Howland Public Library

10/15/2026

The Great Give Back is back this fall with four ways to Give Back to our community!

We're celebrating The Great Give Back with several opportunities to help our neighbors! We're collecting food, warm clothing, handmade hats and scarves, and essentials for new parents. There are so many ways to come together and make a difference in our community!

Food Fight! Help Dutchess County beat Ulster County in a friendly competition to fight hunger! Drop off food donations through October 17.

Books for Babies: Help us welcome our youngest readers! We're collecting new infant socks, teething toys, and bibs for new parent kits through October 31.

Stitchin' for the Kitchen: Calling all knitters and crocheters! Donate handmade hats and scarves to benefit Fareground and local food pantries through November 20.

Beacon Rotary Club Coat, Hoodie & Boot Drive: Help keep our neighbors warm this winter! Drop off coats, hoodies, and boots in the library's collection bin through October 31.

📍 All donations can be dropped off at Howland Public Library.

Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. Thank you for helping us care for our community!

👉 Swipe through to learn more about each collection and how you can help!

10/13/2026

📚 ¡Club de Lectura en Español!

¡Lee, conversa y conecta en español!

¡Te invitamos a la primera reunión de nuestro nuevo Club de Lectura en Español el martes 10 de noviembre a las 3:00 p. m.!

Conversaremos sobre "En el tiempo de las mariposas" de Julia Alvarez, una poderosa novela inspirada en la historia real de las hermanas Mirabal y su resistencia a la dictadura de Trujillo en la República Dominicana.

El grupo será coordinado por Celia, escritora local y profesora emérita de Literatura y Lenguas en Mercy University.

Puedes leer el libro en español o en inglés y participar en una conversación amena en español. ¡Todos los niveles de español son bienvenidos!

📖 Tenemos ejemplares del libro disponibles para llevar en préstamo en la biblioteca, tanto en español como en inglés.

¡Inscríbete aquí!
https://beaconlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/club-de-lectura-en-espa-ol/

¡Esperamos verte allí!

Join Our New Spanish-Language Book Club!

Our first meeting is Tuesday, November 10 at 3 PM!

We'll discuss "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez, a powerful novel inspired by the true story of the Mirabal sisters and their resistance to the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.

The discussion will be led by Celia, a local writer and Professor Emerita of Literature and Languages at Mercy University.

Read the book in English or Spanish and join us for a welcoming conversation in Spanish! Spanish speakers of all levels are welcome.

📖 Copies are available to borrow at the library in both languages.

Register here:
https://beaconlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/club-de-lectura-en-espa-ol/

We hope to see you there!

10/11/2026

Library Friends, The Library will be closed on Monday so our staff can attend a staff development training on Monday, October 12th.
We’ll reopen on Tuesday with regular hours from 9 am - 7 pm.

10/09/2026

Join us Saturday night for the reception of Beacon’s Dummy Light 100 Years!

Ever wondered why it is called the dummy light? Come find out! The Beacon Historical Society has collaborated with a companion mini-exhibition created by Diane Lapis and Ed Miller about the colorful history of the dummy light. Vintage photos and interesting details will illustrate the story of the traffic signal, one of just three such remaining dummy lights in New York State.

📸 by Mark Roland!

10/08/2026

Join us on Saturday from 5-7 PM at the Library to celebrate our beloved Dummy Light!
Art by over 30 Hudson Valley artists, live music with The Dummy Lights and an installation from Compass Arts' Cardboard Dreams summer program!

Art featured here = Detail from collage by Tena Cohen! :)

10/08/2026

Happening Today! Looking to refresh your yarn stash? Want to make room at home before you go to Sheep and Wool Fest? Come to the library's annual Yarn Swap! Drop off your previously loved yarn and take home some new treasures!

Thursday, October 8th, 5-7 PM in the Community Room.

10/07/2026

Talking across political differences isn’t easy. It’s a skill we can practice.

Join us on Thursday, October 15 at 6 PM for Skills for Disagreeing Better with Braver Angels Hudson Valley.

This interactive workshop offers practical tools for communicating across political differences. Learn how to listen so others feel heard, share your own viewpoints in ways that invite dialogue, and find common ground even when you disagree.

Open to everyone. Space is limited, so advance registration is encouraged.

Seeing where we differ and where we share common ground

10/06/2026

A few weeks late, but we want to give a huge congratulations to the library's Battle of the Books team, the Beacon Bobcats! On September 19, the team earned 3rd place at the Mid-Hudson Library System's Battle of the Books competition.

Made up of twelve middle and high school students, the Bobcats spent the summer meeting weekly to discuss eight books, practice trivia questions, and compete in scrimmages with neighboring libraries in preparation for the event. We are incredibly proud of their hard work, dedication, and teamwork. Congratulations, Bobcats!

10/05/2026

We had a blast at Spirit of Beacon Day! It was so much fun parading our mini-floats down Main Street and celebrating our love for the library and Beacon.
Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer us on, stopped by our table, or just helped make the day so much fun. And a special shout-out to the Spirit of Beacon Day organizers for all the hard work that goes into bringing our community together for such a special day. We’re already looking forward to next year!

10/04/2026

Happy Spirit of Beacon Day! What a great day to celebrate our wonderful hometown! Thanks to everyone who came out for the parade or stopped by our table. More fun pics coming soon!