LIBRARIES BEGIN TO PLAN FOR A RETURN TO REGULAR PROGRAMMING

Pennsylvania Library Association recognizes libraries for PA Forward^® Star achievements earned between April 1 and June 30, 2021

Mechanicsburg, PA (July 8, 2021) – The Pennsylvania Library Association just announced the 2021 second quarter PA Forward® Star Library awardees. More than 30 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.   

Since Pennsylvania has lifted the in-door visitation limits, libraries in Pennsylvania have begun to schedule and plan for more robust in-person programming.  Libraries continue to provide programming based upon local conditions and local community restrictions.  Libraries never stopped working for their communities over the past year.  The libraires highlighted here not only continued to provide programming to their communities but provided programming which was of such a high quality and following professional good practices, they received a star honor by the Pennsylvania Library Association.

 “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 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 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 April 1 and June 30, 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 October 1, 2021.

The list of awardees, by county, follows:

Adams County

Adams County Library System – Bronze

Allegheny County

Carnegie Library of Homestead – Silver                  Robinson Township Library – Silver          

Armstrong County

Ford City Public Library – Gold, Maintenance                     

Berks County

Bernville Area Library – Silver

Blair County

Claysburg Area Public Library – Gold, Maintenance

Bucks County

Warminster Public Library – Gold, Maintenance

Bucks County Community College Library – Bronze

Centre County

Centre Hall Area Branch, Silver                                  Holt Memorial Library – Silver

Chester County

Atglen Public Library – Gold                                       Kennett Library – Silver                 

Lancaster County

Manheim Community Library – Silver

Lycoming County

Madigan Library – Penn College – Gold, Maintenance

Muncy Public Library – Gold Maintenance

Montgomery County

Abington Township Public Library – Gold                Swedenborg Library at Bryn Athyn College – Gold

North Wales Area Library – Gold, Maintenance

Somerset County

Meyersdale Public Library – Gold

Westmoreland County

New Florence Community Library – Silver

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.