Schenectady County Public Library Event

SCHENECTADY, NY (03/05/2013)(readMedia)-- The Schenectady County Public Library's 2013 One County, One Book program has kicked off with a book review of the winning title, Garth Stein's novel "The Art of Racing in the Rain".The other One County, One Book events are:

All programs are free and open to the public. The events are funded by The Friends of the Library.

• From February 21 through April 30, the Rotterdam Branch, 1100 North Westcott Rd., will have a photography display of stock car racing at Fonda Speedway. The photographs were taken by Bob Riccardo and Carol Donato Photography.

• All About Pets Family Program will be held on Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. in the McChesney Room of the Central Library. Call 388-4511 to register. The program, to be presented by staff from the Animal Protective Foundation (APF), will provide a family-friendly overview of the shelter and the pets available for adoption. Staff members from there will also talk about how to select the perfect family pet. APF dog trainers Diane Houck and Kathy Snowden, and Community Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Jess will be there to answer questions.

APF will also be collecting items needed at the shelter such as canned cat food, new dog collars and leashes, liquid laundry detergent, and paper towels. These items will be collected at the Central Library only at this program and the Garth Stein event on Saturday, April 20.

• Paw It Forward Poster and Essay Contest: The Animal Protective Foundation will celebrate National Be Kind to Animals Week in May with its 11th annual poster and essay contest for children. Details can be found at www.animalprotective.org under the Programs tab. at any SCP library or at www.scpl.org. All entries are to be submitted directly to the Animal Protective Foundation in Scotia. Deadline for submission is May 20.

• On Wednesday, March 6 from 7-8:30 p.m., the Haven Bereavement Support Center, 703 Union St. in Schenectady, will offer the program When Your Pet Dies: Grieving the Loss of Companion Animals. This program is for adults only. Call Haven at 370-1666 to register. Haven and the Animal Protective Foundation are co-sponsoring this event.

• The book group at the Woodlawn Branch Library, 2 Sanford St., will discuss "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein on Monday, March 25 at 2 p.m.

• On Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, Serena Butch, youth services director, will lead a discussion of Garth Stein's "Racing in the Rain," a companion book to "The Art of Racing in the Rain" for younger readers. This program is for families.

• Dogs and People: The Heart Connection will be held on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at the Central Library, 99 Clinton St. Call 388-4511 to register. Animal whisperer Susan Hamlin will talk about the beauty of the dog-human connection. She will also discuss newer science and explore holistic, practical ways to deepen natural kinship with the dogs.

• A book discussion on "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein will take place on Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. in the McChesney Room of the Central Library. Call 388-4511 to register. Mary Cuffe-Perez will be the facilitator. This is a program funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and sponsored by the Mohawk Valley Library System.

• The Mont Pleasant Branch Library, 1026 Crane St., and the Duane Branch Library, 1331 State St., will both hold book-based games for children and teenagers related to the book "Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. The programs at the Mont Pleasant Branch will be held on Monday, April 15. The program for those in grades K-4 will take place at 2:30 p.m.; the program for those in grades 5-10 will be held at 4 p.m. The programs at the Duane Branch will be held on Thursday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m. for those in grades K-4, and at 4 p.m. for those in grades 5-10.

• Meet the Author: Garth Stein. On Saturday, April 20 at 11 a.m., the author will discuss his book "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and his life as a writer in the McChesney Room of the Central Library, 99 Clinton St. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Call 388-4511 to register. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The Open Door will be conducting a book sale and signing after the program. The store will also be offering a 20 percent discount on "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and "Racing in the Rain" through Tuesday, April 16; orders can be placed by calling the store at 346-2719.

• On Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a race car will be on display in the Central Library's parking lot. The car, a Mazda Miata owned by Tom Campbell of Saratoga Springs, competed in the Sports Car Club of America National Championship in 2012. It was the Northeast Division Champion in 2011 and 2012, and was driven by Charlie Campbell of Corry, Pennsylvania. Tom Campbell, president and CEO of SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. of Topeka, Kansas, will be on hand to answer questions.