Our Mission Statement
Lansdowne Public Library enlightens and enriches individuals by providing equal access to quality information and superior services to meet the changing informational, educational, and cultural needs of the Lansdowne community. The library is committed to strengthening the diverse community of Lansdowne by advancing knowledge, promoting literacy, and fostering lifelong learning to improve the quality of life.
Our Values
In pursuit of this mission, we rely on our staff, our collections, our physical and virtual spaces and on the following set of core values: The library will provide fair and equal access, empowerment for users, opportunities for lifelong learning, a sense of community, and most of all… fun.
Our History
The Lansdowne Public Library officially opened its doors in June of 1899.
On November 28, 1898, a group of Lansdowne residents gathered to organize a Library Association. Seven months later, on June 3, 1899, the Lansdowne Public Library officially opened its doors. The library was housed in a room in the Highland Avenue School located on the corner of Baltimore and Highland Avenues. The library boasted a collection of 1,345 books. In just six short years, the library’s collection had almost tripled and it was moved to a larger building on the grounds of the Highland Avenue School.
In 1929, the Borough of Lansdowne enacted Ordinance #516. This ordinance stated that the Board of School Directors “assigned and transferred absolutely to the Council for the Borough all the books and library appliances maintained as a Public Library.”
In 1934, the library moved to 47 S. Lansdowne Avenue, a building that was originally Tyndall’s Ice Cream Parlor. The library has been in its current location at 55 S. Lansdowne Avenue since November of 1982. In 2001, the library’s interior was updated and renovated.
Today the library continues to grow in collection, service and popularity. Our collection of nearly 65,000 items includes books, audio books, DVDs, magazines, mp3s and CD-ROMS. Nearly 5,000 Lansdowne residents have registered for library cards and circulation is over 100,000 items.
Library Staff
Library Director:
Bill Paterson
ladirector@delcolibraries.org
610.623.0239 x 307
Head of Children Services:
Brad Colburn
lacsd@delcolibraries.org
610.623.0239 x 304
Head of Public Services & Technology:
Laura Smith (she/her)
lareference@delcolibraries.org
610.623.0239 x 305
Head of Circulation and Cataloging:
Margie Hunter
lansdowne@delcolibraries.org
610.623.0239 x 302
Office Manager:
Luzille Burnley
illla@delcolibraries.org
610.623.0239 x 303
Program Technical Coordinator:
Alex Stockdale
laprograms@delcolibraries.org
610.623.0239
Reference Appointment
Make an appointment with our reference librarian and get help finding information, resources, or answers to questions. Fill out the form below, and our librarian will contact you to schedule a meeting. Alternatively, we can also assist you by phone or via email.