Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library

Is your teen looking to earn volunteer hours this school year?  Write reviews for your favorite books. Receive volunteer/community service hours to count towards graduation requirements, National Honor Society requirements and more!

To start, simply choose a book to read. We would prefer that you select a book from our collection, but feel free to choose any book that you feel strongly about. Next, write a compelling, well-written review of the book that you chose. Incomplete or un-edited work will be sent back to the submitter to be re-done. Please note that your review doesn’t have to be positive, so just be honest.

Make sure you have submitted your Community Service Volunteer Application and background checks in order to qualify for community service hours. Email these to hholst@mclinc.org.  Finally submit your work via this Google Form.

Each review is worth 1 volunteer hour with a 300 word minimum and 400 word maximum. Once your review has been posted, you will receive the volunteering credit.

Attention: Please complete a Community Service Volunteer Application before submitting a review. Links for this can be found at the end of this Google Form. Anyone aged 14-17  must complete the following:

• PA State Police Criminal History Clearance (PCHC) 
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance (CAHC). 

These are free for volunteers. Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee that we can accommodate everyone.
Those seeking volunteer hours for the National Honors Society should consider having one or more backup locations in order to obtain all required hours. Hours are first come, first served, so submit your applications as soon as possible!

Miss Kate’s Early Literacy Line Up!

Join us on Tuesdays at 10:30am for “Babies in the Library” in the Community Room. 

Set your baby up for literary success by visiting the library from a young age.  Parents and caregivers teach language through stories and songs, which eventually leads to reading!  During this 30 minute program, we sing songs using sensory objects like shaker eggs and scarfs.  Program is aimed at 0-2 years old.  After the structured story time and songs, we’ll have a “Stay and Play” portion for caregivers and babies to socialize informally.  Registration Required.  Space is limited.  Link to register is live a week before program date.  Registration closes a day before event at 12pm or when maximum number is reached.

REGISTER HERE

The Fun Continues with “Toddler Time” on Thursdays at 12:15pm in the Community Room.

Each week is a new theme featuring stories, crafts, activities and/or songs geared towards ages 3-5 years old.  A great next step when your little one outgrows “Babies in the Library.”  After the structured story time and songs, we’ll have a “Stay and Play” portion for caregivers and toddlers to socialize informally.  Registration Required.  Space is limited.  Link to register is live a week before program date.  Registration closes a day before event at 12pm or when maximum number is reached.

REGISTER HERE

Ever since Benjamin Franklin founded the nation’s first public library, Pennsylvanians have been emPOWERed by their libraries—to research, study, learn, communicate, discover new interests, develop new skills, retool their careers, and find their pathway through life.

In support of these endeavors, the State Library of Pennsylvania fostered the development and expansion of a statewide database of library catalogs, accessible from a single website on the Internet for all residents of Pennsylvania. This service, Access Pennsylvania, enabled resource sharing across the Commonwealth.  Services provided by the State Library of Pennsylvania grew to include electronic databases, digital collections, and a 24/7 live chat service.  In 2013, all of these services were united under a single web portal and named POWER Library.

POWER Library is the online portal to all that Pennsylvania libraries offer. This is the place to find trustworthy answers to questions about healthcare, consumer purchases, personal finances, and much more. Enjoy 24/7 access to newspapers, magazines, journals, historical documents and photos, online databases, and eBooks. Research a subject. Learn about your family history. Locate a title. Explore career options. It’s all here at POWER Library.

If you’re not sure where (or how) to start, Let Ben Be Your Guide or Chat directly with a librarian. Experienced librarians are on hand to assist. They may be able to answer your question then and there, email information later, or suggest resources to explore.

Most of the site is open for browsing, but, to use the online e-resources, you must have a library card issued by a library in Pennsylvania or you can obtain an eCard that will allow you to access the POWER Library e-resources.

POWER Library is a service of the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and is hosted by HSLC.