Use your library card to book a discounted pass to the Trustees of Reservations. There are more than 120 properties from the Cape to the Berkshires for you to enjoy. You can tour historic homes, visit art museums, meet friends at the farms, picnic, and hike for miles.
Reserve your pass here.
July 1 to August 23
We have a challenge for all ages. Kids, Teens, and Adults are welcome to join in the fun. Each age group has its own set of prizes. Whether you’re a recent high school graduate, a retiree, or at any stage of life in between, we welcome you to register for Adult Summer Reading. You can earn points for each day you read. Collect enough points and you will be automatically entered into a drawing for weekly prizes and a final Grand Prize. Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library for their generous support.
All ages, please register online at bedfordlibrary.beanstack.org
Have you enjoyed our new board game collection, but wished for something a little younger? We now have a collection of 8 board games that range in age, but start as young as 3! Check them out next time you are in the library. If you have a suggestion for a game to add – let us know!
The children’s board games are located in the children’s room near our magazines and across from our audiobooks.
Titles available:
Update: we made to the Fierce Four!
March 22-28: Semi-finals: Bedford vs. Lunenburg and Wilmington vs. Georgetown.
March 29-April 4: Championship
We are once again participating in Minute Madness, a bracket style Reading Competition between libraries. Sign up and log your minutes to help us beat other Massachusetts Libraries. You do NOT need to be a Bedford resident to log for Bedford. Log for us because we’re your favorite, or maybe your town isn’t participating (Concord, Lexington etc).
Questions? Stop by the library and ask!
Summer Reading starts on Tuesday, June 20th and ends on Friday, August 25th.
This year we have one challenge for all ages – making it easier for the whole family to participate (but there will be different prizes for each age group). Whether you’re a new high school graduate, a retiree, or any stage of life in between, we welcome you to register for Adult Summer Reading and earn points for each day you read. Collect enough points and you will be automatically entered into a drawing for weekly prizes and a final Grand Prize, generously donated by the Friends of the Library.
Please register online with Beanstack from your computer or smartphone. Paper forms are also available at the Reference Desk.
This morning’s scheduled hoopla maintenance is taking slightly longer than expected, but the hoopla team is working to get the service back up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!
Bedford didn’t make it Round 3. Uxbridge moved on to the next bracket.
Thanks to everyone who particpated.
Wait until next year!
Appointments are required if you prefer to use the curbside service.
Visit our catalog to place holds on library materials – when you receive an email that your items are ready, you may come into the library to pick up your items from the Reserve Shelf – be sure to check them out. If you prefer to use the curbside service go to Bedford Contact Free Pickup to schedule a contact-free curbside pickup. Just select an available time slot.
Call us at 781-275-9440 if you prefer to schedule your pickup over the phone.
Items for pick up will be on the tables near the main entrance. Each pickup will be in paper bags labeled with your name (or library alias) and the last four numbers of your library card. (Note: if you have set up an alias instead of your last name, please indicate this in the note field of the scheduling software).
All the items will be checked out to you so just grab and go! If there is something in the bag that you no longer want please just drop it in the book return.
If you have any questions, PLEASE give us a call. We would be happy to walk you through the process or schedule the pickup for you.
I’ve just reserved a book, when can I come to pick it up?
You will be notified by email or phone when it is “Ready for Pickup.” You can come into the library to pick up your items or you can then schedule a convenient pickup time by going to Bedford Contact Free Pickup with your library card and pin.
How long will it take to get my item?
If it is available in our library, you should be notified by email or phone in approximately 48 hours.
What if I miss my pick-up time?
If you missed your pick-up time and were not able to get to the library the same day, please give us a call at 781-275-9440 (Circulation Desk) to reschedule your pick-up time. As rescheduling cannot be done online, you do need to call. If we do not hear from you after 3 days, and your items have not been picked up, they will be removed from your account.
When will my items be due?
There will be a due date receipt in the bag with your material. We are not charging fines at this time.
May I pick up materials for other people?
Yes, please do. If multiple family members have items arriving at the same time please make one reservation and indicate all the names in the notes field.
I have materials to return, where can I leave them?
You may return print (books and magazines) and AV items (movies, audiobooks, music, and computer games) in our book drop at any time. No fines are being charged at this time.
Has it been a while since you visited the Bedford Free Public Library? Or are you a frequent visitor but typically only use one area? Perhaps you never leave the Children’s Room or the Computer stations near the Reference Desk. Here’s a chance to explore the entire building via this 360° virtual tour. Let’s go!
A look at the devastating fires and their impact on Boston, from the many “great” fires of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries (including the truly Great Fire of 1872,) the Cocoanut Grove tragedy of 1942 (which killed 492,) and the Hotel Vendome fire of 1972 (which resulted in the deaths of eight firefighters.) How did these fires happen? What was learned from these events? What, if anything, was done to try and prevent similar catastrophes? David’s newest slide show, filled with images from these events, answers these and other questions.
Please register here In collaboration with the Ashland Public Library.
Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Please register the Zoom link above.
We’re all familiar with many outstanding songs from the early days of Rock and Roll such as Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender,” The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You,” and “Night” by Jackie Wilson. What is less known, and often little appreciated, is that the melodies for those songs, as well as many others recorded during the 50’s and ‘60’s, were written decades or in some cases centuries earlier and have their roots in classical music, grand opera, or Broadway shows. Relive a dozen or so examples of songs in this category, compare them to the original version, and examine how the adaption from classical themes to Rock ‘n Roll standards was accomplished so successfully. Led by Rich Knox, a retired school teacher and administrator, who lectures on musicals, films, and opera to libraries across the country.
Please register here In collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.
Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 of the program.
Please register the Zoom link above.
There is no TAG (Teen Activity Group) for the time being. Our ongoing construction project means that the Meeting Room is not available for programs. We will get TAG up and running as soon as possible, but in the meantime, teens will have access to crafts and board games in the Teen Room on Wednesdays after school. As always, food is not allowed in the library, so please make sure to take your snacks outside.
Middle School and High School students are invited to join our brand-new Teen Council! Bring your ideas for the Teen Room, teen activities and programs, events for younger kids, and library materials. Earn community service and hang our with your friends.
The Teen Council will meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 4pm in the Reference Room. Join us on:
Questions? Email Teen Librarian Pam at [email protected]
September 4th – November 13th, 2024.
Art Reception – Sunday, October 27th at 5 pm.
The public is invited to view the exhibit during regular library hours.
This exhibit would not be possible without assistance from the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.
Now that Summer Reading is done, we can plan for teen events for the school year! Help us decide what to do and when!
Fill out our Teen Programming Survey online or stop by the Library for a paper copy.
Teen Activity Group (TAG), which meets on Wednesdays after school, will start later this Fall. Our regular meeting space is not currently available due to construction.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Teen Summer Reading program this year! We had great participation despite not being able to have any programs because of our construction project.
We had over 1150 days of reading logged and a whopping 765 spins of our prize wheel!
Our grand prize winners are Elaine C. and Minha P!
Now that Summer Reading is over, we can plan for events during the school year. Please take our programming survey (online or on paper in the Library) to help us plan.
The shark biologist who quite unexpectedly found himself in the middle of the newest white shark hotspot tells his story and the story of these magnificent creatures. Based on his book Chasing Shadows, written with Ret Talbot, this presentation highlights this remarkable conservation success story, which is loaded with cutting-edge science, drama, and controversy. From the fascinating early days of shark research on the east coast to the consequences of the so-called Jaws effect and the heart-stopping moment when he found himself beneath a 17-foot white shark off Cape Cod, Skomal sets the record straight about this iconic species.
Dr. Greg Skomal—in addition to being an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, and author—is a leading white shark expert in the Atlantic. He is a senior fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and currently directs the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Intercampus Marine Science graduate program; an adjunct scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts; and a member of the Explorers Club and the Boston Sea Rovers. Greg has authored dozens of scientific research papers and has appeared in several film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, PBS, and numerous television networks. He is a regular on Shark Week and Shark Fest and is the author of The Shark Handbook. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a PhD from Boston University. He lives with his family in Marion, Massachusetts.
Please register here In collaboration with the Cary Library. Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Please register via the Zoom link above.
Please join us for a discussion with debut romance author, Danica Nava, about her book The Truth According to Ember – in which a Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com.
About Danica:
Danica Nava is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and works as an Executive Assistant in the tech industry. She has her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter. The Truth According to Ember is her debut novel. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @danica_nava.
In partnership with the Ashland Public Library.
Thanks to the Friends of the Bedford Free Public Library.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Please register via the Zoom link above.
Summer Reading is almost over and we are asking for your input! Fill out our survey to help us build a schedule full of events you want at a time that works for you.
Click here to fill out our survey.
You’ll see a delay in weekly storytimes due to our HVAC construction, but we hope to bring back at least three in October. In the meantime, check out our online calendar for one time outdoor and in the children’s room events throughotu September.