Adult Programs
For more information on previous programming and projects, including videos of recorded programs please visit our
Previous Programs and Projects page.
Digital Navigator Office Hours
Every Wednesday
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Struggling to get online? Finding it hard to job hunt, find housing, pay bills, or schedule appointments without internet access? The Digital Navigators of the Hudson Valley are here to help! Join Kate, our Communications Manager and Digital Navigator of the Hudson Valley, for free tech assistance. She can help you with:
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Setting up and using email
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Navigating websites for job applications
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Accessing online government services
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Scheduling online appointments
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Basic troubleshooting for personal devices
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And much more!
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are appreciated! Email communications@roejanlibrary.org or call 518-325-4101 to reserve your spot with Kate.
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.
Art Workshop: Pictures of American with Tia Maggio
Thursday, May 8, 15, 22
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
In this 3-session workshop series, taught by local artist Tia Maggio, students will look at three images or themes in American history: (1) the Brooklyn Bridge, (2) the Great Migration, and (3) quilts. In each session, participants will learn about the subject and its place in our history and learn about the artists who portrayed these topics and then do our own interpretations. In each session , after learning about the subject matter and its place in history, students will learn about and gain an understanding of the elements of art: color, line, value, texture, shape, and form.
Tia Maggio is a native New Yorker with a diverse background in the arts and education. She was formally trained in graphic design and advertising at Pratt Institute before continuing her studies in fine art and art history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. With over 30 years of experience, Tia has worked as both a children’s librarian and an art teacher, fostering creativity and a love of learning in students of all ages. In addition to her work with children, she has also taught adult learners, blending her artistic expertise with her passion for education.
Registration required. Limit to 13 participants. Email director@roejanlibrary.org to register.
Cookbook Club
Wednesday, May 14
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
We invite everyone in our community to join the Cookbook Club! We meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the library with the exception of May’s meeting.
For May, the theme will be “Dining al Fresco.”
Everyone is welcome—more members mean more delicious dishes! For more information, please contact Rita at rlj304@gmail.com.
Book Marks! Book Club
Thursday, May 15
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Join our nonfiction book club, Book Marks!, led by Circulation Librarian Robin Gottlieb. Meets the 3rd Thursday of every month. For our May meeting we are reading Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham.
Copies are available to borrow through the Mid-Hudson Library System, Libby, and Hoopla. Email circulation@roejanlibrary.org for more information.
Prose Open Mic
Saturday, May 17
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Read Your Own Prose or Listen to Local Talent
Roe Jan Community Library hosts a Short Prose Open Mic afternoon in the library community room from 1-3 pm. This event is open to all fiction, nonfiction, and memoir writers. There is no preregistration necessary. All writers must keep their readings to a maximum of six minutes in length. Please come share your work or spend an afternoon enjoying our local talent.
Community Read: Understory Walk
Sunday, May 18
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer tell us that the natural world is a “web of reciprocity, of giving and taking.” Join us at Taconic State Park for a stroll with their Park Educator as we learn about native and invasive, plants and trees. We’ll be exploring some interactions within the ecosystem, along with their cultural significance.
Meet at Copake Iron Works Parking of Taconic State Park with your walking shoes. We will be taking the Iron Worker’s Trail, with additional Bash Bish Trail option.
Read On! Book Club
Wednesday, May 21
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Join us for the third meeting of Roe Jan’s Read On! Book Club. This month, we are reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey by Gabrielle Zevin. The book is available to borrow through the Mid-Hudson Library System and on Libby and Hoopla.
Led by Fran & Kate, this fiction book club will meet on the third Wednesday of every month. All are welcome! For more information, email communications@roejanlibrary.org.
Tea Time at the Library
Every Fourth Thursday of the Month
Next Meeting: May 22
2:30 p.m.
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.
Come join the discussion and enjoy a cup of Harney’s Tea (or coffee) and some fresh baked goods on the house.
Concert: David Shenton & Erin Shields
Sunday, May 25
4:00 p.m.
Join us for an afternoon of music from the Great American Songbook.
As performers, husband and wife duo David Shenton and Erin Shields have, under their belt, a combined total of well over 3,000 performances and counting (with various ensembles, orchestras, and as headliners/soloists). David Shenton is an English pianist, violinist, composer, and arranger based in New York City. As pianist/music director David has worked with many renowned members of the music profession in many genres. David teaches extensively and, as a coach, accompanist and teaching professor, has been on the faculties of NYU, The New School, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, St. Thomas Choir School and Grace Church School. He is also a composer in residence in the advanced class of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. Born in Rotherham (South Yorkshire), England, David studied violin and piano at The Royal College of Music, London from where he graduated with the highest honors.
A graduate of the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, Erin Shields also studied voice in Vienna, Austria. Erin embarked on her professional career as a singer at age 17 when she sang the National Anthem for The Chicago Bulls. Since then, her vocal versatility has allowed her to perform a number of different genres all over the country. Erin has performed leading roles for many reputable music festivals, opera companies and orchestras.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CREATE Council on the Arts.
Reading & Discussion Group: Sustainability
Wednesday, May 28
6:00 p.m.
What does it mean to be sustainable, to live a sustainable life, and to create sustainable communities? We hear the words “green” and “sustainable” wherever we turn, but what does it mean in practice? While there has been renewed attention to sustainability in recent years, as climate change becomes a more imminent threat to our communities, the idea is not new. This reading and discussion series will explore how different authors and communities have understood the meaning of ecological sustainability and how they have tried to put it into practice in the world. Rather than books of doom and gloom, the books selected provide readers with hope, with examples of how individuals can make a difference.
We will read 6 books over the course of 6 months in the spring and summer—meeting the 4th Wednesday evening of each month, March through August.
In May, we are reading The Town That Food Saved by Ben Hewitt.
The remaining books will be:
Alan Weisman, A Village to Reinvent the World
Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (2007)
Wendell Berry, Another Turn of the Crank: Essays (1995)
A few spots are still available! Books will be provided, some will be available as ebooks or audiobooks. To register, email director@roejanlibrary.org.
Sustainability, Roeliff Jansen Community Library is made possible with support from Humanities New York.
Tech Lab: AI & ChatGPT
Sunday, June 1
1:00 p.m.
In this in-person workshop, presented by our resident tech guru, Pam Doran, dive into the world of artificial intelligence and learn practical ways to use ChatGPT for everyday tasks. No registration required.
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
Tuesdays, 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.
