Ribbon Cutting at Cafe con Mel

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CAFÉ con MEL – OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING

Please join us for the official ribbon cutting of Café con Mel at Guilderland Public Library on Wednesday, September 13 @ 10 a.m. with the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce.

The final piece of GPL’s extensive building renovation and expansion project came to fruition with Café con Mel opening to the public on September 6, 2023. The café is open Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 9-2.

About GPL: The Guilderland Free Library was founded in 1957 by the Westbrook Women’s Club Library Committee, first housed in Guilderland Elementary and operated by an all-volunteer staff. Following a series of moves to larger facilities, the Library was situated at 1900 Western Avenue from 1969 until 1983, when rapid growth necessitated another relocation to 1873 Western Avenue. In 1988, voters approved the transition to Guilderland Public Library, funded by taxpayers through an annual budget proposition. In 1992, a new 27,650 square foot building was realized at 2228 Western Avenue, its present home.

Eventually, the Library once again outgrew its building, as the collection and programming offerings continued to surge. Following public input in 2018 and voter approval of a referendum in 2019, GPL broke ground on an extensive pandemic-era building construction project in October, 2020, unveiling an improved and expanded facility to the public in September, 2021. Among the improvements, the facility added 6,555 square feet (a 20 percent increase) for a total of 34,583 square feet, while using 20 percent less energy. The opening of Café con Mel in September, 2023 (in the former Normanskill Room) represents the culmination of this ambitious, future-forward building project, designed to meet community needs for many years to come. More information may be found at: https://guilderlandlibrary.org/get-to-know-us/places/renewal/.

About Café con Mel: Following two years of operation at 133 Remsen Street in Cohoes, plus a satellite location at Quail Street in Albany, Café con Mel serves as the new onsite eatery at Guilderland Public Library. Café con Mel is operated by Melanie Diaz and Joy Anderson. The menu features specialty coffee, tea, espresso, scratch-baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, quick bites, and lunch items, plus Filipino and Puerto Rican offerings. Please see https://cafeconmelny.com for more information.