The Bethlehem Area Public Library was one of twenty-five City organizations to receive a $2,000 grant from the R.K. Laros Foundation last week. Unlike the typical Laros grants which are awarded for lasting capital projects (such as BAPL’s Cohen Room renovations), this special grant focuses on operational expenses. Many non-profits are facing an uncertain future […]
Hello, Library Lovers: We are happy to share with you information on the Moravian College InFocus Symposium on “Scarcity, Poverty, and Inequality,” happening online Wednesday-Thursday, April 22-23. Note especially the keynote address by Eric Klinenberg (“Spaces of Equality: Facing a Pandemic”) on Wed., April 22 at 6:30 PM. Information (including a link for registering) is available […]
Ancestry.com is now available to BAPL patrons from home! It can be accessed under “My account” here. This genealogy tool is typically only available in the library, but for this month (through the end of April), access is being extended to home use. Discover your family history and start your family tree! Ancestry has billions […]
BAPL is happy to announce that our South Side location will be the home of a new mural this year! We are working with the folks at the SouthSide Arts District to install a 4′ x 8′ painting on the exterior of the branch. The painting (shown below) is by Bethlehem artist Devyn Briggs. Check […]
For many of us, there is no greater feeling than browsing bookshelves–running your finger along the spines, feeling the inspiration, searching for your next great read among your fellow seekers. But we can’t get to the library these days; the Pennsylvania Department of Education closed all public libraries in the state until at least April […]
All BAPL locations are closed. It is not known at this time when libraries in Pennsylvania will be able to re-open. We will keep our patrons notified as soon as we know more, by posting the information on our website, social media, and in the local media No library items are due during this time […]
We have decided to reschedule our inaugural Lehigh Valley Book Festival, originally scheduled for the last weekend in March, to the first weekend of June. Your health and wellness as well as the health and wellness of our community is our first priority. Therefore, the new dates of the festival will be June 5, 6 […]
BAPL employee Matt Wolf was honored at the Musikfest Cafe on Sunday night along with names like A-town Slim, Philadelphia Funk Authority, and Trouble City All-Stars. No, Matt isn’t a secret rock star at night — it was an award for his poetry! The award was given to Matt by the Lehigh Valley Music Awards […]
Lehigh’s Notations series brings all sorts of great writers from all around the world to Bethlehem, but tomorrow’s author comes to Bethlehem from Bethlehem! It’s BAPL’s own Kate Racculia! You can see her reading at Zoellner Arts Center. Tuesday March 3, 7:00pm. Free and open to all! Kate Racculia is the author of three novels, […]
There’s a new face at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. She’s gazing out over the stacks, opposite the circulation desk. Her name is H.D., and BAPL is thrilled to finally hang her portrait for everyone in our community to enjoy. The portrait will hang permanently in the Main Library at West Church Street, commemorating H.D. […]
Enjoy a screening of an episode from the PBS series “Finding Your Roots,” followed by an opportunity to research your own family tree at the library. Held in the Cohen Room at the Main Library. This event is presented in conjunction with PBS39. Please register for the event with PBS39 here. BAPL MAIN LIBRARY Wednesday, February […]
The newest title from Wolfson Press’ prestigious “American Storytellers Series” is from right here in Bethlehem. Joyce Hinnefeld, professor of English at Moravian College, is celebrating the release of her latest book The Beauty of Their Youth at the Bethlehem Area Public Library on March 17 at 5:30pm. Joyce has previously published the novels In Hovering Flight and Stranger […]
On your next visit to BAPL Coolidge in Bethlehem Township, be sure to note the addition of four beautifully illustrated panels in the children’s area. Artist Ursula Genthner loved children, literature, and painting, and for years her artwork graced the rooms of the Moravian Book Shop where she sold many of her pieces. When the […]
Join us at the Main Library on Wednesday January 22 for a book-signing with prize-winning writer Liz Moore. Liz has dazzled readers and critics alike with her literary novels for over ten years, impressing them with her “fiercely intelligent” (New York Times Book Review) storytelling and earning the reputation as a novelist who “writes with compassion and […]
The Bethlehem Area Public Library is bringing a new library service to Fountain Hill. We purchased a used, no longer road-ready bookmobile and are turning it into a mini-branch to be located right next to the pool at the corner of Spiegel Street and Stanley Avenue. We are calling it Books on the Hill. Books […]