Address
295 East Center Street
Nazareth PA 18064

Phone
Phone: (610) 759-4932
Fax: (610) 759-9513

Library Hours

Monday	10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday - Thursday	10 am - 8 pm
Friday	10 am - 5 pm
Saturday	10 am - 5 pm
Sunday	Closed

(Check Calendar for Summer Saturday hours)
 

Directions
Take I-33 North to I-191 South. Turn right (south) on to Center Street
Take the first right onto Pine Street for main entrance and parking.
Popup Map courtesy of MapBlast.

Click here to read our annual report.

A (7) member Board of Directors plus (1) ex-officio member governs the Library. Directors represent each funding municipality. Members of the Board serve for a period of three years. The Board meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6pm in the Library. The current Board members are:

Items become overdue at closing time on their due date. Every day at closing time all items not yet returned but due that day are considered overdue. If the item is put in the book drop after the library has closed for the day the item will not be checked in until the next day making the item one day late. Fines do not accumulate on days the library is closed.

Catherine Stewart. email Catherine at nazlib1@nazarethlibrary.org.

Loan Period: The loan period for all items except Videos is 14 days. The loan period for Videos is 3 days.

Fine Rates: Fines are 20 cents per day for all items except Videos. The fine rate for Videos is $1.00 per day. Fines are not charged for days the Library is closed.

Renewals: All items may be renewed by phone in person or online up to 3 times providing that they are not overdue on reserve and that no outstanding fines or fees are owed.

Book Drop: Items become overdue at closing time on their due date. Every day at closing time all items not yet returned but due that day are considered overdue. If the item is put in the book drop after the library has closed for the day the item will not be checked in until the next day making the item one day late. Fines do not accumulate on days the library is closed.

The Library is supported locally by contributions from: Nazareth Borough, Lower Nazareth, Upper Nazareth and Bushkill Townships. The Library budget is determined by the Library’s operating needs, goals of the current strategic plan and anticipated state funding. A per capita amount is budgeted and then multiplied by the Earned Income Tax population of each funding municipality to determine the funding request for each municipality.

The Library budget is prepared and recommended by the Library Budget Committee, which is made of members of the Library Board and 1 elected official from each supporting municipality. The budget is then submitted to the Library Board for approval. The Board approved budget is then sent to each funding municipality.

Funding is also received in the form of state aid contributions from the Pennsylvania Office of Commonwealth Libraries. State funding amounts are calculated on local funding received, therefore any decreases in local funding adversely effect future state funding. This fact makes full funding from each local municipality vital.

Other funds are received from private fundraising, donations, grants and fines/fees collected.

The Library receives no funding from the Nazareth Area School District.

A municipality wishing to become a supporting municipality would be obliged to agree to the current local funding formula.

The Library observes the following Holidays. See the Calendar for specific dates:

New Years Day, President's Day, Memorial Day (also closed the preceding Saturday), Good Friday
Independence Day, Labor Day (also closed the preceding Saturday), Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve Day.

The idea of a public library for Nazareth and vicinity was conceived following WWII when the community decided to erect a living memorial honoring all the local men and women who served in time of war.

Prior to construction of a library facility, Mr. Nelson Freeman donated the second floor of his South Main Street store as a temporary library.

The ground was broken for the Library on April 30, 1950 and the Dedication was held May 30, 1951.

By 1970 library usage had increased almost tenfold. The heirs of Peter and Katherine Trumbower donated the Trumbower home, at the corner of Center and New Streets, as a larger library facility. The library moved into this, its present location in May of 1970.

Once again the library outgrew its building, and in September of 1995 a campaign to build the 1.2 million-dollar addition began. Construction and renovation of the library, as it appears today, began in December of 1997. The new facility was rededicated on June 13, 1999.

Source: The History of the Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity / by Elmer and Alice Yeakel, Nazareth, Pa., Moravian Hall Square Museum Craft Shop , copyright 1998.

FREE CARDS: Cards are free with proof of residency to residents of Nazareth Borough, Lower Nazareth Township, Upper Nazareth Township and Bushkill Township.

ACCESS PA PROGRAM: Some non-residents are eligible for a free card from our Library under the ACCESS PA program, which is a state wide reimbursement program. Non-residents eligible for a free card from our Library under the ACCESS PA program must present their home Library card before we can issue them a card.

NON RESIDENTS: Why we don’t sell non resident cards:

• The residents of our service area enjoy library service because their government leaders believe libraries are an essential government service. These local municipalities support the library as part of responsive and responsible government.
• Libraries are assigned by the state to District Library Centers. District Library Centers have nothing to do with School Districts.
• Our Library is assigned to the Bethlehem Library District. Tatamy and Stockertown are not part of this Library’s service area. Tatamy and Stockertown are assigned by the state to the Easton Area Library District Center and any discussion on funding library service must first be with the Easton Area Library District.
• Any municipality wishing to provide library services to their residents by supporting our Library would have to agree to contribute using our current formula and the per capita amount requested of our current funding municipalities. (See: Funding) The Library receives no funding from the Nazareth Area School District. The Library receives no funding from the Bethlehem Library District. The Library receives no funding from Northampton County. The Easton Area Library and Bangor Library sells non residents cards. Therefore residents of Tatamy and Stockertown who are willing to purchase a card do have library service.
• Residents of Tatamy Stockertown have the strongest influence in persuading their local government officials that providing library service is a priority for their community.

The mission of the Library is to use its available resources to provide a balanced collection of library materials and information services in a wide range of formats.

The purpose of this mission is to protect intellectual freedom, promote literacy, and to encourage lifelong learning among the citizens of its service area including: Nazareth Borough , Lower Nazareth, Upper Nazareth and Bushkill Townships.

Click here to access the Nazareth Memorial Library Policy guide.  (PDF format)

Click here to access the Nazareth Memorial Library Volunteer Services guide. (PDF format)

  Library Director: Lynn Snodgrass-Pilla email me at lynnsp@nazarethlibrary.org

Click here to access the Nazareth Memorial Library Strategic Plan. (PDF format)

During periods of inclement weather or emergency the library may close early, open late or not at all for the day. Changes to the schedule will be announced on the Library's answering machine at 610-759-4932, and also on the following local radio stations. WAEB-AM (790) or WAEB-FM (B-104).

Please note, that materials due on dates that we are closed because of weather/emergency will be due on the next scheduled open day. Materials due on prior dates will be considered overdue when returned.