A new scholarly tool normally only found at colleges and universities is now available for anyone to use at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. It’s a digital library called JSTOR –short for Journal Storage–and it offers access to millions of articles in thousands of scholarly journals. BAPL is one of the few public libraries that […]
Back in 2020, IronPigs Charities awarded BAPL a grant for a really fun new initiative: a book-powered mini library! Call it a pedal-powered bookmobile. Or just “the book bike” (though technically it is a tricycle). It looks like an ice cream trike you’d see down the shore. But filled with books! Our plan is to […]
It was a summer of prizes at BAPL. At the Main Library, we had more than 200 entries in our Summer Reading Raffle for adults. To enter, library users filled out a short book review or told us about something the library made possible for them. Eight winner received a gift card to a local […]
We are happy to announce the release of a new BAPL Books publication: THE GIANT MOVES. The story began when Mike Piersa of the National Museum of Industrial History contacted us about a new book possibility featuring the Whitworth Bending Press. The Bending Press — an enormous piece of equipment weighing almost one million pounds! […]
We are excited to be part of the upcoming First Friday at the Banana Factory (Sept 2, 7pm) and even more excited about the mural! The mural depicts leaders in the Latinx community hanging out at BAPL! The unveiling of the mural is also part of the launch of Voces de la Comunidad, a brand […]
If you’ve been past the Main Library recently, you may have noticed some bright yellow wheels alongside the porch. This colorful contribution is a brand new bike rack, courtesy of a local Eagle Scout candidate named Toby Lader. Toby reached out to us at the library with an idea to create a new bike rack […]
BAPL is proud to be a drop-off location for “Plant-A-Row” again this year. Plant-A-Row Lehigh Valley is a group of local gardeners who donate surplus to neighbors in need. Then, their volunteers transport donations received to area food pantries, meal centers, soup kitchens and shelters. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can still […]
City residents are invited to help shape the future of Bethlehem. Take the “We Build Bethlehem” survey today. We Build Bethlehem will also be used to share the City’s plans and progress for a variety of upcoming initiatives, available online in English and in Spanish at webuild.bethlehem-pa.gov. We thank you for your partnership as #WeBuildBethlehem […]
We had such a great time hosting the unveiling of artist Raisa Kochmaruk’s mural here at BAPL on July 10. The mural itself will be hung at the City’s Walnut Street parking garage later this year. An excellent interview with Raisa about the project can be heard here. She talked birds and art with LV […]
Join artist Raisa Kochmaruk for a series of free Zoom classes all about the art of birds! Raisa is an acclaimed painter and natural illustrator. Email rkochmaruk@hubbardbrookfoundation.org to register.
The humble Chimney Swift has already been named The City Bird of Bethlehem—now it’s being memorialized in a work of art. Bethlehem painter, Raisa Kochmaruk has been at work on a mural to be hung on the Walnut Street Parking Garage, where the public will be able to enjoy this beautiful work of art while […]
We are happy to share the three-year Strategic Plan for BAPL, which addresses our top priorities and plans for the years 2022-2024. This strategic plan cycle began in an unprecedented global pandemic which has impacted the community’s health, economy, education — and the library. Despite the continuation of pandemic disruptions, themes were identified during the […]
From Our Local History Collection The Bethlehem Palette Club: The Arts in Postwar Bethlehem In the years after World War II, the arts flourished in Bethlehem. The Palette Club, a local group of artists, held their first meeting on June 11, 1947. Nine artists joined together to form the club with the common goal of […]
Check out our 2021 Annual Report! You can read about all the fun things (virtual and in-person) we did last year and learn more about library programs. In total, 379,565 were checked out in 2021. And we cut the ribbon on another new library location. And so much more! Read on!
Student volunteers from Fountain Hill Elementary School dropped by Books on the Hill during their clean-up visit to Stanley Park on Thursday, April 21, 2022—the first of several planned park clean-ups by the civic-minded group. The initiative was led by 4th-grader Kali Drayton (seen here with classmate Yousef Abuharthieh) as part of the school’s leadership […]