“Libraries are rooms of requirement.”

— Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System

This week on Cidiot®, we’re talking libraries — not just the quiet, book-filled havens you remember, but vibrant community hubs evolving with the times. I’m joined by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, executive director of the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS), which spans 66 libraries across 70 locations in five Hudson Valley counties.

We cover everything from the history and future of libraries to banned books, digital access, and how libraries are stepping up as civic centers. Plus, we dive into one of the coolest things happening right now: the Mid-Hudson Library Road Trip. It’s a self-paced adventure through October where you can visit as many libraries as you like — no library card required. Just pick up a map, hit the road, and explore some of the region’s most charming buildings. Perfect for a sunny Saturday or a rainy day wander.

And if you love libraries like I do, we talk about how you can support — whether that’s downloading Libby to read more or signing up to be a library advocate through the New York Library Association.

Links mentioned in the episode:

LOCAL BOOKS & AUTHORS

• Perfectly Broken*, Robert Burke Warren
• History of the Hudson River Valley, Vernon Benjamin
• The Forest Euphoria*, Patricia Kasian

( *Available in the Cidiot bookstore on Bookshop.org)

PLACES

• Innisfree Garden (Millbrook)
• Find your local library⁠

ACTIVITIES 

• MHLS Road Trip (web); @midhudsonlibsys (Insta)
• Tag your photos with #MHLibraryRoadTrip

• Sign up to be a Library Advocate
• Unite Against Book Bans

Photos: Courtesy of the Mid-Hudson Library System