The February meeting of the Library Board of Trustees has been postponed. It will now be held on Thursday, February 15 at 6:30 pm.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Bancroft Public Library Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, February 13, 2024. The Audit of Vouchers begins at 6:30 PM and the Meeting will be called to order at 6:45 PM.

Previous meeting minutes and agendas are available by clicking the Board of Trustees link under the “About Us” category in the menu bar at the top of this page.

The January meeting of the Library Board of Trustees has been postponed. It will now be held on Thursday, January 18 at 6:30 pm.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Bancroft Public Library Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, 2024. The Audit of Vouchers begins at 6:30 PM and the Meeting will be called to order at 6:45 PM.

Previous meeting minutes and agendas are available by clicking the Board of Trustees link under the “About Us” category in the menu bar at the top of this page.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Bancroft Public Library Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12, 2023. The Audit of Vouchers begins at 6:30 PM and the Meeting will be called to order at 6:45 PM.

Previous meeting minutes and agendas are available by clicking the Board of Trustees link under the “About Us” category in the menu bar at the top of this page.

It’s that time of year again when you can decorate your home in holiday cheer and support your local library at the same time. Funds benefit the library and its programs. With the hardwork of The Wreath Shop, we are able to offer 2 decorating options. Orders are due by November 15th. Pick up time will take place on Sunday, November 26th from 11-1:30 on the West Broadway side of Bancroft Library. Order forms are available at the Bancroft Library or by calling Meg Adams at 518-791-0530, Wendy Hunter at 518-728-1886, or Ellen Heneghan at 516-263-8500.

Wreaths: $35 with Red or Burgundy Ribbon

Kissing Balls: $40 with Red or Burgundy Ribbon

Please note there is a limited quantity of kissing balls this year. Place your order early to avoid missing out.

The Friends of Bancroft Library will hold a meeting on Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 6:30 pm at the library

The next regular monthly meeting of the Bancroft Public Library Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 2023. The Audit of Vouchers begins at 6:30 PM and the Meeting will be called to order at 6:45 PM.

Previous meeting minutes and agendas are available by clicking the Board of Trustees link under the “About Us” category in the menu bar at the top of this page.

The Bancroft Public Library brings “Messages From Survivors,” a powerful new exhibit about the Holocaust, survival and resiliency to Salem.

“We could never believe that a thing like this could happen. But it did happen. . . . That’s why it’s very important to tell people and hopefully it will not repeat itself. This is my husband’s dream and mine.” —Anna Jacobs, Holocaust survivor

The Bancroft Public Library presents a traveling exhibit, “Messages From Survivors: One Family’s Holocaust Legacy. The exhibit is built on 40 years of filming a family of Holocaust survivors in the Bronx, Miami and a bungalow colony in the Catskills between 1962 and 2016.

In the exhibit, six short videos introduce the Holocaust through powerful personal stories of a family of Holocaust survivors. Six exhibit panels researched using the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s resources provide historical context for the video footage. The exhibit covers the family’s experiences from 1938 through the 21st century.

A feature of the exhibit is the use of QR codes to bring the Holocaust survivors’ voices directly into people’s lives, both onsite and at home. Take-home cards keep the story alive once visitors return home. Each card contains stories of family members–some who survived and some who didn’t along with QR code links to the videos.

“I want people to feel as if they are personally meeting my family. My parents met at a forced labor camp. My mother’s entire immediate family was murdered and my father lost most of his family. My mother said, “No one could believe things could get so bad. But they did.” Their message to the world was, “Don’t let it happen again. No place. In no country.” We hope this exhibit will inspire every community to address even the smallest incidents of hatred, injustice and cruelty.

—Roz Jacobs, Co-Creator of Messages from Survivors

Exhibit co-creator, Laurie Weisman adds, “The Jacobs family shows us that resilience and joy can co-exist with loss and pain. By sharing their stories, we share their hard-earned wisdom with the world.”

Working in partnership with the Southern Adirondack Library System they will bring Messages From Survivors to Bancroft Public Library during September and October.

The Bancroft Public Library is excited to bring this new program to our community because there are so few survivors around to share their experiences and these personal stories offer first-person testimony that makes it real. We hope the take-home cards will generate meaningful conversations at homes and in schools. Come visit the exhibit at the library during our regular hours. Mondays – 1:00 – 6:00, Tuesdays – 1:00 – 8:00, Wednesdays – 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Thursdays – 1:00 – 8:00, Fridays – 1:00 – 5:00 and Saturdays – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Be sure to check our website and Facebook page for upcoming programs and events at the library having to do with the exhibit. This traveling exhibit will be at the Bancroft Public Library through the end of October.

The Memory Project Productions, Inc. creators of Messages From Survivors is a New York-based non-profit organization that creates exhibits and programs devoted to social justice, art and remembrance. Its exhibits have toured the U.S., Poland and Hungary. Their award-winning film, Finding Kalman, has been broadcast nationally on PBS stations.

Exciting news!!! The book “Tales and Legends From Salem” is now for sale at the Bancroft Public Library! The book can be purchased for $15 (Cash or check please—checks can be made out to Friends of the Bancroft Library).

You can read about the Gray Man, Old Head Allen, the Fire on Main Street, and Jane McCrea, along with many other great stories about Salem’s history! Come see us at the library and pick up your copy of “Tales and Legends From Salem!”

Don’t live in Salem, but would like to purchase a copy of the book? Just add $3 to the $15 cost of the book and we can mail a copy to you. A check made out to “The Friends of Bancroft Library” can be mailed to PO Box 478, Salem, NY 12865. For further information, call the library at (518) 854-7463.