Program areas at Elting Memorial Library
Collections: Elting's more than 7,500 resident cardholders have available print materials, ebooks, audiobooks, streaming music and movies.The Library also has a Library of Things, which includes home and yard tools, camping equipment, musical instruments, yard games and technology equipment, including Internet hotspots and tablets.One of Elting's unique assets is the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection. HHHC was among the recipients of a $349,000 NEH grant for the preservation, conservation and digitalization of pre-Civil War collections.
Adult Programs: include several Meet-Local-Author events and poetry readings, Trivia Night, Paint and Sip, and a mandala painting workshop. Educational programs included Medicare 101 and DIY Build a Website workshop. Elting also participated in a community-wide Juneteenth celebration.The summer reading program included an incentivizing raffle for adults. A weekly knitting group and monthly book club offer social connection, as do the popular Movie Nights and the Music in the Garden concerts. The library is also a site for the vibrant geocaching network in New Paltz. Outreach to the larger community includes a food pantry and a free book shed.
Children and Young Adult Programs: Early literacy-focused activities, including kits with books and manipulatives, a parenting collection, STEAM-inspired programs, tutoring services and age-specific story times illustrate the breadth of programming for young children and families. Programming for teens and young adults include trivia nights, a Halloween haunt in the library courtyard, winter-break book clubs and participation in a regional Battle of the Books competition.The spaces for children and teens were improved, with phased renovation and reorganization of the Children's Room, allowing for easier access and interactions with more seating and open floor space. A Teen Area was created in another section of the library, with four teen computers, comfortable seating and study spaces.