Over 16 years ago, a volunteer project for the AIDS Council was initiated- Help Fight AIDS Through Books and Music with a goal of collecting donated books and holding community book sales to raise money and promote AIDS understanding and prevention.

The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza was one of the first businesses to help. They will again be donating their space for the 16th consecutive year during the annual Stuyvesant Plaza sidewalk sales which take place this Saturday, June 27 and Saturday, August 1 from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Over 2,000 donated mostly used books, music and movies will be available at very low prices. We will also be giving away a FREE 2009 Entertainment Book or Enjoy the City Book if you order the 2010 version.

For more information, click here to view the event flyer or visit the Help Fight AIDS Through Books and Music website.

Each year, the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other national and local entities across the country participate in Take the Test Day. This unique initiative sends the message, “Take the Test, Take Control,” to those at risk from HIV from those already living with HIV.

Locally, free HIV testing will be provided all week as part of the Capital Region’s Take the Test Week. Today, the CDC estimates approximately 250,000 Americans are living with HIV but unaware of their HIV status. HIV counseling and testing enables those that test positive to get early treatment and to protect their partners’ health, and helps people who test negative to get the information they need to stay uninfected. The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York believes HIV testing is a critical first step in taking control and responsibility over one’s health.

In addition to regularly scheduled walk-in testing, numerous testing times and locations have been added throughout Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Hudson. Please call the AIDS Hotline at 1-800-201-AIDS or click here for more information and a listing of test sites.

HIV is 100% preventable and many do not know the test only takes about 20 minutes to get a result and involves no needles or blood. New York leads the nation in HIV cases and 6 New Yorkers die every day from HIV/AIDS.

You can now follow the AIDS Council on Facebook and Twitter.

Become a fan of the AIDS Council on Facebook to meet and interact with forward-thinking people like you. Ask questions directly to us and to your fellow members. You will also receive regular updates on the latest news on HIV/AIDS, special events, upcoming trainings, free HIV/STD testing sites, and more delivered right to your Facebook home page.

Follow the AIDS Council on Twitter for daily updates and information, training programs, and special events (we’ll follow you back).

Become part of the online color community today! Click the above links to follow and become a fan of the AIDS Council or visit www.aidscouncil.org.