The 55^th annual Come to the Fair, our popular summer event, will offer thousands of hardcover and paperback books, white elephant items, jewelry, toys and baked goods in the Thomas B. Cantwell Community Room.

            The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, Aug. 3 to 5. A hot dog lunch can be purchased on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. On the third day many books will be sold at reduced prices.

            Attendees will enter at the back of the library. Baked goods, sold Tuesday only, will be set up outside. Special books, including art, cookbooks, gardening, music and old collectibles, will be available in the Dickert Room.

            Coordinator is Gloria Drucker, assisted by area chairs and many volunteers. This summer the fair’s theme is “Hats Off to Local Artists,” celebrating our local arts community and the completion of archival work on the library’s art collection.

Members Night

            A special opening for those who have contributed to the 2010 Membership Campaign at the supporting $35 level or higher will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, August 2, as a thank you for yearly financial support of the library.

Book Fair Donations

            Books in good, saleable condition may be dropped at the library during regular hours. We cannot accept textbooks, encyclopedias, National Geographic hardcovers, Time/Life series, Reader’s Digest condensed books, romance paperbacks, magazines, records and home-recorded videos.

            Costume jewelry is also accepted at any time.

            White elephant items and toys can be brought in from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, July 31, and baked goods starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Aug. 3, opening day.

Summer Reading Program

            The 16^th annual Mary MacIntyre Summer Reading Program continues Wednesday, July 14 and 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. The preschool through fourth-grade activities relate to the theme Make a Splash! Read! @ Your Library.

            Truman the Dragon from “Kidsville News” visited on July 7, presenting the children with a small gift. The final day will include a parade through the library and an ice cream social courtesy of Stewart’s Shop. Children may attend any or all of the programs.

Evening Story Hour

            Barbe Skiff and Terri Perkins report that during the summer Tuesday evening story hour, held the third Tuesday of the month, July 20 and August 17, will take place at the Berkley Green Bandshell. In case of rain, the program will be held in the Children’s Room of the library. The program is jointly sponsored by the library and the North Country Childcare Network.

Middle School Reading Program

            Two SLFL Take a Bite Out of Books (TABOB) teams are participating in the Jeopardy-style competition to be held at the Champlain Centre Mall in Plattsburgh on Saturday, July17. The young people are reading six books and making team banners, preparing for the competition against teams from other North Country libraries.

Have you seen?

            The exhibition, “Neighbors from the North,” continues until July 27, and includes watercolors by Martha Laverty, from Hudson , Quebec , gourds by Georgette Bacon, from Nicholville, and oils and acrylics by Cat Micheels of Saranac Lake. Meet the artists at the Third Thursday Art Walk, 4:30 to 7 p.m. on July 15.

            Historic Saranac Lake is displaying books by Martha Reben, along with photographs of her, memorabilia and letters, in the William G. Distin Memorial Case in celebration of Martha Reben Day, Saturday, July 10.

Adirondack Research Room news

            From July 21 to Labor Day, Adirondack Room hours will be Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

            “Into the Adirondacks ” (Poulette), “Fun On Flatwater” (McMartin), “Adirondack Rock: A Rock Climber’s Guide” (Lawyer) and “The Story of Sagamore” (Kirschenbaum) have been added to the collection.

Adopt-a-Book

            Thank you to everyone who has adopted a children’s book recently. Books are displayed on the front desk and can be adopted for $7. While this does not cover the full cost of the book, it pays for more than half. A book plate can be put in each book with the donor’s name or the name of someone to honor.

Volunteer/ Staff Cleaning Morning

            Thank you to the nine energetic volunteers and staff members who came in to clean for Volunteer Cleanup Morning on Thursday, June 24. Together they donated almost 30 hours, completing many “special” cleaning projects. The library is now in shipshape for the summer.

Acquisition highlights

Fiction: “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake” (Bender), “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” (Larsson), “Storm Prey” (Sandford), “Innocent” (Turow)

Nonfiction: “Girls on the Edge” (Sax), “The Climate War” (Pooley), “The Maya: Life, Myth and Art” (Laughton)

Large print: “The Irish Duke” ( Henley ), “Super” (Lehrer), “Landmark: The Inside Story of America’s New Health Care Law” (Washington Post Company)

Picture books: “The Village Garage” (Karas), “Beautiful Yetta, the Yiddish Chicken” (Pinkwater), “A Giraffe Goes to Paris ” (Holmes)