After-School Activities Program (A.S.A.P.)
Chaylyn Harrington is stepping down from her role as After School Program Coordinator at the end of April. We are sad to lose her, but happy that she is moving forward in her chosen career, and we are very thankful that she was able to create a foundation from which future A.S.A.P. programming can be created!
Please stay tuned as we hire another person to fill this role. If you are interested in learning more about the position, please reach out to Melissa at mcarll@sals.edu, or stop by the library.
Tai Chi with Lila Brown at Bancroft
| Date | Wednesdays and Thursdays |
| Time | 8:45 am – 10:00 am (Wed.) 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm (Thurs.) |
| 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 |
Sewing Basics with Bev Kratzert
| Date | Thursday, April 16th and 30th |
| Time | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
| Description | Bev Kratzert comes to Bancroft this April to teach some of the basics of sewing with a sewing machine. Participants in the program will have two Thursdays to learn, and the second Thursday builds upon the first week’s lesson. Please bring a sewing machine if you have your own! |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | Registration Required |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or mcarll@sals.edu |
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 |
Poetry Board – Magnetic Poetry at Bancroft
| Date | Through April |
| Time | Library Hours |
| Description | Our magnetic board is ready for you to have some fun! Create a poem, a funny sentence, or haiku. It’s all up to you! |
| Location | Bancroft Library |
| Registration | no registration |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or slm-director@sals.edu for questions |
Poet-Tree
| Date | All Spring |
| Time | Library Hours |
| Description | This April, there is a small “tree” in the library. A clump of pussy willows stands in one of the front windows, waiting for you to add a leaf to the poet-tree. These fun leaves are from “Celebrate Poetry Month with Shel Silverstein,” and they ask our library users to: PUT SOMETHING IN Draw a crazy picture, Write a nutty poem, Sing a mumble-gumble song, Whistle through your comb. Do a looney-gooney dance, ‘Cross the kitchen floor, Put something silly in the world That ain’t been there before. (Poem from There’s a Light on in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein, 1981) Fill out a leaf with your own poem, and let’s help the poet-tree leaf out for spring! |
| Location | Outside and Library |
| Registration | FREE – no registration needed |
| Contact | 518-854-7463 or slm-director@sals.edu for questions |
“It’s Revolutionary!” History Program with Debi Craig and Dorothea Craig Casey
| Date | Saturday, May 16, 2026 |
| Time | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm |
| Description | Sisters Debi Craig and Dorothea Craig Casey will present a program for children called “It’s Revolutionary!: Stories, Songs, and Games from the Revolutionary War.” Learn about the Boston Tea Party, Ben Franklin’s invention: the glass harmonica, Henry Knox’s Trail which came right through Washington County en route to Boston, as well as the stories of some of the important women in the Revolutionary War. Children will learn songs about the Battle of Bennington and Revolutionary Tea as well as Colonial children’s games. Both presenters are retired music teachers. Craig began her teaching career right at Whitehall Elementary School where she taught for four years. She also taught at Cambridge Central School and for the Saratoga Springs City Schools. Casey taught in Vermont and Ohio, then at the Saratoga Springs Jr. High School, spending most of her teaching career at South Glens Falls Central School. In their retirement, the sisters started a Story Time in Hebron where both grew up. It meets on Saturday morning once a month providing children with opportunities to incorporate music, puppets, and movement with children’s literature. They had always wanted to do a puppetry program together and in 2022 the two started an after-school Puppet Club for children, They have performed “The Three Little Pigs”, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “The Nutcracker” The program will last approximately an hour. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | Registration Required! Cost: Free |
| Contact | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |
Caffe Lena on the Road: Kate McDonnell at Bancroft Library (After Regular Monthly Potluck)
| Date | Wednesday, May 27, 2026 |
| Time | 12 noon (Monthly Potluck – Pizza Provided) 1:00 pm (Caffe Lena Show) |
| Description | The Historic Salem Courthouse Community Center is sponsoring Caffe Lena on the Road music series. While most of the programs will be held at the Courthouse, one session will be at Bancroft Library. On May 27, after the library’s monthly potluck, Kate McDonnell, singer-songwriter, will play her guiter (upside down and backward!) and sing with her whole being! Come for the potluck (pizza will be provided, or just come for the show! McDonnell has performed at the Newport Folk Festival, on the Mountain Stage Radion Show, on WXPN’s World Cafe, and at the Kennedy Center. |
| Location | Proudfit Hall |
| Registration | No registration needed – FREE Program |
| Contact | mcarll@sals.edu or 518-854-7463 |
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 |