4th Fest Fundraiser

Bedford Library Friends need your help with the 4th Fest Fundraiser for the new library. Volunteers are needed to assist with parking areas and selling bottled water. We really need help from 4:00 – 8:00 pm. We would love to have you for a two or four hour shift. Please contact Jim Davisson at jimdgovols@att.net or call 817.271.7107. If you cannot help, but plan to attend the July 4th festival, please remember to park your cars at the Old Bedford School or at the future location of the Bedford Public Library. Parking is $5.00 and all funds will go to the Friends to support the Library.

Build-A-Bear Reading Buddies

Does your child need a Reading Buddy? The Bedford Public Library is partnering with the Build-a-Bear Workshop located at Grapevine Mills to create a fun and safe environment in which children can read. Build-a-Bear has donated six Reading Buddies for children.

Children may pick their favorite Reading Buddy and cuddle up to share a good book with their friend. Reading Buddies never criticize reading and will listen to stories all day long! Your child can read to their Reading Buddy any day of the week during library hours. The Reading Buddies will also be incorporated into the Library Buddy tutoring program for children who are working to increase their reading skills over the summer.

Now you can add reviews to your favorite library materials!

Bedford Public Library was the second library in the nation to implement catalog enhancements (tags, read-a-likes and other editions) from LibraryThing for Libraries (LTFL) in its online catalog. And we're the first library in Texas to bring you a new feature from LTFL. You may now add reviews to your favorite library materials!

Did you love the latest Nora Roberts book but were disappointed by James Patterson's latest effort? Well now you can share your opinions by adding your own reviews of books, audio books, DVDs and Music CDs to the library catalog. You can read reviews submitted by other library patrons and from LibraryThing users. You can see how readers have rated each title and rate them yourself.

To see or add reviews, just click on the Reviews link in the title you are viewing.
A reviews window like the one below will open. Scroll down to read the reviews or create a LibraryThing account and add your own review.


There are already over 300,000 reviews from LibraryThing.com users and other libraries that use LTFL reviews in their catalog. Patrons can add their reviews to their Facebook page and even create a widget that lets them show off their reviews on blogs and websites.

Learning Express Library

LearningExpress Library is a comprehensive, interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial courses designed to help users improve basic skills in reading, writing, and math, as well as prepare for high-stakes tests such as the GED, ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, ASVAB and others. LearningExpress has helped millions of library patrons and students prepare for a wide range of career-oriented licensing and certification exams in areas such as health care, education and civil service as well as improve job skills such as creating a great resume or cover letter, honing interviewing techniques, and improving business communications.

The innovative platform includes self-paced interactive study, instant scoring, and diagnostic feedback, and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. Users will need to create an account using the barcode from your Bedford library card as your Username and making up your own Password.

So if you need to pass a test, are looking to land a job, want to get your U.S. citizenship or pass your real estate exam then try out LearningExpress so you can achieve the results you want in school, at work or in life.

Bedford Library joined twelve other area libraries to form a consortium which allowed for discount pricing to the participating institutions. This database was paid for by the Friends of the Bedford Public Library.

Library Floor Plan and Elevation

See the latest floor plan and exterior elevation drawings for the new library.

Geothermal Drilling

Drilling the test well for geothermal
started this morning.
See photos of the crew at work.

Geothermal for New Library

Due to a Department of Energy Grant, the Library Project Team revisited the energy options available for the new library. A presentation made to City Council on Tuesday, May 26 introduced geothermal technology and detailed the advantages/disadvantages of a conventional HVAC system versus geothermal heat pumps. City Council directed staff to use geothermal for the heating and cooling system to realize 20 - 25% energy savings over a conventional HVAC unit.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Area school districts using geothermal technology have realized savings of up to 50%. The Library Project Team interviewed Energy Managers at the Arlington, Birdville, Frisco and Waxahachie school districts. All the officials highly recommended geothermal technology siting annual energy and maintenance costs.

Sign Up for Summer Reading Club

It's June 1st which means it's time to sign up for Summer Reading Club. Signing up is easy - we've got programs for kids, teens and adults - so register online today.