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On October 5, 1957, the East Cheltenham Free Library opened in the former residence and store of James Houldin. The township had purchased the building and offered its use to the library for the rental fee of $1.00 per year. The living room and dining room held the 400 book collection. 300 of these books were either purchased or donated. 100 were on loan from the Montgomery County Bookmobile. The library was open for 8 hours a week, and the staff consisted of volunteers who were directed by a professional librarian.
Residents, churches, and businesses were asked to contribute to a fund which would be used to purchase books and supplies. Rooms were cleaned and painted, and shelving was acquired and arranged to hold the newly-purchased volumes. Library board members helped at the checkout desk and also worked to keep the premises clean.
In 1958, the first paid staff member was hired and received a salary of $60 per month. The library was now open 10 hours a week and had a yearly book circulation of 4,692.
In 1960 it became apparent that more space was necessary, and the remainder of the store was renovated. This doubled the library's available space. The Cheltenham Rotary Club donated the library circulation desk, which is due to be replaced in the near future.
The Cheltenham Library Association was formed in 1962. It consisted of representatives from each of the township's libraries. In 1969 it became the Cheltenham Library System.
The Friends of the East Cheltenham Free Library was formed in 1967. They processed books, repaired them, and established a bookstore where used books and magazines would be sold to help support the financial needs of the library.
During August of 1967 a severe summer storm occurred, and water from the Tookany Creek flooded the library basement. The Cheltenham Fire Company saved the library from serious damage by pumping out the water. The books were moved to higher ground and none were ruined by the water.
By 1968, room renovations and relocations were necessary to accommodate 3,000 more books. In order to house the books during the 3-week renovation period, residents became "bookkeepers" and stored about 2,500 books in their homes.
The Library now had 10,000 books housed in 4 rooms. There were 5 paid employees. The children's rooms and the bookstore moved to the second floor. A Xerox machine was installed.
By 1977 it became evident that a new location would be necessary, as there was no further room for expansion. The Commissioners offered space in the Rowland Community Center. In the spring of 1978 construction began, and 4 classrooms were made into one large area for the library. In August the "old" library closed in preparation for the move. Volunteers, staff, and friends packed books and equipment. These same people unpacked the books and arranged them on shelves in their new location. The "new" library opened in early September.
On October 1, 1978 an open house was held to re-acquaint the community with the "new" library. The Community Center has been the home of the library ever since.
Today there are 9 paid staff members - 1 head librarian, 7 part-time library assistants, and 1 page. The Library is open 46 hours a week and has 6 public work stations that are connected to the internet. We will be connecting 6 new computers in May that were funded by a grant. In addition, there is 1 computer for word processing and 1 Early Literacy Station for children up to the age of 8. This has educational software loaded on it, and is not connected to the internet. The assigned service population is 7,906. The total circulation in 2006 was 46,544. There are 2,469 registered borrowers. In 2006 47,681 visits were made to the library.
The Friends group continues to support the library. The Used Book Sale Room holds regular monthly sales between the months of September and May. Programs for adults and children are well-attended. Tuesday morning story hours are extremely popular. Patrons can borrow anything from books, magazines, to DVD's.
Things have changed with the passage of time, but the library continues to remain a focal point in the community.