please RSVP to outreach@larac.org prior to attending LARAC GRANT SEMINARS: Thursday, August 27th | General Information Session 4pm ZOOM Tuesday, September 15th | General Information Session 4pm Salem Bancroft Public Library 181 S. Main St, Salem Wednesday, September 30th | General Information Session 1:30pm Argyle Free Library 21 Sheridan St, Argyle Thursday, October 1st | General Information Session 3pm Town of Chester Public Library 6307 US 9, Chestertown Friday, October 9th | General Information Session 10am LARAC 7 Lapham Place, Glens Fall Monday, November 16th | General Information Session 4pm ZOOM |
| Location | Reading Room |
| Registration | Yes, registration is required. |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu for questions |
Video Screening: Living with New York Black Bears
| Date | Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 12:30 – 1:30 pm |
| Time | see above |
| Description | Many people in our area have seen black bears. And, as these wonderful creatures are part of our community, Bancroft is showing the NYS DEC’s movie on living with black bears in NY. This video talks about bears and how we can be good neighbors to them. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | No registration needed! |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu |
Wellness Series: Part One – Setting a Wellness Vision
| Date | Thursday, October 8, 2026 |
| Time | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
| Description | A Wellness Vision is a compelling statement of who you want to be and what health-promoting, life-giving behaviors you want to do regularly. To create your wellness vision, you must look at your values, motivators, best past experiences, strengths, challenges, supports, approaches and confidence. This is part one of a series by Washington County Public Health. Come to one, two, or all three of these classes. Please register. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu for questions |
Wellness Series: Part Two – Setting and Attaining Personal Goals
| Date | Thursday, October 15, 2026 |
| Time | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
| Description | We usually know more about “What” we want than about how we are going to get there. For effective behavior change, we need “Behavioral Goals” to help us change our behavior to reach our desired outcome, or vision. Using the “SMART” Goal process, you learn how to set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. This is part two of a series by Washington County Public Health. Come to one, two, or all three of these classes. Please register. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu for questions |
Read with Bianca the Therapy Dog
| Date | Saturday, October 17, 2026 |
| Time | 10 am – 12 pm |
| Description | Salem Central School students are familiar with Bianca the Therapy Dog, and this summer she is coming to Bancroft for a Thursday afternoon. Kids of any age are welcome to come and read a book to Bianca. Along with her owner, Kiki Perkins, Bianca stops by to spread joy, and reduce stress, and support kids. She especially loves reading with children and makes a wonderful, encouraging reading buddy! |
| Location | Bancroft Library Children’s Area |
| Registration | No registration necessary! |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or slm-director@sals.edu |
Wellness Series: Part Three – Making Positive Behavior Changes
| Date | Thursday, October 22, 2026 |
| Time | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
| Description | It’s easier than you think! Stages of Change, formally known as the “transtheoretical model” of behavior change, gauges a person’s readiness to act on a new healthier behavior, and provides strategies, or processes of change to guide the person through the stages of change. That sounds hard, but once someone knows where they are in the stages, they have a better idea of how to move through to action. This is part three of a series by Washington County Public Health. Come to one, two, or all three of these classes. Please register. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu for questions |
The Deadly World of Raptors: Secrets of the New York Grasslands (Presented by Grassland Bird Trust)
| Date | Thursday, October 22, 2026 |
| Time | 6:00 – 7:00 pm |
| Description | The Deadly World of Raptors: Secrets of the New York Grasslands: Forget everything you thought you knew about birds of prey – some of the most unusual, ingenious, and beautiful raptors live right here on the grasslands of Upstate New York. Meet the owl who hunts during the day, nests on the ground, and has the most peculiar courtship display. Learn about the hawk who hunts like a ghost, dances in the sky, and keeps a harem of females. See the world through the eyes of a tiny falcon who hovers like a helicopter, feasts on bugs, and can see in colors beyond human perception. Join Dr. Samantha Carouso Peck for a fascinating inside look at the secretive lives of the birds of prey in our backyard. Bio: Dr. Samantha Carouso Peck is an expert in bird communication and cognition, having lived on six different continents in search of interesting birds. She has studied tool use in crows, speech in African Grey Parrots, and vocal learning and development in songbirds. After focusing on Animal Behavior and Communication during her undergraduate studies at Williams College, her doctoral dissertation at Cornell University focused on how young birds use feedback from their parents and peers, in forms invisible to the human eye, to guide their song learning. Her work has been published in Current Biology, Philosophical Transactions, Animal Behaviour, and Scientific American. She is currently the Head Ornithologist and Educator of the Grassland Bird Trust, a non-profit conservation organization in Fort Edward, New York. |
| Location | Reading Room |
| Registration | Please register! |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu |
I Bird NY Challenge – Take out the Birding Backpack
| Date | Now – November 2026 |
| Time | Anytime! |
| Description | The annual I BIRD NY Challenge is back! Use your observation skills and take the Challenge by identifying any 10 bird species of your choosing in New York State. Participants who successfully complete this fun challenge will be awarded a commemorative patch, completion certificate, and be entered into a drawing for great birding prizes!* The challenge is open from March 1 through November 1, open to participants of all ages and abilities. Participants may also earn a bonus entry into the prize giveaway by submitting a photo documenting their experience completing the I BIRD NY Challenge. Please, check out the library’s birding backpack (at the circulation desk) to help you on your quest! The backpack was provided by Southern Adirondack Audubon Society. To participate in the I BIRD NY Challenge, complete a Challenge Log online or download the I BIRD NY Challenge form (PDF) See DEC website for more info: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/birding/i-bird-ny |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | No registration needed – FREE Program |
| Contact | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |