2022-2023 Annual Report
Connect • Discover • Grow
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Mission: The library connects people to each other and the world, serving as the cornerstone of our community by providing access to information, technology, and cultural enrichment for a lifetime of learning and enjoyment.
A Letter from our Executive Director
Parkland Community Library has grown so much over the past 20 years. The building itself has expanded, and the services to the community have grown as well. While the library still offers books, the resources and formats have modernized with technology. The core values of literacy and making information accessible to all have not changed. With going fine free, the library has removed obstacles to services. Libraries help to decrease the digital divide and connect families, teens, and seniors to community resources through materials and events such as Family Place Library and PA Forward. The library is proud to serve as a vibrant community center for all ages and backgrounds. Let’s move forward together by sharing community needs and visions. – Maryellen Kannarr
50 & Fabulous!
August 2 marked our 50th Anniversary.
“The 50th anniversary is a proud milestone for the library,” says Jaclyn Hoimes, library staff. “Parkland Community Library has proven to be a gathering place for patrons and their families. Since its inception, we have helped forge strong bonds with our community. We remain a fixture in pursuit of knowledge, technology, and entertainment. I want to thank all past and present staff and volunteers for their continued work and dedication to the library’s mission to establish Parkland Community Library as a cornerstone of our community.”
Improving
Your Parkland Community Library provides our community with access to technology and educational resources that broaden our horizons and connect us to the world.
This is your library. We strive to reach everyone in our community. PCL has established a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to strategize ways to attract new audiences with expanded access and representation. We meet with many local organizations to establish links to our community and provide diverse programming. We took down barriers. PCL and our sister Lehigh Carbon Cooperative (LCLC) libraries have been fine-free since October 2021.
Each year, we encourage patrons to sign up for SummerQuest, our yearly summer reading program. We aim to keep patrons reading all summer long with motivational prizes and a goal to keep readers of all ages interested while enhancing reading skills and comprehension, boosting memory skills, and cultivating a love of reading at any age.
We have supplemented this mission with ample learning resources, both in-house and digital, book lists, and engaging social media posts.
In addition, we embrace our community. Parkland Community Library attends and co-hosts many off-site events to show support for the townships we serve. Each September, we host our Library Card Sign-Up Month event, Touch-A-Truck. We meet the many organizations and families that call our service area home with a fun, inquisitive morning of exploration.
Library of Things
The Library of Things is a unique collection where instead of borrowing books, you can borrow a range of “Things,” such as a T10 Franklin Mobile Hotspot, a KODAK Slide N Scan, or a Bird Watching Kit. The collection allows people to permanently access items they may not need to own, promoting sustainability and reducing waste. Most items in the Library of Things collection circulate for one week.
Laptops
The U.S. Institute of Museum Services has granted the Parkland Community Library funds to purchase Dell Latitude 5520 laptops and hotspots. These laptops are available for residents of the Parkland School District to borrow and search for information on the current job market. Additionally, each computer has access to new and innovative online learning platforms, providing users an excellent opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge.
Recipient of the 2023 Lehigh Valley Environmental Innovations Nonprofit Award
On April 28, Parkland Community Library was honored at the 2023 Lehigh Valley Sustainability Summit. The library received the 2023 Lehigh Valley Environmental Innovations Nonprofit Award for expanding and renovating our existing building and overall commitment to sustainability within our facility, organization, and community.
The upgrades included higher energy efficiency, use of low emissions products and/or recycled content building materials when available, use of renewable energy and more efficient fuels, made use of the prior building and Brownfield site, establishing a recycling reuse program for waste and new products, kept supply chain for goods and services local or other measures.
The Lehigh Valley Environmental Innovations Awards recognize innovative and impactful achievements in the environmental community. Awards are presented to businesses and organizations that exemplify best green practices here in the Valley.
Community Partners & Donations
Thank you for your ongoing support!
The Friends of PCL
Sponsors all library programming.
Luther Crest
We continued our partnership with Luther Crest by offering monthly programs off-site.
PA MEDI
Ongoing Medicare Counseling appointments.
AARP Tax Assistance Partnership
Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery, LLC
The Neffs National Bank
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
Community Partners
Cetronia Ambulance Corps, Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, North Whitehall Township Parks and Recreation, Parkland School District, South Whitehall Township Parks and Recreation, and Upper Macungie Township Parks and Recreation.
Parkland CARES Food Pantry: PCL continues to participate as a drop-off site for monthly food collections.
Plant A Row: PCL became a fresh produce drop-off site from June through October.
Lehigh Valley Therapy Dogs: Youth Services hosts a monthly program, Read To The Pups.
SummerQuest 2023 Sponsors
Chick-Fil-A
Crayola Experience- Easton
Kuhnsville Car Wash
Texas Roadhouse
Touch-A-Truck Sponsors
Youth Services partnered with local township agencies, vendors, and emergency services to offer free community programs, including our annual Touch-A-Truck event. This event is a highlight to promote National Library Card Sign-Up Month.
Notes from Adult Services
This year, Adult Services focused on bringing people together. The library hosted programs such as book clubs, assistance in understanding and using technology, gardening, and simple craft programs. We aim to invite the community to the library to share ideas, have a conversation, and learn new things.
In addition to programming, the library offers access to a wide range of resources, including books, e-books, audiobooks, and databases, which can support lifelong learning and personal growth.
Youth Services
This summer, Youth Services librarians visited all six Parkland Area Summer Recreation camps to promote the library and engage campers in a collaborative art project, and visited each Parkland School District summer library site to present popular Stories in the Schools programs.
PCL Garden Club
Youth Services kicked off the PCL Garden Club this Summer in the Community Garden that Allentown West Rotary planted at the beginning of the year. Club members started the season by decorating bottles for plant propagation and cuttings. Next, we painted plant markers for identification in the garden. Children and parents worked together planting seeds, watering the beds, and learning about pollinators and other garden visitors (chipmunks). The children were excited to harvest the herbs and vegetables by late summer. We harvested more than 300 lbs. of produce for Plant A Row to distribute to pantries and soup kitchens in the community.
The club had a special visitor, Karley from the Parkland Garden Club. She came to show us how to collect and save seeds for next year’s garden. Members were so happy that she shared her expertise. Karley helped finish the season with an evening of recipes and snacks of salsa, pesto, and marinara sauce made with our harvested plants.
The library is pleased to host this intergenerational program for our community. We look forward to continuing to offer this educational gardening program annually and to expanding our membership.
The Young Critics Book Club
had a successful year. Children ages 8-12 engaged in a lively discussion on selected works in the juvenile fiction section once a month. In addition, each session included story-related activities, crafts, and a snack. Attendance averaged between 12-15 participants.
Young Artists Workshops
We spent the last three Wednesdays of August getting creative. Each session is filled with budding creative enthusiasts. Kids worked in mixed media, creating sculptures, collages, and woven wall hangings for our first PCL Art Show and reception.
Notes from our patrons
We are so thankful for your kind words!
We moved into the Parkland area around 25 years ago with our two young children and enjoyed our trips to the library every two to three weeks. Each of them would check out as many books as they were allowed. We would often read books under a large shade tree in front of the library before heading home.
Not having cable at the time (before streaming and on-demand), we would also stock up on the variety of videos Parkland Library had. There was one librarian who would often comment to me, “No books?” I would tell her I had my own books at home. Nevertheless, she would continue to ask, “No books?” On one of our visits, I grabbed the largest book in the area closest to the videos on our way to check out to escape this questioning. I figured that would keep her quiet! The book ended up being War and Peace by Tolstoy. I really had no intention of actually reading it. Still, out of curiosity and brevity, I opened it up, began reading…, and consumed it voraciously! I can’t express how much I loved entering this beautifully written epic. Besides the Bible, it is my all-time favorite book! And I will always be grateful for the librarian who asked me, “No books?” -Patron Email.
“They loved it! Aaria now wants to decorate the house like Candy Land.”
Jeanine Glass Subbenaik
Game Night: Life-Size Candyland“You guys are all doing a wonderful job at the library. So many exciting events!”
Ashley Ford
Email noteWe love the Genealogy section of the recommended websites! My son was doing research for Boy Scouts and found it extremely helpful.
Anonymous
Patron email2022-2023 Statistics
The Library
Items Borrowed: 225,354
Number of Visitors: 94,213
Tech by Numbers
Public Computer Hours: 2,893
Unique Wifi users: 3,876
Volunteers
Number of Volunteer Hours: 3,358
Digital Resources
Number of Digital Resources: 14
Usage of digital resources: 38,060
Cardholders
Total: 15,879
Reference Questions Answered
11,505
Number of Materials in the Tech by Numbers Digital Resources Collection:
101,821
Programs Attendance
In-person: 12,846
Virtual: 1,361
SummerQuest Participants
Children: 540 | Teens: 90 | Adults: 98
Financials And Revenue
One charitable giving can impact more people than a supporter may ever realize. Please consider how the library has affected you and your family’s lives, and donate today.
We receive our revenue through our dedicated library tax and from the state.
2022-2023 Annual Report
PCL Learning Center
Welcome to the PCL Learning Center! Your library card grants you access to many online learning resources! Our staff has compiled an age-based educational list to help you and your family prepare for school and thrive throughout the school year and semesters. Whether you are preparing a little one to start school, priming a child…
Language Tools
Parkland Community Library is happy to offer free language tools for both native speakers and those interested in learning a new language. Our online databases and apps are perfect for language research and studying, with no ads. Our language tools are crafted to help users improve their communication skills, enrich their vocabulary, and gain a…
For Fans of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons has maintained a lasting following over the years for its creativity, engaging gameplay, social interaction, friendship-building, and storytelling within a rich, lore-filled universe. Players form guilds to strategize, solve puzzles, and immerse themselves in a vast world of magical creatures and treasures. This role-playing game (RPG) features a customizable tabletop board that…