Adult Programs
For more information on previous programming and projects, including videos of recorded programs please visit our
Previous Programs and Projects page.
Qigong & Tai Chi at the Library
Every Thursday
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Qigong and Tai Chi are approaches to movement that have been practiced for hundreds of years and are particularly helpful for dealing with stress, limited ability to move, those wishing to developing better balance and flexibility and can be practiced by nearly everyone young and old. Although Tai Chi is generally practiced standing, Qigong can be modified to allow participants to be seated.
This weekly drop-in class, open to all, is taught by David Haines, who has been a practitioner of Qigong, Tai Chi, and mindful movement for 50 years, a teacher for 40 years, and a certified Trager Movement practitioner for 35 years. Since moving into the area in 2006 he has taught at Omega Institute, Simon’s Rock college, Columbia-Greene Community College, as well as various libraries, senior centers, and school district community education classes.
Classes are held in the Roe Jan Library Community Room or outdoors, weather permitting. Wear comfortable clothes.
This project has been supported by a grant from the Fund for Columbia County of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Free English-Language Tutoring // Tutoría del Idioma Inglés Gratuito
Thursdays // jueves
6:00 – 7:30pm
by appointment // con cita previa
Free English-language tutoring will be available at Roeliff Jansen Community Library between 6:00 and 7:30pm. This tutoring program is intended primarily for adults. Instruction will be one-on-one or in small groups with Yvonne Acevedo and will be geared toward everyday conversational needs. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 3 and up. Please e-mail director@roejanlibrary.org or call 518-325-4101 to schedule an appointment.
La biblioteca ofrecerá tutoría del idioma Inglés gratuito, los jueves entre las 6:00 pm hasta 7:30pm, con cita previa. Estas lecciones están diseñadas principalmente para adultos. Las lecciones serán dadas individualmente ó en grupos pequeños por Yvonne Acevedo y estarán orientadas a fomentar fluidez en el lenguage coloquial cotidiano. Ofreceremos servicio para el cuidado de niños(as) de 3 años de edad y mayores. Por favor, comuníquese por correo electrónico con la director@roejanlibrary.org ó marque el 518-325-4101 para reservar una cita.
This project has been supported by a grant from the Fund for Columbia County of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
Book Marks! Book Club
Every Third Thursday
April 18
1:00 p.m.
Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. For our April 18th meeting, we are reading Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell.
For more information, email circulation@roejanlibrary.org
Reading and Discussion Program: Land, Liberty, and Loss: Echoes of the American Revolution
Thursdays, February 15 – July 18th, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
The Roeliff Jansen Community Library is hosting a six-session reading and discussion series titled “Land, Liberty & Loss: Echoes of the American Revolution.” Participants, who should commit to the full series, will meet one Thursday a month from February through July to reexamine the American Revolution, its antecedents, and its legacy by focusing on the complex and intertwined histories of Native Americans, Europeans, and their environment.
We will read and discuss six books, one each month, and be joined, virtually, by authors and special guests for several of the sessions.
The reading list can be found at https://humanitiesny.org/our-work/programs/reading-discussion/land-liberty-loss-readings/.
Discussion will be facilitated by library director Tamara Gaskell, who holds a PhD in early American history.
This program is funded by a grant from Humanities New York.
Registration is required. Email director@roejanlibrary.org to reserve your spot!
Next meeting: April 18 at 6:00 p.m.
Cookbook Club
Every 3rd Saturday of the Month
Next Meeting: April 20th
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Join our Cookbook Club led by Outreach Library Associate, Fran Colombo. Meets the 3rd Saturday of the month. Members choose a recipe and bring the cooked/baked dish to the next meeting, where the group will discuss the book and share in a community meal. Bring copies of recipes to share with other foodies!
For our April meeting, we will be cooking from Dan Pelosi’s new cookbook, Let’s Eat!
All are welcome to join! The more, the merrier! For more information, contact Fran at outreach@roejanlibrary.org.
Free Film Screening: Plastic Earth
Monday, April 22
5:00 p.m.
In recognition of Earth Day 2024’s theme of “Planet vs. Plastics,” the Roe Jan Library invites you to a screening of the 2023 documentary Plastic Earth, which looks at how plastic pollution is affecting the earth, and how we can solve the problem together.
An official selection of the International New York Film Festival, the film follows Janice Overbeck, a concerned mother, as she embarks on a journey to uncover the full extent of the problem and the innovative solutions being developed to tackle it. Through interviews with leading scientists, engineers, researchers, and environmental advocates, Janice gains unique insights into the efforts to control the plastic epidemic.
Tea Time at the Library
Every Fourth Thursday of the Month
2:30 p.m.
Who couldn’t use a little tea and conversation in the new year? And why not learn something new at the same time? We’ve all experienced a lot of stress and isolation over the last couple of years, so let’s get together to socialize and learn in 2023.
Plan to visit the library on the fourth Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. to discuss fun and informative topics. Each month’s gathering will have a different theme; listen, discuss, and enjoy a cup of tea (or coffee if that’s your preference!), and sometimes a fun activity. There will also be plenty of time to chat, get to know your neighbors, and wind down.
For our April 25th meeting, we will be visited by special guest Sharon Flitterman-King for a discussion on her book A Secret Star, a fictionalized account of a young Jewish girl
during WWII and the Polish family that saved her from the Nazis. Come join the discussion and enjoy a cup of Harney’s Tea (or coffee) and some fresh baked goods on the house.
Art in the Evenings with Tia
Thursday, April 25, 6:00 p.m.
Beat the winter blues with color and art! Fun classes for all skill levels. In each class, we will learn about and create a piece of art inspired by a specific artist. For the final class, we will create work inspired by Katsushika Hokusai.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) was a Japanese artist, ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo period. In his time he was Japan’s leading expert on Chinese painting. Born in Edo (now Tokyo), Hokusai is best-known for his woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (c. 1831) which includes the iconic and internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.
Registration required, please e-mail youth@roejanlibrary.org
Library of Local: Back to Nature Series:
Composting
Sunday, April 28, 1:00 p.m.
Roe Jan Community Library, in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, is sponsoring a series of three “Back to Nature” seminars conducted by Master Gardener Volunteers who are all well-versed in their subject matter.
To gardeners, compost is black gold. Compost is generated from biodegradable waste. Amending your soil with compost improves your soil by providing nutrients, helping retain moisture, balancing the PH, suppressing disease, and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. During this presentation by Master Gardener Volunteer Tammy Rusoff, we will cover the biochemistry of composting, what to include in the mix, types of containers or bins, and how to avoid problems. You will learn how to generate compost from different sources.
Tammy was born and raised in Minnesota and is now a resident of Ghent. She has a master’s degree in social work. She moved to NYC and continued her work for a total of 20 years. Upon her retirement, she became a master gardener volunteer 11 years ago.
Saving the Night Sky: Dark Skies and Light Pollution
Thursday, May 2
6:30 p.m.
Dark skies are not just important for seeing the stars, but for the health of our planet and ourselves. Light pollution threatens many animal species, from migrating birds to hatchling sea turtles. It also impacts human health as it disturbs our sleep patterns. Unnecessary lighting wastes money and energy and contributes to climate change. Join us for a film screening and presentation and discussion with Susan Bachelder on the importance of dark skies and learn about a citizen science project to help measure and report light pollution in our area.
Susan P. Bachelder, a resident of Egremont, has been a member of DarkSky International for over a decade. She has posted a local STAR DATE blog for 15 years for her neighbors, encouraging star gazing using simple ID skills to identify stars and planets while explaining the underlying astronomical structures, both in contemporary and historical terms to underpin her observations. As a Classics major, her studies right now are in Persian star charts of the 1600s in historical context.
Poetry Reading: Irene Mitchell
Thursday, May 9
6:00 p.m.
Irene Mitchell, a long-time teacher of English and Writing in inner city and rural New York, will read from and discuss her most recent book of poetry, My Report from the Uwharries (Dos Madres Press, 2022). Mitchell is the author of several earlier books, including Selected Poems (FutureCycle Press, 2021), Clerestory (Dos Madres Press, 2020), Fever (Dos Madres Press, 2019), Equal Parts Sun and Shade: An Almanac of Precarious Days (Aldrich Press, 2017), Minding the Spectrum’s Business (FutureCycle Press, 2015), A Study of Extremes in Six Suites (Cherry Grove Collections, 2012), and Sea Wind on the White Pillow (Axes Mundi Press, 2009).
Formerly Poetry Editor of Hudson River Art Magazine, Mitchell is known for her collaborations with visual artists and composers. Her poems have been presented for gallery exhibition as a series of broadsides, the text incorporated into the artwork. Mitchell’s poetry has also been set to music for piano and voice in cycles of art songs, the marriage of music and poetry. Mitchell was a 2019 Associate Artist in Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.
Job Search and Resume Help
Job search coaching, with an emphasis on resume writing and using online resources to find jobs, is offered by volunteer Career Coach, Beth Gordon. Beth provides help with finding career opportunities, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing preparation and reviewing job resources.
Career Coaching and Job Search Help sessions cover résumé and letter writing, skills assessments, career planning and Internet job search. These one-on-one sessions are designed to help people of all ages seeking career coaching, goal setting, or help updating and improving their professional profiles.
Job Help sessions are by appointment only and are typically conducted via Zoom. You can make an appointment by calling or emailing the library or contacting Beth Gordon directly at bagordon323@gmail.com. In person help at the library can be provided with prior arrangements as well.
Senior Balance and Strength Class with Dr. Paul Spector on Zoom
Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION:
https://zoom.us/j/759916157
Meeting ID: 759 916 157
Passcode: 592902
*Please note the start date has been moved from January 12th to January 19th.*
To watch past recordings of Dr. Spector’s class, visit our YouTube channel playlist.
