Jun 16, 2022 1 min read

In June 1932, the Lions Club proposed a town library which the club would operate if space were provided in the Municipal Building on Washington Road. The commissioners accepted the proposal and the whole community celebrated the birth of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library. During the summer and fall, volunteers collected books donated by residents. Residents and civic groups supported the project and on Library Day handbills were posted, a sound truck broadcast the news, and Boy Scouts canvassed the community for more than 8,000 books. Fortune magazine was donated that day and became the first periodical in the magazine section; National Geographic was added shortly thereafter. Members of local organizations and clubs, headed by the Lions Club, solicited gifts of money. The library was dedicated on November 15, 1932. The first librarian was Kathryn E. Peoples. The first year’s circulation was 30,162 books and the collection grew to 9,000 books.