Bethlehem Public Library

I think this is my favorite library in the system. I’ll give you a definitive answer when I’ve visited them all. It’s in a beautiful suburban area Northeast of Albany (on the Western side of the Hudson).  It’s very well-funded, but it’s not just about that.

“People think innovation is about one massive change, but it’s not, it’s many little changes, over time,” said Director Geoff Kirkpatrick. It’s experimenting, accepting failure as a part of growth.  Trying new things like 3D printers, charging stations, mini golf in the library, wifi at the pool and lending out things like fishing poles and metal detectors.  Even under-funded libraries like mine can get that mindset, and experiment with things like traveling story times, seed libraries and appliance repair nights.