Tredyffrin Public Library
The Tredyffrin Public Library was established in 1966 with John Tucker named as the head librarian.
In the summer of 1967, the library moved to the old Strafford School building, located at Upper Gulph and West Valley roads where Woodlynde School now stands. There, Tredyffrin Public Library became the largest community library in Chester County.
Built in 1885, the old Strafford School building was less than ideal. Pigeons roosted in the attic and bees built a hive––complete with dripping honey in the walls. Circulation staff conducted business in a freezing lower hallway while the remaining staff sweltered above. The weight of books on the old structure became a concern. Along with the library board, Library Director Marian Stevens (who took over in 1971) developed a long-range plan for Tredyffrin Public Library and searched for a more satisfying location. They reviewed several sites, including property in Chesterbrook.
On December 3, 1973, with a nod from the Tredyffrin Township Supervisors, Strafford Park was chosen as the best available option.
Six architectural firms were invited to bid, and a majority of the architectural selection committee favored Mitchell/Giurgola Architects. In June 1974, the committee made its recommendation and hired the award-winning Philadelphia firm.
On May 10, 1975, a formal groundbreaking took place, and a year and a half of construction ensued before the doors of the new Tredyffrin Public Library opened in October of 1976. Books were transported in cars and station wagons and put on the shelves by volunteers. Tredyffrin Public Library is listed on the Great Buildings website, one of only 22 recognized sites in Pennsylvania.
In 1980, Paoli Library became a branch of Tredyffrin Public Library. Both libraries are part of the Chester County Library System, through which it is even more possible to offer a wide scope of information and service to the public.
As the Tredyffrin community continued to grow, Tredyffrin Public Library underwent yet another construction event in 1990 when a new Children’s library was created on the lower level in previously unfinished space. The library’s commitment to an ever-changing community continued when plans were finalized in 2004 to renovate and expand the entire Tredyffrin Public Library.
In September 2007, Tredyffrin Public Library broke ground for its $6 million renovation and expansion. Hundreds attended the festive groundbreaking celebration, which featured live music, children’s entertainment, book signings with local authors, and more.
In January 2008, Marian Stevens retired after 37 years of service, and the following April, Joseph Sherwood replaced her as Director of the ever-growing community treasure. The library remained open through much of construction, shifting services and materials from one side of the building to the other and setting up temporary offices to accommodate the construction. On January 31, 2009, the entire expanded building was open to the public for the first time. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held and retired Director Marian Stevens and Director Joseph Sherwood cut the ribbon. A month of events for donors, adults, teens, and children ensued with robust attendance and generous coverage by the local newspaper Suburban and Wayne Times.
In 2012, Joseph Sherwood became executive director of the Chester County Library System and Michael Packard became the director of Tredyffrin Township Libraries.
Christopher Kibler was announced as the new Director of Tredyffrin Township Libraries in late 2015. He began his tenure in January 2016, just in time to help celebrate the library’s 50th anniversary, and he continued to lead the library until January 2023.
In May 2023, Mallory Hoffman was appointed Director.
Paoli Library
Founded in 1910, Paoli Library holds a rich history. William Shippen Roney formed and chaired the Town Association Library Committee, donating books from his own and his friends’ libraries. The Paoli Town Hall, formerly a chapel of Paoli Presbyterian Church, housed this early library. In 1920, the group of people from Tredyffrin and Willistown townships who had been supporting the library for 10 years formed the Paoli Library Association. These incorporators, known as subscribers and directors, undertook “to maintain and support a library … in the village of Paoli, Tredyffrin Township, County of Chester, State of Pennsylvania” and donated funds.
Books were gifts and were not catalogued for many years; bills were met by an annual membership fee of $1.00 and the contributions of association members. The building was improved gradually to include more shelving for books, tables, and sections for programs. In the mid-1950s, a part-time professional librarian was hired to catalogue the collection, among other library tasks. For years, Paoli Library functioned on a very small budget; as a private library, it was not eligible for state funding. Book sales and other fundraising efforts supplemented the membership fees, which had risen to $2.00 per year. By 1974, Tredyffrin Township had begun to contribute funds to Paoli Library, and the membership fees ended. Chester County also began limited aid to Paoli Library in the 1970s.
In 1965, efforts to ally Paoli Library with the newly formed Tredyffrin Township Library in Strafford began. In 1980, a merger was approved, and Paoli Library became a branch of the Tredyffrin Township Libraries. This was done through an agreement between the Paoli Library Association and Tredyffrin Township. In addition, an agreement between Tredyffrin and Willistown townships provided additional support to Paoli Library. In 1986, Tredyffrin Township and Meridian Bank purchased the Paoli Library property to be used as road access and public parking. The quaint old building was scheduled for demolition but was saved by popular subscription and moved to the Paoli Presbyterian Church grounds, where it again became a chapel as it had been before it was the town hall and library. In return, the bank provided space adjacent to its new addition as a new home for Paoli Library. This shell was finished and furnished by funds from the Paoli Library Association and stocked with the collections of the old library. These quarters were provided under a 30-year lease, which expired in 2016, between the bank and Tredyffrin Township, with the Paoli Library Association as a signatory. The Paoli Library Association, assuring its aim of keeping a library in Paoli, disbanded in 1980 after investing its remaining funds in an annuity to purchase books for the library. The lease has been extended for an additional 5 years so the library’s home will remain with Wells Fargo Bank until at least 2026.