Susan Banks, Deputy Secretary and State Librarian
$4.5 Million in Keystone Grants Awarded
I am very pleased to announce on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Education that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be awarding 17 municipalities in 14 counties with $4.5 million in Keystone grant funds to improve their local libraries. The grants, ranging from a low of $45,000 to a high of $750,000, will help support significant library building improvements.
Please join me in congratulating the following libraries:
| County | Municipality | Project Library | Award | Brief Project Description |
| Allegheny | Shaler Township | Shaler North Hills Library | $149,452.50 | Add accessible restroom and renovate other restrooms for accessibility. |
| Allegheny | South Fayette Township | South Fayette Township Library | $750,000.00 | Build out newly-constructed library facility. |
| Allegheny | Dormont Borough | Dormont Public Library | $50,000.00 | Feasibility study to identify costs associated with development of current library site. |
| Allegheny | Pleasant Hills Borough | Pleasant Hills Public Library | $208,202.00 | Replace roof, windows, and two sets of concrete stairs. |
| Beaver | Beaver Falls City | Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls | $69,000.00 | Roof replacement. |
| Berks | Hamburg Borough | Hamburg Public Library | $750,000.00 | Construct two-story addition with accessible entrance, restrooms, elevator and program spaces; HVAC replacement; exterior preservation and infrastructure upgrades. |
| Bradford | Monroe Borough Council | Monroeton Public Library | $62,323.00 | Repoint exterior bricks of the library building. |
| Bucks | Bucks County | Bucks County Free Library: James Michener Library Branch | $157,478.50 | Replace HVAC units. |
| Chester | Easttown Township | Easttown Library | $45,000.00 | Replace two geothermal heat pumps and building upgrades. |
| Clarion | New Bethlehem Borough | Redbank Valley Public Library | $51,735.09 | Replace roof and HVAC; upgrade flooring. |
| Clearfield | Clearfield Borough | Joseph & Elizabeth Shaw Public Library | $329,262.00 | Construct library building expansion for dedicated children’s space to include family restroom and nursing room. |
| Dauphin | Derry Township | Hershey Public Library | $166,708.00 | Replace air conditioning system. |
| Lackawanna | Lackawanna County | Lackawanna County Library System: Scranton Public Library: Nancy Kay Holmes Branch | $333,700.00 | Add accessible ramp, entrance and restroom; upgrade windows and lighting for efficiency. |
| Lancaster | Penn Township | Manheim Community Library | $750,000.00 | Total fit out of newly-constructed library space. |
| Lebanon | Lebanon City | Lebanon Community Library | $68,500.00 | Upgrade restrooms for accessibility; add family restroom. |
| Northampton | Nazareth Borough | Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity | $250,000.00 | Replace heating system. |
| York | Hanover Borough | Guthrie Memorial Library | $294,975.00 | Replace HVAC equipment. |
About the Keystone Grant Program
The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund was established by an act of the General Assembly in 1993. The Department of Education, through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Bureau of Library Development, administers the public library portion of this program which is funded from a portion of the state’s realty transfer tax.
Grants pay up to 50 percent of eligible costs in planning, acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public libraries. Examples of fundable projects include, but are not limited to: ADA upgrades, new roof, replacement windows, energy efficient upgrades to HVAC systems, facility expansion and new construction.
A competitive grant application process is used to award matching facilities grants to municipalities that sponsor state-aided public libraries. To be eligible, the sponsoring municipality and the board of the state-aided library must jointly submit an application developed cooperatively by both entities and signed by their governing bodies. The Keystone grant requires a dollar-for-dollar match.
We anticipate opening the next round of Keystone grant opportunities in the summer of 2024.
Susan Banks | Deputy Secretary, Commissioner for Libraries, and State Librarian
Pennsylvania Department of Education | Office of Commonwealth Libraries
607 South Drive | Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: 717-214-4046 | www.statelibrary.pa.gov
This communication is issued on the Deputy Secretary’s behalf by Carrie Cleary, Executive Assistant (ccleary@pa.gov; 717-783-5725).
Please reference PDE’s Press Release at Shapiro Administration Awards Nearly $4.5 Million in Keystone Grants to 17 Public Libraries (pa.gov)