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:
- Setting up and using email
- Navigating websites for job applications
- Accessing online government services
- Scheduling online appointments
- Basic troubleshooting for personal devices
- 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.
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.
Healthcare Navigator Appointments
Monday, July 8
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
A Navigator from the Healthcare Consortium will be available the second Monday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Navigators can assist individuals and families in Columbia and Greene Counties with shopping for, comparing, and enrolling in quality, affordable health insurance, including Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan, through the New York State of Health Official Health Plan Marketplace.
Navigators can also assist with applying for financial assistance to help pay for coverage. Navigator services are free of charge. You can make an appointment by calling (518) 822-9600.
Reading Willa Cather: American Voice
Thursday, July 11
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most singular and treasured American writers of the 20th century. This presentation of Cather’s life and times by Peter Cipkowski will explore her turbulent biography and uniquely American voice. Her novels were shaped by a lifetime of determination, struggle, and gradual emergence. Cather’s groundbreaking fiction (including O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, One of Ours, The Professor’s House, and Death Comes for the Archbishop) set a new standard in American literature.
Peter Cipkowski is a literary historian with interdisciplinary research interests in early 20th-century American literature, civic engagement, and global education. He also serves as vice president of the National Willa Cather Center Board of Governors. Peter received his doctorate from the University of Southern California and teaches at UCLA. Peter divides his time between Hillsdale and Los Angeles.
Roe Jan Community Library Benefit Golf Tournament
Sunday, July 14
8:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Support the library by playing golf and the Undermountain Gold Course! Registration begins at 8:00, with first tee off at 8:30. Tournament includes 12-person scramble; men, women, mixed; all-day putting contest; and breakfast goodies, lunch, and snacks. BBQ lunch at 2:30pm.
Entry fee, $100
Club Members, $80
BBQ Lunch only, $35
Carts, $10 per person
To register, email service@undermountaingolf.com or call 518-329-4444. You can also register online at https://undermountaingolf.com/league-event-schedules/
Registration deadline is July 10th.
Book Marks! Book Club
Every Third Thursday
July 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 July meeting, we are reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
For more information, email circulation@roejanlibrary.org
Reading and Discussion Program: Land, Liberty, and Loss: Echoes of the American Revolution
Thursdays, 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: July 18 at 6:00 p.m.: Conspiracy of Interests: Iroquois Dispossession and the Rise of New York State by Laurence M. Hauptman
Cookbook Club
Every 3rd Saturday of the Month
Next Meeting: July 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 July meeting, Cookbook Club is cooking from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street: 365.
All are welcome to join! The more, the merrier! For more information, contact Fran at outreach@roejanlibrary.org.
Tea Time at the Library
Every Fourth Thursday of the Month
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.
For our July 25th meeting, the theme is Brain Teasers and the title of July’s presentation is “Tis a Puzzlement” with presenter and local Josh Horwitt.
Come join the discussion and enjoy a cup of Harney’s Tea (or coffee) and some fresh baked goods on the house.
Roe Jan Writers Series: John Wiswell
Thursday, July 25
6:00 p.m.
Local author John Wiswell will read from and discuss his debut novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In, which follows Shesheshen, a shapeshifting monster who lives in abandoned ruins. After being injured by monster hunters, she’s rescued by the kindly Homily, a human who mistakes Shesheshen for a fellow human. As Homily nurses her back to health, the two grow closer than either imagined possible. The more smitten she gets, the harder it is for Shesheshen to keep her secret. She is about to confess when Homily reveals why she’s here: she’s hunting a terrible shapeshifting monster. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?
John Wiswell won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story for “Open House on Haunted Hill,” and the Locus Award for Best Novelette for That Story Isn’t the Story. He has also been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and British Fantasy Awards. His fiction has been translated into ten languages. His debut novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In, was released in April 2024 by DAW Books and was named one of the best Science Fiction and Fantasy books of the season by The Guardian, Amazon, Ingram, BookPage, and The Library Journal.
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.
