The Friends of Bethlehem Public Library supports cultural and educational programs for the community and assists the library with special projects and purchases not covered by traditional funding.

The Friends of Bethlehem Public Library is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of more than 300 community members who raise $15,000-$20,000 each year to support Library programs.  The Friends raise funds through membership dues, donations from the public, Better World Books proceeds, book sales, and other cultural and educational events.

If you would like to support our library, you are welcome to become a member.  As a Friend you can be as involved as you would like in planning and staffing events, but you do not need to be a member to volunteer.  Join us and support your library!

“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”


—Walter Cronkite

History

On May 14, 1913, the Delmar Progress Club, a women’s group, organized the Delmar Free Library Association, Bethlehem’s first public library. It opened in a room on the second floor of a schoolhouse on the corner of Kenwood Avenue and Adams Street, and the Board of Regents granted a provisional charter to the library in July 1913. Several years later, a donation of land at Hawthorne Avenue and Adams Place allowed construction of the first library building. Progress Club volunteers provided staff and administration until the school district took over proprietorship in 1931, when the growth in holdings and popularity made it clear that volunteers alone were not sufficient to run the library.

The Friends of Bethlehem Public Library was officially formed on September 16, 1954, by nine people who had been part of the Friends of the Library Committee. This committee had offered suggestions and organized community support for the expansion of the library building at Hawthorne Avenue and Adams Place. The Friends have continued to be a vital source of support for the library in the ensuing 70 years, including during the completion and renovation of our current library.

CLICK HERE to read the history of the Bethlehem Public Library.

What We’ve Achieved

In 2023, the Friends raised $7,281 at two book sales – in May and September – with the help of numerous enthusiastic volunteers.  Funds the Friends raised from these and other sources helped support the following special projects and purchases that the Library offered for children and adults.

  • 8 library programs including Evening on The Green and A Little Sunday Music that attracted 543 attendees

  • 12 events at Elm Avenue Park that were held in collaboration with Parks and Recreation and attended by 3,321

  • The purchase of books, activity books, book coupons, and other items for the library to distribute at events such as Bethlehem First Night, Holiday Lights in the Park, and the summer reading programs.

  • Staffed the popular Friends Ice Cream Social at the Library, serving ice cream donated by Stewart’s Shops to 1,056 attendees.