Whitehall Township Public Library has welcomed a new director, Susan Bielucke.

Her two interviews were held in January, first a phone call with a library board member and then an in-person meeting with the library board panel. Bielucke’s first day on the job was March 7.

Bielucke does not come from far away. Before a six-month director position at Warminster Township Library in Bucks County, she was previously the director at Northampton Area Public Library from 2015 to August of last year. This is her seventh year as a library director. Before her director roles, she held a position as a library assistant at Lower Macungie Library.

Bielucke has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Millersville University she received in 2011 and a master’s degree in library and information science from Rutgers University she earned in 2014.

Although Bielucke has just recently arrived, she is already working on some goals. First and foremost, she said, she is interested in getting people back into the library. Because COVID-19 cases are currently much lower, she is excited to provide more in-person events and programs and see more people using the library’s services. She added there will still be some virtual options as well.

She also added she is organizing programs for adults.

“[The library] has definitely done adult programming in the past, but because of COVID-19 and not having a director for a decent amount of time,” Bielucke said regarding a current lack of adult events.

As far as long-term goals, Bielucke is looking forward to greater outreach, making connections with community organizations, such as Whitehall Active Community Center, so there will be a library presence at its events. She is also seeking more of a collaboration with Whitehall-Coplay School District.

“We have a really awesome opportunity to [work with the school district] since we’re on the same campus,” Bielucke said. “Outreach is part of the director’s job - getting out in the community.”

Another great opportunity Bielucke said she is looking forward to is being with the library staff.

“I’m excited to work with the staff,” she said. “A lot of them have been here for a long time, so they have just such a wealth of knowledge of this library and about this community. I find that to be really great.

“I’ve also been starting to meet some of the regular patrons, which is always great, and listening to what the community needs are in a library,” Bielucke added.

“Helping the community” is what Bielucke said she enjoys most about being a library director.

“Most of the time, I don’t get to do it as hands on as I would like - being able to assist someone with applying for a job or finding tax help - but sometimes, I do get to go out in the library and be hands on,” she said. “But I know that my behind-the-scenes work - keeping the library running and operational - will obviously sustain people and make sure they have these great resources.”

Those day-to-day, behind-the-scenes duties Bielucke is responsible for help the library thrive for its patrons. And one of those duties is securing funding, which Bielucke said can be sometimes challenging.

“You’re always going to have the recurring challenge of funding. Most libraries, if not all libraries, are nonprofit, so funding and taking the funding and meeting all of the state standards is always going to be a challenge,” she said.

In general, Bielucke mentioned, libraries receive local and state funding. To receive the state funds, there are standards that need to be met, including hours open to the public, number of staff members, collection size and education level of the director. Bielucke submits an annual report of these calculations and applies for the funding.

The more local and state funding Bielucke can receive may mean more programs for patrons. Fundraisers help provide those programs, too, and patrons have an opportunity to help the library.

An indoor yard sale is set for May 20 and 21, and a book sale is planned for June 17 and 18, both during regular hours.

Every summer, for adults and kids, the library holds a summer reading program that includes events. Work is currently underway for this year’s program. It kicks off June 15 and has an “Oceans of Possibilities” theme.

The children’s librarian, Lorraine Santaliz, is planning a reptile event for 1 p.m. June 25, a kids interactive theater program 1:30 p.m. July 14 and a pirate scavenger hunt 1:30 p.m. Aug. 10.

For the adults in the summer reading program, Bielucke is hoping for one informational, craft or game program a week from the end of June to the beginning of August. She is currently organizing and booking events, which will be announced soon.

If you are not a resident of Lehigh County, the county in which Whitehall library resides, as long as you have a home library card, you can get a library card from Whitehall Township Public Library as well.

If interested, stop in at the library, located at 3700 Mechanicsville Road, or call 610-432-4339.

“The library is a community center for all individuals, more than just a repository of books,” Bielucke said. “The library definitely has so much more to offer with its services, programs and online collection.

“Just getting people to come through the door is a great thing. It’s just a wonderful place. I love libraries,” Bielucke added.