LIBRARY

The Lilian S. Besore Memorial Library is located at 305 E. Baltimore St. in Greencastle.

Greencastle is home to a vibrant library, which is busy every hour it is open. The Lilian S. Besore Memorial Library at 305 E. Baltimore St. was gifted to the community by Calvin Besore in memory of his mother. He established a trust fund for “A Friendly Library in a Friendly Town.” It was built in 1963, to replace the circulating library which was headquartered downtown.

Besore is dedicated to growing and developing its services right along with the growth and development in Greencastle. While the shelves are filled with books, the library these days offers so much more — movies and audio books, computers for public use, meeting rooms, test proctoring by appointment, research assistance, community service opportunities, local history resources, and programming for all ages.

The library also has a unique responsibility. It accepts applications for passports, as an official U.S. Passport Acceptance Facility. The service helps with fundraising, since $25 of each applications stays with Besore, and is used for new book purchases and programming.

Besore is part of the Franklin County Library System. As such, the main office in Chambersburg develops a master plan that supports community libraries. It keeps abreast of new technologies and seeks funding to keep its six branches viable. It also dedicates its resources to meeting the needs of patrons in traditional and ever-changing ways. It also takes care of materials, programming and staff salaries.

Literacy is always of prime importance so Story Time for youngsters is on the calendar weekly at the Greencastle library. Besore also hosts a book club, computer training, current list of fiction and non-fiction bestsellers, a read-todogs night, and out-of-the-box activities such as craft night, a chess club, a knitting club, and other special interest sessions. Call 717-597-7920 to find out what’s going on.

The library is a community center, and at any time of day casual visitors may be surprised at how many people are in the facility. Patrons may be reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee in hand, browsing the bookshelves, or surfing the internet.

During the warmer months, library programs can now move outdoors thanks to a recent courtyard project. Dedicated during Old Home Week 2019, the courtyard has a small stone amphitheater along South Ridge Avenue surrounded by green space. A brick wall topped with a wrought-iron look borders the courtyard, which also features a raised grassy area forming a small stage on the east side. The project also expanded the parking area to better accommodate library patrons.

Greencastle also is home to numerous Little Free Libraries. The Little Free Libraries are made possible by the Greencastle-Antrim School District’s Literacy Task Force. Community members are encouraged to visit the Little Free Libraries and “Take a Book, Return a Book!” Locations include the Jerome R. King Playground, True Value on South Washington Street, in the lobby of Blue Heron Events Center on South Washington Street, outside the shop on East Baltimore Street, outside the Presbyterian Church on West Baltimore Street in the lounge at Antrim Way Honda on South Antrim Way and across from Greencastle-Antrim High School on South Washington Street. g