The Bethlehem Area Public Library is committed to actively supporting essential conversations and actions to confront racism in America. This page will feature antiracist resources available in our collections, links to external resources, and information about library programs that promote antiracist conversation within our community and with our patrons. In our collections Antiracist reading Stamped […]
IN 1976, BAPL’s South Side Branch became an intellectual haven for Bethlehem’s Latinx residents and a “fiesta para todos” would celebrate the library’s new multi-cultural vision and resources available for the Hispanic community. In 2019, through a Mellon Grant from Lehigh Valley Engaged Humanities Consortium and in partnership with Lehigh University, BAPL’s Janine Santoro began […]
The Bethlehem Area School District provides free meals for children in Bethlehem ages 18 and under during the summer. The South Side Branch of BAPL (400 Webster St.) is happy to serve as a pick-up location. Breakfast and lunch meals will be available for pickup Mondays (meals for 2 days) and Wednesdays (meals for 3 […]
We’ve gotten some email love notes and even some actual love notes on the books being returned. Keep them coming. We miss you too and love seeing your notes! ???
Starting Tuesday June 9, the Bethlehem Area Public Library will accept fine-free returns of all library materials currently on loan to our patrons. There are over 15,000 items checked out! It will take us some time to receive and return them all to our collection safely. In order to prepare to lend them out to […]
All library items have been renewed with a due date of July 1. This is updating a previous announcement which stated that today (May 27) was the due date. No items are due today! We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience. Stay home and stay safe and we’ll see you soon.
For our 2020 Adult Summer Reading program, we’re going virtual! Adult Summer Reading will run for eight weeks from June 22 through August 15, 2020. After each of the eight weeks, we will randomly select one reviewer to win a $25 Gift Card from a local business. To participate, simply read a book or listen to […]
Access to Ancestry.com from home has been extended to BAPL patrons from home for the month of May. It can be accessed under “My account” here (top right of page). You will then need to log in using your library card number. Ancestry is a great genealogy tool. It is typically only available in the […]
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 […]