Welcome to the Swarthmore Public Library

Monday through Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday:10:00 AM – Noon and 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM
*Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5 PM
*Sunday: 1:00 PM – 5 PM

*July and August: Saturday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, closed Sundays

Our library has a collection of approximately 48,000 items including books, audio books, videos and DVDs, music CDs, books in large type and magazines and newspapers for all ages. As a part of the Delaware County Library System, we offer public Internet access, numerous online databases, e-books and interlibrary loan services.

Free Wireless at the Library!

Swarthmore Public Library is now a WiFi Hotspot.
Our free wireless network is not a secure network. We recommend that you do not use this network for the transfer of sensitive data, such as credit card numbers or bank account numbers, even while using SSL encryption built into your web browser. This data would be vulnerable during transit on the network, where any person in the area running simple software on a wireless laptop computer could intercept the data. Remember that anything wireless is inherently less secure than anything with wires. Swarthmore Public Library and the Delaware County Library System accept no liability for any loss of privacy or data you may experience while using the network.

Upcoming Events!

Please visit our Events and Children's Programming pages and check back often.

Fall Adult Program Schedule

Thursday, September 25th @ 7:00 PM
Organizing Your Home - One Room at a Time

Is clutter getting in your way? Do you lose keys or important papers?
Certified professional organizer Donna Jumper will present workable strategies to get your home in order.

Wednesday October 22nd 2:00 pm
1920’s Style: Winterthur and the Great Gatsby

See our Great Gatsby Flyer for details.

Thursday, October 23rd @ 7:00 PM
Back by popular demand! Master Gardener Joe Daniels will tell you everything you need to know about preparing your garden for winter.

Thursday, November 13th @ 2:00 PM
Dealing with Downsizing

If you are transitioning to a smaller home this program is for you! Learn how to determine what you can keep and how to find a suitable place for belongings that you no longer have room for. Certified Professional Organizer Donna Jumper will teach you how to get started on this process.

Tuesday, December 16th @ 3:00 PM
Celebrate Jane Austen's birthday in literary style. Betsy Bolton, Swarthmore College Professor and noted Austen scholar will offer opening remarks before we enjoy afternoon tea.

These programs are free and open to the public. Registration is requested. To register, sign up at the library, call 610-543-0436 or send an email to swarthmore@delco.lib.pa.us.

Pennsylvania Writers Book Group at the Swarthmore Public Library

The Swarthmore Public Library has been chosen to sponsor a series of book discussion programs called Read About it! A discussion group will meet at the library for four sessions this fall. The Swarthmore Public Library will offer “Pennsylvania Writers”, led by local author and creative writing instructor, Rachel Pastan. Participants will read and discuss works by
prominent Pennsylvania authors. Diverse peoples, communities and landscapes make up the Keystone State. Are there common threads that tie them together? What characterizes Pennsylvania and makes it unique? How do different writers describe our state? This program explores Pennsylvania through a variety of literary works and genres.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is free and open to the general public, and requires no special knowledge about literature. Books will be
provided free of charge to each participant.

To register contact the library by phone at 610-543-0436;
email: swarthmore@delco.lib.pa.us, or in person.

Book Discussion Schedule:

November 18th @ 2:00 PM: Judith Moffet’s The Ragged World (1992) Local author and professor Judith Moffet wrote this warm and intelligent environmental cautionary tale twenty years ago. The setting is very local, readers will recognize Rose Valley and Ridley Creek Park as they enjoy this fantasy.

December 16th @ 2:00 PM: Ellen Litman’s The Last Chicken in America: a Novel in Stories (2007) This novel-in-stories follows Masha, her family and the community of Russian-Jewish immigrants who are settling in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh.

Quality programs such as “Pennsylvania Writers” make Pennsylvania libraries the place where learning starts. “Pennsylvania Writers” is part of Read About it! a book discussion series of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

The program is supported with federal Library Services and Technology Act funds administered by the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries.

Unless a fee is specified these programs are free and open to the public. Registration is requested. To register you can sign up at the Swarthmore Public Library located in the Borough Hall at 121 Park Avenue, call 610-543-0436, or send an email to swarthmore@delco.lib.pa.us.

Catch the Reading Bug

Copyright © 2007 Swarthmore Public Library
Swarthmore Public Library, 121 Park Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081
610- 543-0436, 610- 543-3171
Fax: 610-328-6699
swarthmore@delco.lib.pa.us

Server space donated by Boing! Bounce Rentals