I grew up with the angelic voice of Fairouz playing in the morning, and the awakening scents of Arabic coffee wafting in the air of my home (more than once a day because Arabs love their coffee and cannot go a day without that tiny cup of bitter caffeine). The Arabic language filled the halls […]
Ernest Hemingway helped to redefine American writing in the early 20th century through his stories and novels. One of his most characteristic and influential traits was his spare and direct style. And it is with that that we have decided to have a little fun. You can use the below list of typical Hemingway words, […]
With the help of librarians from across the country, we are happy to present this list of museums to our BAPL patrons. Virtual museum tours are a creative field trip idea for students as well as a safe, fun way to engage the entire family. There is also the added bonus of accessibility; you can visit […]
On December 14, Director Berk was happy to join Rabbi Yaacov Halperin of Chabad of the Lehigh Valley and Stephanie Augello from the City of Bethlehem Mayor’s Office to ceremonially light the menorah located outside City Hall. A City fire truck was on hand to hoist him up to the high candles, but they were […]
Please note that the Bethlehem Area Public Library’s November board meeting will be held online on November 9, 2020 at 6pm. The virtual meeting will be open to the public as attendees. Attendees will be able to listen to the meeting and make comment at the designated time, following typical public comment procedure. To […]
BAPL Books is happy to announce the publication of a new children’s book: TUG! by Catherine McCafferty. Bethlehem’s history comes to life in this picture book brought to you by the Bethlehem Area Public Library and the National Museum of Industrial History. TUG is a tow tractor helping Bethlehem’s steelworkers to do their very best. […]
Hey kids, friend of BAPL and children’s music performer DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) brings you a fun musical craft: an egg carton quijada. The quijada is a rattling percussion instrument found in South American and Central American music. It’s typically made from an animal’s jaw bone. This one is made from an egg carton. The supplies to […]
Chillier weather, darker evenings, and the lonely rustle of leaves scratching at the door – the perfect time for sharing a good ghost story! Here’s a chance to thrill us and chill us with your own best spooky stories. PLEASE READ the rules carefully and fill out the form completely. For further questions, please email […]
By Regina Kochmaruk For the past several years, what I really wanted for Mother’s Day was to take a drive down to Longwood Gardens and enjoy the splendor of color and fragrance and hidden garden paths after a Pennsylvania winter. But there was always something else to do with children – dance recitals, track events, […]
Libraries across the country are helping spread the word about the U.S. Census. Responding to the census is an important tool to make sure our community properly plans for the future, receives accurate representation in government, and gets local services funded appropriately. The first thing you can do is to make sure you fill out […]
We asked staff for some suggestions on the topic of “comfort reads” and lots of good recommendations came in. You can read that post here. We now bring you the second installment! Many are available as e-books which you can borrow remotely. Check them out! Josh recommends: Alexander McCall-Smith. We have a lot of his books […]
Those who are new to the Lehigh Valley may recognize the roadside building as the Keystone Pub at the busy intersection of Easton Ave and Willow Park Rd in Bethlehen Township. But when BAPL Librarian Regina Kochmaruk rode past it every day as a teen on the school bus in the 1980s, it was still […]
We’ve been working with our friends at area organizations to gather a full calendar of excellent early literacy programs offered each month in the Lehigh Valley: from storytimes to art gallery tours to family fun nights, there’s always something FREE to do to promote healthy child development (and have fun!). These calendars are distributed through […]
Next week you can support BAPL while shopping at the Barnes & Noble in the Promenade. You may bring books to donate to our new project: “Books on the Hill,” a retrofitted bookmobile that is being transformed into a mini library in Fountain Hill! Also, be sure to mention us at the register so that […]
BAPL gets a quick shout-out in this month’s Bicycling magazine. It’s the world’s leading bike magazine, covering all bike-related topics, including libraries that loan bikes! This is a very cool article about this new library service and we are happy to be included as one of the first libraries in the country to offer a […]