Press Releases
PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK BY HIGHLIGTING LIBRARIES REACHING FOR THE STARS – April 4, 2024
Pennsylvania Library Association recognizes libraries for PA Forward® Star achievements earned between March 31, 2023 and March 31,2024
Mechanicsburg, PA (April 4, 2024) – April 7-13, 2024 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. In honor of this week, the Pennsylvania Library Association is announcing the 2023-2024 PA Forward® Star Library awardees showcasing libraries who are committed to providing quality literacy programming to their communities.
The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “Ready, set, library!” and Pennsylvania’s libraries encourage everyone in the community to visit their local library to take part in the festivities and explore all the library has to offer.
Libraries give us a green light to experience something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and pursue our passions through book clubs, Storytimes, movie nights, crafting classes, lectures, and more. Pennsylvania’s Libraries offer a wide array of programs, classes, and resources, including The POWERLibrary a collection of tools which library users can access from home with a card from their local library.
And libraries play a pivotal role in economic development by providing resources and support for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Libraries help families to save money by providing materials and collections available to them that they would never be able to afford on their own. Remember that getting your library card is a financially literate action.
No matter where you find yourself on the roadmap through life’s journey—preparing for a new career, launching a business, raising a family, or settling into retirement— Pennsylvania’s libraries offer the resources and support you need and an inclusive and supportive community where you will feel welcome.
So, get ready to explore, become inspired, and connect with others this National Library Week. Pennsylvania’s libraries are there for you, all the way to the finish line.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries of all types across the country each April.
“Yes, you can go to your local library and check out books, but these agile institutions demonstrate day in and day out they offer more than books,” Buker added. “Libraries offer the world to those who enter their doors. It is an honor during this year’s National Library Week to highlight those efforts with the PA Forward® Star Library designation. Congratulations to all of our participating Star Libraries.”
PA Forward®, which launched statewide in 2012, works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life. To continue helping libraries use PA Forward® to demonstrate all their libraries offer, in January 2017, the Association kicked off the Star Library program statewide. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and integrate PA Forward®’s literacies in their programming activities. Program topics can include information such as retirement planning (financial literacy) to more physically active programs such as walking book club discussions (civic and social literacy and health literacy).
Libraries are recognized by their peers for meeting benchmarks within the bronze, silver, and gold star levels of the program. While one star is awarded for both the bronze and gold levels, a total of five stars are awarded in the silver category – one silver star for each of the five literacies of PA Forward®. For each silver star award, a number appears denoting the number of silver stars obtained to date.
Stars are awarded on a quarterly basis in the calendar year and the recognition is for the highest level attained in the program at the time of the award. The libraries noted below are those that earned a first-time star or a new star level between March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
For more information about the Star Library Program, visit https://paforward.org/pa-forward-star-program/.
The next round of awards will be announced after July 29, 2024.
The list of awardees, by county, follows:
Adams County
Adams County Library System – Silver
Allegheny County
Avalon County Library – Silver
Baldwin Borough Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Brentwood Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bethel Park Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Brendtwood Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bridgeville Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carnegie Library of Homestead – Gold
Community Library of Castle Shannon – Gold, Maintenance
Jefferson Hills Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Monroeville Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Northern Tier Regional Library – Gold
Northland Public Library Authority – Gold, Maintenance
Oakmont Carnegie Library – Gold, Maintenance
Sewickley Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
South Fayette Township Library – Gold, Maintenance
South Park Township Library – Gold, Maintenance
Upper St. Clair Township Library – Gold, Maintenance
Western Allegheny Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Armstron County
Ford City Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Berks County
Bernville Area Library – Gold, Maintenance
Brandywine Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Hamburg Public Library – Bronze
Kutztown Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Fleetwood Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Mifflin Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Muhlenberg Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Reading Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Village Library of Morgantown – Gold, Maintenance
Wernersville Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Blair County
Altoona Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Tyrone-Snyder Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bucks County
Free Library of Northampton Township – Gold, Maintenance
Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Warminster Township Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Butler County
Butler Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Zelienople Area Public Library – Gold
Cambria County
Cambria County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carrolltown Public Library – Silver
Centre County
Centre Hall Area Branch – Gold, Maintenance
Centre County Library and Historical Museum – Gold, Maintenance
Holt Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Penn State University Park Library – Silver
Chester County
Atglen Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Chester County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Henrietta Hankin Public Library – Bronze
Tredyffrin Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Clarion County
Knox Public Library Gold, Maintenance
Clinton County
Annie Halenbake Ross Library – Gold, Maintenance
Cumberland County
Bosler Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Cleve J. Fredricksen Library – Gold, Maintenance
Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, Shippensburg University – Gold, Maintenance
Dauphin County
Penn State Harrisburg Library – Gold, Maintenance
Delaware County
Haverford Township Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lansdowne Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Marple Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Yeadon Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Erie County
Erie County Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Fayette County
Carnegie Free Library of Connellsville – Gold, Maintenance
German-Masontown Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Penn State University Library, Fayette – Gold, Maintenance
Franklin County
Alexander Hamilton Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Grove Family Library – Gold, Maintenance
Fulton County
Fulton County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Greene County
Eva K. Bowlby Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Indiana County
Indiana Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Jefferson County
Mengle Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lackawanna County
Abington Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carbondale Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Dalton Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Nancy Kay Holmes Branch Library – Gold, Maintenance
Scranton Public Library (Albright Memorial Library) Gold, Maintenance
Taylor Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Valley Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lancaster County
Adamstown Area Library – Gold, Maintenance
Eastern Lancaster County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Ephrata Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Manheim Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Quarryville Library Center – Silver
Lawrence County
New Castle Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lebanon County
Matthews Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Myerstown Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Palmyra Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lehigh County
Emmaus Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lower Macungie Library – Gold, Maintenance
Parkland Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Luzerne County
Hazelton Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Osterhaut Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Pittston Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lycoming County
James V. Brown Library – Gold, Maintenance
Mercer County
Community Library of the Shenango Valley – Gold, Maintenance
Monroe County
Western Pocono Community Library – Bronze
Montgomery County
Abington Township Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Ardmore Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bala Cynwyd Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Conshohocken Free Library – Bronze
Free Library of Springfield Township – Gold, Maintenance
Gladwyne Free Library – Gold
Huntingdon Valley Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lower Providence Community Library – Silver
Ludington Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
North Wales Area Library – Gold, Maintenance
Pottstown Regional Public Library – Gold
Swedenborg Library, Bryn Athyn College – Gold, Maintenance
William Jeanes Memorial Library – Gold
Northampton County
Easton Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity – Gold, Maintenance
Northampton Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Northumberland County
John R. Kauffman Jr. Public Library, Degenstein Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Potter County
Genessee Area Library – Gold, Maintenance
Pike County
Pike County Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Somerset County
Somerset County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Tioga County
Green Free – Gold, Maintenance
Washington County
Chartiers-Houston Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Citizen Library – Gold, Maintenance
Peters Township Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Wyoming County
Tunkhannock Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
York County
Collinsville Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Dover Area Community Library – Bronze
Kreutz Creak Library – Bronze
Martin Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Guthrie Memorial Library ~ Hanover’s Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Paul Smith Library of Southern York County – Gold, Maintenance
Red Land Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Village Library – Bronze
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PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK BY HIGHLIGTING LIBRARIES REACHING FOR THE STARS – April 21, 20234
Pennsylvania Library Association recognizes libraries for PA Forward® Star achievements earned between January 1 and March 31, 2023
Mechanicsburg, PA (April 21, 2023) – April 23-29, 2023 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. In honor of this week, the Pennsylvania Library Association is announcing the 2023 first quarter PA Forward® Star Library awardees showcasing libraries who are committed to providing quality literacy programming to their communities.
The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “There is more to the Story,” which promotes the idea that libraries are welcoming spaces that bring communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, story times, movie nights, crafting classes, lectures, and more. Our libraries offer a wide array of programs, classes, and resources.
Libraries also offer opportunities to connect with media, programs, ideas, and classes, in addition to books. Most importantly, libraries also connect communities to each other.
Libraries of all types continue to go above and beyond to keep their communities connected by expanding resources and embracing inclusion in their programming, resources, and collections. Libraries across Pennsylvania are making a difference in people’s lives by providing electronic learning resources like online homework help and wi-fi access for students and workers who may lack internet access at home.
“Yes, you can go to your local library and check out books, but these agile institutions demonstrate day in and day out they offer more than books,” Buker added. “Libraries offer the world to those who enter their doors. It is an honor to highlight those efforts with the PA Forward® Star Library designation. Congratulations to all of our participating Star Libraries.”
PA Forward®, which launched statewide in 2012, works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life. To continue helping libraries use PA Forward® to demonstrate all their libraries offer, in January 2017, the Association kicked off the Star Library program statewide. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and integrate PA Forward®’s literacies in their programming activities. Program topics can include information such as retirement planning (financial literacy) to more physically active programs such as walking book club discussions (civic and social literacy and health literacy).
Libraries are recognized by their peers for meeting benchmarks within the bronze, silver, and gold star levels of the program. While one star is awarded for both the bronze and gold levels, a total of five stars are awarded in the silver category – one silver star for each of the five literacies of PA Forward®. For each silver star award, a number appears denoting the number of silver stars obtained to date.
Stars are awarded on a quarterly basis in the calendar year and the recognition is for the highest level attained in the program at the time of the award. The libraries noted below are those that earned a first-time star or a new star level between January 1 and March 31, 2023.
For more information about the Star Library Program, visit https://paforward.org/pa-forward-star-program/.
The next round of awards will be announced after July 6, 2023.
The list of awardees, by county, follows:
Allegheny County
Baldwin Borough Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Brentwood Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carnegie Library of Homestead – Gold
Community Library of Castle Shannon – Gold, Maintenance
Oakmont Carnegie Library – Gold, Maintenance
Sewickley Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
South Park Township Library – Gold, Maintenance
Berks County
Brandywine Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Fleetwood Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Reading Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Village Library of Morgantown – Gold, Maintenance
Womelsdorf Community Library – Silver
Bucks County
Free Library of New Hope and Solebury – Gold, Maintenance
Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Butler County
Butler Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Zelienople Area Public Library – Silver
Cambria County
Cambria County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carrolltown Public Library – Silver
Tyrone-Snyder Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Centre County
Centre Hall Area Branch – Gold
Penn State University Park Library – Silver
Chester County
Atglen Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Paoli Library – Gold, Maintenance
Tredyffrin Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Clarion County
Knox Public Library
Cumberland County
Bosler Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Cleve J. Fredricksen Library – Gold
Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, Shippensburg University – Gold, Maintenance
Delaware County
Havorford Township Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lansdowne Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Fayette County
German-Masontown Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Penn State University Library, Fayette – Gold
Fulton County
Fulton County Library – Gold, Maintenance
Indiana County
Indiana Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lancaster County
Manheim Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Quarryville Library Center – Silver
Lackawanna County
Abington Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carbondale Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Dalton Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Nancy Kay Holmes Branch Library – Gold, Maintenance
Scranton Public Library (Albright Memorial Library) Gold, Maintenance
Taylor Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lebanon County
Matthews Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Myerstown Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lehigh County
Emmaus Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Parkland Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Luzerne County
Hazelton Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Pittston Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lycoming County
James V. Brown Library – Gold, Maintenance
Montgomery County
Bala Cynwyd Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Ludington Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
North Wales Area Library – Gold, Maintenance
Swedenborg Library, Bryn Athyn College – Gold, Maintenance
William Jeanes Memorial Library – Silver
Northampton County
Bangor Public Library – Silver
Easton Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity – Gold, Maintenance
Northampton Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Northumberland County
John R. Kauffman Jr. Public Library, Degenstein Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Perry County
Genessee Area Library – Gold, Maintenance
Pike County
Pike County Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Somerset County
Meyersdale Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Washington County
Chartiers-Houston Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Citizen Library – Gold, Maintenance
Clark Family Library, Washington & Jefferson College – Silver
Peters Township Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Westmoreland County
Vandergrift Public Library – Bronze
Wyoming County
Tunkhannock Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
York County
Collinsville Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Dover Area Community Library – Bronze
Guthrie Memorial Library ~ Hanover’s Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Paul Smith Library of Southern York County – Gold, Maintenance
Red Land Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Beginning January 2020, once a library achieves the Gold level of the PA Forward® Star Library program, libraries will now be able to take steps to maintain their PA Forward® Gold Star status. More information about that process, can be found at www.paforwardstarlibraries.org under the Getting Started tab.
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LIBRARIES MAKE AN IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH LITERACY PROGRAMS – January 11, 2023
Pennsylvania Library Association recognizes libraries for PA Forward® Star achievements earned between September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2022
Mechanicsburg, PA (January 11, 2023) – The Pennsylvania Library Association just announced the 2022 fourth quarter PA Forward® Star Library awardees. More than 83 libraries from throughout the state earned their star status and are being recognized by the Association for their efforts to provide patrons with educational resources and opportunities.
“The PA Forward® Star Library program spotlights libraries’ efforts to continue making intentional investments in literacy-aligned programs,” said Christi Buker, Pennsylvania Library Association Executive Director. “Our libraries continue to be community pillars, meeting citizen needs, helping businesses, government organizations and others connect with residents, sharing resources and information which have the potential to positively impact multiple lives.
“Yes, you can go to your local library and check out books, but these agile institutions demonstrate day in and day out that they offer more than books,” Buker added. “Libraries offer the world to those who enter their doors. It is an honor to highlight those efforts with the PA Forward® Star Library designation. Congratulations to all of our participating Star Libraries.”
PA Forward®, which launched statewide in 2012, works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life. To continue helping libraries use PA Forward® to demonstrate all their libraries offer, in January 2017, the Association kicked off the Star Library program statewide. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and integrate PA Forward®’s literacies in their programming activities. Program topics can include information such as retirement planning (financial literacy) to more physically active programs such as walking book club discussions (civic and social literacy and health literacy).
Libraries are recognized by their peers for meeting benchmarks within the bronze, silver, and gold star levels of the program. While one star is awarded for both the bronze and gold levels, a total of five stars are awarded in the silver category – one silver star for each of the five literacies of PA Forward®. For each silver star award, a number appears denoting the number of silver stars obtained to date.
Stars are awarded on a quarterly basis in the calendar year and the recognition is for the highest level attained in the program at the time of the award. The libraries noted below are those that earned a first-time star or a new star level between September 30 and December 31, 2022.
For more information about the Star Library Program, visit https://paforward.org/pa-forward-star-program/.
The next round of awards will be announced after April 6, 2023.
The list of awardees, by county, follows:
Allegheny County
Borough of Jefferson Hills Library – Gold, Maintenance
Avalon Public Library – Bronze Northland Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Brentwood Library – Gold, Maintenance South Park Township Library – Gold, Maintenance
Sewickley Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Berks County
Reading Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bernville Area Community Library – Silver, 5
Bucks County
Free Library of Northampton Township – Gold, Maintenance
Cambria County
Carrolltown Public Library – Silver, 2
Centre County
Centre Hall Area Branch, Silver, 3
Centre County Library and Historical Museum – Silver, 3
Penn State University Park Library – Bronze
Holt Memorial Library – Silver, 4
Chester County
Chester Springs Library – Bronze
Clinton County
Annie Halenbake Ross Library – Gold, Maintenance
Cumberland County
Bosler Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Delaware County
Yeadon Public Library – Gold
Indiana County
Indiana Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lackawanna County
North Pocono Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carbondale Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Scranton Public Library (Albright Memorial Library) Gold, Maintenance
Lancaster County
Adamstown Area Library – Silver, 5
Ephrata Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Manheim Township Public Library – Silver, 2
Manheim Community Library – Gold
Lehigh County
Coplay Public Library – Bronze
Parkland Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lycoming County
James V. Brown Library – Gold, Maintenance
Mercer County
Community Library of the Shenango Valley – Gold, Maintenance
Montgomery County
Bala Cynwyd Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Washington County
Peters Township Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Frank Sarris Public Library – Silver, 3
Beginning January 2020, once a library achieves the Gold level of the PA Forward® Star Library program, libraries will now be able to take steps to maintain their PA Forward® Gold Star status. More information about that process, can be found at www.paforwardstarlibraries.org under the Getting Started tab.
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PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES THE POWER OF OUR STATEWIDE PARTNERSHIPS BY ANNOUNCING STAR LIBRARY HONOREES – July 12, 2022
Pennsylvania Library Association recognizes libraries for PA Forward® Star achievements earned between April 1 and June 30, 2022 –
Mechanicsburg, PA (July 12, 2022) – Last week the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a budget that makes the largest investment in libraries in more than 14 years. This investment will be used by libraries to increase the impact they make in their communities and to increase the functional skills necessary for our residents to be successful in a 21st Century society.
Libraires throughout the Commonwealth partner with community organizations to bring quality programming into the libraries and made freely available to all residents. These partnerships provide a platform for experts to share their skills with others and the residents are able to be introduced to concepts by experts which will improve their lives, increase their health, understand their neighbors, and grow their financial capabilities.
Libraries of all types continue to go above and beyond to keep their communities connected by expanding resources and embracing inclusion in their programming, resources, and collections. Some of those libraries are being recognized for their accomplishments this quarter in using literacy programming in a high quality manner by being awarded a PA Forward® Star from the Pennsylvania Library Association.
Libraries across Pennsylvania are making a difference in people’s lives by providing electronic learning resources like online homework help and wi-fi access for students and workers who may lack internet access at home.
“Yes, you can go to your local library and check out books, but these agile institutions demonstrate day in and day out they offer more than books,” Buker added. “Libraries offer the world to those who enter their doors. It is an honor to highlight those efforts with the PA Forward® Star Library designation. Congratulations to all of our participating Star Libraries.”
PA Forward®, which launched statewide in 2012, works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life. To continue helping libraries use PA Forward® to demonstrate all their libraries offer, in January 2017, the Association kicked off the Star Library program statewide. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and integrate PA Forward®’s literacies in their programming activities. Program topics can include information such as retirement planning (financial literacy) to more physically active programs such as walking book club discussions (civic and social literacy and health literacy).
Libraries are recognized by their peers for meeting benchmarks within the bronze, silver, and gold star levels of the program. While one star is awarded for both the bronze and gold levels, a total of five stars are awarded in the silver category – one silver star for each of the five literacies of PA Forward®. For each silver star award, a number appears denoting the number of silver stars obtained to date.
The libraries noted below are those that earned a first-time star or a new star level between April 1 and June 30, 2022. For more information about the Star Library Program, visit https://paforward.org/pa-forward-star-program/.
The next round of awards will be announced after October 6, 2022.
The list of awardees, by county, follows:
Adams County
Adams County Library System – Silver
Allegheny County
Mt. Lebanon Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Western Allegheny Community Library- Gold, Maintenance
Northern Tier Regional Library – Silver
Armstrong County
Ford City Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Berks County
Wernersville Public Library – Gold
Kutztown Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Mifflin Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Womelsdorf Community Library – Silver
Bucks County
Altoona Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bucks County
Free Library of Northampton Township – Gold Star Maintenance
Centre County
Holt Memorial Library – Gold
Penn State – University Park Library – Silver
Chester County
Kennett Library – Gold
Chester Springs Library – Silver
Henrietta Hankin Branch Library – Bronze
Clinton County
Anne Halenbake Ross Library – Gold, Mainteance
Delaware County
Marple Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Franklin County
Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lancaster County
Manheim Township Public Library – Gold
Lackawanna County
Taylor Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Montgomery County
Huntingdon Valley Library – Gold, Maintenance
Free Library of Springfield Township – Gold, Maintenance
William Jeanes Memorial Library – Silver
Penn State – Abington Library – Bronze
Somerset County
Somerset County Library
Beginning January 2020, once a library achieves the Gold level of the PA Forward® Star Library program, libraries will now be able to take steps to maintain their PA Forward® Gold Star status. More information about that process, can be found at www.paforwardstarlibraries.org under the Getting Started tab.
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This project is made possible, in part, by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, Governor.
LIBRARIES MAKE AN IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH LITERACY PROGRAMS
Pennsylvania Library Association recognizes libraries for PA Forward® Star achievements earned between September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2021
Mechanicsburg, PA (January 25, 2022) – The Pennsylvania Library Association just announced the 2021 fourth quarter PA Forward® Star Library awardees. More than 35 libraries from throughout the state earned their star status and are being recognized by the Association for their efforts to provide patrons with educational resources and opportunities.
“The PA Forward® Star Library program spotlights libraries’ efforts to continue making intentional investments in literacy-aligned programs,” said Christi Buker, Pennsylvania Library Association Executive Director. “Our libraries continue to be community pillars, meeting citizen needs, helping businesses, government organizations and others connect with residents, sharing resources and information which have the potential to positively impact multiple lives.
“Yes, you can go to your local library and check out books, but these agile institutions demonstrate day in and day out that they offer more than books,” Buker added. “Libraries offer the world to those who enter their doors. It is an honor to highlight those efforts with the PA Forward® Star Library designation. Congratulations to all of our participating Star Libraries.”
PA Forward®, which launched statewide in 2012, works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist individuals in enhancing their overall quality of life. To continue helping libraries use PA Forward® to demonstrate all their libraries offer, in January 2017, the Association kicked off the Star Library program statewide. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and integrate PA Forward®’s literacies in their programming activities. Program topics can include information such as retirement planning (financial literacy) to more physically active programs such as walking book club discussions (civic and social literacy and health literacy).
Libraries are recognized by their peers for meeting benchmarks within the bronze, silver, and gold star levels of the program. While one star is awarded for both the bronze and gold levels, a total of five stars are awarded in the silver category – one silver star for each of the five literacies of PA Forward®. For each silver star award, a number appears denoting the number of silver stars obtained to date.
Stars are awarded on a quarterly basis in the calendar year and the recognition is for the highest level attained in the program at the time of the award. The libraries noted below are those that earned a first-time star or a new star level between September 30 and December 31, 2021. For more information about the Star Library Program, visit https://paforward.org/pa-forward-star-program/.
The next round of awards will be announced after April 6, 2022.
The list of awardees, by county, follows:
Allegheny County
Borough of Jefferson Hills Library – Gold, Maintenance
Avalon Public Library – Bronze Northland Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Brentwood Library – Gold, Maintenance South Park Township Library – Gold, Maintenance
Sewickley Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Berks County
Reading Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Bernville Area Community Library – Silver, 5
Bucks County
Free Library of Northampton Township – Gold, Maintenance
Cambria County
Carrolltown Public Library – Silver, 2
Centre County
Centre Hall Area Branch, Silver, 3
Centre County Library and Historical Museum – Silver, 3
Penn State University Park Library – Bronze
Holt Memorial Library – Silver, 4
Chester County
Chester Springs Library – Bronze
Clinton County
Annie Halenbake Ross Library – Gold, Maintenance
Cumberland County
Bosler Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Delaware County
Yeadon Public Library – Gold
Indiana County
Indiana Free Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lackawanna County
North Pocono Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Carbondale Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Scranton Public Library (Albright Memorial Library) Gold, Maintenance
Lancaster County
Adamstown Area Library – Silver, 5
Ephrata Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Manheim Township Public Library – Silver, 2
Manheim Community Library – Gold
Lehigh County
Coplay Public Library – Bronze
Parkland Community Library – Gold, Maintenance
Lycoming County
James V. Brown Library – Gold, Maintenance
Mercer County
Community Library of the Shenango Valley – Gold, Maintenance
Montgomery County
Bala Cynwyd Memorial Library – Gold, Maintenance
Washington County
Peters Township Public Library – Gold, Maintenance
Frank Sarris Public Library – Silver, 3
Beginning January 2020, once a library achieves the Gold level of the PA Forward® Star Library program, libraries will now be able to take steps to maintain their PA Forward® Gold Star status. More information about that process, can be found at www.paforwardstarlibraries.org under the Getting Started tab.
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