Butler Area Public Library


 

About

The Butler Area Public Library was established in February 1894 by the local women’s literary society. This first library began modestly, with just 432 books in a rented room in the Duffy Building on W. Jefferson St. The public library would move three more times (including a tenure in the Little Red Schoolhouse building on E. Jefferson St.) before the funds were raised to construct a permanent library at the present N. McKean St. location. The N. McKean St. library in use today opened to the public on September 20, 1921, funded in part by the Carnegie Foundation, but primarily through the fundraising efforts of the generous citizens of Butler. The building expanded in 1966, expanded again in 1988 with the acquisition of the neighboring Luther Hall building, and saw a major renovation project in 2003. In 1987, the Butler Area Public Library joined with other county libraries to form the Butler County Federated Library System.

The library’s collection evolved along with public interest from its start, offering magazines, newspapers, film strips, vinyl records, artwork, video tapes, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, games, and digital downloads. From that initial collection of 432 books, the Butler Area Public Library has grown exponentially, with a current collection of more than 103,000 items and providing access to thousands more titles online.

Above all, for 125 years the Butler Area Public Library has been a resource for all in the city of Butler to pursue information, education, and possibilities. The first branch library—which opened in 1911—was established on the impoverished Red Row in Lyndora, was stocked with books and newspapers in the foreign languages of Butler’s immigrant communities, and offered English classes. For decades, Butlerites of all ages have visited the public library for storytimes, homework help, research, job search assistance, meeting spaces, new hobbies, and relaxation. The library has been, and will continue to be, a vital resource for the community.
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