Are you a book lover? Whether it’s enjoying a good hardback or a digital book on your tablet, people still like to cozy up to a good story to relax.
Reading is good for you no matter your age—it’s excellent exercise for your brain. Reading books and magazines, writing and participating in other mentally stimulating activities has been shown to keep memory and thinking skills intact and help slow the rate of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The Kendal on Hudson Library is a treasured area of the community. As part of the resident-led community, the Library Committee runs the library and keeps it stocked with a broad selection of books.
The Library Committee
The Library Committee is one of the largest committees in Kendal on Hudson’s Residents’ Association with over 30 members.
The mission of the Library Committee is to build up an excellent collection that is useful and up-to-date. A simple circulation system is in place for all residents to use it with ease.
The committee maintains set hours during which a knowledgeable volunteer is available for the convenience of residents. The Library Committee works to create a quiet and welcoming environment for all readers.
“Kendal is very much a reading community. We consider it an essential part of life here,” says Suzanne, who is a co-chair of the Library Committee.
The Kendal on Hudson Library
The Kendal on Hudson Library provides residents with a great selection of books. The collection is in part donated by residents, in part purchased from budgeted funds. In addition to books, the library also provides recent newspapers, magazines, audiobooks and biographies of individual residents. The library also provides carousels of paperback books outside the library and scattered throughout the community for easy access.
All residents, their families and employees of Kendal can use the library. If the Kendal on Hudson Library does not have a book a resident is looking for, they can get a library card to the nearby Warner Library in Tarrytown and have access to their book collection as well. Residents can check out the book from the comfort of their home and a driver from Kendal on Hudson will pick up the book and return it for the resident.
For the most part, the Kendal on Hudson Library is organized in the same sections as you would normally see in any other library. However, there are a few sections unique to the Kendal library. For example, there is a section of books written by Kendal residents called “Kendal Authors.” These are books written by current resident authors—one of whom won a Pulitzer Prize—and past residents. The library also has a children’s book section for residents to enjoy with their families.
Activities at Kendal on Hudson Library
One of the more popular activities held at the Kendal on Hudson Library is the Meet the Author program. The library invites one of the Kendal authors to come in to do a meet and greet. The author talks about their book with other residents and also does a question and answer session. This is a great opportunity for new residents to explore and get familiar with the library.
“The authors are very generous of their time and enjoy the whole experience as much as the residents do,” Suzanne says.
Kendal on Hudson is a Resident-Driven Community
The Kendal on Hudson Library is proudly run by the residents on the committee, as well as the rest of the community. That’s how they make it truly their own. Learn more about what the resident-led lifestyle offers residents by visiting us online or scheduling a tour to see our community for yourself!
