Hudson Valley Libraries Offer Rock Climbing, Bubble Wars, and More!

We are shedding a spotlight on the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS). I got to speak with their Executive Director, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich. We talk about the incredible summer programming that MHLS is offering, from rock climbing, bubble wars, music, tours, and more! Not just that, we discuss how MHLS can save families and educators money as we head back into the school year. September is National Preparedness Month, so Rebekkah and I talk about MHLS's Library of Local and how it helps folks around the Hudson Valley to become self-sufficient and learn incredible skills which can be useful in all kind of emergencies.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH REBEKKAH SMITH ALDRICH BELOW 👇

Important Links 🔗

• Find your local library:  https://midhudson.org/libraries/
• More about the Mid-Hudson Library System: https://midhudson.org/about-mhls/
• Online Library Catalog: https://discover.midhudsonlibraries.org/
• Free ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, and eMagazines: https://mhls.overdrive.com
• The Library of Local Project: https://libraryoflocal.org/

Rebekkah Smith Aldrich has served as Executive Director of the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS), a public library cooperative system that serves more than 600,000 Hudson Valley residents via 66 public libraries, since 2018. Rebekkah has risen through the ranks in her more than 25 years with the organization, working tirelessly to ensure Hudson Valley residents have access to viable, vital, and vibrant public libraries. In her role, Rebekkah has educated thousands of local library trustees, managed millions of dollars in grant funds that help support library services in the region, and worked with the board and staff to make MHLS the first public library system in the country to be certified through the Sustainable Libraries Initiative’s Sustainable Library Certification Program.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mid-Hudson Library System (@midhudsonlibsys)

The Mid-Hudson Library System is a cooperative public library system, chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in 1959. The organization serves Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster counties and has 66 member libraries. The Mid-Hudson Library System acts to uphold the public’s right to free and equitable access to information and library resources; facilitate economical resource sharing; and promote professional and inclusive library services in partnership with our independent member libraries.

Get our free mobile app

MHLS envisions a world in which individuals, families and communities thrive when they have access to information, resources, learning environments and library services that respect the triple bottom line of social equity, economic feasibility, and environmental stewardship.

Core Values

• Responsive Customer Service: The staff and board of the Mid-Hudson Library System strive to be active listeners and timely problem solvers that create a culture of support and professionalism with each other and our member libraries.
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: The staff and board of the Mid-Hudson Library System believe in working together to co-create a society that is free from structural inequities.
• Environmental Stewardship: The staff and board of the Mid-Hudson Library System are committed to minimizing our organization’s ecological impact and maximizing future generations’ ability to live, work, and play in our shared natural environment, with equal access to clean air, clean water, and natural resources.
• Economic Feasibility: The staff and board of the Mid-Hudson Library System are committed to achieving sustainable funding both for the System and for member library services.
• Future-Focused: The staff and board of the Mid-Hudson Library System are devoted to optimizing, balancing, iterating and innovating services to equip member libraries for the future.

Photos from MHLS's Summer Events

The photos above and below are from the Patterson Library’s Summer Reading Kick Off Party. Above, you can see everyone partaking in a Bubble War! Man, that looks like a lot of fun!

As Rebekkah said in the interview, local libraries are a great place for community involvement!

Above, you can see a photo from the Red Hook Public Library’s “Kid Librarian” program. Ava is working the computer and scanning books! Go Ava!

Above is a photo from the Dover Plains Library’s Adventure Storytime – they took a field trip on a Metro North train! Here, you can see the patrons on the train with Conductor Tammy! They rode from Wingdale to Pawling, walked to the park where Tammy read stories, shared train safety information, and gave all the kids train passports they can get punched every time they ride.