Library Announcement

Dear Friends and Neighbors,                                   

Every year at this time the Cambridge Public Library releases a report to our community highlighting the many accomplishments of the previous year. Admittedly, the library’s Board of Trustees and Library Director were excited to do so again this year. 2019 was an incredible year for Cambridge Public Library. Sadly, the recent events have made the annual report to our community especially difficult to write. 2020 has been tumultuous, tense, and at times terrifying. It is critical that our community not only hear about the wonderful things that happened last year, but also the plans that your library has for the future.

Cambridge Public Library hosted 324 programs at our library in 2019 and had nearly 4,000 patrons in attendance. Youth programs such as Preschool StoryHour, Book Club, Robotics Club, Art Club, and Science Club were held at the library 3 times a week. Patrons of all ages also enjoyed monthly health and wellness lunches, author visits, climate change workshops, financial wellness dinners and more. In addition to expanding our programming, the library added new morning and evening hours to meet the needs of our community. The library also began the first steps necessary to develop a construction plan, working with an architect who specializes in historic buildings, that would meet our needs for space and accessibility while preserving the historic beauty of the library. Cambridge Public Library won the Southern Adirondack Library Program of the Year Award for our Better Readers Program and received a “5 Star” rating in Library Journal’s National Library Index for the 8th year in a row. 

Despite the impressive increase of Cambridge Public Library’s programs and services in 2019, nothing could have prepared us for the challenges of 2020. When the library building was closed in March of 2020 we were optimistic that the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency would pass quickly. In the meantime, your library and the rest of the Southern Adirondack Library System scrambled to provide digital library cards, expand electronic resources, and make themselves available virtually to all of our patrons. Since closing the doors of the library building Cambridge Public Library staff members have been helping patrons via email and phone to access medical information, find affordable health insurance, answer Unemployment Insurance questions, offer homework assistance, and more. In addition, public wi-fi access is available 24/7 from the parking lot, and patrons can access free resources on our website such as NovelNY, Libby, TumbleBooks, and NewsBank. 

As New York State moves forward Cambridge Public Library has developed a Step-by-Step Guide to reopening our library. Curbside and delivery service of library materials will begin on June 22, 2020 dependent on Capital Region developments. Summer Reading Programs will be done virtually this year and will be open to all ages. Every community member who completes the Summer Reading Challenge will receive a $10 gift certificate to a local small business. As your library begins the reopening process it is critical to remain flexible. We will do our best to provide the highest level of service while maintaining the safety and well-being of our staff and community members. Cambridge Public Library encourages our patrons to contact the Director of the Library with any questions or concerns and to check our website Cambridge.sals.edu for up-to-date information.

 Be well. Be kind. Be Cambridge Strong. We will see you soon!

A Message to Our Community

Dear Community Members, Neighbors, and Friends,

The Cambridge Public Library closed its doors on March 16th with hopes that our closure would end on April 1st and that our Staff would be able to implement zero contact delivery and pick up services during that time. Just like so many others, our plans were changed for us when Governor Cuomo issued the closure of all non-essential businesses until further notice. While we understand the risks that lending physical materials presents, it is still immensely difficult to accept that our hands are tied when it comes to serving those in our community who cannot access our digital resources. Please be patient with us as we attempt to navigate these new restrictions and begin planning for future library services. As of today, March 25th, 2020, we do not have a definitive open date, but will continue to closely monitor both the spread of COVID-19, the risks to our community, and the guidelines put in place by Governor Cuomo, Public Safety, Public Health, and the Southern Adirondack Library System.

While our building is physically closed please keep these things in mind:

  • All Overdue Fines have been suspended until further notice
  • Ignore any overdue notices you may receive
  • All libraries in NYS are requesting that patrons hold onto borrowed materials until further notice – DO NOT RETURN YOUR BORROWED MATERIALS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
  • Free on-line resources can be found at Cambridge.Sals.Edu or salsblog.sals.edu
  • If you DO NOT have a library card, you can now get instant access at salon.overdrive.com

Just because our doors are locked does not mean the library is closed. The Library Director can be reached by e-mail at cbecker@sals.edu or via Facebook at this time and new phone hours will be implemented next week. The entire Southern Adirondack Library System is working hard to make as many digital resources available to our patrons as possible and we are busy planning for the future.

This is a very uncertain time for our Nation, our State, and our Communities. In such trying times, the Cambridge Community is fortunate in the fact that we can be certain of some very important things. It is certain that the Cambridge Community First Responders will continue to go above and beyond to serve and protect all of our residents. It is certain that for every community member in need there is a large amount of individuals, groups, and organizations in Cambridge who are ready and willing to help. It is certain that in times of crisis this great community pulls together and overcomes, proving again and again that Cambridge is an incredible place to live.

Please do not hesitate to contact the library with any questions or concerns during this time. We will do everything we can to help our community members.

Be safe, be kind, be well,

Christina Becker

Library Director

Community COVID-19 Updates

Important Updates for Library Patrons

March 15th, 2020

PLEASE be patient with our staff and the library system as the situation unfolds and we all do our best to serve our community safely!

You can check our social media page or Cambridge.sals.edu for regular updates!

For the most reliable information on COVID-19 please visit the following websites:

https://www.who.int/ http://coronavirus.gov https://washingtoncountyny.gov/1147/Coronavirus-Information https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/ https://www.cambridgecsd.org/domain/324 https://v3.cambridgeny.gov/

Statement on COVID-19

As the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been inching closer and closer to our community the library has been approached by many of our patrons with questions and concerns. While the threat of an outbreak in Cambridge is still very low, we believe it is important to be prepared, remain calm, and stay well-informed of the developing situation.
Our staff will be taking extra precautions by disinfecting the computers, desks, stair rails, toys and other high traffic hard surfaces within the library before, during, and after each day. We have informed our staff that anyone who is experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should stay home. We also ask that any patrons who have experienced these symptoms stay home to avoid exposing others. If you HAVE been ill and return books to the library, please let a staff member know so that the books can be disinfected before shelving. At this point we will NOT be cancelling any events or introducing any type of social distancing measures. If there is a case in our school and the school is forced to close for 24 hours, the library will follow suit so as not to entice those who are supposed to be isolated into a public space. If a staff member or a patron who frequently visits the library contracts the virus, the library will close for 24 hours to deep clean and receive guidance from CDC and our State Health Department. While both of those scenarios are still very unlikely, it is best to be prepared, not panicked.
Over the next couple of days the library will be developing a comprehensive Public Health Emergency Plan to be prepared for the possibility of community spread. This will be shared with the public as soon as the Library Board approves it.
In the meantime, we encourage our community to educate themselves on COVID-19 by visiting the CDC website, or their local, county, and state health departments’ websites. Please avoid sharing information from sources that are not reliable. Let’s stop the spread of misinformation while we stop the spread of this virus! 😉

Women’s Guide to Retirement

Who would have thought that in the year 2020 there would still be a difference in finances based on your gender?! Well, there is and if you are a woman it is important to understand the obstacles that you may be faced with on your way to retirement!! To learn more about those obstacles, how to overcome them, and the path to financial wellness as a woman please join us for the next installment of our Financial Education Series presented by Marion Watkins on March 10th at 6:00PM. These workshops are FREE and open to anyone (even if you are not a member of our library). Snacks and drinks will be included. Give us a call at 518-677-2443 to reserve your seat TODAY!!

Snow Day

Per Library Board Policy the Cambridge Public Library follows the lead of our School District. If school is closed so is the library. This means that the library will NOT be open today, Thursday February 13th. Miss Betsy WILL be meeting with our Lights On Learning Renegade Readers at 5:30 this evening. Bring your favorite book from the last month! ❤❄

Climate Crisis Discussion: Part 2

On January 11th the Cambridge Public Library hosted a discussion about the Climate Crisis that our planet is currently facing. This event was standing room only and left many wondering, “What can WE do on a local level?” If protecting our planet and our beautiful rural landscape is important to you, join us at Cambridge Public Library as Sue Van Hook, Mycologist and Skidmore College Retiree, Kevin Maher, Cofounder and CEO of Agroforestry Management LLC as well local farmer Mark Anderson from Landview Farms LLC, present Capturing Carbon in the Soil Sponge: How Local Farmers Can Create the Climate Solution. PLEASE RSVP to the Cambridge Public Library by calling 518-677-2443. This is a FREE program and is open to everyone!

The Staff and Board at Cambridge Public Library would like to wish our entire community the very best as we celebrate this Holiday Season! Please be aware that the library will be closed on Tuesday December 24th and Wednesday December 25th. There will also be NO Babies on Board, Lights On Learning, or Friday Friends this week. Enjoy the time with your families and friends!!

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