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. 

WE ARE SORRY BUT DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

On Wednesday, May 20, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is pleased to present a special screening of episode 5 of the fascinating new PBS series, WISDOM KEEPERS. Thirty years after the heralded Bill Moyers series, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, the Wisdom Keepers series revisits the perspectives that help us make sense of who we are and where we are going, particularly in these turbulent times. In episode 5, “We all seek transcendence,” host Ray Suarez speaks with Philosopher Simon Critchley about mysticism and belief in the modern era, and the importance of cultivating practices of attention and reflection in the midst of the relentless pressure of modern life. Critchley explores the significance of mysticism and religious practice, not as a matter of belief, but as a way of understanding the human experience of the transcendent. 

Our screening will be followed by a discussion guided by local experts in the areas of theology and philosophy.  The panel will include Dr. Dominic Pigneri, Assoc. Faculty in Theology & Philosophy, Immaculata University; Dr. Daniel A. Forbes, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. of Philosophy, West Chester University; and Dr. Joseph Len Miller, Asst. Prof. of Philosophy, West Chester University. 

Dr. Striblen has been publishing about and teaching ethics for nearly twenty years.  Before earning her PhD, she was a middle school teacher in New Orleans and a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan.  Dominic Pigneri holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from The Catholic University of America. He specializes in Christology and the religious theory of René Girard. Currently he is an Associate Faculty Member teaching theology at Immaculata University. Dr. Forbes is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at West Chester University. In addition to regularly teaching introductory courses in ethics, he specializes in the history of early modern European philosophy. Dr. Miller is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at West Chester University. He’s also Chair of the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Native American and Indigenous Philosophers. In addition to teaching about ethics, his main areas of research are Native American/Indigenous philosophy.  

 We are delighted to share this screener and host a timely discussion on what unites us as a people. Please join us!  There will be light refreshments and time at the end of the presentation for questions and answers. Registration is required. To register, visit https://ccls.libcal.com/event/16641509 or call the library at 610-344-4196.  Henrietta Hankin Library supports PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy. 

On Monday, May 11, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is pleased to present a special screening of highlights from the fascinating new PBS documentary, The American Revolution a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. Our screening will offer a sweeping overview of the series—illuminating the central themes of the American Revolution and inspiring reflection on the ideas, struggles, and ideals that continue to define the American story. 

The screening will be followed by an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion. Our guest panelists will include Jeffrey LaMonica, MA, M. Phil. and Kevin Cahill, Ph. D., who are both professors of history at Delaware County Community College; as well as Rogers M. Smith, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania where he taught from 2001 to 2022.  

Jeffrey LaMonica has published work on topics that include the US Army in World War I, Cold War Diplomacy, and Italian Military History. Professor LaMonica’s interests in the American Revolution include Pennsylvania Militia in the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign and Privateers of the Cape May Navy. Kevin Cahill earned his MA. from Villanova and a Ph.D. from West Virginia University (both in history) and has been a professor of American history at DCCC since 2000. Before that he served as a Seasonal Ranger at the Valley Forge National Park where he engaged in research, leading tours and creating living history demonstrations. Rogers M. Smith is the author or co-author of many articles and nine books. His book Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History (1997) received six best book prizes and was a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in History. Smith also received 5 teaching prizes from Yale and the University of Pennsylvania for both undergraduate and graduate teaching and mentoring. He is the co-founder of the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia and the founding director of Penn’s Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy. We are most honored to have these seasoned historians on our discussion panel. 

Please join us for this important and timely event as we approach the 250^th anniversary of our nation.  There will be light refreshments and time at the end of the presentation for questions and answers. Registration is required. To register, visit https://ccls.libcal.com/event/13235010 or call the library at 610-344-4196.  Henrietta Hankin Library supports PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy. 

Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

The mission of the Chester County and Henrietta Hankin Branch Libraries is to provide informational, educational and cultural services to the residents of Chester County so that they may be lifelong learners.   The Henrietta Hankin Branch Library is located at 215 Windgate Drive, Chester Springs, PA.  For hours or more information, visit our website at www.chescolibraries.org.  

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.