Pennsylvania Library histories

on the web

Click on the map or scroll down the page to find lists of web sites by county

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These sites were compiled by many different institutions and people, and I have not tried to verify their accuracy. Most do not include a bibliography or citations to primary sources. Yet they come from the "horse's mouth" (usually written by current or retired library staff) and are helpful starting points.

Web sites for state-level and regional organizations are listed first, followed by local libraries listed by county. Most of the organizations on this list are public and college libraries. If you know of web pages that should be added to this list, please contact me!

 

State-Level Organizational Histories

• Pennsylvania Library Association – focuses on past officers

• Pennsylvania School Librarians Association – focuses on past officers

 

Regional/Multicounty Organizational Histories

• History of Libraries in Northwest Pennsylvania

• Susquehanna Library Cooperative

 

Adams County (county seat: Gettysburg)

 

Allegheny County (county seat: Pittsburgh)

• Allegheny County Library Association (Pittsburgh)
• Andrew Bayne Memorial Library (Bellevue)
• Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall (Carnegie)
• Avalon Public Library
• Braddock Carnegie Library
• Bridgeville Public Library
• Carnegie Library of Homestead (Munhall) – see historical information at the bottom of the page
• Carnegie Library of McKeesport
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, includes branches:
  • Allegheny Regional
  • Beechview
  • Brookline
  • Carrick
  • Downtown
  • East Liberty
  • Hill District / Wylie Avenue
  • Homewood
  • Knoxville
  • Lawrenceville
  • Main
  • Mount Washington
  • Sheraden
  • Southside
  • Squirrel Hill
  • West End
  • Woods Run
• Community Library of Castle Shannon
• Coraopolis Memorial Library
• Crafton Public Library (Pittsburgh)
• Dormont Public Library (Pittsburgh)
• Green Tree Public Library (Pittsburgh)
• Hampton Community Library (Allison Park)
• Jefferson Hills Public Library
• Lauri Ann West Memorial Library (Pittsburgh)
• Mount Lebanon Public Library
• Oakmont Carnegie Library
• Penn Hills Library (Pittsburgh)
• Penn State Greater Allegheny, J. Clarence Kelly Library (McKeesport) – scroll down the page for a “Brief History”
• Pleasant Hills Public Library (Pittsburgh)
• Sewickley Public Library
• South Fayette Township Library (Morgan)
• South Park Township Library
• Springdale Free Public Library – click on "Library History" on the left hand side of the page
• Upper Saint Clair Township Library
• Western Allegheny Community Library (Oakdale)
• Wilkinsburg Public Library

 

Armstrong County (county seat: Kittanning)

 

Beaver County (county seat: Beaver)

• Geneva College, McCartney Library

 

Bedford County (county seat: Bedford)

• Everett Free Library

 

Berks County (county seat: Reading) 

• Hamburg Public Library – see bottom of the page
• Louisa Gonser Community Library (Kutztown)
• Reading Public Library
• Wyomissing Public Library

 

Blair County (county seat: Hollidaysburg)

• Altoona Area Public Library
• Blair County Library System
• Roaring Spring Community Library – click on "Library History" at the top of the page

 

Bradford County (county seat: Towanda)

• Mather Memorial Library (Ulster)
• Spalding Memorial Library (Athens)
• Wyalusing Public Library

 

Bucks County (county seat: Doylestown) 

• Bucks County Free Library
• Free Library of Northampton Township (Richboro) – see middle of the page for brief information about library's history

 

 Butler County (county seat: Butler)

• Butler Area Public Library
• Butler County Federated Library System – web site mentions the system was founded in 1987
• Cranberry Public Library – scroll down the page to see "History of the Library"

 

Cambria County (county seat: Ebensburg) 

• Beaverdale Public Library
• Cambria County Library (Johnstown)
• Carrolltown Public Library
• Cresson Public Library
• Ebensburg Public Library
• Gallitzin Public Library
• Hastings Public Library
• Highland Community Library (Johnstown)
• Lilly-Washington Public Library (Lilly)
• Nanty Glo Public Library
• Northern Cambria Public Library
• Patton Public Library
• Portage Public Library
• South Fork Public Library

 

Cameron County (county seat: Emporium)

 

Carbon County (county seat: Jim Thorpe)

• Dimmick Memorial Library (Jim Thorpe)
• Lehighton Area Memorial Library
• Palmerton Library Association – see “Library History” near the bottom of page

 

Centre County (county seat: Bellefonte) 

• Centre County Federation of Public Libraries – bottom of page mentions CCFPL founded in 1990
• Centre County Library and Historical Museum
  • Branch libraries (Aaronsburg, Center Hall, Hoyt / Phillipsburg)
• Penn State University Libraries (State College)
  • Earth and Mineral Sciences Library – click on "Facilities" at the top of the page
  • Education and Behavioral Sciences Library
  • Life Sciences Library
  • Special Collections Library
• Schlow Memorial Public Library (State College)

 

Chester County (county seat: West Chester) 

• Avon Grove Free Library (West Grove)
• Bayard Taylor Memorial Library (Kennett Square) – click on "About Us" and "Library History" on the left side of the page
• Chester County Library System
• Phoenixville Public Library

 

Clarion County (county seat: Clarion)

• Clarion County Library System – site mentions system was founded in 1961
• Clarion Free Library – click on “Information About Us,” then “Library History”
• Eccles-Lesher Memorial Library (Rimersburg)
• Foxburg Free Public Library – click on "History" button on the left side of the page

 

Clearfield County (county seat: Clearfield) 

• Bookmobile
• Joseph and Elizabeth Shaw Public Library (Clearfield)

 

Clinton County (county seat: Lock Haven)

• Lock Haven University, Stevenson Library

 

Columbia County (county seat: Bloomsburg)

 
• Berwick Public Library
• Bloomsburg Public Library

 

 

Crawford County (county seat: Meadville)

• Benson Memorial Library (Titusville) – site mentions library was founded in 1904
• Meadville Public Library

 

Cumberland County (county seat: Carlisle)

• Cumberland County Library System
• Amelia Givin Library (Mount Holly Springs)
  • Architectural History (exterior)
  • Architectural History (interior)
• Bosler Library (Carlisle)
• John Graham Public Library (Newville)
• Joseph T. Simpson Public Library (Mechanicsburg)

 

Dauphin County (county seat: Harrisburg) 

• Penn State Harrisburg Library (Middletown) – focuses on construction of new library
• State Library of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg – click on “State Library of PA,” then “State Library History” on the left side of the page)

 

Delaware County (county seat: Media) 

• Cabrini College, Holy Spirit Library
• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Leslie Pinckney Hill Library
• Darby Free Library
• Glenolden Library – see bottom of the page
• Haverford Township Free Library – see bottom of the page
• Kate Furness Free Library (Wallingford)
• Lower Merion Library System
• Media-Upper Providence Free Library – see bottom of the page
• Middletown Free Library
• Memorial Library of Radnor Township (Wayne)
• Newtown Public Library (Newtown Square)
• Penn State Delaware County, Vairo Library
• Ridley Township Public Library (Folsom)
• Swarthmore Public Library – see bottom of the page
• Villanova University, Falvey Library – page describes library connection to Father Daniel P. Falvey
• Yeadon Public Library

 

Elk County (county seat: Ridgway)  

• Johnsonburg Public Library
• Ridgway Public Library – click on "Library History" link on the left side of the page
• Saint Marys Public Library – see bottom of the page

 

Erie County (county seat: Erie) 

• Erie County Public Library
  • Iroquois Avenue Branch Library (Erie)
• McCord Memorial Library (North East)

 

Fayette County (county seat: Uniontown) 

• German-Masontown Public Library (Masontown)
• Port Marion Public Library
• Uniontown Public Library
   

Forest County (county seat: Tionesta)  

 

Franklin County (county seat: Chambersburg)

• Coyle Free Library (Chambersburg)
• Fort Loudon Library
• Franklin County Bookmobile – shows picture of bookmobile in the 1980s
• Grove Family / Ragged Edge Library (Chambersburg)
• Lilian Besore Memorial Library (Greencastle)
• St. Thomas Library (St. Thomas)

 

Fulton County (county seat: McConnellsburg)

 

Greene County (county seat: Waynesburg) 

 
• Fenniken Public Library (Carmichaels)

 

 

Huntingdon County (county seat: Huntingdon)

 

Indiana County (county seat: Indiana)   

 

Jefferson County (county seat: Brookville)

•  Punxsatawney Memorial Library
• Rebecca M. Arthurs Memorial Library (Brookville)
• Summerville Public Library

 

Juniata County (county seat: Mifflintown)

 

Lackawanna County (county seat: Scranton) 

 
• Abington Community Library (Clarks Summit)
• Albright Memorial Library (Scranton)
  • Green Ridge Branch – see middle of the page
• Carbondale Public Library
• Dalton Community Library
• North Pocono Public Library
• Penn State Worthington Scranton Library

 

 

Lancaster County (county seat: Lancaster) 

• Adamstown Area Library – see bottom of the page
• Columbia Public Library – click on "About Library," then "Library History"
• Eastern Lancaster County Library (New Holland) – see middle of the page
• Elizabethtown Public Library
• Franklin and Marshall College, Shadek-Fackenthal Library
• Lancaster Public Library
• Lititz Public Library – click on "About Us," then "Our History" on the left side of the page
• Shuts Environmental Library (Lancaster) – click on "Shuts Environmental Library" on the left side of the page
• Strasburg-Heisler Library – click on "About Us" on the left side of the page

 

Lawrence County (county seat: New Castle) 

• F. D. Campbell Memorial Library (Bessemer)
• Mercer Area Library – see middle of the page
• New Castle Public Library – web site logo indicates library was founded in 1910
• Slippery Rock University Library

 

Lebanon County (county seat: Lebanon) 

• Lebanon Community Library
• Matthews Public Library (Fredericksburg)
• Palmyra Public Library
• Richland Community Library – see bottom of the page

 

Lehigh County (county seat: Allentown) 

• Emmaus Public Library
• Parkland Community Library (Allentown)
• Whitehall Township Public Library

 

Luzerne County (county seat: Wilkes-Barre) 

• Hoyt Library (Kingston)
• Luzerne County Community College Library – see history at the bottom of the page
• Marion Sunderland Kirby Library (Mountaintop)
• Osterhout Free Library (Wilkes-Barre)
• West Pittston Library

 

Lycoming County (county seat: Williamsport) 

• James V. Brown Library (Williamsport)

 

McKean County (county seat: Smethport) 

 

Mercer County (county seat: Mercer)

• Penn State Shenango, Lartz Memorial Library (Sharon)
• Shenango Valley Community Library (Sharon)

 

Mifflin County (county seat: Lewistown) 

• Mifflin County Library (Lewistown)

 

Monroe County (county seat: Stroudsburg) 

• Barrett Friendly Library (Mountainhome)

 

Montgomery County (county seat: Norristown) 

• Conshohocken Free Library
• Elkins Park Library
• Free Library of Springfield Township – click on "General Information"
• Huntington Valley Library
• Jenkintown Library
• Lansdale Public Library
• Lower Merion Library System includes:
  • Ardmore Public Library
  • Bala Cynwyd Public Library
  • Belmont Hills Library
  • Gladwyne Free Library
  • Ludington Library
  • Penn Wynne Library
• Montgomery County – Norristown Public Library
• Perkiomen Valley Library (Schwenksville) – scroll down the page for library history
• Pottstown Public Library
• Rosemont College, Gertrude Kistler Library
• Union Library (Hatboro)
• Upper Moreland Free Public Library – click on "About Us" on the left side of the page, then click on "Library History" in the middle of the page
• Upper Perkiomen Valley Library (Red Hill) – click on "About Us" on the upper right corner of the page
• William Jeanes Memorial Library (Whitemarsh Township)

 

Montour County (county seat: Danville) 

 

Northampton County (county seat: Easton)

• Bethlehem Area Public Library
• Easton Area Public Library
• Hellertown Area Public Library
• Mary Meuser Memorial Library (Wilson) – click on “About Your Library” at the top right of the page
• Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity – click on "Library History" link in the middle of the page

 

Northumberland County (county seat: Sunbury) 

• Milton Public Library
• Montgomery House Library (McEwensville)
• Priestly-Forsyth Memorial Library (Northumberland)
• Ralpho Township Public Library (Elysburg)
• Shamokin and Coal Township Public Library

 

Perry County (county seat: New Bloomfield)  

• Newport Public Library

 

Philadelphia County  

• Free Library of Philadelphia
• Library Company of Philadelphia
• University of the Sciences Philadelphia

 

Pike County (county seat: Milford) 

• Pike County Public Library (Milford)

 

Potter County (county seat: Coudersport) 

• Genesee Area Library
• Oswayo Valley Memorial Library (Shinglehouse)
• Willis I. Lewis Memorial Library (Ulysses)

 

Schuylkill County (county seat: Pottsville) 

• Frackville Free Public Library
• Minersville Public Library
• Penn State Schuykill, Ciletti Library
• Pottsville Free Public Library
• Ringtown Area Public Library – click on “history” on the left hand side of the page
• Schuylkill Haven Free Public Library

 

Snyder County (county seat: Middleburg) 

• Snyder County Libraries

 

Somerset County (county seat: Somerset) 

• Mary S. Biesecker Library (Somerset) – see “Library Profile” at center of page
• Meyersdale Public Library

 

Sullivan County (county seat: Laporte) 

 

Susquehanna County (county seat: Montrose)

• Hallstead-Great Bend Branch – see the bottom of the page

 

Tioga County (county seat: Wellsboro) 

• Elkland Area Community Library
• Green Free Library (Wellsboro)
• Mansfield Free Public Library
• Westfield Public Library

 

Union County (county seat: Lewisburg) 

 

Venango County (county seat: Franklin)

• Cooperstown Public Library
• Franklin Public Library – see the middle of the page
• Oil City Public Library

 

Warren County (county seat: Warren) 

• Sugar Grove Free Library
• Warren Library Association
• Youngsville Public Library

 

Washington County (county seat: Washington) 

• Burgettstown Community Library
• California Area Public Library
• Citizens Library (Washington)
• Donora Public Library
• Peters Township Public Library

 

Wayne County (county seat: Honesdale) 

• Hawley Public Library

 

Westmoreland County (county seat: Greensburg)

• Adams Memorial Library (Latrobe)
• Ligonier Valley Library
• Manor Public Library
• Murraysville Community Library – scroll down to “History”
• Penn Area Library (Harrison City)
• Trafford Community Public Library – see bottom of the page

 

Wyoming County (county seat: Tunkhannock) 

• Tunkhannock Public Library

 

York County (county seat: York) 

• Guthrie Memorial Library (Hanover) – click on “History” link at top of page
• Katreider-Benfer Library (Red Lion)

 

 

Copyright 2007, Bernadette A. Lear. Please contact me for permission to use this page.