“For 60 years, the school board has never failed the public library,” Northampton Area Public Library Director Veronica Laroche said at the Northampton Area School District Board of Education’s April 8 meeting. “The library board was assembled by the school district in 1964. The school board agreed that the school district would be the primary funding source for the library.”

At the March 11 school board meeting, board Vice President Kristin Soldridge questioned funding of the public library, which she said was $270,000 in the 2023-24 district budget. She added the district funding of NAPL increases 3% annually. She said in four years, the district has provided more than $1 million to the public library.

Soldridge and school Director Josh Harris said the townships and boroughs in the school district should provide library funding, and Soldridge proposed reducing NASD funding of NAPL to $50,000 annually.

The March 11 library funding discussion happened before a vote reappointing Crystal Becker, Crista Billowitch and Walter Fries as NAPL trustees for three-year terms, effective March 1-Feb. 28, 2027.

After the April 8 meeting presentation, Soldridge asked Laroche, “Have you gone to the municipalities and asked for funding?”

“The plan was to ask the municipalities for support,” Laroche replied, adding, “We will be reaching out to communities for support.”

School Director Brian McCulloch asked, “Why did the library put out a petition that the (school) board would cut the library funding by 81%?”

“The library didn’t do it. The Friends of the Library asked us to put that up,” Laroche answered. “I’m sure there was no intention to divide the community over this topic.”

The website everylibrary.org states “Send an Email: Save Northampton Area Public Library - Stop the Budget Cut,” with an accompanying statement. The website includes an exterior photo of NAPL and a sample petition, intended to be sent to the school board before the April 8 meeting.

According to the website, 398 people filled out the petition.

According to the EveryLibrary statement, “After 58 years, several new members of the school board have been questioning why the school should continue to participate in the library and partner with our families. They have proposed an 81% cut in the library budget.”

According to its website, “EveryLibrary is the nation’s first and only political action committee for libraries and organized as a 501(c)(4).”

The full statement about NAPL on EveryLibrary, based in Riverside, Ill, is at action.everylibrary.org/save_northampton_library.

The Friends of Northampton Area Public Library has a page on the library website, which includes a reproduction of a letter, dated March 23, 1966, from then district Superintendent Albert L. Henry to Dr. George A. Eichler and the library board that states the school board “will sponsor and support the library financially.”

See the Friends of the Library page at northamptonapl.org/friends-library.

“I’m a big fan of libraries, so I support the Northampton Area Public Library,” school Director Kim Bretzik said at the April 8 meeting. “I don’t feel it’s any different where the dollars are coming from.”

Laroche outlined NAPL 2023-24 expenditures, primarily spent on staffing, collections, technology and facilities.

“Facilities costs include all our utilities and maintenance to an aging building already over 50 years old,” Laroche said.

General services include “balanced collections for all ages in multiple formats,” programming for all ages, Summer Quest, free Wi-Fi and computer use and digital access cards.

“We are open 51 hours a week year-round, including evenings and Saturdays,” Laroche said.

Early education programs include lapsit storytime, toddler storytime and preschool storytime. Elementary, tween and teen programs include storycraft, STEAM Craft Club, Game Club, Anime Club and more. Programming for adults includes book clubs, Stitch and Chat, regular crafts and Medicare enrollment.

Outreach is to senior centers in Northampton and Cherryville, Lehigh Township National Night Out, Bath Farmers Market, Moore Township Recreation Center and the homebound.

The annual NAPL visits in 2023 of 52,613 surpassed the population of the library’s 98-square mile service area of 43,991, Laroche said.

The proposed final NASD 2024-25 budget with a zero-percent tax increase is to be presented for an up-or-down vote at the 6:30 p.m. May 13 school board meeting in the auditorium at Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.