Bedford Hills Free Library

History & Mission

Founded in 1915, the Bedford Hills Free Library is an association library accredited by the New York State Education Department and a member of the Westchester Library System (WLS). The Library is dedicated to providing information services to the Town of Bedford and surrounding towns, particularly those in the hamlet of Bedford Hills.

The Library was first opened by Mrs. Eliza Gourlie above Adam’s Department Store. Mary C. Hyatt, served as our Library Director from 1947 to 1974.  Rhoda Gushue served as Director of the Library from 1974 until her retirement in 2013. Located in a private house built in 1860, our Library was acquired in 1952, renovated in 1960 and 1974. Most recently, with support from the New York State Education Department, we upgraded the Library’s lighting system to improve energy efficiency and climate control.

Today, the Bedford Hills Free Library has a collection of 106,562 library materials for adults, young adults, and children and additional materials are available for downloading through the Westchester Library System (WLS). The Library is open to the public 2,327 hours each year. We serve approximately 2,500 Bedford Hills Free Library card holders, including thousands of visitors to our library including children and family members attending programs and events.