The Abington Community Library’s mission is to facilitate lifelong learning, provide for leisure-time interests, support student research, and encourage teens, children, and adults to read. Adopted August 2008
Kevin Service, President
Jim Shemanski, Vice President
Charlie Curtin, Treasurer
Theresa J.Bruno
Barbara Camarillo
Sarah Dawgert
Kimberly Devine Tesluk
Ellie Hyde
Robert G. Jones
Gabrielle Giombetti Krowiak
Paul J. LaBelle, Esquire
Lauren Mesko Moroski
Cheryl Lynn Murnin
Hong V. Nguyen
Holly Regan
Marie Robson
Gary Rozman
Robert Sheils III, Esquire
Leigh-Ann Puchalski MLIS, Youth Services Coordinator | Assistant Director, 570-587-3440
Kate Andrews, Assistant to the Director, 570-587-3440
Facilities History: In December 1959 an article in the Abington Journal announced that a meeting would take place in January to establish a library in the Clarks Summit area, an idea put forth by the Clarks Summit-Abington PTA. On January 11, 1960 the Abington Library Association was born. The Library, originally located in a storefront in what had been the Abington Fabric Store at 420 State Street in Clarks Summit (now the Young Funeral Home parking lot), opened its doors with 75 donated books on June 18, 1960. The first fund drives were door-to-door canvasses and the first drive brought in about $1,000. The Abington Heights Junior Women’s Club (now the Civic League) was also instrumental in the early years. The Library was incorporated April 16, 1965. In 1966 the Library moved to a renovated single-family dwelling located at 500 School Street and continued as an all-volunteer organization until 1967 with the hiring of its first director, Mary Riley. Florence Holbrook followed Mary Riley and who was in turn followed by Mary Tuthill then Leah Rudolph. Sandy Longo, MLIS, is current director. In 1975 the municipalities of Clarks Summit, Clarks Green, and South Abington Township, declared it their ‘official’ Library. Between 1978-79 the School Street location was expanded with space in the basement for a children’s area plus additional work space. In 1982 a referendum creating a dedicated county Library tax was passed and in 1983 the Library became part of the Lackawanna County Library System.
The current Library opened its doors on March 2, 1992 on donated property at 1200 W. Grove Street in a building constructed in 1991. It contains a community meeting room frequently used for Library-sponsored programs, the Friends of the Abington Community Library, and by local non-profit organizations. Originally ten thousand square feet, the addition of a Children’s Room in October 2002, increased the Library’s total size to 14,500 square feet. Fifty-five parking spaces are available. In 2014 the Library enlarged a small bathroom into a completely handicap accessible ‘family bathroom’ in response to patron needs.
