North Branch Books, Baskets & Bake Sale!

Friends of the North Branch of the Osterhout Free Library will be holding their annual Books, Baskets & Bake Sale fundraising event on Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the North Branch – 28 Oliver St., Parsons, Wilkes-Barre. Great deals on books, DVDs and more, raffle baskets and yummy sweets! We hope to see you there!

Buff City Soap Fundraising Night

Shop with us in-store at Buff City Soap Wilkes-Barre (407 Arena Hub Plaza) on Thursday, March 28th from 3-7 p.m.  20% of sales during this time will be donated back to the library! There will be special “Osterhout” soaps available, but any shopping you do during this time will be eligible for the fundraiser!  Thank you for your support!

Honor Your Loved One this Valentine’s Day

With a $25 donation, you can honor or memorialize a loved one with a bookplate inside the cover of a new book!

Books are added to the library’s collection and enjoyed by the whole community. A personal card will be mailed to you and the recipient of your gift. For more information or to access the Memorial/Honorarium Donation Form – follow this link. 

Celebrating 135 years of service

The Osterhout Free Library has been serving the City of Wilkes-Barre for 135 years. On January 28, 1889 an opening ceremony was held at the neighboring First Presbyterian Church. Presenters remarked that Isaac Osterhout’s generosity and forethought provided this library to enrich the City of Wilkes-Barre. Attendees proceeded out into the cold January night to be greeted by the electric lights of the library, which were installed in 1888.
At 10 o’clock the next morning – January 29, 1889 – the library officially opened to the public. Readers were registered and books were checked out. Library membership was initially limited to Wilkes-Barre residents over the age of 12. In 1896, borrowing privileges were extended to all residents of the Wyoming Valley.
Today, all residents of Luzerne County are eligible and encouraged to register for a free library card. Library cards allow patrons to access books, periodicals, digital resources, a Library of Things and so much more. There is truly ‘something for everyone!’ As Melvil Dewey remarked at the opening ceremony, “a modern library should serve as a living spring that educates the whole community.”
The Osterhout Free Library serves as the district center for the Wilkes-Barre Library District and the Luzerne County Library System. The library provides material and services to all residents of Luzerne County enabling them to obtain information, free of charge, for their personal, educational, recreational and professional needs. The mission of the library is to continue to broaden these services and to stimulate their use.
The library is open: Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
The Osterhout Free Library is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. If you are interested in making a donation or sponsoring any of the library’s fundraising events throughout the year, please contact Michelle Riley, Director of Development at (570) 823-0156 ext. 218 or mriley@luzernelibraries.org

February is Love Your Library Month

Love Your Library Month is celebrated during February in libraries nationwide. This is a great time to recognize the important role libraries play in the cultural and economic success of local communities and the nation. Visit the Osterhout Free Library and tell us what you love about our library. We’ll have a special display for the month where patrons can leave the library a “love note!” We invite the community to join us in celebrating all of the wonderful things you can do in the library – and all the great things the library can do for you!

** The Osterhout Free Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization completely funded by public donations. Donations directly support the Osterhout’s mission to broaden library services and stimulate their use throughout the community. We thank you for your support. ** Ways to Give – Osterhout Free Library #loveyourlibrary

Donation Form – Osterhout Free Library

 

January Staff Picks are in!

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Click here to see what the staff has suggested for you this month!