Desmond-Fish Library

How anyone gave this place anything less than 5 stars is beyond me! This is not the biggest library in the world, but it has everything you need — reading rooms, working area, free wi-​fi, computer /​printing work stations, etc. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Hidden gem in the area! Love it here.

(As with my other reviews of libraries, I’m judging not on the library’s services but solely on my using my laptop for the free Wi-​Fi)
Beautiful setting, nice building, but not a lot of places to plug in. Usually not many people there when I go, so anyone that comes in with their laptop feels an intrusion*.
*edit to clarify my definition of «intrusion» as «invading one’s body bag» rather than «creating excessive noise»

Great local library, beautiful location and views around, great selection of books. Library is also engaging community into various activities (clubs, i. e beekeeping, kids and adults events, etc).

The Alice Curtis Desmond and Hamilton Fish Library is a wonderful resource for the Philipstown community and a place I have been patronizing the decade or so I have been living in the area. From trying to snag the latest best seller to needing a computer to holiday bazaars to book/​media sales and knitting groups this library has something for everyone. Set on a field the handsome brick building exudes calm and dignity. The generously donated self opening doors brings the visitor into an enclave of Solitude. The librarians there are very nice and helpful and will direct an inquiry to the right location, the main reading room, the childrens’ area or one of their smaller more intimate rooms. With lovely grounds to explore exhibiting some statuary, a visit to the DFL is always a rewarding experience.

A fantastic library located in the quaint country town of Garrison. A member of the Mid-​Hudson Library system, the Desmond-​Fish Library is larger than some of the other MHL branches and provides a quality selection.
The Desmond-​Fish Library looks fairly modern from the outside, and while the interior is not exactly old-​fashioned, it has a wonderful, bright layout and enough spaces for reading and lounging. The circulation desk is off to the left immediately upon entering the library; the computer for searching the card catalog is on the right; and a table with a huge display of very lovely-​smelling flowers is immediately ahead. All around? Shelves of books, neatly arranged and easy to navigate.
Yes, they have your standard bestsellers/​popular fiction/​trashy novels, but they also boast a large magazine rack and a greater selection of literature and literary fiction than smaller libraries such as the Butterfield Library in Cold Spring. The selection is strong, the atmosphere is quite welcoming, and I was impressed by the reading spaces that were available to patrons. This place also seems to be well-​visited: when I walked in on a Sunday afternoon, there was a couple working at one of the tables and several patrons browsing the shelves. Others arrived as I was leaving. The hours for the Desmond-​Fish Library are also more extensive than those of other branch libraries in the Mid-​Hudson system, and this is good news for book lovers.
While the librarian at the circulation desk looked at me as though I had two heads when I went to check out my books, don’t let that deter you from visiting the Desmond-​Fish Library. It’s a nice space in a pretty country setting.