A personal note from the library director: This will be my last column for Whitehall Township Public Library. I am retiring and moving back to Bloomington, Ind., this fall.

I want to thank the staff, board and patrons of the library for a wonderful eight years. I was greeted with open arms in May 2013, and I have enjoyed every day working here, but this past year, with pandemic precautions, has taken a toll on me.

This is an awesome library with a great staff.

It’s wonderful to be part of Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative, and I loved living in Whitehall. I enjoyed working at the fall festivals, car shows, dog shows, community nights at IronPigs games and working with Whitehall Lions Club and Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce.

I will miss all of you and wish you continued success. Thank you!

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There will be a book sale 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 27 and 28 in the community room. There are set prices for paperback or hardback books and DVDs. Bring a bag to take advantage of the bag sale special pricing.

There will also be a sale of miscellaneous items.

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The library will be closed Sept. 4 and 6 for the Labor Day holiday.

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Do you want to learn more about the world around you? We have a collection of databases that can help you discover more about the history, geography and cultures around you. All you need to use these free resources is a purple LCLC card and a PIN to log in to the database.

To find them, you can go to the Research & Learn page on our website, whitehallpl.org, and scroll down to the A to Z collections.

A to Z Food America: With thousands of recipes, hundreds of fascinating culture and ingredient articles and essential culinary resources, Food America brings United States cuisines to you.

A to Z Maps: This is the world’s largest database of royalty-free, downloadable maps for academic use.

A to Z the USA: Find unmatched coverage of the country’s people, history, economy, geography, symbols, culture and society.

A to Z the World: Information about world history, cultures, languages, foods, religions and much more is just a click away. With 175 country culture guides covering more than 60 topics each, this database offers a breadth and depth of content that is unmatched by any other single resource.

A to Z World Food: This is the only food database that contains traditional recipes for 174 countries of the world in all course categories - appetizers, soups, salads, breads, main courses, side dishes, desserts and beverages.

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Access all of the library’s databases. Go to whitehallpl.org; click on Research & Learn; click on OverDrive; sign in to Carbon Lehigh Downloadable; pick Whitehall TPL; and type in your library barcode and PIN. You will need a purple LCLC card to use all databases.

We can help you set up your account and enjoy these free information resources.

See the complete list at whitehallpl.org/research-learn.

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We cannot accept book donations until after Sept. 7. We are in the process of clearing out items and cleaning up the community room.

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The inside book drop is now open. You may return items in the yellow book drop boxes outside in the parking lot or inside at the circulation desk.

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The current library hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. We will continue curbside pickup until the end of December.

Patrons may come inside the library for one hour to browse the collection, select items to check out and use our copier. You can come in for two hours a day to use the public computers.

If you have questions and need help, call the library at 610-432-4339 or check the website at whitehallpl.org.