TRUSTEES OF THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF THE BOROUGH OF PENNINGTON

Pennington Public Library has been a community institution since its founding in 1876. On April 15th of that year, a newly-formed Ladies’ Library Association of Pennington opened a small room on the second floor of the Irving House at the corner of North Main Street and East Delaware Avenue.

At the time of its formation, the Library charged $1.00 per year for membership. Non-members could borrow a book for ten cents per week - but only one book per week, as the collection was extremely limited! The library was open for one hour on Saturday afternoons and each member was expected to take her turn in charge of the collection. Occasionally, tea was served. (Source: Pennington Profile by Margaret J. O’Connell.)

Today, volunteers still staff the circulation desk, and coffee and tea are still available courtesy of the Friends of the Library-funded beverage station. But a lot of other things have changed!

The Library’s current collection of books, DVDs, newspapers and magazines exceeds 34,000 titles including e-books; (24,400 titles, excluding e-books). Our circulation is over 44,000 titles checked-out annually. But we are proud to be so much more than a source of reading material!

The Library also provides access to free WiFi, offers frequent programs for education and entertainment, and builds a strong community by sharing information from local organizations. We truly are where people and ideas interact!