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Upper Hudson Library System

5.0 (1 review)

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3 years ago

Lovely people, the pine hills branch is super nice-I haven't visited them all. Overall great library system.

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Bethlehem Public Library

Bethlehem Public Library

(8 reviews)

One of the best libraries in the area! The librarians all care so much and provide so many programs…read moreand such a welcoming clean environment for children! There is a beautiful community that frequently comes through here also. Thank you all for all you do!!!

I am an Albany resident who went to Miko Peled's recent presentation at Bethlehem Public Library. I…read moream stunned that the library was so conflicted before and after Peled's talk with the board considering canceling it. And then to hear that somehow the board is supposedly "sanctioning" "Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace" after the presentation. Have the board members heard of "gas lighting?"--where someone is blamed for what someone else does? The only outrageous behavior was by a group of women (this was their observed gender) who absolutely did not want to hear Peled's reasoned interpretation of what is frankly a vicious religious conflict that will never be allowed to end. Repeatedly they stood up and started shouting from the back of the room at Peled. There were library staff there--is there no "room use policy" to evict disruptors? Similarly, the only threatening action came from an anti-Peled man who said he "wanted to kill Palestinians." The cops were called on him, and no reason to call them for the quite docile "Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace" people who answered the anti-Peled women with "let him speak." And "Bethlehem Neighbors" is said to be under consideration for sanctioning? The authoritarian proscription by library staff of saying "From the river to the sea" is, sorry, ignorant authoritarianism. The next sentence is "Palestine will be free." It has nothing to do with ethnic cleansing of any group. This phrase has somehow been contorted into "anti-semitism"* and is thus something that "should not be said." *You do know that Arabs (whether Muslim, Alawite, Druse, Christian, Jewish etc.) are semites?--a designation since the 1800s of a language family. You also presumably know that "anti-zionism" is not "antisemitism?," and is is opposition to political control of an area by Jewish people--with the ultra-orthodox "anti-zionist" by their interpretation of religion. Have you noticed the ultra-orthodox men who join anti-zionist demonstrations? Do I have something "controversial" that I could speak about at the library? Yes, insights over a long career on the early evolution of life and all the evidence for "deep time" that is now quite quantitatively and precisely calculated. Now, I have had creationists shout their "beliefs" (a belief is not an observed fact) at several of my popular talks. I can only presume by my observation of the Peled talk that the library would not evict a "protester" under its "room policy" and would likely "sanction" me for any protest by anyone claiming to be hurt/threatened by reasoned free speech.

Schenectady County Public Library - Large, nice space

Schenectady County Public Library

(11 reviews)

What a lovely library! Not the typical library from when I was a kid in NYC. This one has high…read moreceilings, lots of light and tons of space. Children's area is separate and colorful, the computer lab area seems to be well-kept and there are comfortable chairs here and there. Obviously, plenty of books to keep one occupied. Upon entering, it was comfortably air conditioned on a warm evening. Bathroom was cleaner than expected. Vibe was quiet-ish...but still noisier than libraries of my youth. Nobody was "sushing" anyone.

This review is for the "branch", not the county library system as a whole, and is relative to…read morepublic libraries in general. It's a medium-sized downtown branch and the flagship of the county library system, housed in a somewhat dreary and dated 1970s building that suffers from the nadir of institutional architecture. The new addition is supposed to open later this year and should make for a much nicer children's department and open up more space in front for adult readers. In the meantime the building is a bit depressing to linger in, and does not have a lot of the comforting aspects for the reader. The construction project has no doubt not helped. Free parking just next to the library, and it's in a neat downtown location across from city hall and catty-corner to the Jay walk. The collection is decent for a public library - not "downtown" quality, if you will, but as a very large library for a city this size and for a relatively small county, it's pretty nice. The county library system in general seems to function well (we've come from another part of the county so have some points of reference), and the staff are very nice and helpful. The collection does seem to be in need of sprucing up -- culling a number of older titles and adding new books more quickly. The computer facilities are below average, but they are entering the age of loaning e-books so I suspect this is a function of budget and not managerial foot-dragging. In any event it's a mixed bag with respect to ability to use the library for research as a whole. I'm a little torn as for rating this, since I can't quite give it five stars -- I've seen five-star public libraries and this is not one of them -- but in terms of patron service I think they're doing better than average for the country as a whole. Can you compare them to the brand new libraries in Saratoga County? Or do you compare it to the storefront library branches in the same county? Or to the smaller but swankier libraries in the towns in the same county system? I honestly don't know, but my sense is that the sheer (relative) size of the collection and the vigor with which it survives in a shrunken user base merits the fourth star. They're adding on: they're moving forward - full credit here where credit is due. For public institutions to actually expand in this day and age means there's something worth paying attention to about this place. That said, it is not a "destination" library, like, say, the Carnegie in Pittsburgh PA or the main branch in Berkeley CA, et alia - it's not the kind of library you'd go out of your way to visit if you were coming from out of town. It's an old armchair that's probably far more comfortable for its affable familiarity than it is for its design. Great to have for locals who can appreciate it. The attention of readers everywhere, however, should be drawn to the Whitney Book Corner, just down the street at 600 Union, which is the used bookstore operated by the Friends of the Schenectady County Library, which is really quite something and which we'll review separately now that there's a Yelp entry for it.

Upper Hudson Library System - libraries - Updated May 2026

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