Celebrate Poetry Month

Share your favorite poems for our community-wide poetry month podcast, brought to you by the DFPL and the Highlands Current.

News, Highlights + More

Expanded Open Hours and Curbside Checkout

The Library is currently open six hours a day, Monday through Saturday! The children’s room is open by appointment only on Tuesday through Saturday.

  • Patrons are welcome to browse the collection and can book an hour long appointment to use a public computer Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10:30am-4:30pm and Thursdays 1:30 – 7:30pm.
  • The children’s room can be booked for 45 minute appointments for one family/caregiver group on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Click here to book your children’s room visit!
  • Building occupancy is limited. Please ring the doorbell or knock on the front door and a staff member will greet you and let you into the building.
  • Staff will be cleaning the library at the start and end of each day and high touch surfaces regularly throughout each day.
  • Curbside checkout will be available during the same hours.
  • The meeting rooms, program room, and makerlab are closed to the public.
  • We will be hosting a small number of outdoor programs limited to 50 attendees while the weather allows.
  • Face masks are required for all library staff and visitors and physical distancing recommendations must be observed.
  • Curbside Checkout is available during our regular open hours.

Visit our Reopening Page for more details.

Responding to Zoom Incident at the Library

Do racism and bias exist in our Hudson Valley communities? Sadly, the answer is yes. Many of us witnessed this first hand during a recent children’s program at the Library that was Zoombombed with hateful and hurtful language. Others read about it in the papers, and many participated in our Community Conversation on Racism and Bias that was a first step in providing a safe place for open dialogue around these difficult issues. One of the witnesses of the Zoom attack says it best in her impassioned statement: “We are not exempt because of the warmth of many in our community. The ugliness and hatred reside here, and we need to find a way to not let anger pass onto yet another generation.”

Two of the speakers at our Community Conversation have agreed to share their very powerful statements with the wider community. Their words define the pain inflicted by racist and biased behaviors and language, and yet they offer hope that we can and must listen, learn, and take action to combat racism in our own lives, our towns and cities, our country and our world. They remind us, “It’s all important — each action we take individually and collectively – and takes us closer to creating a society where racism is not tolerated.”

We invite you to read these statements, to share them with your family and your neighbors, and to join us in this community-wide effort to do our part in ways large and small as we seek to end the scourge of racism and bias in all forms. The Library is working with other community groups to be sure we heed the wisdom shared here, and you will be hearing from us soon about ways you can become involved in this critical work.

Click here to read and share the Community Conversation Statements.

Please follow this page and Philipstown Hub for more antiracism resources and information on continuing the conversation.

Click here for the DFPL Board of Trustees’ Public Statement regarding the January 2nd Zoom Program Incident at the Library.

Introducing Hoopla!

Just in time for winter break and hibernation season – the Library is offering patrons five checkouts per month from Hoopla, a digtal media platform that allows you to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows all from the comfort of home.

With no waiting, titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment. With thousands of titles to choose from, hoopla is like having your public library at your fingertips. Anytime. Anywhere.

Have your library card number ready and visit hoopladigital.com to get started!

Outdoor Reading Garden Update

The Library’s new Reading Garden has been put to bed for the winter months but planting will continue in the Spring of 2021. We’ll soon have an ADA-accessible, tree-lined reading space for patrons to enjoy even when the library building is closed. Many thanks to the private donor whose generosity has made this project possible.

Share Your Favorite Poems for our Poetry Month Podcast

Wed 21

One Poem a Day Won’t Kill You

March 20 - April 30
Wed 21

Sing and Move Zoom with Miss Gabi

April 21 @ 10:00 am - 10:30 am
Wed 21

Virtual Computer Help Appointments

April 21 @ 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Thu 22

Virtual Computer Help Appointments

April 22 @ 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Fri 23

Virtual Computer Help Appointments

April 23 @ 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Info

The Desmond-Fish Public Library is committed to the health and safety of our community.

Click here for more information about the library’s reopening plans  and for reliable and up-to-date information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, please visit our resources page

Homework Help Appointments

One-on-one homework help is available on Monday and Tuesday afternoons for elementary students in need of help with math, reading, and writing skills. Click here for more information and to book your appointment.

We’re All in This Together

Racial Equity and Social Justice at the DFPL

In this time of national and international protest against injustice, inequality, and violence against Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color, the Desmond-Fish Public Library is committed to providing services, resources, and programs that uphold all libraries’ core values of democracy, diversity, and social responsibility. In keeping with these values, the Board of Trustees of the Desmond-Fish Public Library supports the statement of the American Library Association condemning systemic racism and social injustice.

The Library’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Committee continues to evaluate positive steps that can be taken to provide a countervailing force to hate and racism, and welcomes community input.  To assist the Racial Equity and Social Justice Committee with its work, or for further information, please contact Library Director Jen McCreery.

Library staff have re-dedicated our efforts to building our shared collection with work that reflects the experiences of BIPOC communities, created by diverse authors and artists. We recommend these reading lists and resources for patrons interested in engaging further with social justice issues.

DFPL Recommended Reads for Black History Month and Every Month

Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice: A List for Parents & Caregivers

Powell’s Books Black History Month 2021

NYPL Schomburg Center Black Liberation Reading List

Boston Public Library Race, Social Justice, and Civil Rights Guide

Poughkeepsie Library Antiracist Starter Kit

Poughkeepsie Library Guide to Native American Books & Resources
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