The Challenges of Responding to Population Shifts: An Example from Easton and Palmer Township

A few weeks ago, I met up with another professor on campus and our conversation touched upon our current research projects. She has young children and is an avid public library user, so she leaned in as I described my work. 

After a few minutes, she said, "I've got a question for you. It's something that's always bugged me. I live in one of the biggest townships in my county, but we don't have our own library. It's weird! Boroughs and townships that are much smaller than ours have libraries, but we don't. Why is that?"

I explained that some public libraries have "service areas" comprised of several municipalities, so, at least in theory, her location might be covered by the county headquarters library, a library in a neighboring borough or township, or a bookmobile service. I also explained that, in Pennsylvania, there has never been state legislation that has *required* municipalities to provide libraries. Libraries grew to the extent that county and local governments were willing to allocate funds and other types of support, and residents were able to provide charitable contributions and voluntary labor. Even when local officials were motivated by federal initiatives such as the Library Services and Construction Act, or Pennsylvania's state aid program, much hinged on local "oompf," which some communities had, and others communities didn't. 

Although my colleague was satisfied enough with my answer, I am not. In the Harrisburg region, there are several townships with more than 25,000 residents -- namely Susquehanna and Swatara Townships in Dauphin County, and Hampden Township in Cumberland County -- that don't have their own libraries. I'm not interested in second-guessing the decisions of county library systems and local governments, but I *do* want to know if there have been any aspects of federal or state policy that could have discouraged library development in newly-settled or growing areas. So I have started to look for cases where desired libraries or branches struggled to come to fruition, to see what those stories can tell me. 

One fascinating example I recently found is in Palmer Township, near the city of Easton in Northampton County. Easton Area Public Library (EAPL) is one of the institutions participating in my study, and its Palmer Branch opened in 1986 after one heck of a fight. 

For much of its history, Palmer Township was a rural area. However, after the development of I-78 and more housing, Palmer's population surged with transplants from other parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Home to just 2,500 people in 1940, it grew to more than 12,600 residents by 1970. Over the same period, Easton's population declined from about 33,500 to about 29,000.   

During the mid-late 20th century, the Easton Area School District (EASD) was a major funder of the library, and when the school system grew to encompass surrounding municipalities, the library was asked to extend privileges to residents in the wider area. Pertaining to Palmer, in 1958, at the request of EASD, EAPL started to provide service to Palmer residents along with others in Lower Mount Bethel and Reigelsville. At the time, this largely meant that children and adults could obtain borrower's cards and visit the library on Church Street in Easton. A few years later, EAPL was designated as a District Library Center by the state and it began to receive additional funds to provide service to libraries and customers beyond the city's boundaries. In the mid-1960s, following up on recommendations made by the local branch of the Pennsylvania Economic League, either EAPL or EASD obtained a bookmobile that mainly or exclusively served area schools. The details are vague, but as far as I can tell, the bookmobile had ended by the mid-1970s. So, most township residents who wanted library services still traveled to downtown Easton. 

In 1977, when Quentin de Streel became EAPL's Director, he quickly recognized a need for rethinking the library's approach to the townships. Within months of his arrival, he authored a report, "Expansion of Public Library Services in the Easton Area," which alerted EAPL's board to declining circulation statistics, especially of children's materials. De Streel largely attributed this to demographic changes and to urban renewal projects that were not drawing suburbanites back into the city. He found that EAPL was "badly underused" by Palmer residents, even though the middle-class families with young children that tended to live in Palmer were typically the "mainstays" of public libraries. Rather than a bricks-and-mortar building or a bookmobile, de Streel preferred a mobile unit so that library services could move with population shifts. Thus, when he learned of an unneeded trailer that had been used as a library in another county's demonstration project, he asked the State Library if it could be given to EAPL to establish a branch. He also reached out to Palmer Township's supervisors, who agreed to place the mobile unit on township-owned land and pay for utilities. EAPL proposed to supply reading material and use reserve funds to staff the Palmer branch for 20 hours per week. The library also planned to tap federal work programs such as CETA for additional help.

The state authorized EAPL to take possession of the mobile unit, and the Palmer Branch opened in July 1978. Measuring 14 x 45 feet and located on Division Street and Mine Lane Road, the used aluminum-sided trailer wasn't pleasing to every resident who lived nearby. But de Streel was excited about expanding EAPL's services and he continued to monitor usage patterns. In 1980, he collaborated with Seth Beers, a local Eagle Scout, to conduct a survey of Palmer residents. They found out that more than 30% were using the trailer library, and there seemed to be strong support for increasing the branch's size. Non-users were generally folks who didn't know about it. Once they learned about it, they often became patrons. 

Judging from news reports, it appears that the idea for a new, larger, permanent Palmer branch became a realistic possibility after Carl Weller, a retiring business owner, donated 27 acres of land to the township for the purpose of building a municipal complex. At roughly the same time, Palmer's Business, Industrial, and Professional Association (BIP), grew interested in raising funds for a library. Most township supervisors, especially chair H. Robert Daws, who also served on BIP's board of directors, were supportive. At the same time, EAPL's 7-member board included 5 residents of Palmer Township, and board president Charles Montgomery, himself a Palmer resident, was interested in an enlarged branch. For his part, de Streel was willing to apply for a Library Services and Construction Act building grant and LSCA collection development grants to help make it happen. In April 1982, the parties met to discuss possibilities, and although various attendees stressed to news reporters that no commitments were made, plans seemed quite advanced. 

There was a significant problem, though:

Official representatives from the Easton Area School District, EAPL's primary funder, were not at the table. 

Because the same people sometimes served on both the EAPL and EASD boards, perhaps EAPL leaders that assumed school leaders were in the loop. Unfortunately, as efforts for Palmer's new branch moved forward, Dorothy Gollub, Mildred Kovar, and other school board members grew increasingly frustrated over being excluded from conversations and decisions. For more than a year, they raised financial and legal concerns. A recurrent one was the extent to which an enlarged Palmer branch could draw resources away from EAPL's Church Street location. Library officials' claims that the planned 6,000 sq. ft. branch could be operated with the same staffing and funds that had supported a 600 sq. ft. trailer begged disbelief, and EASD board members didn't feel they were in a position to bail anyone out. Just the year before (FY 1982/1983), the school district had absorbed an increase in the library's funding by making cuts in other areas. Thus, in December 1982, Superintendent of Schools Frances J. Rhodes had directed all "interagencies" (the library, the vocational-technical school, the community college, etc.) to cut costs for the upcoming (1983/1984) year. Citing the Pennsylvania School Code, EASD's board also noted that the school system was already providing EAPL about 2.47 mil in operating funds and in-kind support, and the law stated that it could spend no more than 3 mil. Given the ongoing recession and the volatility of population numbers in the Easton Area, the school board was reluctant to increase taxes anyway. Though Gollub was known for her passion for high quality education, she was also noted for her "close questioning of expenses" (see her obituary). If library extension was needed -- a concern Gollub seemed willing to entertain -- she was more interested in opening the Easton Area High School's library at night, because it was a more centralized location and because it wouldn't cost as much to operate. 

Besides the financial issues. the school board raised other objections. Unsaid, but likely on the minds of some, was the fact that heavy public investments had been made in the main library in the not-too-distant past. In 1968, as part of gearing up for its new role as a District Library Center, EAPL had constructed a half-million-dollar addition which doubled its size. Notably, the expansion was funded partly through an LSCA grant and partly through a bond issue from the school system. Thus, unsurprisingly, school board members believed that the main library was sufficient to serve all the  surrounding townships as well as city dwellers. A related concern was distributing tax revenues fairly and providing equitable library services across the several municipalities in the Easton area. School board members worried that building a new branch in Palmer could elicit similar requests from other townships -- not an unfounded concern, since the library board had occasionally discussed developing a branch in Forks Township. 

Tensions between EAPL and EASD escalated when de Streel, the library's trustees, BIP, and Palmer Township officials continued to proceed despite the school system's concerns. At least part of EAPL leaders' motivation was a sense of urgency in obtaining the LSCA building grant, because Title II hadn't been funded in years, and money had only just become available because the Reagan administration was interested in addressing the ongoing recession by funding initiatives that put idle construction workers and other laborers back to work. However, reading in between the lines and considering conflicts I've encountered when researching other libraries, I would also say that at least part of the dispute may have also stemmed from differing understandings of the relationship between nonprofit libraries, which are governed by independent boards, and the local governments and school systems which fund the libraries. Judging from EAPL's board minutes, there were at least some library leaders who seemed to feel that EASD had no right to interfere with the Palmer project, as long as the library stayed within its budget. Some school board members clearly saw the matter differently.

By October 1983, EAPL had been notified that it would receive a $280,000 LSCA grant. Also, BIP's fundraising drive, led by Charles Roseberry, had raised more than $300,000, covering the necessary match in local funds. Palmer Township supervisors also stood ready to pay construction costs that BIP money did not cover -- roughly $250,000, according to news reports. But it remained unsettled where ongoing support of the branch would come from, especially if operating costs rose or additional needs emerged. That December, EAPL received a contract from the state and negotiated a lease agreement with the township, which would own the building and lease its use to the library. After sharing copies of these agreements with their attorney, Ellwood Malos, the school board was especially concerned about stipulations that the library would provide "adequate staffing and books" in a "normal capacity" for the next 50 years. Such terminology was subject to interpretation and might expose the library or school system to a lawsuit if Palmer residents or leaders became dissatisfied with library services. EASD board members were also concerned about EAPL serving as a mere pass-through for funds that would be entirely controlled by Palmer Township, and that the township supervisors were choosing the architect and contractor for the building project without EASD's input. While not explicitly stated in any of the documents I've found, I surmise this was a concern because the school system often handled the library's building maintenance and repairs. In other words, they had a significant interest in the quality of the branch's construction and features that could make it easier or harder to service. Nevertheless, EAPL proceeded to sign with Palmer Township authorities.

In Winter 1983 and Spring 1984, EASD's board reacted with increasing severity, largely, it seems, to get the attention of EAPL and Palmer Township leaders. For example, in November 1983, the school board tried to quash the project by sending a resolution to the State Library and a long list of state officials which denounced the library's plans. After that didn't seem to phase anyone, the school board directed attorney Malos to investigate the legal ramifications of cutting financial support of the library and of ending the relationship with EAPL altogether. As shown in the long list of articles I've cited below, both sides did battle in Easton's newspaper, with library and Palmer officials volleying optimistic quotes about the branch's progress for each time that the school board aired objections. I can't speak for any library or school officials, but to me, sometimes comments felt dismissive at best, or delivered with a shit-eating grin at worst. If I were in either side's shoes, it would have maddened me, too.

With the dawn of a new year, school leaders had had enough. In January 1984, EASD's board voted 7-2 to cut the library's budget by more than 50%. Although they officially cited the need to fund renovations at the high school, and the rising costs of school staff and fringe benefits generally, the move was widely believed to be retaliatory. Various entities stepped forward, urging both sides to mend fences. The editor of the Easton Express pointed out legitimate concerns and called out unhelpful behavior of both parties and urged them to come back to the table. The Two Rivers Area Commerce Council (TRACC, now the Easton Area Chamber of Commerce) offered mediation and a neutral meeting ground. Easton's City Council also got into the fray, voting 4-0 in favor of a resolution to oppose the construction of the Palmer Branch, while also objecting to EASD's sharp cut of the library's funding. Because the city provided minimal if any financial support, council's words carried few real consequences, but they registered wider community concerns about the erosion of Easton's services and about Easton residents being punished because of a township problem. Local people also attended school board meetings to urge the district not to gut the library. News reporters noted that decreases to EAPL's budget could trigger a cascade of cuts in its state aid, which could have catastrophic consequences. 

It is unknown exactly what the greatest conciliatory influence on each side was. But fortunately, EAPL and EASD found a solution. Somewhere along the way, school board member Richard Streeter proposed a written agreement stating that EAPL be allowed to spend the same proportion of its budget on Palmer as it had spent previously, with a proviso that if the library's board spent any more than that, EASD would curtail funds. W. John Daub, a member of EAPL's board, wrote to board president Charles Montgomery, urging him to accept these terms, and it seems Montgomery and any other holdouts on the library side relented. Further, it appears that the library made additional concessions. Speaking to the school system's concern about building maintenance and repairs, money for such projects would be held in a separate account which library leaders had no control over. Also, EAPL changed its rules for board composition to ensure better representation of all the localities that the library served. 

When it submitted its 1984/1985 budget request to the school, EAPL did not include any increase and it cut various costs so that it could cope with level funding. To the surprise of some and the relief of all, the EASD board approved the library's entire budget request and included some additional funds for  repairs, rather than sticking to the devasting cut it had initially ordered. Still, both sides seemed to want to have a final say, with EAPL board president Charles Montgomery conveying that "continued restriction over several years may severely damage the library." When voting to approve EAPL's budget, Dorothy Gollub and the school committee reminded the library "not to spend a larger percentage of its budget on the Palmer Branch than it has been doing." But, fortunately, groundbreaking ceremonies proceeded with no further public disputes. The new building was opened to the public two years later, on May 19, 1986. With a shelving capacity of 7,000-8,000 volumes, it was open the same hours as the mobile unit had been: Monday-Thursday afternoons and evenings, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. 

EAPL Director Quentin de Streel and the Parker branch library under construction.
Published in the Allentown Morning Call, January 16, 1986.

Although EASD's threat to sever its relationship with EAPL represents the most dramatic point in the dispute over the Palmer Branch, the new library continued to face challenges. Unable to turn to the school system for help, de Streel and his staff sought LSCA collection development grants for materials that many librarians today would consider standard fare -- children's books and reference materials. EAPL board minutes also show that trustee Judy Brunswick frequently voiced concerns about Palmer's support, especially urging colleagues to hire a second person to help with heavy circulation traffic and to improve safety for the solo person who staffed Palmer at night. The rest of board agreed to expand hours through a small increase in funding, but just as crucial, it seems, were contributions from BIP, the Palmer Lions Club, the Palmer Kiwanis, and other donors. Fortunately, in 1987, EAPL's new board president, J. Michael Dowd, was able to convince the school district to end the "cap" on Palmer library expenditures. Although he mentioned that use of the Palmer branch had increased "almost exponential[ly]," he also noted that the proportional representation of city, township, and school officials on EAPL's board had prevented inordinate resources from flowing to Palmer. He also pointed out that EASD didn't require similar stipulations of other interagency partners it funded. It seems that these reasonable arguments won the day, and I didn't uncover much (if any) controversy over the Palmer branch after that. 

Reflecting on this long and complex story, it's easy to get swept away by personalities and dramatic clashes. Also, given that the most visible supporters of the Palmer Branch were male, and most of the vocal critics were female, I could lean into sociological topics such as gender. But that's not where I want to focus. Since most of the people involved in the Palmer dispute have passed away, I won't be able to interview them, and thus I will never be able to fully know their motivations or describe events that may have happened behind the scenes. I am disinclined to dig up or publicize "dirt" on libraries or the people involved with them, anyway.

One thing I observed in this episode, though, is that the State Library was surprisingly low-key when conflict erupted. Its employees refused to speak to the press, no substantive correspondence from SLP survives in EAPL's or EASD's board meeting minutes, and I found nothing substantial from the state pertaining to Palmer in EAPL's administrative files. This is a sharp contrast from voluminous material I've found regarding earlier federal/state-funded projects in Altoona and Meadville. It leads me to wonder whether there were changes in personnel or policy on SLP's side during the 1980s, especially after the retirement of State Librarian Ernest Doerschuk, that precipitated a change in how the state interacted with district library centers and other public libraries. More than ever, I am feeling the consequences of a decision that I made early-on during my sabbatical, when I had to shift my attention away from my present project to revise and resubmit 2 papers from a previous study that I had hoped would be finalized before I went on leave. I "lost" about 4 weeks of research time, and since I live close to Harrisburg, I decided to postpone my research at the State Library in favor of visiting Easton and other public libraries that aren't as accessible to me during the normal academic year. It was the right choice in terms of logistics, but before I visit additional cities, I need a clearer understanding of how the state's approach evolved over time. 

Examining the early history of EAPL's Palmer Branch didn't provide me with hoped-for insights about SLP or federal/state policy, but it did remind me of some important dynamics in library development in smaller Pennsylvania communities. Going into my present project, where federal and state aid programs loom large, Palmer's story is an important reminder of the sway that private donors and political connections continue to have. Because of the close relationship between BIP and some of Palmer Township's supervisors, and the support of an ambitious library director, the concerns of a larger city and EAPL's most important funder were dismissed, apparently without steep consequences. Palmer branch advocates made some compromises, but, for the most part, it seems they got the facility they aimed for. 

I am also reminded that library politics have nuance. Given the resurgence of the culture wars and recent, library-averse executive and legislative actions, many of today's librarians may be inclined to view Republicans warily. However, looking at the backgrounds of key players in the Easton/Palmer Township story, ones sees a fissure between Republicans like H. Robert Daws, the Palmer township supervisor who was very willing to find public funds for library expansion, versus more fiscally conservative ones like Mildred Kovar, an EASD board member who opposed the Palmer project even though she lived in the township. If we look beyond stereotypes and consider the unique human beings involved, richer understandings can result.  

While learning about this episode, I also observed some notable examples of geographic rivalry that were rooted in, or amplified by, socioeconomic change. In news coverage of the conflict between the library and the school board, a recurrent theme on Easton's side was that an enlarged Palmer Branch was being built, and would be furnished and staffed, at Easton's and other communities' expense. Along the way, some expressed fear that Palmer would eventually become the main library for the Easton area. There were even charges -- not entirely unfounded -- that the township was using the library project to gain a large meeting room that the township should have developed separately. The causes of such anxieties may lie outside libraries, but libraries can be lightning rods for them. Moving forward, I need to pay all the more attention to economic and psychological trends in the regions I'm studying. 

For more about Easton Area Public Library's Palmer Branch:

• "Arguments Center on Four Issues," The Express [Easton, PA], October 25, 1983, B1.
• Daub, W. John, letter to Charles Montgomery, January 6, 1984. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1983/1984. 
• Dowd, J. Michael, letter to William Moloney, June 10, 1987. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1986/1987.
• de Streel, Quentin, Director's Reports [monthly], February 1978, April 1980, September 1983, October 1983, January 1984, May 1984, October 1987, December 1988, June 1991, and July/August 1991. Copies available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes.
• de Streel, Quentin, Director's Reports [annual], 1979/1980, 1983/1984, and 1985/1986.
• Easton Area Public Library, "Application for Mobile Unit." Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1976-1979.
• Easton Area Public Library, Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, November 12, 1957; October 26, 1965; May 24, 1966; December 7, 1970; February 8, 1972; June 13, 1978; October 12, 1982; November 9, 1982; May 10, 1983; June 14, 1983; November 8, 1983; December 13, 1983; December 20, 1983; January 10, 1984;  January 23, 1984, June 9, 1987; September 8, 1987; and October 13, 1987.
• Easton Area School Board, "Board Position for TRACC," n.d., Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1983/1984. 
• Easton Area School Board, Meeting Minutes, October 24, 1983 and November 29, 1983.
• "Easton Library Will Receive Federal Money for Branch," The Express [Easton, PA], October 19, 1983, B4.
• Easton City Council, Resolution 18-84, February 22, 1984. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1983/1984. 
• Elwell, Gay, "Easton Voices Disapproval of Library Plan," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], January 26, 1984, B1, B4. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/280341035. 
• Fuller, Charles W., letter to Easton Area Public Library Board of Directors, February 10, 1984. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1983/1984. 
• Grandinetti, Deborah, "Elegant Library Emerges in Time, The Express [Easton, PA], March 7, 1986, B1.
• "Library Branch Will Take Giant Step Into New Facility," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], January 16, 1986.
• Kenna, Eileen, "Board Reasserts Stand on Library Talks," The Express [Easton, PA], December 13, 1983, B1, B3.
• Kenna, Eileen, "Despite Controversy, Palmer Branch Library Plans Progress," The Express [Easton, PA], October 26, 1983, B4.
• Kenna, Eileen, "Despite Criticism, Palmer Paves Way for New Library in Spring," The Express [Easton, PA], July 7, 1983, B1.
• Kenna, Eileen, "Palmer Library Still a Controversy," The Express [Easton, PA], December 14, 1983, B3.
• Kenna, Eileen, "Plans Progress for Library Branch in Palmer Township,"  The Express [Easton, PA], October 26, 1983, B9. 
• Malos, Elwood, esq., letter to Judith N. Foust, Library Development Division, State Library of Pennsylvania, January 5, 1984. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1983/1984.
• Malos, Elwood, esq., memorandum to Easton Area School Board, June 15, 1983. Copy available in EAPL Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, 1983/1984. 
• Malos, Elwood, esq., memorandum to Easton Area School Board, October 5, 1983. Copy available in EAPL Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, 1983/1984. 
• Malos, Elwood, esq., memorandum to Easton Area School Board, October 20, 1983. Copy available in EAPL Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, 1983/1984. 
• Mathias, Madeleine, "Benefactor Built Empire from One Gun," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], December 17, 1999, B1. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/docview/392920807. 
• Montgomery, Charles, letter to Dorothy Gollub, February 27, 1984. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1983/1984.
• Morris Knowles, Inc., Palmer Township, Northampton County, Penna.: Comprehensive General Plan (Easton, PA: 1963). Copy available in EAPL Marx Room, H 711.4 P173M2.
• Moyer, Jane S., Librarian's Reports [monthly], December 14, 1965 and November 14, 1967.
• Neddenian, Maryanne, "500 Tour New Palmer Branch of Easton Library," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], May 19, 1986, B7. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/276449651. 
• Nixon, Joe, "Delay Sought for Library Plan," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], November 10, 1982, B1. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/282946128/.
• Nixon, Joe, "Easton Library Objects," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], March 13, 1984, B4. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/280336134/.
• Nixon, Joe, "Easton Library Panel Happy With Funding from School District," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], April 11, 1984, B9. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/275916017/. 
• Nixon, Joe, "Easton Library Submits Budget to School Board," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], March 12, 1984, B1. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/280312960.
• Nixon, Joe, "Palmer Becomes Trustee of Library Branch Project," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], December 6, 1983, B1, B4. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/280320148.
• Nixon, Joe, "Palmer Officials See No Need to Increase Taxes in '84 Budget," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], November 22, 1983, B1, B4. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/280327948. 
• Nixon, Joe, "Palmer to Give Land and Utilities for New Library," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], September 29, 1982, B3. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/282490878.
• "Palmer Branch Library Fund Campaign Begins,"  The Express [Easton, PA], December 14, 1982, B1.
• "Palmer Twp. Gets Branch of Library," The Express [Easton, PA], June 20, 1978, 19.
• Pennsylvania Economy League, Lehigh Valley Branch, The Easton Public Library: A Survey, (Bethlehem, PA: 1955). Copy available in the Marx Room, 027.474 P415e.
• Ratner, Andrew, "Easton City Council Opposes Cut in Aid for Library," The Express [Easton, PA], February 22, 1984.
• Ratner, Andrew, "Palmer Business Officials, Leaders, Discuss Possible Library," The Express [Easton, PA], April 27, 1982, B1.
• Ratner, Andrew, "Who'll Attend Palmer Library Session?," The Express [Easton, PA], February 8, 1983, A5.
• Ratner, Andy, "Library Director Expects Project To Go On," The Express [Easton, PA], November 30, 1983, A3.
• Reeve, Jean, "Library Plans Branch in Palmer Twp.," The Express [Easton, PA], February 11, 1978, 15.
• Regan, Margaret, "Balance in Library Board Proposed," The Express [Easton, PA], November 15, 1983, B3.
• Regan, Margaret, "Easton Board Eyes Cutting Library Funds," The Express [Easton, PA], October 11, 1983, A1, A2.
• Regan, Margaret, "Easton School Board Opposes Palmer Library," The Express [Easton, PA], September 28, 1982, B1.
• Regan, Margaret, "Full Library Funding--Plus--Is Pledged," The Express [Easton, PA], April 10, 1984, B1, B4.
• Regan, Margaret, "Library Directors Get Terms of Pa. Grant for New Branch," The Express [Easton, PA], December 21, 1983, B1.
• Regan, Margaret, "Palmer Twp. Library Remains a Sore Spot," The Express [Easton, PA], October 12, 1983, B1, B3.
• Regan, Margaret, "School Board Gets Views on Library Cutoff," The Express [Easton, PA], October 23, 1984, B1, B3.
• Regan, Margaret, "School Board Orders Library Cutback," The Express [Easton, PA], January 24, 1984, A1, A2.
• Regan, Margaret, "School Board Will Oppose Library Plan," The Express [Easton, PA], November 30, 1983, A1, A2.
• Rhodes, Frances J., letter to Quentin deStreel, December 3, 1983. Copy available in Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, vol. 1982/1983.
• Rice, Lauri, "Palmer Library Branch Attracts Lots of Readers," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], December 11, 1986, B15. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/276612179/.
• Rice, Lauri, "Palmer Library Branch Prepares for New Home," The Morning Call [Allentown, PA], January 16, 1986. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/276686112.
• "School Board's Concern for the Library is Genuine" [editorial], The Express [Easton, PA], December 4, 1983, A4.
• "Taking Shape," The Express [Easton, PA], August 20, 1985, B1.
• Yunginger, Didi, "Temporary Library Site Arouses Ire," The Express [Easton, PA], May 2, 1978, 15, 19.