Summer 2024

From the Stacks

Are you and your kids looking for an adventure this summer?

The Library is thrilled to announce our Summer Reading Program with a slate of fun activities centered around the theme Adventure Begins at the Bedford Hills Free Library.

Launched right after schools close, summer at the library begins with an action-packed kickoff event on Saturday, June 29 with a performance from Latin Grammy nominated singer Flor Bromley, followed by crafts, scavenger hunts, games, and more.

In July, weekly activities begin: Storytime at the Pool on Tuesdays; Wednesdays feature K-5 workshops, such as nature art and STEAM fairy tales; Thursdays are age-appropriate read alouds and book discussions for grades K-7; and Saturdays feature crafts, using DIY kits available at the Library to create “zines” – miniature magazines - and other projects. An annual favorite is Family Movie Night at the Bedford Hills Memorial Park.

“Summer reading activities are not just for elementary students,” says children’s librarian Jennifer Peralta. “We have several activities for middle school kids too, and they’re welcome to join the Summer Reading Challenge.”

The Challenge features a range of incentives to encourage reading – or listening to – books. Young readers can earn rewards for a number of activities - checking out a book, reading aloud to a friend, responding to themes from the StoryWalk in the park, visiting new places in town or beyond, and more. Tickets can be traded in at the library for prizes and entered in the raffle for a grand prize when the challenge closes on August 15.

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Support our kids active in the Reading Summer Challenge!

The Library is excited to introduce different ways for local businesses, community organizations, and even individuals to support the kids in our community.

We are grateful to Splash Car Wash for their long-time support of Dive into Reading at the Pool and to StateFarm for sponsoring Adventure Kits.

"The library's hard work and dedication to making reading engaging and fun is inspiring and I am happy to help them as well as the kids in our community!" says Alysa DiMarco, from StateFarm and coordinator of the Bedford Hills Business Association.

Sponsorships support various Summer Reading components and with donations as modest as $25 for one child, the Library encourages everyone to help students engage in Summer Reading fun!

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Stepping Out With Free Passes

PHOTOS

David Hockney Swimmer Underwater (Paper Pool 16), 1978 at the Bruce Museum

Arlene Shechet’s show Girl Group is now on exhibit at Storm King Art Center

Exploring New York parks.

Summer is a great time to take advantage of the Library’s free passes to museums and parks. Passes are available for destinations including the Katonah Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History among others.

If you’re heading for a walk or picnic in nature, an Empire Pass gives free access to most facilities and parking operated by New York State Parks and the State Department of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, and trails.

How about an outdoor excursion to Storm King for large-scale sculpture in an open outdoor landscape? Enjoy the amazing view at the newly renovated Hudson River Museum where you can see an exhibit, performance, or presentation in the planetarium.

Our newest offering is the Bruce Museum, which highlights art, science and natural history in changing exhibitions and permanent galleries. The exhibit, Andy Warhol: small is beautiful, is on exhibit all summer.

Patrons may reserve passes online from the Bedford Hills Free Library website (see Culture Passes on the homepage) and pick them up from the library. Information on other free admission to cultural organizations is also available.

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From eBooks to Operas: Explore a World of Entertainment, Learning, and New Languages

The library offers so much more than books, magazines and newspapers. Many people are already taking advantage of the enormous selection of ebooks and audio recordings through Hoopla, Libby, and Kanopy - but did you know you can learn a foreign language, watch a foreign film, and even plug in to live cultural performances?

Recently added to our catalog are three new platforms: Medici.TV, which presents recorded and live cultural performances, including jazz, opera and classical music; The Shelf, Spanish language multi-media entertainment; and Mango, the highly rated language learning platform.

On our website under Books & More, click on eResources to find even more entertainment and information at your fingertips. There’s Sync with books for teens, bilingual Tumble Book with animated picture books for the younger set, and Kanopy offering unique and compelling film collections including documentaries, indie and foreign films, must-see classics and blockbuster movies.

All these are yours for free, with your library card.

To learn more and get help setting up these platforms, the Library offers Collection Connect and Digital Smarts workshops. You may also drop by on Tech Tuesday or make an appointment with librarian, Katherine Whymark, for a one-on-one session.

“For those of us who didn’t grow up with technology, these exciting platforms can be a bit daunting, but they’re pretty simple to use and we’re here to help patrons get familiar with them,” she says.

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Library Joins in Hispanic Festival

Library staff and trustees were pleased to participate in the Bedford Hispanos Unidos Spring Festival at Bedford Hills Memorial Park. The event was organized by Town of Bedford Board member, Andres Castillo (seen below with The Library's executive director, Mary Esbjornson and Trustee Claudia Neary) and community leaders.

With great food, music, and dancing, we connected with families and shared information about bilingual and Spanish programs and resources available.

Early literacy coordinator, Rachel Izes showcased some of the many Spanish language materials for all ages available at the Library and offered creative crafts.