The Emmaus Public Library officially opened its new wing with a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 8, 2018 and an Open House is planned for November 28, 2018 from 6 PM-8:30 PM to allow everyone time to explore their new space.

The Emmaus Public Library serves as the home library for Emmaus and Macungie boroughs and Upper Milford Township as well as providing services for Access patrons from participating Pennsylvania libraries.  There are currently over thirteen thousand patrons who circulated over eighty-four thousand items and attended almost 300 events in 2017.

The new 2,780 square-foot wing will house the Children and Young Adult collections, ADA-compliant restrooms, and space for classes and events that directly support the library’s mission statement: “To enrich our community and inspire lifelong learning by uniting people, ideas, and information.”

The last major renovation to the library was in 1990s with the additional of the Margaret Knoll Gardner Lecture Room and ADA-compliant restrooms. Previous renovations have included the addition of space for books and staff as the library grew from 3,415 items to over 90,000 items. With the addition of the new space, the Library will be able to move nearly 2,000 items out of storage and into the collections.

Supported largely by library patrons’ donations, the expansion has been made possible by grants including the Keystone Grant for Public Library Facilities from the Keystone Recreation Park and Conservation Fund, The Trexler Foundation, and Matching Grants from several local businesses in conjunction with our generous donors.

The long awaited project experienced several setbacks when the original design needed to be reworked after learning that the Library’s proposed design sits in a flood plain.  Revised, FEMA approved designs increased the cost of the project and prompted the need for a more vigorous fundraising campaign.  The Emmaus Borough Council approved the revised plan with conditions in October 2016, allowing the Library to move forward with fundraising efforts and grant applications.

Featured speakers included Jean Nagle and Carl Cramer (library board members), Maryellen Kanarr (Library Director), Senator Pat Toomey, Representative Justin Simmons, Lee Anne Gilbert (Mayor of Emmaus), Terri Sorg- McManamon (VP of the Emmaus Arts Commission), and Children’s Librarian Sue Monroe,  representatives for Senator Lisa Boscola, Commissioner Nathan Brown, and Senator Patrick Browne.  The Ribbon was cut by students from Lincoln Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, and Seven Generations Charter School with Miss Sue.

Thanks in large part to the Friends of the Emmaus Public Library and their annual book sales, donations started to grow, the annual giving campaigns have been highly successful, and individual gifts have steadily increased.

Wayne Stitt of Spillman Farmer Architecture is the project architect and CMG of Easton, Inc. is the general contractor for the project.

Any questions regarding the project can be directed to Maryellen Kanarr.

Check out the Morning Call article (please note the misprint – the date for the open house is Weds. Nov. 28 6-8:30PM)

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submitted by:
Angie Devers,
Emmaus Public Library