Parkland Community Library Celebrates 40 Years

Parkland Community Library, which began in a small converted building in Guthsville in 1973, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with a gala, goodies for its patrons and ceremonies to honor volunteers and board members.

• Fine Forgiveness Week begins Monday, and extends through Saturday.  Return overdue items this week without incurring any fines. 

• Friends of the Library Volunteer Week, Aug. 19-22. Long-term patrons will be honored.

• Board Members Week, Aug. 26-30. Plans call for a recognition display and ceremonies, which are still being planned. Past board members are asked to contact the library.

• A gala is being planned for the fall. 

The library began as a grassroots effort by several women who saw a need for residents in Upper Macungie, South Whitehall and North Whitehall to have access to literary materials, given the miles-long distance to the Allentown Public Library in downtown Allentown, according to a release.

Its collection grew quickly, and by 1981, the library moved from the small building in Guthsville to a new building at its current location off Walbert Avenue in South Whitehall. The library now also serves a portion of West Allentown.

Library users borrow about 300,000 items annually and thousands more attend its multitude of programs, including author visits and children's reading times. 

As the population in the Parkland area has grown—to nearly 55,000 people according to the 2010 U.S. Census—the Parkland Community Library is hoping to eventually move to a new building in Upper Macungie. It would house the library's growing collection of more than 70,000 items including books, magazines, audio books and music CDs.

The library is collecting signatures to put a referendum on library funding on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, asking voters to approve a higher tax rate, to .2978 mills. If approved, residents would pay $29.78 per $100,000 of assessed property value to fund the library. Also, ground-breaking on a new building could take place in March,  a library officials has said.