One of the most valuable community assets is the local library. It is the one and only place that truly has something there for everyone of all ages. It is peaceful. It is friendly. And best of all, it is free. However, like almost everything else in our society these days, libraries have lost their autonomy. The mothership in Harrisburg (our state government) dictates standards and enforces them with impunity to qualify for state money.

But in 2025, the game changed with a reduction for local libraries. This would be bad enough, but the standards are still the same. For example, at least twelve percent of all the funds MUST be used for new books or other materials. A normal organization would adjust its inventory and activities based on its client’s needs and desires, but the libraries in PA do not have any choice. Obey or else get cut off…

These limitations impacted the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport but have particularly hammered the other five county libraries in Hughesville (shortfall of $2,400), Jersey Shore ($1,400), Muncy ($1,250), Montoursville/Konkle ($1,800), and Montgomery (a whopping $4,000).

I have been a board member of the Montgomery Area Public Library for some fifteen years now, and I cannot remember when we were more stretched. State funding was radically reduced, and last year required repairs on the library’s roof and the AC unit.

Ironically, though, the Montgomery Area Public Library has never been healthier in terms of its operations. It is worth visiting the library just to walk in, given that a century ago, it was one of the largest banks in the area and is still quite impressive.

In fact, Library Director Amber Adams recently started a guest book for visitors, and of the first twenty signatures, eight of them came from other states, such as Washington, Arizona, and South Dakota. It seems like a library with a huge vault and a pet rabbit (Monty) is quite a draw.

However, Montgomery has a “no win” situation because it is on the edge of Lycoming County. The reason Montgomery had such a hit was due to the declining population in the area, as have other communities in the county. It is logical to base funding on population. However, Montgomery has patrons that come from Northumberland and Union Counties, drawn by the numerous activities that the library hosts as well as the ambiance of the place. And the Riverside Trailer Park, a short walk from the library, hosts hundreds of people from all over the country every month, which explains the visitors outside of Pennsylvania who signed the guest book.

Ironically, the Montgomery Area Public Library has had the highest volume and activities in decades. In fact, in the month of October 2024, this library had the highest number of books and other materials taken out than any other in the county outside of the James V. Brown Library.

Community libraries are not dinosaurs, just the opposite. As civil life has become more and more virtual and isolated, places like a local library are becoming “palaces for the people.” This phrase comes from the title of a New York Times best-selling book by Eric Klinenberg, who believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, churches, synagogues, and parks where crucial, sometimes life-saving connections, are formed. It is significant that Klinenberg recognized local libraries as the most important aspect of these shared spaces.

So why not help these municipal libraries in our area? The best way would be to engage in the Raise the Region 2025 fundraising program, beginning on Wednesday, March 12th at 6:00 p.m. Go to raisetheregion.org for all the details. The minimum donation is $25. Imagine if 160 folks would be willing to give that minimum amount towards the Montgomery Area Public Library. It would bring them back to their 2024 funds. And if they could squeeze $50, it would only need 80 people to make this happen.

The same could also happen to the other libraries; at the minimum donation, Hughesville would need 96 patrons, Konkle 72, Jersey Shore 52, and Muncy 50. And hey, why not be a champion and try to up it into three figures if you could. As the precious Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “No one has ever become poor by giving.”