Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library offers passes to museums and attractions like Elmwood Park Zoo to those who join Friends of Montgomery District Library Center. (Credit: submitted photo)
Libraries across Montgomery County were recognized for their importance this week during National Library Week.
Montgomery County Commissioners issued a proclamation celebrating the weeklong event that highlighted the institutions dedicated to knowledge, entertainment and community programming.
National Library Week continues until April 13 and the 2024 theme is “Ready, Set, Library.”
Karen DeAngelo, executive director of the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, accepted the proclamation at last week’s commissioners meeting and stressed the importance of the role that libraries hold in the fabric of society.
“They connect people to the community, to the world, to each other, and to themselves. The public library is one of the few places left anywhere where anyone can come in,” DeAngelo said.
Norristown renovations planned
The Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, located at 1001 Powell St., in Norristown, serves as the library for the county seat as well as being the “district center for Montgomery County librar(ies).”
DeAngelo expressed her excitement about upcoming renovations to the 50-year-old facility and thanked county commissioners for dedicating funding to aid in the project. The county’s capital improvement program earmarked $4 million for 2024, as well as $26 million over the next few years, according to budget documents. The library is expected to operate in a temporary facility while work is being done.
“It’s going to be a really exciting time to be a part of the county and a part of the library world,” DeAngelo said.
In addition to the Norristown-based library, the county’s library system has 20 libraries and 34 brick-and-mortar locations with 673 employees, according to District Consultant Librarian Tracey Reed. Millions of books, movies and other materials are circulated throughout the network. Bookmobiles are another way the library is able to bring books to people in all parts of the county, she said.
“That’s 5.8 million items in the hands of Montgomery County residents, which is pretty awesome,” Reed said.
School librarians noted
In addition, two Montgomery County librarians were spotlighted by the Council for the Advancement of Public Schools: Upper Perkiomen Middle School Librarian Lee Calaman and North Wales Elementary School Librarian Jenn Roth. Both conveyed their passion for helping patrons of all ages gain access to learning and other opportunities.
“They’re places where students can use their imagination, work with a classmate, and feel like they belong somewhere,” Roth said in a statement. “I want every child to have a welcoming library where they can find themselves in a book or engage in meaningful activities with friends.”
Calaman agreed.
“We love that libraries have books our students can check out, but they also serve as gathering places that help improve the community at large,” Calaman said in a statement. “We don’t want people to keep believing that libraries are supposed to be this silent place – we want our library to be a lively center where people can come and enjoy the wide array of materials that are available.”
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