Upper Moreland Free Public Library serves Upper Moreland Township in Montgomery County, PA
Mission – Vision – Values – History
UMFPL Mission Statement:
The mission of the Upper Moreland Free Public Library (UMFPL) is to bring people together by providing free and equitable access to diverse resources, fostering life-long learning, and promoting cultural enrichment in a fiscally responsible manner.
UMFPL Vision Statement:
As a community resource, the library strives to exceed the informational, recreational, social, cultural, and learning needs of all residents, and become an integral part of the everyday routine of the community.
UMFPL Values Statement:
- We value courteous and knowledgeable staff members responsive to the changing need of the residents of the community
- We value exceptional, constantly evolving collections of resources, services, and programs free to the residents of the community
- We value serving a diverse population with a wide range of needs and expectations representing all points of view
- We create opportunities for people to build neighborly connections
- We value a dynamic facility that is utilized by all populations of the community
- We value the contributions of community volunteers
- We value the trust placed in us as good stewards of the community’s resources
- We respect the confidentiality of our patrons’ account information, requests for information, and online sites they access
The History of UMFPL:
An oral history of Upper Moreland Township indicated there were two early attempts at forming a local lending library. The first library may have been a little building next to a grocery store at the corner of Cherry Street and Moreland Road. In 1928, the Willow Grove Civic Club established a lending library that is believed to have been in a store across Davisville Road from the Willow Grove train station. This library closed in 1934 because of economic conditions.
The Upper Moreland Free Public Library traces its formation back to 1956 when a group of interested parents at the North Willow Grove Elementary School recognized a need for a library in their rapidly growing community. After a great deal of hard work, six families rented a basement store on Old York Road in February 1959. Volunteers scrubbed the building and the community donated books. In March 1959, the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas issued a charter that established the Library as a non-profit corporation. On April 25, 1959, the Library opened its doors with 2500 cataloged books. Two hundred residents registered for Library cards the first day.
The Library continued to grow and soon a new building was leased from the Township. Local residents again cleaned, painted, and built shelves. The Library reopened in a house at 109 Park Avenue. By then, there were 2000 members and 7000 books. In the 1960 election, the community voted tax support for the Library. The Library moved again so that the new Township building could be constructed and the library was later relocated to the basement of the new Township building.
As Upper Moreland Township grew, so did the collection and services of the Library. Extensive investigation determined that a larger building was needed. After several years of planning and anticipation, a larger, brighter, fully computerized Library opened its doors in March 1997. The new red brick building is located at 109 Park Avenue, across the driveway from the Upper Moreland Township Building.
Today, the Library is a member of MCLINC (the Montgomery County Library and Information Network Consortium), which provides the Library with a circulation program, an On-Line Catalog, and Internet access. The Library’s collection of more than 75,000 items is augmented by the sharing of resources with the 29 other libraries. More than 2,000 items are loaned to other libraries or received by this Library for its patrons every month. In 2006, wireless Internet access was added, as were downloadable books. More than 30 databases are available at the Library or from home.
The Library provides a variety of activities for children, teens, adults, and families including story times, take and make craft kits, book discussions, cooking group, seasonal tax aide, and programs on a variety of topics. There is also a very busy schedule of activities for each year’s Summer Quest.
The Library is open 56 hours a week, and there is always a trained staff member to assist the patrons.