Library Budget Narrative

FY 2024 Achievements, FY 2025 Goals, and Department Services

 

Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Director

ABOUT THE LIBRARY

The Abington Township Public Library (ATPL) has served the Abington and Rockledge communities for 58 years. The Libraries (Abington Free Library and Roslyn Branch Library) are widely recognized as innovative, vibrant places that provide outstanding service, an extensive collection of materials, and a talented, knowledgeable and friendly staff. ATPL cultivates a community of patrons, friends, supporters, business and educational partners, staff, and volunteers who are committed to sustained, lifelong learning, personal achievement, study, and growth. The Libraries amplify their contributions to the township ecosystem based on their unique strengths and assets and by emphasizing four areas of focus: 

 

  • Community and Connection: The library as a destination to build relationships and engage in respectful civic discourse. 

  • Enticing Programs and Events: Time to expect the unexpected, from new twists on old favorites to dramatic new concepts. 

  • Inclusive Practices: Meeting patrons where they are and embracing the library as a safe and welcoming space. 

  • Staff Talent: The heartbeat of all good things, patrons trust and respond to ATPL staff who bring a collaborative spirit and a wealth of talents. 

 

The past year was a banner year for Abington’s libraries. Between both libraries, over the past 12 months, ATPL had more than 278,000 visitors walk through our doors. They attended the 744 programs and events library staff coordinated and facilitated. They used the libraries to study in the quiet study rooms or meet with tutors from the Adult Literacy Program or get questions answered at the Information Desk. And of course, they checked out materials. In total, ATPL circulated 390,000 items from our diverse collections this year, an increase of 100,000 over the prior year. And as of January 2024, patrons did not have to pay fines on nearly all of our items if they were late in returning them.  

 

Throughout the year, the Abington Township Public Library remained flexible, adaptive, and responsive, meeting the changing needs of our community. ATPL is a good steward of taxpayer dollars providing management and oversight to a 2024 budget of $2.9 million.  

 

In 2024, the library’s budget included: 

 

  • Continued execution of a grant from the PA Department of Education, which ATPL applied for under the recommendation of Senator Haywood, will support innovative, community-based programming, physical improvements to our libraries, and training and professional development for staff.  

  • Flat funding from State Aid for Libraries, with hopes that 2025 will continue moving closer towards a restoration of state funding from the catastrophic losses in 2008. State funding goes towards programming and other operating expenses.  

  • A decrease in fine revenue, following the library’s going nearly entirely fine-free, but an increase in lost book fees. While fines are no longer collected at ATPL, there is still a monetary consequence for not returning items. Loss in fine revenue is offset by financial support from Abington Township, which goes towards operational expenses.  

  • The prolific fundraising by the Friends of the Abington Library through their BookCellar used bookshop and various events year-round, including two ticketed author events featuring nationally acclaimed, bestselling authors.  

  • Strong philanthropic giving that includes the 2024 Annual Appeal and an individual gift that will fund quarterly music, dance, and arts performances for five years.  

 

ATPL’s 2025 budget is driven by both the Township’s strategic plan and the Library’s strategic plan. The library sees itself as well positioned to support Abington Township’s vision as a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming community, as a center of the community that fosters engagement and provides access to high quality information that residents need to thrive. As a vibrant public space within the Township, both libraries provide excellent public services and nurture an inclusive community while being fiscally sustainable as a department of the Township. 

 

Abington residents enjoy a return on their investment through the many services provided by ATPL. In the past year, the Abington Township Public Library has provided more than $11.3 million worth of resources to the Abington community through loaning books, audiobooks, eBooks, magazines, DVDs, online resources, museum passes and more; through providing programs and events, access to public computers, hotspots, and Wi-Fi connectivity; and reference services from our professional staff who answered nearly 30,000 questions in the past year alone.   

 

MISSION STATEMENT

Now in the second year of the library’s strategic plan, the Abington Township Public Library continues to be driven by the mission statement: We champion learning and foster connections for everyone in our community.  

 

The values of the Abington Township Public Libraries represent the library’s highest priorities and its deeply held driving forces: 

 

  • Knowledge: We inspire lifelong learning and provide free access to information and experiences.  

  • Trust: Our relationship with our patrons is our priority. We operate with care, consideration, kindness, and respect. 

  • Inclusion: Everyone needs us differently. All people who walk through our doors—and those who haven’t yet—belong here. 

  • Thinking Big: We are a dedicated community partner. We challenge notions of what a library can be. 

 

The areas of strategic focus defined through the library’s strategic plan—Community and Connection, Enticing Programs and Events, Inclusive Practices, and Staff Talent—align with the goals of the Township’s strategic plan.  

 

The Board of Trustees strives to provide the residents of Abington Township and the Borough of Rockledge with materials, information, and programs for continuing education, self-improvement, civic discourse and connection, and enjoyment.  

 

The Board of Trustees strives to provide the children of Abington Township and the Borough of Rockledge with recreational materials and information sources which will stimulate and help improve reading skills and encourage the formation of a well-rounded individual. The Board also seeks to communicate and cooperate with the Abington School District and other area schools to encourage reading and to aid students in learning research skills which will be valuable to them in later life.  

 

The central facility, the Abington Free Library, provides a broad range of services for all Township and Borough residents. The collection includes, but is not limited to, books, reference materials for students, business persons, lifelong learners, and researchers of all ages, non-book material and material of a more ephemeral nature, newspapers and periodicals. The Board of Trustees is dedicated to the preservation of the first library in Abington Township—the Roslyn Library. We aspire to meet, with limited staff, space, and collection, the needs of the population. The emphasis in this facility is to serve the popular literature needs of adults and the curiosity and growth of area children, as well as providing high quality programming for residents of all ages.  

 

The Board of Trustees strongly supports the concept of the exchange of services between the libraries, and participates in the statewide Access program, subject to review of availability of State funds.  

 

The Board of Trustees strives to provide the agencies, organizations, clubs and other groups in the Township and Borough with information which will meet their current needs. 

GOALS FOR FY 2025

Goal: Provide a wide range of enticing programs and events. (Focus Areas: Vibrant Public Spaces (VPS), Inclusive Community (IC), Excellent Public Services (EPS))

  • Strategy #1: Offer cultural programming including author events, live performing arts events, book and film discussion groups, and more. (IC 1, EPS 6)
  • Strategy #2: Leverage relationships with community partners to deliver high-quality programs and activities: (VPS 4, IC 1, EPS 4, 5, 6) 
    • Method #1: Leverage existing partnerships with Abington Township Departments, including Parks and Recreation, Community Development, and the Police Department to provide high quality programs and resources for the Abington community.
    • Method #2: Build on and create new partnerships with external partners, like the Abington School District, Penn State Abington, CHOP Abington, Jefferson-Abington Hospital, Salem Baptist Church, Rydal Park and Waters, and more.
    • Method #3: Collaborate on large, annual events to draw neighbors, community organizations, and local businesses to the library.
    • Method #4: Continue the library’s focus on outreach, participating in other organizations’ events, community events, positioning the library as a value-adding partner. 
 

Goal: Enhance library facilities. (Focus Areas: Vibrant Public Spaces (VPS), Inclusive Community (IC), Sustainable Infrastructure (SI))

  • Strategy #1: Conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the existing library structures and examine potential for new, updated library buildings. (VPS 2)
  • Strategy #2: Enhance the Early Childhood Play Center in ATPL’s Children’s Department, which serves as a draw for families with young children. We will add hands-on activities, interactive art, and manipulatives that will support the development of emerging literacy skills for our youngest patrons. (VPS 4, IC 1) 

  • Strategy #3: Create a Teen Space on the ground floor to give young adults a space of their own for books, resources, and programs. (SI 2, IC 5) 

  • Strategy #4: Improve signage and adjust physical location of collections to improve wayfinding. (VPS 4) 


Goal: Staff Development. (Focus Area: Excellent Public Services (EPS))

  • With several longtime staff members retiring, we will examine the organizational structure of the library to ensure efficiency, excellent customer service, and a staffing model that best serves the community as we continue to evolve. (EPS 2)
  • Encourage staff to attend and apply to present at local, regional, and national library conferences. (EPS 2, 3) 

 

FY 2024 ACHIEVEMENTS

Abington Township Public Library staff has shown an excitement around the increased community engagement with the libraries, a proclivity towards forward-thinking, and a commitment to being agile and responsive to the needs of our library community. To that end, ATPL has: 

 

  • Proved to be a leader in library services in the Greater Philadelphia region. 

    • In eliminating fines for items that are returned late, ATPL removed barriers for community members to take advantage of all that the library has to offer. 

    • Circulating 390,000 items, an increase of almost 100,000 items from the previous year. 

      • A steady increase in the number of physical items checked out. 

      • A marked increase in usage of our digital media, including Libby, eBooks, audiobooks, and eMagazines and Kanopy for streaming movies. 

      • Museum Passes, funded by the Friends of the Abington Library, which circulated 1,363 times in the past year. 

      • Third highest total circulation in Montgomery County. 

    • Informed by a professional audit of the library’s collections, additional funds were allocated towards collection development to increase the diversity of the library’s books, making our collection more representative of Abington Township. 

 

  • Received over $50,000 in grant funds for key programs and initiatives: 

    • Funding from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services through a “Keep It Safe” grant. The funds supported two art classes and a four-part virtual series of mindfulness meditation classes. 

    • Funding from a grant through the PA Department of Education, applied for under the recommendation of Senator Haywood. The grant runs through December 31, 2024 and in 2024 funded: 

      • High-quality literacy and cultural programs both at our libraries and out in our community. 

      • Installation of electrical outlets under all of the tables on the main floor.  

      • Training and professional development for staff, including the library’s first In-Service Day in January 2024. 

 

  • Partnered with Abington Township departments, local schools, and other community entities to offer excellent public services to residents. 

    • Conducted regular storytimes to local daycares and Head Start programs and visited dozens of Abington classrooms to promote library resources and programs. 

    • Partnered with Abington School District to serve as a job training site for ACTIVE students.  

    • Attended community events and happenings: 

      • Several events at local schools, including the Highland Elementary 100 Year Celebration and their Spring Fling, McKinley Spring Fair, Willow Hill May Fair, the Senior Fair, and more. 

      • Roslyn Pet Fair, Juneteenth, the Roslyn Car Show and Fall Festival, the Kite Festival, the Ardsley Easter Egg Hunt, Abington Pre-Night Out, and more. 

      • Partnered with Abington-Jefferson Hospital to bring a class on Smart Phones to the Willow Grove Giant.  

    • Partnered with Parks and Recreation and the Department of Community Development to bring library programming to Abington’s parks. In the summer of 2024, the Library Pop Ups in the Park will visit seven township parks, bringing crafts, presenters, and activities for families. Library staff will promote library resources and sign people up for the Summer Reading Program while Community Development will provide free lunches to any Abington child. 

    • Connected with Penn State Abington’s Department of Community Engagement: 

      • ATPL brought two NYT bestselling authors, Jennifer Weiner and Ayana Mathis to Abington Township. More than 300 people attended the two events, funded by the grant from the Department of Education, and hosted at Penn State Abington.  

      • ATPL staff hosted a library card signup event at Lion’s Gate dorms, signing up more than 80 students and sharing pizza with the students. 

      • Engaged a Penn State student to host a series of events for teens at the Abington Free Library. 

      • ATPL staff regularly participate in Penn State’s Gown and Town Committee, attend community meetings, and partner with Penn State staff on library events. 

    • ATPL staff will be presenting at the Pennsylvania Library Association’s annual conference on the success of the library’s work on library outreach in the community.  

 

  • Provided a rich and varied array of library programs for all ages and interest. ATPL hosted a total of 744 programs over the past year, serving a total of 19,280 attendees. Highlights from the past year include: 

    • Several large events at the Abington Free Library 

      • PrideFest, which saw more than 400 attendees, over a dozen partner community organizations, live music, crafts and other activities, storytimes, and authors.  

      • Summer Reading Kick-Off Party with 500+ attendees, local businesses that donated sweet treats, arts and crafts, face painting, music, and Summer Reading sign-ups. 

      • A Garden Festival in early spring drew 150 people who participated in a free seed exchange, connected with local plant, animal, and wildlife experts, and met the goats from Rose Bridge Farm and Sanctuary. 

      • The annual WinterFest Concert featuring the Abington Senior High School choir brought 800+ people to the library for holiday music, hot chocolate, and wintery arts.

      • Two Local Author Expos highlighting dozens of the region’s authors. 

    • Participated in Remake Learning Day in May 2024, a celebration of innovative experiences and opportunities for youth to develop their sense of creativity, perseverance and curiosity. Children who attended the event at the Roslyn Library tested electricity and created their own electrical designs. 

    • Hosted a number of successful adult and all ages programs like Trivia Nights, Murder Mystery Parties, a Taylor Swift Trivia Night, Art Classes, Jewelry Making, and Puzzlepalooza.  

    • Opportunities to highlight the talents of Abington’s teens, whether through the teen leadership of Ab-TAB, the collection of poetry and short stories in the second annual release of The Power of the Pen, which was self-published and added to our libraries’ collections, the Tiny Art Show that gave teen artists a chance to display their smallest fine art, and through partnerships with Abington Senior High School which brought the choir to the library for a winter concert and the talents of the high school’s artists as they created yet another Summer Reading mural for both of our libraries.  

    • The Virtual Author Speaker Series continues to be a huge success with 5,354 views of the 26 author talks.  

    • Programs that support literacy for children of all ages, from baby and toddler storytimes to graphic novel book clubs; from science stories at Alverthorpe Park to creative writing workshops for tweens.  

 

  • Connected with community members through video content, a frequently updated website, social media platforms, and a new, updated email marketing system.  

    • ATPL’s website had 98,000 users that visited our website 899,586 times. 

      • A new website launched in late 2023, making ATPL’s website not only more visually appealing, but markedly easier to use and navigate. 

 

  • As an indication of the way that users are navigating the website, the search function was the second most used page of the website, after the homepage. On the previous website, the search function was difficult to locate and wasn’t in the top ten of pages accessed. 

    • The ATPL Social Media Committee maintained three key social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. During the past year, across the three platforms, ATPL: 

      • Had 4,910 followers. 

      • Shared 1,730 posts, stories, and videos. 

      • ATPL’s reach on Facebook was 135,000+ and on Instagram, 135,000. 

      • ATPL’s TikTok videos had more than 47,000 views. 

    • ATPL maintained a powerful marketing tool in our e-newsletter, sending biweekly updates to 13,829 subscribers.  

      • 151,000 emails were opened and recipients clicked on 4,811 links in those emails. 

      • Programs that were included in marketing emails saw the “Constant Contact bump” in registrations in the days following the email. 

 

  • Remained a resource for the community, providing access to things like: 

    • Space to study with two group study rooms and the Shorday Room for Quiet Study. 

      • The small study rooms had 1,100 bookings this year, providing space for one-on-one adult literacy program tutoring, meetings, student study groups, and more.  

    • Teen Self-Care Station which provides free access to toothbrushes and toothpaste, menstrual products, lip balm, hair brushes, socks, and more. All of the items are donated to the library. 

    • The Library of Things, which we added new items to, while maintaining our core collection of Things. The Library of Things includes 400+ items: 

      • STEAM kits for children and families 

      • A tool kit, thermal leak detector, electricity usage monitor, and other household items 

      • 45 T-Mobile hotspots and 15 connected Chromebooks 

      • Calculators and SAT Prep Flashcards 

      • Museum Passes to 25 area cultural institutions across  

      • Puzzles and board games 

      • Launchpads 

      • A robust collection of items like birding backpacks, pickleball kits, turntables, and more 

    • Access to wi-fi, public computers, and hotspots and connected Chromebooks. In the past year, ATPL patrons have  

      • Logged on for 11,548 wireless sessions 

      • Checked out Chromebooks and hotspots nearly 1,200 times 

 

  • The Abington Free Library maintained our Gold Star in the PA Forward Star Program. 

    • PA Forward focuses on helping libraries address the five main literacy needs of their patrons (Basic, Civic & Social, Information, Health, and Financial) through programming and outreach. 

    • Maintaining this Gold Star allows us to showcase the work we continuously do in the community to address these needs. 

    • Being a member of PA Forward also allows us to connect with partners and other libraries for programming and resource sharing. 

 

Families enjoying a storytime
Gold Level PA Forward Star Program Banner

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES BY FUNCTION

REFERENCE DEPARTMENT

 

At the information desk, staff is available to assist patrons during all library hours. Librarians offer guidance in finding and placing requests on all types of materials, from books and Playaways to music, DVDs and electronic resources, which include journal or newspaper articles and eBooks. They register patrons for programs or refer them to events of interest, and provide instruction on using computers and mobile devices. It is the goal of the Department to provide the best service possible to every patron and that each patron leaves the library feeling that their needs were met.  

 

Abington Township Public Libraries’ Reference Department comprises four full-time, three part-time professional librarians, and two librarians who share responsibilities in the Reference Department and another Department in the library, and one part-time support staff. The Reference Department’s primary purpose is to serve the public in person, over the phone, or via email or text.   

 

ATPL is in its fourth year of partnering with the Commonwealth’s Chat with a Librarian service. This virtual reference cooperative enables ATPL to streamline communication with patrons. The chat widget is on the Library’s website, both desktop and mobile versions, creating ease of visibility and access to the service. Staff monitor queries in the Lib Chat desktop platform.  Reminders about queries not answered are sent to the Library’s email, abingtonlibrary@mclinc.org.     

 

The Department is responsible for collection development, which is the process of meeting the information needs of Abington Township and Rockledge residents in a timely and economical manner. It is steward of the budget allocated for this purpose and the department purchases physical items as well as electronic resources, which include streaming services such as hoopla, Libby by OverDrive, NYT and NYT Cooking, and Universal Class, available 24/7. The collection consists of traditional materials and non-traditional resources, also known as a Library of Things, like the museum and cultural passes, T-Mobile hotspots, Chromebooks, Launchpads, Educational Kits, Birding Backpacks, Pickleball Racquets and more.  

 

In addition, the Department assesses and analyzes the existing collections for usage and condition in order to determine which items should be retained or removed. Two Study Rooms are available for use.  Bookings of two to four people for up to two hours are now in high demand.  Staff utilize software to schedule and manage bookings made in-person or over the phone.    

 

Programming Planning Meetings are held quarterly. The library continues to improve our engagement with the community by offering something for everyone.  WinterFest in December 2023 had 800 people in attendance; AARP Tax Aides Service filed 140 tax returns for seniors from January to April 2024; the Elaine Wolfson Magilner Memorial Concert Series drew community members of all ages to both concerts to-date with quarterly cultural programs to come for the next four years; lectures from financial experts on retirement, an author event about a book on the daily lives of Amish women, a program from Woodmere Art Museum, monthly headshots program, and a film screening and panel discussion on Native Women were among a larger number of programs that had wonderful turnout and community engagement. 

Signing Penn State Abington students up for library cards
A teen pets a therapy dog

TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Abington Township Public Library (ATPL) has a robust technological infrastructure which serves the community directly by providing Internet access, popular desktop programs (e.g. Microsoft Office), copying, scanning, faxing, and wired and wireless printing, including printing from home. 

 

Our infrastructure, utilizing an online Integrated Library System, also serves the community indirectly by making the purchase, promotion, and circulation of materials a seamless process. 

 

Our digital collections on Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy remain popular with our patrons. Recent additions like NYT Cooking have quickly gained traction too. 

 

At the Abington Free Library we have twelve public computers available upstairs and four public computers downstairs in the Children’s area. In addition, we have several laptops and iPads available. Patrons can easily access the internet, edit documents, and print from these devices. Reference desk staff are available to provide technical support as needed. 

 

The Abington Free Library has two color and B&W copiers. In addition to two library catalog computers on each floor, we have an Abington Township Resource Computer. This dedicated station provides easy access to Township information, like budgets, committee information and meeting minutes, and more.  

 

We offer wireless service in the library, extending into the south parking lot. Patrons can use their own devices anywhere in the building. They can wirelessly send documents from their mobile devices to the library printers. This year, we switched to a new wireless printing service, called Princh, which patrons and staff have found to be quick and user friendly. 

 

The Roslyn Branch has two public access computers and an iPad and it offers printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. Roslyn Branch also hosts a wireless network for patrons using their own devices. 

 

Thanks to the support from the Department of Community Development, ATPL is able to offer multiple LTE-enabled connected Chromebooks and wireless hotspots for loan. Both items can connect to the internet when Wi-Fi is not available. Patrons can check out these items for three weeks and renew them up to two times. These devices are some of the most popular items ATPL offers and are providing critical access to the internet to the Abington community. 

 

Support for ATPL’s technology infrastructure is provided by a full-time Systems Librarian, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Library & Information Network Consortium (MCLINC), which provides training and ongoing technical support. 

 

CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT

The primary goal of the Circulation Department is to offer exceptional customer service, in a friendly, professional way while maintaining an orderly and well-kept collection. The responsibilities of the department include: 

 

  • Welcoming patrons to the library and providing direction as needed to library resources or programming; as a whole, the library welcomed more than 200,000 guests in the past year with the Circulation Desk providing the first opportunity for patron interaction upon entering the building  

  • Processing library card applications including both in-person and online registrations; the Abington Library is the first MCLINC library to offer an online registration option via the online catalog 

  • Promptly and accurately checking out and checking in materials 

  • Explaining borrowing policies to patrons for the wide variety of items circulated by the Abington library and the broader MCLINC system 

  • Processing and managing hold requests, including a daily list of materials patrons put on hold 

  • Maintaining accurate patron account information, including change of township, three-year renewals, and managing notification bounce backs 

  • Protecting the privacy of all patron information 

  • Accurately charging and collecting library fines and fees 

  • Billing for lost and damaged items and managing all follow-up for said billed items 

  • Managing the circulation of Abington’s Library of Things, most of which are housed at the Circulation Desk 

  • Maintaining the Community Bulletin Board by accepting posting requests and removing expired postings   

  • Selling township-mandated blue trash bags 

  • Promoting library programs 

  • Selling BookCellar items, promoting the BookCellar and events sponsored by the Friends of the Abington Library 

  • Managing and distributing Take-Away books and puzzles 

  • Receiving and managing volunteer applications 

 

The Circulation Manager is responsible for supervising the Circulation Department, which is staffed by the Circulation Manager, three full-time Library Assistants, part-time Library Assistants and part-time Pages. Staff from other departments also help provide needed coverage for the 68.5 hours a week that we are here to serve the public. 

 

Circulation staff highlights include: 

 

  • Circulation maintained full responsibility for billing missing and damaged items and continues to work on refining the process 

  • Circulation staff implemented the new Fine Free policy by waiving previous fines and informing patrons of the change 

  • Continuing to work on seamless customer service by assisting with patron reference questions 

  • Circulating hotspots and Chromebooks, which continue to experience waves of hold requests 

  • Circulating Museum and Cultural passes, which often include hour-hold requests from patrons via phone 

  • Circulation staff assisted in outreach at Abington Pre-Night Out, Highland Elementary School Spring Fling, and PrideFest, as well as other outreach events 

  • Established a Young Adult Takeaway section in the Young Adults area 

  • A full-time Library Assistant facilitated the set-up and managing of a new Creative Writing program 

  • Supported marketing of library events by updating the Happening Today board posted by the library entrance 

  • Continued to leverage the library mascot, Roary, to promote library events and collections, and introduced a sibling mascot, Reid, to expand display options 

  • Over the course of the past year, Circulation managed 47,588 holds patrons placed on books, magazines, DVDs, and other physical items 

  • Processed 837 online applications during the past year 

  • Checked out and in 372,132 items at the Circulation Desk 

  • Registered 3,064 new patrons and ensured that they received library cards 

  • Updated patron accounts for 5,524 patrons 

  • Distributed 5,764 Takeaway books 

A family at Highland Elementary School's Spring Fling
Families wait to sign up for the Summer Reading program

YOUNG ADULT DEPARTMENT

The past year saw a community of teens engaged with the Library, through programming, resources, and strong community service engagement. Led by a full-time young adult librarian, the Young Adult Department was a strong and vibrant asset to the Abington Township Public Library.  

 

In 2024, the Young Adult Department was bustling and busy with 78 teen programs that had 1,125 attendees. The young adult librarian also ran 20 adult programs, including the Adults Read YA Book Club, college information sessions, trivia nights, and a support group for guardians of LGBTQ+ children. Additionally, staff offered family programs, including Build a Time Machine, Taylor Swift Trivia, and Winter in July: Gingerbread House Decorating.  

 

The Young Adult Department did a significant amount of outreach to local schools. Staff visited several classes at Abington Senior High School and all of the fifth-grade students at the local elementary schools. Life Skills and Autistic Support classes were welcomed at the library, along with their teachers and aids for a Library Visit. While at the library, they were shown how to access the computers, given a tour of the Library, and participated in a story time and craft.  

 

Ab-TAB, the library’s teen volunteer Teen Advisory Board, provides leadership opportunities for teens. The group leads the perennially popular Murder Mystery Party, several art classes, and a Stuffed Animal Sleepover for children and their stuffies. In addition to the efforts of the Ab-TAB, Abington teen volunteers were a crucial part of the library this past year, volunteering for a total of 2,357 hours. Teens volunteered as reading buddies for Abington READS, partnering with younger children to support them as they build their reading skills, to support large library events like PrideFest and the Summer Reading Kickoff Party, to decorate the library through window painting and seasonal decorations, creating door decorations for Rydal Park residents, and creating several scavenger hunts for children and families throughout the library. Teens participated in one-off volunteer events, which included making cards for the organization Letters Against Isolation, making blankets for the local SPCA, and knitting and crocheting for the Peyton Heart Project and the Self-Care Station.  

 

ATPL received a Best Practices award from the Pennsylvania Library Association’s (PaLA) Best Practices Committee in the Teen Co-Design Category for the teen-authored Power of the Pen Anthology. The Young Adult librarian will present at the annual conference about teen volunteer projects.

StoryWalk in a Township park
Library staff and Friends with author Jennifer Weiner

CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT

The Children’s Department’s primary goal is promoting literacy and learning for children from birth through the upper elementary years. The children’s collection, one of the largest in Montgomery County, offers an impressive selection of print, digital, and audio-visual materials to meet children’s educational and recreational needs. Offerings include books, magazines, DVDs, Blu-Ray movies, audio books on CD, Playaway audio books, themed story time kits, Wonderbooks, and Playaway Launchpad tablets. The Children’s Department undertook a number of collection enhancement projects to improve patron access to materials, including relabeling several huge series, shifting the nonfiction collection to create more space for graphic novels, and updating signage.  

 

Children’s Department staff, which includes three full-time staff and thirteen part-time staff, provide personalized reader’s advisory and reference services to help ensure that reading and learning needs are met. They also develop and lead age-appropriate, year-round programming for children and their families. The Children’s Department faced staffing challenges with full-time staff in the first half of 2024, but part-time staff stepped up to take on new responsibilities. Staffing will return to fully operational levels in the second half of 2024. 

 

Over the course of the past year, the Children’s Department offered 185 programs that were attended by more than 6,100 people. Programs include perennial favorites like weekly storytimes, virtual art workshops, Rainbow Connections meetups, and Doggone Good Readers. New programs included Kindness Counts Club, an Early Learners Play Group, Exploring World Cultures, a Glow Science Party, Yoga for Ages 5-10, LEGO Robotics, and two storytimes featuring performances by the Metropolitan Ballet Academy & Company. 

 

Off-site children’s programming consisted of Bark Pals at Willow Grove Giant with four therapy dog reading sessions, Science Stories in the Park that included ten science-based storytimes at Alverthorpe Park, Abington Head Start storytimes, and 18 in-person elementary school visits to promote summer reading. As of June 30, registration for our children’s “Adventure Begins at Your Library” summer reading program was 412. 

TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

 

The Technical Services Department is the behind-the-scenes team that keeps new materials on the shelves at the Abington Township Public Library and in the hands of Abington residents. Technical Services is responsible for item acquisitions, cataloging new items for the consortium-wide catalog, processing the items so they are shelf-ready, and repairing them as needed. This department has five team members that work diligently to accomplish all of these tasks, assisting one another as necessary to ensure that items are available for patrons as soon as possible. The team consists of a full-time staff member who focuses on the Interlibrary Loan program and receives and invoices all items; two full-time catalogers who take the received items and expertly enter them into the consortium’s catalog for easy discoverability; a full-time librarian who spends half their time cataloging and the other half at the Information Desk; and one part-time staff member who processes the items to ready them for patron use, repairs the items as needed, and who also runs the library’s Pony Express service to disperse available items across the county. Together, this team ensures that all items in the collection are readily available to Abington Township residents and beyond. 

 

Technical Services had an impressive year, adding over 6,600 new items into the Library’s collection. Many of these items include typical formats, like books, Audio CDs, and DVDs; however, several new formats were introduced over the last twelve months, including Ultra HD Blu-rays, board games, tool kits, record players, portable CD players, a DVD player, and educational flash cards. While the team added new items into the collection, they were also able to give a second life to many of the library’s books needing repair and to those received as gifts from the public. This past year, 855 books were mended, 100 audiovisual materials were repaired or replaced, and 287 gift books were processed and added to the collection. This work saved the library and Township approximately $25,500 in replacement costs. Unfortunately, due to wear & tear and the decreasing quality of modern publishing, some materials still needed to be removed from the collection. With great appreciation for the partnership held with Baker & Taylor’s Sustainable Shelves program, the library has been able to recoup $1,100. This program allows the library to sell Baker & Taylor some of the library’s used items and give them a second life outside of the consortium. 

 

The Technical Services Department also runs the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) program, which allows Abington and Montgomery County residents to borrow materials from across the country. Over the past twelve months, Abington patrons have borrowed 277 items from other libraries throughout Pennsylvania and, with the help of the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 72 items from across the other 49 states. The Abington Township Public Library loaned 722 items from its collection to other libraries across the state. The ILL Coordinator also launched an ongoing marketing campaign this year to further promote this service to patrons. This Department also has success in effortlessly running the Pony Express Service that allows this library to share much of its collection with other libraries throughout the consortium. Between the Abington Free Library and the Roslyn Library, approximately 2,520 items are exchanged between consortium libraries for patron requests each week and a total of 131,040 items each year, further proving that Abington is one of the most library friendly communities in Montgomery County. 

 

Technical Services staff members also support the overall well-being of the Abington Township Public Library by running its Instagram account, hosting engaging programs, and participating in the consortium’s cataloging committees. All of the back-end support that this team provides ensures excellent customer service, an exceptional browsing experience, and overall satisfaction of the many services that the Abington Township Public Library provides throughout the year.  

The new Board Game collection
PuzzlePalooza in the Community Room

THE ROSLYN BRANCH LIBRARY

The Roslyn Branch Library, located in the western part of Abington Township, is available to the public thirty-four hours a week. The branch maintains a collection of 20,000 books, DVDs, audio books, magazines, science and household kits, hotspots, Chromebooks, and museum passes. The building provides access to public computers, a fax machine, and a scanner/copier. Staff provide reference services, answer questions, help patrons use the library’s wide range of electronic resources, and connect people with the books they need. Staff provide technology support and computer tutoring by appointment. Recent upgrades to the building include installation of a new water fountain and bottle filling station. 

 

In the past twelve months, Roslyn Library hosted almost 200 programs in the branch and online, with a total attendance of more than 3,100. Programs included a gardening series led by a Master Gardener who covered topics like container gardening, building growing structures, and protecting vegetable gardens. Other programs included hands-on art classes for felting, watercolor, and making paper. The branch hosts a weekly Stitch and Chat group and in 2024 opened a Yarn Library that provides free yarn.  

 

Children’s toys are provided daily and children’s programs happen several times a week. In May, the library participated in Remake Learning Days for the second year. Children designed hand puppets and wooden marionettes. Attendees said that the program was excellent and that children learned “problem solving, decision making, creativity, curiosity, and adaptability.” 

 

Library staff offered thirteen storytimes and library visits to local schools and childcare centers. They participated in fifteen community events including those put on by local community organizations like the Roslyn Valley Business Association, the Ardsley Community Association, and the Willow Grove NAACP. Additionally, the branch was recognized at the dedication of the Battle of Edge Hill historic marker in Glenside. Roslyn Library staff researched contacts and created a historical display of local residents in 1777. 

 

FACILITIES

Our Facilities team, which includes one full-time building manager and one part-time custodian, has implemented preventive maintenance programs and cleaning schedules to increase the efficiency and lifespan of our equipment and furnishings at both Abington Free Library and the Roslyn Branch Library. Our Facilities staff is driven by an all-hands-on-deck approach; with over 1,000 people in the Abington Free Library daily, anything and everything can, and does, happen.  

 

The Abington Free Library has a large Community Room, which can be broken down into three separate spaces. These rooms are nearly always booked daily for Library and public programs, and they are often all in use at the same time, requiring multiple setups and breakdowns. There are also outdoor programs, which required adapting to a new setup and breakdown routine, including setting up tents, tables and chairs, and running power outside. There are more than a dozen events throughout the year that have 100-600 people in attendance and these programs require specific setups and support. Additionally, staff use the Shorday Room and the main floor of the Abington Free Library for programs. Our building manager is responsible for training staff to respond to emergency/crisis situations, such as fire, Code Adam, and water encroachment. ATPL created an Emergency Management Plan years ago, which is continually updated and assessed for relevance and usefulness. 

 

The Facilities Team also maintains ATPL’s grounds, with trash removal, safety in the parking lot and on the sidewalks, and the Discovery Garden as priorities. On a regular basis, the Facilities Team performs ongoing maintenance in the building including: 

  • Cleaning carpets and replacing flooring as needed 

  • Changing fluorescent lighting and ballasts 

  • Cleaning windows, bathrooms, and disinfecting all surfaces throughout the building 

  • Addressing minor leaks and clearing roof drains and downspouts 

  • Fixing furniture and shifting shelves, tables, chairs, and other furniture as needed 

  • Communicating with vendors and overseeing a regular maintenance schedule for building systems and operations 

  • A daily trip to Roslyn Branch Library and the Township Building 

 

Over the past year, there have been many building issues that were addressed by the Facilities team. At the Roslyn Library, updates included: 

  • Upgrading lighting in the entire building 

  • Addressing wild animals that made their homes in the building 

  • Freshly painted parking lines 

  • Installation of a new television screen for digital signage 

  • A new water fountain and bottle filling station 

 

At the Abington Free Library, updates included: 

  • A major leak from a steam heating pipe caused a great deal of damage to carpet, flooring, and drywall, all of which had to be replaced 

  • Constant leaks during rain were patched and the issue rectified 

  • The lobby was upgraded with new carpet, paint, a community board, clearer and more visible signage for hours, proper exterior masonry caulking, and a sanded and stained bench for seating 

  • Heating and cooling were inconsistent with wild swings daily. The building manager created a manual and worked with the HVAC contractor to learn how to maintain a proper temperature in the building. 

 

The current facilities for the Township’s two libraries are no longer meeting the demands of residents of their libraries. There are not enough meeting, event, and programming spaces. There is not enough room for shelving to keep up with the new materials the library is purchasing to keep current and satisfy the needs of our patrons. ATPL is planning to conduct a feasibility study in 2025 to assess the existing structures and how an updated, renovated, or new building could best serve the growing needs of Abington Township. 

 

In the meantime, in an effort to best use the space that we currently have, the library is submitting a capital request to create a Teen Space on the ground floor, which would provide teens their own area for books, resources, and programs. This comes at a time when ATPL is restructuring services for youth, to create a Youth Services Department that will serve children ages 0-18. This reworking will provide a continuity of service for children and families of all ages, better collaboration between staff and partners who serve youth, and a more focused service model for tweens.   

The Adult Literacy Program's annual potluck
A Peep diorama

ADULT LITERACY PROGRAM

The Adult Literacy Program at the Abington Free Library celebrated 40 years in 2024. Since 1984, the program has provided free help to area adults who want to improve their literacy skills through English language learning or adult basic education. Every year, volunteer tutors and teachers help adults improve their English skills, their reading, writing and math skills, and their academic skills so they can get jobs, become acclimated to our community, or pass a high school equivalency or U.S. citizenship test.  

 

ATPL trains volunteer tutors who are then each matched with a student, with whom they work on a weekly basis. The Adult Literacy Program also offers four weekly small-group classes for English language learners. English conversation classes meet Monday evenings, Tuesday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and Thursday afternoons. The number of students who need our help is increasing, especially those who need English language skills. 

 

During the past year, notable highlights for the ATPL Adult Literacy Program include: 

 

  • 91 volunteer tutors and teachers are actively engaged with our program.  

    • 86 tutors met weekly with their adult students for 3,350+ hours of one-on-one instruction, up more than 1,100 hours from the previous year 

  • Our tutors worked with adult students with a wide range of needs: 

    • 80 English language learners 

    • 13 adults who are working to improve their basic reading, writing, or math skills 

    • 5 adults studying to take a high school equivalency test  

    • 1 adult who prepared for the U.S. citizenship test.  

    • Some students have more than one tutor and some tutors have more than one student. 

  • Eleven experienced volunteer teachers taught our five classes for English language learners. 

    • Four weekly ESL classes: 

      • Two beginning English classes  

      • Two classes for intermediate/advanced English learners 

      • One class for teens 

    • 168 90-minute conversation classes for adult English language learners 

  • During this year, 222 adult English language learners attended our classes accruing 2,660 instructional hours, nearly doubling numbers from last year 

  • ATPL provided professional development workshops for our tutors: 

    • Five two-hour workshops designed to help our tutors meet the needs of their students.  

    • Three New Tutor Trainings, each of which consisted of 7 ½ hours of training. 

 

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