Photo: Marc Holstein · CC BY-SA 4.0Bethel has no public library of its own; the nearest is Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville in Jeffersonville, 7.9 miles away
Bethel doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville in Jeffersonville, 7.9 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
–Civic lifeNot graded: fewer than two of the three inputsGetting a library card from Bethel
Bethel borrows from the libraries next door
Bethel has no public library of its own, but three libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville in Jeffersonville (7.9 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
Bethel isn’t the only town nearby without one
Cochecton, Mongaup Valley and Swan Lake don’t have a public library of their own either. Among the towns next door, Thompson (Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library), Liberty (Liberty Public Library) and Callicoon (Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville) do. Libraries next door ↓
The closest isn’t the one open longest
Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville is nearest, open about 40 hours a week. Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library, 8.7 miles away, is open about 53 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. Nearest libraries ↓
The nearby libraries are all fine-free
None of the four closest libraries charges late fines. Nearest libraries ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What’s behind Bethel’s civic life grade
Bethel isn’t graded on civic life: it has no public library of its own and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it.
Civic life counts registered nonprofits, library visits and online volunteering groups, so it can miss civic life that runs through congregations, mutual aid or neighbors looking out for each other.
Library visits: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024. Nonprofits: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026. Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. How TownRatings grades civic life →
22 community nonprofits are registered in Bethel
5.3 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: human services.
Community nonprofits, by kind
Counted from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations by mailing address (fractions where a ZIP code spans towns). Congregations are counted apart (8 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
The closest is 7.9 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Bethel. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
Libraries next door
Who has a library of their own, and how much each town borrows. Tap a town to see its library.
| Town | Library | Loans per resident | Hours | Civic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | Sunshine Hall Free Library fine-free | 7.1 | 25 | A− |
| Thompson | Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library fine-free | — | 53 | C− |
| Liberty | Liberty Public Library fine-free | — | 26 | C |
| Callicoon | Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville fine-free | — | 40 | A− |
| Delaware | Western Sullivan P L - Delaware Free Library fine-free | — | 38 | A− |
| Cochecton | None of its own | — | — | B |
| Mongaup Valley | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
| Swan Lake | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
Loans = print + digital items borrowed in the library’s fiscal year, per person it serves. — = no library of its own, a county or regional system (its numbers cover many towns), or no report. Civic life: — = not graded (unincorporated places, whose nonprofits can’t be placed by mailing address, or towns with fewer than two of the three inputs).
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- The library’s own count. Libraries report their own visits, loans and programs. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Hours are the survey’s yearly average; libraries are compared with others serving about as many people. How TownRatings uses library figures →
Questions about the library and civic life in Bethel
Does Bethel have a public library?
No. The closest is Western Sullivan P L - Jeffersonville in Jeffersonville, 7.9 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Bethel’s civic life grade?
Bethel isn’t graded on civic life: it has no public library of its own and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in Bethel.
Libraries: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Each library reports its own numbers. Distances are straight-line from the town center. “What your card is worth” uses typical retail prices and is an estimate, not an official figure.