Reading Public Library

Reading Public Library, main branch, built 1913

The Reading Public Library (RPL) is the main public library of the City of Reading, Pennsylvania and the district library center (DLC) of Berks County. RPL’s services and collections serve the City of Reading, its suburbs, greater Berks County, and beyond.

History

Founded as an English subscription library in 1763, Reading Public Library is one of the oldest, though not continuously operating, libraries in the United States. It wasn’t until 1913 that the Main Library as it currently stands was built through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. After a major fundraising campaign in 1989, the Main Library was renovated and modernized through a variety of projects during 1990-1993. It is the sixth oldest public library in the United States.

Branch Libraries

An increase in the number of users and the changing collection needs over the years have prompted the construction of three Branches. Southeast Branch Library (1974), Northeast Branch Library (1974), and Northwest Branch Library (1939). City Bookmobile services were added in 1951. The Main Library, all three Branches, and the Bookmobile readily share books and other materials to further facilitate complete coverage of the community's needs.

Website

Postcard of the library, date unknown

The Reading Public Library website provides access to the library's catalog and to online collections and subscription databases. It also includes information on upcoming events such as free book talks, instruction sessions, and visiting speakers and authors. The online catalog ALIN allows users to search RPL’s holdings of books and other materials as well as those of all participating libraries in Berks County.

In conjunction with Access Pennsylvania, RPL gives library cardholders free access via POWER Library to hundreds of current and historical magazines, newspapers, journals, and reference books in subscription databases, including EBSCOhost, Grove Art Online, Grove Music Online, and ERIC.

Other databases available only from within the library include Ancestry Library, Foundation Directory, Reference USA, and Reading Eagle archives.

Resources & Services

Resources

RPL offers a wide variety of print resources (Fiction, Nonfiction, Reference, Large Print, Spanish, Magazines, Government Documents) and non-print resources (CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs, Video Cassettes, Microfilm, Databases, Reading Eagle Archives).

Services

Among RPL’s many services are a fully staffed Reference Department, Inter-Library Loan capabilities, a Pennsylvania Room dedicated to history and genealogy of the local area, award-winning Children's & Young Adult Departments, regularly scheduled Instruction & Programming, and freely available Public Internet Access (w/wifi).

See also

• Pennsylvania Department of Education
  • Office of Commonwealth Libraries
• Access Pennsylvania (Union catalog of Pennsylvania’s school, public, academic and special libraries)
• POWER Library (Databases available to Pennsylvania library members)
• State Library of Pennsylvania
• List of Berks County Libraries

References

• Durham, A. R. (n.d.). History of the Reading Library 1808-1890. Unpublished manuscript, Reading Public Library, Reading, PA.

• Griesemer, V. L. (1964). Two Hundred Years of Service: A History of the Reading Public Library. (Undergraduate dissertation, Albright College, 1964).

• Heizmann, L. J. (1971). The library that would not die: the turbulent history of the Reading Public Library. Reading, PA: Reading Eagle Press.

• Heizmann, L. J., & Hagan, C. (1988). The library that would not die: the turbulent history of the Reading Public Library. Reading, PA : Reading Eagle Press.

External links

• The Reading Public Library (Homepage)
• RPL Reference Services
• RPL Databases (In-library access & home access)
• Location & Hours

Coordinates: 40°20′0.5″N 75°55′42.0″W / 40.333472°N 75.928333°W / 40.333472; -75.928333

Municipalities and communities of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States County seat: Reading City Reading Boroughs Adamstown‡ Bally Bechtelsville Bernville Birdsboro Boyertown Centerport Fleetwood Hamburg Kenhorst Kutztown Laureldale Leesport Lenhartsville Lyons Mohnton Mount Penn New Morgan Robesonia St. Lawrence Shillington Shoemakersville Sinking Spring Strausstown Topton Wernersville West Reading Womelsdorf Wyomissing Townships Albany Alsace Amity Bern Bethel Brecknock Caernarvon Centre Colebrookdale Cumru District Douglass Earl Exeter Greenwich Heidelberg Hereford Jefferson Longswamp Lower Alsace Lower Heidelberg Maidencreek Marion Maxatawny Muhlenberg North Heidelberg Oley Ontelaunee Penn Perry Pike Richmond Robeson Rockland Ruscombmanor South Heidelberg Spring Tilden Tulpehocken Union Upper Bern Upper Tulpehocken Washington Windsor CDPs Alleghenyville Alsace Manor Amity Gardens Baumstown Bethel Blandon Bowers Colony Park Dauberville Douglassville Dryville Edenburg Flying Hills Fox Chase Frystown Gibraltar Gouglersville Greenfields Grill Hereford Hyde Park Jacksonwald Kempton Kutztown University Lincoln Park Lorane Mertztown Mohrsville Montrose Manor Morgantown‡ Mount Aetna Muhlenberg Park New Berlinville New Jerusalem New Schaefferstown Oley Pennside Pennwyn Rehrersburg Reiffton Riverview Park Schubert Shartlesville South Temple Spring Ridge Springmont Stony Creek Mills Stouchsburg Temple Virginville Walnuttown West Hamburg West Lawn West Wyomissing Whitfield Unincorporated communities Albany Amityville Barto Basket Beckersville Berne Boyers Junction Breezy Corner Brownsville Cacoosing Chapel‡ Clayton Dale Dreibelbis Eagle Point Eckville Eshbach Evansville Five Points Fredericksville Fritztown Geigertown Greenawald Greenfield Manor Green Hills Grimville Hancock Harlem Henningsville Hinterleiter Host Huffs Church Jalappa Joanna Joanna Heights Kempville Kirbyville Knauers Krumsville Kulptown Landis Store Leinbachs Limekiln Lobachsville Longswamp Maiden Creek Manatawny Maple Grove Maxatawny Molltown Montello Monterey Morysville Moselem Moselem Springs New Hensingersville‡ North Heidelberg Pikeville Pine Waters Pleasant Valley Pleasantville Plowville Pricetown Quaker City Rittenhouse Gap Sally Ann Scarlets Mill Seisholtzville State Hill Stony Run Trexler Tuckerton Unionville Vinemont Weavertown Windsor Castle Wintersville Woodchoppertown Wyomissing Hills Yellow House Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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