Weekly Storytime
2025-10-31 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-11-07 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-11-14 10:30 - 11:30, 2025-11-21 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join us for stories, crafts, and playtime every Friday at 10:30. Best for ages 3-5, but all ages welcome! No registration required.

Speed Puzzling Competition
2025-11-01 11:00 - 14:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Registration Required. Sign-ups start October 1st.
Ages 12 and up (each team must include at least one adult)
Teams of 2 will race to finish a 300-piece puzzle in 45 minutes. Then, teams of 4 will tackle a 500-piece puzzle in 90 minutes. Prizes will go to each member of the winning teams. Prizes provided by the New York Jigsaw Puzzle Association!

Kids Craft: Polymer Clay Keychain
2025-11-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Kids will use our collection of polymer clay to create a keychain or zipper pull. Supplies are limited, first come first served.
The clay must be baked to set. Do it at home or pick up later and we’ll bake it for you.
Ages 8+

Toddler Takeover!
2025-11-04 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-12-02 10:30 - 12:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Bring your little ones to the library for a fun-filled time with a variety of toys and activities! Enjoy a ball pit with tunnels, dress-up clothes, a play kitchen, and more. While all ages are welcome, this event is especially perfect for children 6 and under.

Capital Roots Produce Drop-Off
2025-11-05 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-12 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-19 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-26 10:30 - 11:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Capital Roots’ Squash Hunger program is a food donation initiative that collects and distributes more than 40 tons of fresh produce to our region’s food pantries and shelters each year. The Waterford Library receives its delivery between 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. each Wednesday morning.
Since 2004 Capital Roots has involved thousands of community members in our effort to increase the presence of fresh food on communal tables. We rely on generous gardeners, farmers and grocery shoppers to donate fresh produce to our collection bins and on volunteers to deliver it to food pantries and shelters, some of which feed more than 100 people three meals a day, every day.

Drop-In Tech-Help
2025-11-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join a staff member for hands-on help with your tech needs! Bring your laptop, phone, or tablet with you and any questions you might have and learn to unlock the full potential of your own devices. Tech-Time is a drop-in event every first and third Thursday from 10-11 am, no registration required. If unsure of whether the library can help with your issue, please call ahead: (518) 237-0891.

Fiber Fanatics Meet-Up
2025-11-06 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-13 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join our weekly group at the library where we celebrate all crafty hobbies including knitting, crochet, embroidery, and more! All levels of experience welcome. No registration is required.

Carrying the Bag: Otherness in the Modern Speculative Short Story
2025-11-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join Richard Hartshorn at the Waterford Public Library for a virtual talk connecting Ursula K. LeGuin’s Carrier Bag theory to LGBTQ+ writers of speculative fiction over time. This presentation will provide writing advice and a fresh perspective to fiction writers, particularly those interested in blurring the lines between literary and speculative fiction. Registration for this event is required and begins on October 1, 2025. Participants can opt to come into the library for the virtual presentation or join from the comfort of their home. Meeting links will be sent out the day before the presentation. Call (518) 237-0891 to reserve a spot.
Richard Hartshorn (they/them) is a writer of literary and speculative fiction, and instructor of English and Writing at Hudson Valley Community College.

Customer Savings Event with National Grid
2025-11-08 10:30 - 12:30 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
A National Grid advocate will be on-site to help you explore options and determine your eligibility for assistance including the following:

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
Energy Affordability Program (EAP)
Payment Plans
Budget Plan
Special Protections

If you receive HEAP, Lifeline Telephone Service Program, SNAP, Veterans Disability or Survivors Pension, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, TANF, Medicaid or other assistance please bring a current year/season award letter to enroll in National Grid’s bill discount for your gas and electric accounts (if eligible).

Library Closed for Veteran's Day
2025-11-11
The Waterford Library will be closed November 11, 2025, in observance of Veteran’s Day.

Anyone Can! Acrylic Paint
2025-11-13 17:00 - 19:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Discover your creative side in another hands-on painting workshop led by Nicky. In this session, participants will learn step-by-step techniques to create a vibrant birch tree painting using acrylics; perfect for beginners and seasoned painters alike.
Painting can get messy so please dress accordingly and avoid flowing sleeves. Open to ages 18 and up. Registration opens October 13th and is required as space is limited.

Blood on the Clocktower
2025-11-15 14:00 - 18:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join the library for a fun social deduction game for adults!

Blood on the Clocktower is a game of murder and mystery, lies and logic, deduction and deception for five-to-twenty courageous players and one devious storyteller.
A social game played in person, seated in a circle, each player receives either a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ token with their unique character on it. Good players share information to solve the mystery whilst evil players lie about who they are and what they know. The good team wins if they can piece together their knowledge, trust each other, and execute the demon. The evil team wins if the demon can sow distrust, evade detection, and wipe out the village.”

First come, first served, as space allows. Ages 18+

Find out more: https://bloodontheclocktower.com/

Golden Leaf Book Club
2025-11-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join our newest book club, the Golden Leaf Book Club, run by Shaunty McMillin, owner of Golden Leaf Books here in Waterford. This is a book club focused on fantasy, romance, and romantasy reads. Light refreshments will be provided. No registration necessary. We will be discussing One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig on November 17th from 6-7. Copies are available for pickup at the Waterford Public Library.
“Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.
But nothing comes for free, especially magic.”

Library Board Meeting
2025-11-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
The Board of Trustees meets monthly at the library on the 2nd Tuesday of the month beginning at 6pm. Due to the Veteran’s Day holiday, we have rescheduled our meeting for the month of November. All meetings are open to the public. Interested parties can view the board meeting agenda and other items to be discussed here. Documents will be uploaded for viewing 24 hours in advance of the Tuesday meeting. A public comment period will be available at the beginning of each meeting.

Adult Craft Night: Faerie Window Ornaments
2025-11-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join the library and local artist Emma Rinaldi for a delightfully whimsical painting/crafting class. This class will guide participants through the steps of creating a window to another world. These fairy windows (which can be turned into ornaments) are made with acrylic paint, cardstock, twigs, and twine. This is a beginner-friendly class. All materials (and instruction) will be provided. Registration is required.
Ages 16+. Call (518) 237-0891 to secure a spot.

Crafternoon - Trivets
2025-11-22 11:00 - 13:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Create a handcrafted detail for your holiday gatherings. In this Crafternoon, participants will use clothespins to craft a unique trivet design—both beautiful and practical. These handmade pieces are perfect for serving hot dishes at your Thanksgiving table or adding warmth and style to your home year-round. All materials are provided, and no prior crafting experience is required.
This program is open to ages 16 and older, and registration is required. Call us to sign up.

Waterford Readers Book Club
2025-11-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join the library for a monthly book club! We will primarily be reading mysteries and thrillers but other genres may be included from time to time. Our pick for November 25th is A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson. Copies are available at the check-out desk for pickup during the month of November. No registration is required. Please note that this book club takes place after the library is closed. We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes prior to the start of book club if you wish to check out items or peruse our collection.
Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her work as a librarian in Maine. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured salesman whose job took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.
A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.
Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . .but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Library Closed for Thanksgiving
2025-11-27 - 2025-11-28
The Waterford Library will be closed November 27th-28th, 2025, in observance of Thanksgiving.

Community Holiday Party
2025-11-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Waterford Public Library, 117 3rd St, Waterford, NY, 12188, United States
Join us for a festive holiday gathering sponsored by the Friends of the Waterford Public Library!Kids can decorate their own gingerbread (graham cracker) houses and make a fun holiday craft, while adults create beautiful ornaments to take home. Light refreshments will be provided for everyone to enjoy.
When our celebration wraps up, don’t forget that the Waterford Holiday Parade will take place later in the evening — a wonderful way to keep the seasonal fun going!

Library CLOSED (due to snow)
2025-12-02
Please note that the library will be closed all day Tuesday December 2nd due to snow. We plan to reopen Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m.
