Company Profile
McBride Memorial Library
Company Overview
McBride Memorial Library is an independent 501(c)(3) public library located in Berwick, PA, and serving communities in Columbia and Luzerne Counties. The library is funded by state aid, local government contributions, federal and local grantors, the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation, the United Way, and a generous community of individual and corporate donors. Built by a motivated community in 2008, the medium sized library has become a center of activity, recreation and education for the community. Residents of Berwick and the surrounding municipalities turn to the Library every day seeking a book, a job, free Internet access, a place to gather with friends, a connection with the community. With over 40,000 materials in the collection and offering hundreds of programs each year, McBride Memorial Library serves over 100,000 visitors each year.
Company History
The Berwick Public Library Association was formed on January 16, 1916, and the first Berwick Public Library was opened on July 16, 1916. The library was located at City Hall in the Jackson Mansion on Market Street in Berwick, PA. There were 1,400 books available for circulation, all donated by residents of the community. Miss Jesse Wilson was the first librarian.
A larger full-time facility was built in 1967 at the corner of Second and Chestnut Street, the site of the former Berwick Water Company. The building campaign was spearheaded by the Berwick Lions Club. Earl V. Wise, the founder of Wise Potato Chip, was also instrumental in the establishment of the new library building. The new facility, open 24 hours per week, offered an extended collection of 10,000 books and a larger staff consisting of a librarian, one paid clerk, and many volunteers.
The new library facility which opened in January 2008, holds over 40,000 books, DVDs, and Books on CD for adults, children, and teens. This 21st-century library also provides members access to over 5000 eBooks and eAudiobooks, online databases, a local history and genealogy collection and access to over 1000 print and online periodicals. The facility is open more than 50 hours per week and provides a variety of programs and services for all age groups. The library also provides study rooms, research and meeting room spaces, a computer lab, a cafe and an outdoor garden area.