Honoring Our Veterans: Stars in the Service Digital Collection Launched In celebration of Veteran’s Day, the Bethlehem Area Public Library is delighted to announce the digitization of Stars in the Service, a cherished WWII-era magazine spotlighting the stories and sacrifices of local servicemen and women. This collection, preserved from 1942–1945, captures the community’s unity and […]
We are excited to announce the digitization of two local newspapers, The Bethlehem Star and the Bethlehem Press, now available for the community to explore and enjoy! The Bethlehem Star Archive The Bethlehem Star, a bold and engaging weekly newspaper, first hit the streets in December 1993. Known for addressing hot-button issues with no hesitation, […]
Exciting Local History News from BAPL! We are thrilled to announce the digitization of two significant local history collections, now available on our website. This achievement is the result of the hard work and dedication of our staff, interns, and volunteers. Photograph and Print Collection Our extensive Photograph and Print Collection, which includes photographs, stereographs, […]
BAPL serves a wide and diverse area. Many don’t know that the library doesn’t just house historical records of the City of Bethlehem–the library also has a great array of resources, including those from Hanover Township. And we figured what better way to highlight some of these artifacts than a historical summary of the township […]
While the current Main Library at City Center (11 W. Church St.) has been here for over 50 years, many Bethlehemites have fond memories of the prior home of BAPL on Market Street. A few folks have recently asked for pictures so we thought would be fun to dig through the archives and share some […]
BAPL serves a wide and diverse area. Many don’t know that the library doesn’t just house historical records of the City of Bethlehem–the library also has a great array of resources, including those from the Borough of Fountain Hill. And we figured what better way to highlight some of these artifacts than a short historical […]
This article comes out of a multi-year effort to index the “vertical clip files”—which are articles and pictures cut from newspapers and other sources over the past 100 years or so, lovingly saved by our wise predecessors at the library—that take up many long drawers in the Bethlehem Room. From time to time as we […]
Join the Head Reference Librarian at BAPL on September 27, 2022 at 6:30pm to celebrate and explore a brand new digital archive all about Liberty High School as the school celebrates its 100th anniversary. The archive includes a newly released collection of the entire century of The Cauldron, Liberty High School’s annual yearbook. Head Reference […]
Check out our newest digital collection – the Marlene Spector Levine Postcard Collection! Here you will find over 800 postcards and photographs showing various Lehigh Valley sights and landmarks as they appeared in the past. The collection was donated to the library by Marlene Spector Levine, a former resident of Bethlehem. She carefully arranged postcards […]
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 […]
The History of the Boyd Theater by Julia Brennan Ah, movies! The cultural time capsules preserved within a motion picture, full of great costume design and bad acting! Nah, just kidding, there are plenty of great movies out there. Movies have really kept society pushing through despite difficult times over the decades – they make […]
We were recently asked an interesting question by the City’s Director of Equity and Inclusion, our friend Janine Santoro. Were there important women in the history of BAPL that we could highlight as part of the City’s Women’s History Month Celebration? Good question, Janine! We knew that there must be, as women played a prominent […]
Did you know Bethlehem had a historical connection to the Olympics? 1908 was the fourth Summer Games of the modern Olympic competitions. The games were held in London that year, and they were the longest Summer Olympics in history (187 days). There were also marked by controversy, including several disputes between British and American athletes. […]
This article is part of an ongoing series to let people know what kinds of things are hanging out in our local history archive, the Bethlehem Room, as well as the local history services we can provide. “As To Vaccination” Letter to the editor Bethlehem Daily Times, March 7, 1881 While fulfilling patrons’ various research […]
This article comes out of a multi-year effort to index the “hanging clip files”—which are articles and pictures cut from newspapers and other sources over the past 130 years (give or take), lovingly saved by our wise predecessors at the library—that take up many long drawers in the Bethlehem Room. From time to time as […]