Chester County Library invites families and community members to celebrate the power of a library card at the 4th annual Library Card Sign‑Up Fest, held on Sunday, September 13, from 1:00–3:00 PM in the library’s parking lot. Please note: The library parking lot will be closed during the event. Visitors may park in the garage across the street or in the mall parking lots.

This year’s theme — “A Library Card Hits All the Right Notes” is a reminder that libraries offer something for everyone—no matter your age, background, or goals. Whether you’re checking out a classic story or trying something new, finding harmony at library programs, focusing in a study room, vibing out in a cozy nook, or composing your future with new skills, there’s a seat in the front row at the library for you—and your library card is the ticket.

“Libraries are the cornerstone of our communities. Even in the digital age, they offer free opportunities for connection, learning, and entertainment that no gadget or app can replace,” said Comitta, who serves on the Senate Education Committee. “Whether you need to apply for your library card or already have one, we welcome you to join us and explore all the possibilities available at our free public libraries.”

The fest will feature free, family‑friendly activities, including library card registration, STEM/Makerspace activities, bubbles, LEGO®️ building, bookmark crafting with Miss Pennsylvania’s Teen Anna Rinnier, YMCA’s Zoo & STEM on Wheels, Maggie Moo’s ice cream, Touch‑a‑Truck with police, fire, and EMS vehicles, StoryWalk® story time with Senator Carolyn Comitta, and live music with Michael Kropp—plus additional surprises throughout the afternoon.

The library will also collect new or gently used books for ages 0–18 to support local nonprofits serving children and teens.

Hosted by Chester County Library in partnership with Senator Carolyn Comitta, this event celebrates a shared commitment to literacy, access, and community engagement.

This September, B sharp, and sign up for a library card!

The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 18th, to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually, or attend in person at the Chester County Library, 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email ddadoly@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.

The Chester County Library System proudly announced the winners of its Third Annual Teen Photo Contest, America 250, during a celebratory reception held on Sunday, August 9 at Chester County Library in Exton. The open‑house‑style event welcomed guests of all ages to support teen photographers and explore a vibrant gallery of original artwork submitted by students across Chester County.

This year’s contest invited Chester County residents and students in grades 6–12 to submit original digital photography inspired by the theme America 250, encouraging teens to reflect on the nation’s past, present, and future through visual storytelling. Participants entered photographs in one or both of two categories: Traditional Photo (minimal editing) and Red, White & Blue (photos primarily featuring red, white, and/or blue, with digital enhancement permitted).

Contest Winners

Category 1: Traditional Photo

1st Place: American Rocketry — Jiahui T., Downingtown STEM Academy

2nd Place: Wrapped in Freedom — Ali S., Methacton High School

3rd Place: Monument to Freedom — William K., Downingtown Middle School

Category 2: Red, White & Blue

1st Place: Withered Wonder — Zachary D., Conestoga High School

2nd Place: Reading Our History — Ali S., Methacton High School

3rd Place: Land of Equal Opportunities — Sidaarth G., Great Valley Middle School

The first, second, and third place winners in each category were announced at 1:30 PM during the reception. Winning photographs are now on display in the Chester County Library vestibule through August 31. Community members may also view the complete slideshow of entries on the Chester County Library YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHjK0pnDe2w

This program supports PA Forward’s Basic Literacy and Civic & Social Literacy initiatives, encouraging teens to express themselves creatively while engaging with their communities.

Join the Chester County Library Trust for an engaging evening with Ed Auble, a local expert on General Pasquale di Paoli. As we continue celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary, Ed will explore how Paoli authored a democratic constitution in 1755—years before America’s Declaration of Independence—and how his ideas helped shape early American thinking.

Auble brings a global perspective to this history. He has lived in multiple countries and visited nearly 70 throughout his lifetime. His travels include Corsica, Paoli’s birthplace, where he developed a personal connection to the island and its legacy. In 2025, he spoke at the celebration of General Paoli’s 300th birthday in Morosaglia, where Paoli’s ancestral home now serves as a museum and a small chapel on the grounds houses his remains.

A Chester County resident, Auble has served on numerous community boards and committees. A retired finance professional, he has taught at Immaculata University, is a graduate of Lafayette College, and holds a master’s degree in International Management. He served in the U.S. Navy, flew carrier‑based combat missions during the Vietnam War, and retired from the Naval Reserves in 1981 as a lieutenant commander.

The program will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 6:30–7:30 PM in the Struble Room at Chester County Library in Exton. Please register at https://bit.ly/4vTIjUY.

The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21st, to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually, or attend in person at the Tredyffrin Public Library, 582 Upper Gulph Road, Strafford, PA 19087. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email ddadoly@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.

The Chester County Library has unveiled a new native garden, funded by the Chester County Library Trust through the generosity of Richard Hankin and Ada Brainsky. Designed by EcoLandscapes, the project transforms a large section of turf into a biodiverse habitat supporting pollinators, birds, and local wildlife.

This is the first of two native‑plant projects funded by Hankin and Brainsky. A second garden will be installed in the fall of 2026 at the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library in Chester Springs, the library named in honor of Richard’s mother.

A Community‑Rooted Vision

Richard and Ada’s interest in native gardening began at their home garden, where a friend who works at Natural Lands encouraged Ada to consider planting species that support the local ecosystem. Inspired by all this information, Ada began reading the work of Dr. Douglas Tallamy, University of Delaware professor and co‑founder of Homegrown National Park, whose research demonstrates how native plants sustain insect and bird populations.

As their gardens flourished, neighbors stopped by to ask questions, and children began noticing caterpillars returning to the landscape. When Richard received a citation from the Chester County Library Trust in 2025 for his years of service, he and Ada chose to use their donation to help bring native‑plant education to the library community.

About the Garden

The new landscape features a keystone oak tree capable of supporting more than 900 species, along with goldenrods, asters, dogwoods, witchhazel, cherries and other variants of berries that fruit throughout the year, and milkweed for monarch butterflies. The design incorporates “soft landings”—areas where leaves remain in place to provide essential overwintering habitat for fireflies, moths, and butterflies.

Designed for Biodiversity

Landscape designer Daniel Cleary of EcoLandscapes describes the project as a blend of ecological purpose and public‑space design:

“Ada and Richard asked me to create a native, naturalistic landscape to replace the turf — a big goal to increase biodiversity, expand pollinator and bird habitat, and provide a showpiece for native plantings as an alternative to traditional turf and shrub landscaping. For the library, I softened the style slightly with more massing, height gradation, and smaller plants along the edges to create definition. But ultimately, it remains a naturalized, living landscape — colorful, changing, and full of native plants.”

Cleary noted that many patrons approached him during installation to express excitement about the new space and its future blooms. The garden will evolve over several seasons, following the native‑garden pattern of “sleep, creep, leap.”

Why Native Plants Matter

Native plants are indigenous to southeastern Pennsylvania and have evolved alongside local wildlife over thousands of years. As donors Richard Hankin and Ada Brainsky note, “This garden was planted with species that belong here — grown from the same soil, climate, and history as the wildlife of Chester County.”

Native plants support caterpillars, bees, and other pollinators; provide food and shelter recognized by local wildlife; improve soil and filter rainwater; and thrive without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Once established, they require very little irrigation because they are adapted to local rainfall. Even a few native plants in a yard or container can help strengthen local habitat corridors.

A Growing Commitment to Sustainability

The Chester County Library Trust’s support reflects a commitment to ecological stewardship and community education. The new garden will serve as a living demonstration of how native plants can replace conventional turf, reduce chemical use, and create a vibrant habitat. The upcoming project this fall at the Henrietta Hankin Branch will expand this vision and honor the Hankin family’s legacy.

About EcoLandscapes

EcoLandscapes specializes in naturalistic, native‑plant garden design with a focus on biodiversity, ecological function, and artistic expression.

Website: ecolandscapesdesign.com

Instagram: @Ecolandscapes_design

Email: ecolandscapesdesign@gmail.com

The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16th, to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually, or attend in person at the Chester County Library, 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email ddadoly@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.

After careful evaluation, the Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch have made the difficult decision to discontinue our participation in Elmwood Park Zoo’s Community Pass Program. This decision was made in response to mandated changes to Elmwood Park Zoo’s Community Pass usage procedures, which are incompatible with our Confidentiality of Library Records policy. To uphold patron privacy and maintain consistent service, the library will allow its Elmwood Park Zoo memberships to expire.

The last day Chester County Library’s passes can be used is Tuesday, June 30, and the last day to reserve one of Chester County Library’s Elmwood Park Zoo passes is Friday, May 29. The last day Henrietta Hankin Branch’s passes can be used is Monday, August 31, and the last day to reserve one of Henrietta Hankin Branch’s passes is Friday, July 31. 

We recognize that Elmwood Park Zoo is one of the most popular institutions currently participating in our Museum Pass Program, and we know that their loss will be tangible. To compensate for this loss, we will be adding additional memberships to places like the Brandywine Zoo and the Please Touch Museum, and we anticipate adding new museums and cultural centers to our Museum Pass Program by the end of the summer. 

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to announcing new passes soon. 

The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually, or attend in person at Spring City Free Library, 245 Broad Street, Spring City, PA 19475. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email ddadoly@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.

THE FRIENDS OF CHESTER COUNTY LIBRARY FALL BOOK SALE is scheduled for April 10-12, 2026. Various books, music, movie CDs, and DVDs will be sold at bargain prices. A large selection of children’s books will be available in a separate room.

• Friday, April 10, 6 to 8:30 p.m. — The sale starts for members of the Friends of the Chester County Library only. Memberships can be purchased at the door – $15.00 per individual or $20.00 per household
• Saturday, April 11, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — The sale will be open to the public.
• Sunday, April 12, 1 to 4 p.m. — During ‘Bag Sale Day’, we will supply the bag; you fill it and pay $10 (only $7 per bag with your FRIENDS membership).

We accept cash, checks, Venmo, and PayPal ($15 minimum). All proceeds from the Book Sale benefit the Chester County Library.

Mark your calendars and don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to stock up on great reads while supporting your local library!

Looking ahead: Our Fall Book Sale dates are currently scheduled for October 9th – 11th, 2026.