Blog

Auto-Renewal is Here

What is Auto-Renewal? Beginning Thursday, 11/3/2022, the Lower Merion Library System will automatically renew eligible material that is checked out on your library card without you having to lift a finger! This will apply to Lower Merion Library System materials as well as other MCLINC library materials checked out on your card. When will my […]

Year End Giving 2021

Library Card Sign-up

1970s Music & More

Beach Reads

Learning Express

Expanded Services

Tax Strategies & LMLS

Prenda Code Club

National Library Week

Online Financial Resource

Auto & Small Engine Repair

PA Photos & Documents

Kids’ Grab’N’Go Bags

Book Concierge Service

Kanopy streaming movies

End-of-Yr Giving

Digital Magazines in Libby

De-Stress

Student Eresources

Welcome to the Family

Reopening Info

Contactless Pickup

Cats Rule World?

Library Giving Day 2020

Natl. Library Workers Day

How to Use the Library During the Stay-at-Home Order

A Resource Guide to COVID-19

Tax Strategies-Donate!

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

20-Something Reader?

Leisure, Literature, and All that’s In-Between: Recommendations for the Twenty-Something-Reader  Whether you’ve just graduated college, you’re graduating soon, or you’ve found yourself in a rut of reading lately, finding what genres appeal most to you can be a difficult and tumultuous process. When you’re in school, the reading genres match up mostly with your age […]

Great Kids’ Resources

Feb. 11, 2020 – Children enter a world of stories when they visit their local libraries. Upon walking through the door, they have the opportunity to engage with countless resources to help them increase their literacy skills, all with the help of local librarians. The staff within the junior departments at each of our Lower […]

Mango Languages

January 28, 2020 – Broaden Your World with Mango Languages Are you planning a trip to a country you’ve never visited before? Maybe you’d like to brush up on that Spanish or French you learned back in school. Or perhaps you’d like to impress that new online friend from across the globe with some new […]

Philadelphia Inquirer ONLINE

January 15, 2020 – Online Access to the Complete Philadelphia Inquirer Now Available Through Lower Merion Libraries The Lower Merion Library System now offers a subscription to the digital edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The online version of the Inquirer is fully searchable, and can be browsed like the print edition.  It is updated daily. […]

Winter Reading

Join the 2020 Winter Reading Challenge! Lower Merion Libraries are excited to be taking part in this year’s national Winter Winter Reading Challenge hosted by Beanstack and sponsored by Penguin Random House! To participate, track the reading you do between the dates of January 1st and January 31st in Beanstack at lmls.beanstack.org and for every […]

Library Hotspots

Free Streaming Movies & TV

The parades are long over, Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten down to the last bit of mashed potatoes, and Uncle Dave is asleep on the couch. But now it’s time to choose something for the whole family to watch and you don’t want any arguments. LMLS has you covered with our collection of streaming movies […]

E-books for Thanksgiving

Books for lovers of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Happy Thanksgiving to our patrons. This week’s blog is something out of the ordinary from Overdrive! It’s a special Thanksgiving treat. Click the link above to review some Overdrive downloadable e-books for those who love Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The link will open a new tab in […]

True Crime for Halloween

‘Tis the Season for Creepy Reading (cue ominous organ music playing in background) by Gwen Gatto, Children’s Librarian, Belmont Hills Library If you ever heard about a gruesome murder or a seemingly unsolvable crime, and wanted to know WHO could commit such an act and WHY, and WHAT lead up to the crime, and HOW law […]

Fire Prevention Month

October is Fire Prevention Month October is National Fire Prevention Month, a time when everyone should consider ways to learn fire safety and prevention. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), fewer than 50% of homeowners in America have an escape plan in the event of a fire. This year’s Fire Prevention slogan is […]

Banned Book Week

  Banned Book Week started in 1982 and occurs each year in the end of September to highlight the value of free and open access to information. In 2019, it takes place Sunday, September 22nd to Saturday the 28th. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community – librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and […]

Our Libraries Need You

A few weeks ago, Jackie Lemming from Ludington Library, wrote a great blog post about how you can support your local library. As she suggested, volunteering, donating funds, participating in events, and making good use of all of the wonderful resources available to you – are all important ways to engage with and to support […]

Try an Author Study

Author Studies—Not Just for Kids! Kids do author studies all the time. A class will read several books by the same author, or kids, on their own, will devour every book a favorite author has written. Grown-up readers can do the same thing! Expand your knowledge of an author by reading a variety of their […]

Help Your Library

How can you help your local public library? SHARE YOUR TALENTS or TIME: Volunteer. Can you help with tasks at the library in your free time?  Or can you knit, crochet, play an instrument, etc.?  Could you come to your local library and do a free lecture on a topic that would benefit your community?  […]

It’s been 50 Years!

Launch Into Your Own Exploration of Space With These Reads: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” ~Astronaut Neil Armstrong NASA – Taken of Buzz Aldrin by Neil Armstrong  50 Years since U.S. astronauts first landed on the moon we are still stunned by the wonder and audacity of it. What […]

Consumer Reports Online

Watch below for some of the great things you can do with one of our most popular FREE resources, Consumer Reports <—click the link or paste the following URL into your browser at home if you have an LMLS library card starting with “2004…” http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,cpid&custid=s7188993&site=crcro&groupid=main The paper Consumer Reports are available in the LMLS libraries. […]

Tips For Using eBooks

Do you use the Libby App? Here are 7 great tips!   The Montgomery County Library District provides easy access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks through our Overdrive site. You can borrow them for free with your library card (Montgomery County residents only – Del. Co. residents use delco.overdrive.com).           […]

Poetry Contest Winners

The 14th Annual Charlotte Miller Simon Poetry Contest submissions were accepted in early 2019. Hundreds of poems are received each year, and winners are chosen in each of three divisions: Children (grades 1-6), Teens (grades 7-12), and Adults (ages 18 and up). Prizes awarded for each division include $100 for 1st Prize, $75 for 2nd […]

National Library Month 2019

April is National Library Month. This year’s theme is Libraries = Strong Communities, and I can’t think of a more fitting one. I’ve always believed that part of my job at the library, besides helping patrons find information, is to help build our community… to, as the American Library Association (ALA) states, “promote library use […]

StoryWalk® at Ashbridge Park

Combines reading and outdoor activities in one fun experience. The Lower Merion Library System and the Lower Merion Parks Department have installed a StoryWalk at Ashbridge Park in the Bryn Mawr section of the Township. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The StoryWalk is a literacy and exercise activity for […]

One Book Every Young Child

Reading is Fun! And early literacy is important. Literacy in the early years is particularly important for children as it gives them a head start in learning these essential life skills that they will use on a daily basis, as well as preparing them for when they begin school. Helping them to read and write […]

Pick up a Launchpad

Launchpads are now available at Ardmore and Ludington libraries. So what’s a Launchpad you ask? They are preloaded devices that look a lot like a Kindle, except they come preloaded with content for kids, teens, and adults. They are designed with a simple easy-to-use interface, and they don’t require any download time or Wi-Fi access […]

Black History Month @ LMLS

Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, is considered the Father of Black History Month. Woodson, the son of former slaves, entered high school at 19 and completed his coursework in 2 years. He then attended the University of Chicago, earning a Master’s degree in History. Later, he earned his doctorate from Harvard. Throughout his […]

Tales of the Traveling Librarians

Some people think of me as the “Traveling Librarian,” as I have worked at all six of the LMLS libraries during my employment, and even though Gladwyne is now my home library, I still show up at other branches from time to time. (I think of myself as the library Whack-A-Mole, since you never know […]

Wowbrary and LMLS Newsletters

The LMLS libraries offer a variety of emails newsletters to keep you up on programs, news and new items available for checkout. Click here to sign up for one or all of them. WOWBRARY: You don’t know what you’re missing until you sign up for your library’s FREE Wowbrary newsletter. This weekly email newsletter informs […]

Drag Queen Story Hour Comes to the Penn Wynne Library

Belmont Hills Library Reopens & Announces Major Donor

Lower Merion Celebrates the Reopening of the Belmont Hills Public Library and Announces Major Donor On Sunday, November 4, 2018 the Belmont Hills Public Library reopened after a year-long renovation and expansion.  The library received a 1,804 square foot addition and the remainder of the library was updated with new paint, windows, lighting, furniture and […]

One Book, One Lower Merion 2018

Spooky Screens

With Halloween coming, kids and adults alike might be looking for scary, spooky, or downright frightening things to watch. For children, your library has several new Halloween-themed movies and TV show videos : Scooby-doo and the Gourmet Ghost Ready Jet Go – Jet’s First Halloween Garfield’s Halloween My Little Pony Friendship is Magic – Pony […]

Mystery series set in France

Mystery readers: If you’re a looking for something a little different, how about a trip to France? There are several very fine mystery series set in France that include lots of local color and usually mouth watering descriptions of delicious local foods. Martin Walker’s series feature Dorgogne village police chief, Bruno Courrèges, who solves crimes […]

All About Opera

How does the story of a Spanish gypsy entangled in a love triangle of deceit and seduction with a military officer and famous bullfighter that ends in a crime of passion sound? Perhaps the tale of a famous singer and her political revolutionary lover who are targeted by a corrupt police captain and must go […]

Intro to Consumer Reports

See below some of the great things you can do with one of our most popular resources, Consumer Reports

Read Your Way Into a 2018 New Summer TV Series!

Read Your Way Into a 2018 New Summer TV Series! Need a book for the summer?  It might be as simple as turning on the TV… Remember John Krasinski from The Office and Promised Land? Well, now he stars in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, which is streaming on Amazon this summer. Jack Ryan is an […]

It Would Be a Crime to Miss These Mysteries!

Staff Picks!

Adult Fiction Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O’Keeffe Dawn Tripp (Adult Fiction) Author Dawn Tripp has done an excellent job of imagining the voice of painter Georgia O’Keefe in this fictional interpretation of the artist’s life. Tripp’s goal was to explore how the early events and experiences in O’Keeffe’s life shaped her into the iconic […]

Multimedia Resources for Kids

The Lower Merion Library System (LMLS) is proud to provide 24/7 access to BookFlix and TrueFlix. BookFlix and TrueFlix are digital resources created, by Scholastic, to teach reading, reading comprehension, research skills, reinforce subject knowledge, and explore different means of gathering information. Both BookFlix and TrueFlix include websites for further study.  They also have a […]

Mango Languages

Not Just for Kids Anymore – MS and YA Graphic Novels for Adults!

The graphic novel post last year gave an overview of the great graphic novel collection that LMLS has to offer. This time around, I’d like to focus on middle school (MS) and young adult (YA) graphic novels that adults should seriously consider reading for themselves. Graphic novels are more than just the swashbuckling action & […]

Journey to Ireland

Now Patrons Can Check out “Book Clubs in a Bag”

Lower Merion libraries are happy to announce that we are now offering Book Clubs in a Bag. Patrons can now check out a book club in a bag at Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Penn Wynne, Gladwyne and Ludington libraries. So what does this mean, you ask? Well, each bag comes with 9 or 10 copies of […]

Longwood Gardens Community Read

LMLS Museum Passes – Beyond the Branches

News from LMLS Junior Rooms – New Toys

JANUARY 23, 2018 – Thanks to the Lower Merion Library System Director’s Office, the expertise of LMLS Technology Librarians and our Children Librarians, each of our library Junior Rooms received some wonderful materials to expand our STEM programming. What is STEM? “STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific […]

The Best Books of 2017

JANUARY 4, 2018 – Don’t let the cold weather get you down.  When the snow starts to fall curl up with a good book!  To help you choose your next great read, literary tastemakers have put together some fantastic BEST OF 2017 lists.  Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites: Andrew Carnegie Medals for […]

Check out the Season

DECEMBER 5, 2017 – We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: Movies, Books, Music, and BAKING! Whether, you want to cozy up by a fire after reading about how to make a fire or just watch a movie involving fire, Lower Merion Libraries have that. We also have CAKE PANS at […]

Broadway Plays on DVD at Your Library

NOVEMBER 21, 2017 – Are you a theater lover? Are you interested in great performances in classic plays by the big stars of today and yesterday? Then we have a heads up for you. Now available at your Lower Merion Public Libraries: The Broadway Theatre Archive Collection. The New York Times called the extraordinary Broadway Theatre […]

Belmont Hills Library is Under Renovation!

NOVEMBER 7, 2017 – Did you know that the Belmont Hills Library was started in 1935 in St. Andrews Chapel, a mission of St. Asaph’s Church? Under the auspices of the Girls Friendly Club, and named West Manayunk Free Library, this branch of the Bala Cynwyd Library soon outgrew its one room in the Mission […]

Halloween Treats to Download from Overdrive

OCTOBER 24, 2017 – Written by Alyssa Tino, Belmont Hills Library Staff member It’s finally Halloween time! You know, that part of the year to enjoy a fun scare through what you watch, read and listen to. Our library system has a great collection of horror/thriller/mystery materials available through the library’s Overdrive service. First, sign […]

The​ ​Search​ ​for​ ​Your​ ​Roots​ ​Begins​ ​Here​ ​-​ ​at​ ​Your​ ​Library!

OCTOBER 9, 2017 – The​ Lower Merion​ Library​ System​ can help​ you​ ​​get started​ with your​ family’s genealogy​ ​research. ​We​ offer​ free​ access​ ​​to two ​of ​the ​most valuable​ and​ necessary tools​ ​–​ Ancestry.com​ (​ library ​ edition)​ and​ the​ ​Internet. ​Never​ underestimate the​ value​ of something​ ​as​ ​ubiquitous​ ​as​ ​the ​Internet​ ​for ​family​​ ​research!​ […]

Libraries Expand Computer Connections with Chromebooks

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 – Thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 38 Chromebook computers are now available for in-library use. Chromebooks are compact laptop computers that run the Chrome operating system from Google. They are used to connect to the Internet and run the suite of Google applications, providing word processing, spreadsheets […]

One Book, One Lower Merion 2017

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 – One Book One Lower Merion proudly announces that Dr. Paul Offit’s Pandora’s Lab will be the Fall 2017 book.  This fascinating, highly readable book tells  amazing story of science gone wrong in ways that affect all our lives. Our kick-off event will be a book review on Wednesday, November 1st at 1 […]

Why Should Kids Have All the Fun?

AUGUST 2, 2017 – By Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library While it’s important to foster life-long reading habits in children, it’s equally important for libraries to support and encourage our adult readers. Not just because active adult readers often become active library donors, though that’s hard to ignore, but because libraries should […]

Print From Anywhere with an Internet Connection

JULY 14, 2017 – The Lower Merion Library System offers mobile printing services.  With this service, users will be able to send print jobs to the public printer at 5 of our libraries from laptops, smartphones, or tablets from almost anywhere.  This service is currently available at these libraries: Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyne, Ludington, and […]

Children’s Audio Books for Summer Listening

June 19, 2017 – by Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library. The car is packed, the cooler full of sandwiches and cold drinks, and its time to hit the road for that 7-hour car trip to the grandparents or campground. A deck of cards and puzzle books are good, but five minutes out […]

So You Want to Travel the World?

MAY 9, 2017 – So, you want to…travel the world? Take a cruise? Go for a road trip to see the local sights? Well, guess what? Your local Lower Merion library can make your dream vacation come true! Nestled in non-fiction between 910 through 917 we have what you need, travel guides. Lower Merion libraries […]

Build Your Skills with LearningExpress Library

APRIL 24, 2017 – Build Your Skills with LearningExpress Library Help!  I need to … Learn how to create a spreadsheet Build my confidence with math Improve my writing skills Practice for a test Create a resume No matter what age you are, in today’s fast changing world we all face continuous challenges keeping up […]

Graphic Novels @ LMLS

MARCH 27, 2017 – A fantastic collection of graphic novels are available at the Lower Merion Libraries. Just like TV shows, movies, and books, graphic novels have a variety of genres to explore, running the gambit of horror, supernatural, thriller, history, biography, and yes, even romance. Graphic novels offer a different medium to experience a story, and […]

Gladwyne Library Set to Re-Open March 25

MARCH 13, 2017 – We Welcome You Back!  Hooray! Hooray!  The newly renovated Gladwyne Free Library will open its doors to the public at the Grand Reopening Celebration on Saturday, March 25 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Ribbon Cutting ceremony will begin at 1:15 p.m. In 2016, the Library embarked on a renovation project […]

Excellent Middle Grade Books

FEBRUARY 28, 2017 – Middle Grade is a category of novels aimed towards readers aged 8-12. This is a pivotal point in young readers’ lives—they have graduated from 1st Chapter books (like Magic Tree House, Clementine, Daisy Meadows’s Fairy series, etc.), which are shorter, contain simpler words and plots, and are formulaic (which is not […]

PA Forward – Uniting libraries across Pennsylvania

FEB. 13, 2017 – Have you heard about the PA Forward initiative that has served to unite all libraries across the Pennsylvania, maybe you’ve noticed the logo in our libraries or on our social media feeds? What’s it all about you ask? The PA Forward initiative has served to strengthen public libraries position as essential […]

Local History Collections @ LMLS

Jan. 27, 2017 – Lower Merion Township has a rich and fascinating history.  To help you explore it, Lower Merion Library System has a variety of resources available.  Ludington Library has a wide collection of local history books housed in special shelves, while Gladwyne Library is home to a number of railroad atlases, photographs, and […]

Mobile Printing – From Anywhere With Internet Access

JANUARY 18, 2017 – The Lower Merion Library System is pleased to announce the availability of mobile printing.  With this new service, users will be able to send print jobs to the public printer at 4 of our libraries from laptops, smartphones, or tablets from almost anywhere.  This service is currently available at these libraries: […]

Crafting Blog

JANUARY 6, 2017 – Submitted by Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library Now that Fall is over and we’re in the new year, so when those feelings of winter nesting start wrapping their warm, cozy arms around you, it’s time to bring out the knitting needles and dust off the sewing machine. As […]

Get in the Holiday Spirit with Hoopla Movies & Music

DECEMBER 22, 2016 – Curling up for a movie with the family? Hosting a holiday party and need a jolly soundtrack to keep everyone in the spirit? Going on a road trip for Christmas and need some tunes to keep up the enthusiasm in endless traffic? Start your holiday cheer with Hoopla, which offers free […]

Donate Items – It Benefits You & Your Library

DECEMBER 6, 2016 – Several libraries in Lower Merion Library System accept donations of items from their patrons. Do you have lots of books, music CDs or DVDs lying around that you no longer need? Donate them to a Lower Merion Library such as Belmont Hills, Bala Cynwyd or Ludington. Penn Wynne and Gladwyne are […]

Music and More via Your LMLS Library

NOVEMBER 22, 2016 – What kind of music do you like? 2016 is coming to an end but what a roller coaster year it has been for music. Billboard has released its top 100 songs of 2016.  It goes from the #1 hit “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey to #100 “Boom Clap” by Charli […]

Ludington Library’s Second Annual Craft Fair

NOVEMBER 7, 2016 – Just in time for your holiday shopping, Ludington Library is hosting its Second Annual Craft Fair!  The Fair will take place on Saturday, November 12th and Saturday, November 19th, with over 20 different artisans vending each day from 10 am to 4 pm.  This means that attendees on both days will […]

Halloween Movies From Hoopla

OCTOBER 22, 2016 – Are you in the mood to be creeped out? Of course you are! It’s that time of year for horror movies to overtake your televisions. Why not check out some of the free available movies the library has to offer on Hoopla Digital? Simply log in to your account, or create […]

Teen Read Week @ LMLS

OCTOBER 10, 2016 – Did you know that October 9-15 is Teen Read Week? An adolescent literary initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), Teen Read Week began in 1998 as an initiative advocating for teens to read. Teen Read Week encourages teens to “Read for The Fun of It”.   Each year brings […]

Art on Display

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 – Ludington Library Ludington Library has a beautiful art exhibit space along the main entrance ramp.  Have you been in to see the changing art shows? The recent renovation of the library included adding eight large display cases and providing an exhibit wall area approximately 27 feet long.  The exhibit space has […]

Cake Pans, Museum Passes & more

SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 – You already know that your library card allows you to borrow books, audiobooks, and movies, both in the library and online. But do you know about the other, more unusual collections at our branches? CAKE PANS     Both Penn Wynne Library and Ludington Library lend novelty cake pans. Ludington has […]

New & Improved LMLS Website

JULY 11, 2016 – From the Library Director, David Belanger Hello and welcome to the redesigned website for the Lower Merion Library System.  This is just one of the many exciting projects underway this summer in Lower Merion libraries. I would like to introduce myself as the new Director of Libraries for Lower Merion Township.  […]

Summer Reading Clubs

JULY 6, 2016 – Summer brings thoughts of relaxing at the beach or sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade. Hopefully a good book is part of the mix. This year’s Summer Reading Club’s  Read-to-Me program is for babies, toddlers and preschool age children, and encourages daily reading. The On Your Mark, Get Set, […]

Today’s Hours

Today's Hours

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Blog

Auto-Renewal is Here

What is Auto-Renewal? Beginning Thursday, 11/3/2022, the Lower Merion Library System will automatically renew eligible material that is checked out on your library card without you having to lift a finger! This will apply to Lower Merion Library System materials as well as other MCLINC library materials checked out on your card. When will my […]

Year End Giving 2021

Library Card Sign-up

1970s Music & More

Beach Reads

Learning Express

Expanded Services

Tax Strategies & LMLS

Prenda Code Club

National Library Week

Online Financial Resource

Auto & Small Engine Repair

PA Photos & Documents

Kids’ Grab’N’Go Bags

Book Concierge Service

Kanopy streaming movies

End-of-Yr Giving

Digital Magazines in Libby

De-Stress

Student Eresources

Welcome to the Family

Reopening Info

Contactless Pickup

Cats Rule World?

Library Giving Day 2020

Natl. Library Workers Day

How to Use the Library During the Stay-at-Home Order

A Resource Guide to COVID-19

Tax Strategies-Donate!

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

20-Something Reader?

Leisure, Literature, and All that’s In-Between: Recommendations for the Twenty-Something-Reader  Whether you’ve just graduated college, you’re graduating soon, or you’ve found yourself in a rut of reading lately, finding what genres appeal most to you can be a difficult and tumultuous process. When you’re in school, the reading genres match up mostly with your age […]

Great Kids’ Resources

Feb. 11, 2020 – Children enter a world of stories when they visit their local libraries. Upon walking through the door, they have the opportunity to engage with countless resources to help them increase their literacy skills, all with the help of local librarians. The staff within the junior departments at each of our Lower […]

Mango Languages

January 28, 2020 – Broaden Your World with Mango Languages Are you planning a trip to a country you’ve never visited before? Maybe you’d like to brush up on that Spanish or French you learned back in school. Or perhaps you’d like to impress that new online friend from across the globe with some new […]

Philadelphia Inquirer ONLINE

January 15, 2020 – Online Access to the Complete Philadelphia Inquirer Now Available Through Lower Merion Libraries The Lower Merion Library System now offers a subscription to the digital edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The online version of the Inquirer is fully searchable, and can be browsed like the print edition.  It is updated daily. […]

Winter Reading

Join the 2020 Winter Reading Challenge! Lower Merion Libraries are excited to be taking part in this year’s national Winter Winter Reading Challenge hosted by Beanstack and sponsored by Penguin Random House! To participate, track the reading you do between the dates of January 1st and January 31st in Beanstack at lmls.beanstack.org and for every […]

Library Hotspots

Free Streaming Movies & TV

The parades are long over, Thanksgiving dinner has been eaten down to the last bit of mashed potatoes, and Uncle Dave is asleep on the couch. But now it’s time to choose something for the whole family to watch and you don’t want any arguments. LMLS has you covered with our collection of streaming movies […]

E-books for Thanksgiving

Books for lovers of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Happy Thanksgiving to our patrons. This week’s blog is something out of the ordinary from Overdrive! It’s a special Thanksgiving treat. Click the link above to review some Overdrive downloadable e-books for those who love Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The link will open a new tab in […]

True Crime for Halloween

‘Tis the Season for Creepy Reading (cue ominous organ music playing in background) by Gwen Gatto, Children’s Librarian, Belmont Hills Library If you ever heard about a gruesome murder or a seemingly unsolvable crime, and wanted to know WHO could commit such an act and WHY, and WHAT lead up to the crime, and HOW law […]

Fire Prevention Month

October is Fire Prevention Month October is National Fire Prevention Month, a time when everyone should consider ways to learn fire safety and prevention. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), fewer than 50% of homeowners in America have an escape plan in the event of a fire. This year’s Fire Prevention slogan is […]

Banned Book Week

  Banned Book Week started in 1982 and occurs each year in the end of September to highlight the value of free and open access to information. In 2019, it takes place Sunday, September 22nd to Saturday the 28th. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community – librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and […]

Our Libraries Need You

A few weeks ago, Jackie Lemming from Ludington Library, wrote a great blog post about how you can support your local library. As she suggested, volunteering, donating funds, participating in events, and making good use of all of the wonderful resources available to you – are all important ways to engage with and to support […]

Try an Author Study

Author Studies—Not Just for Kids! Kids do author studies all the time. A class will read several books by the same author, or kids, on their own, will devour every book a favorite author has written. Grown-up readers can do the same thing! Expand your knowledge of an author by reading a variety of their […]

Help Your Library

How can you help your local public library? SHARE YOUR TALENTS or TIME: Volunteer. Can you help with tasks at the library in your free time?  Or can you knit, crochet, play an instrument, etc.?  Could you come to your local library and do a free lecture on a topic that would benefit your community?  […]

It’s been 50 Years!

Launch Into Your Own Exploration of Space With These Reads: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” ~Astronaut Neil Armstrong NASA – Taken of Buzz Aldrin by Neil Armstrong  50 Years since U.S. astronauts first landed on the moon we are still stunned by the wonder and audacity of it. What […]

Consumer Reports Online

Watch below for some of the great things you can do with one of our most popular FREE resources, Consumer Reports <—click the link or paste the following URL into your browser at home if you have an LMLS library card starting with “2004…” http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,cpid&custid=s7188993&site=crcro&groupid=main The paper Consumer Reports are available in the LMLS libraries. […]

Tips For Using eBooks

Do you use the Libby App? Here are 7 great tips!   The Montgomery County Library District provides easy access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks through our Overdrive site. You can borrow them for free with your library card (Montgomery County residents only – Del. Co. residents use delco.overdrive.com).           […]

Poetry Contest Winners

The 14th Annual Charlotte Miller Simon Poetry Contest submissions were accepted in early 2019. Hundreds of poems are received each year, and winners are chosen in each of three divisions: Children (grades 1-6), Teens (grades 7-12), and Adults (ages 18 and up). Prizes awarded for each division include $100 for 1st Prize, $75 for 2nd […]

National Library Month 2019

April is National Library Month. This year’s theme is Libraries = Strong Communities, and I can’t think of a more fitting one. I’ve always believed that part of my job at the library, besides helping patrons find information, is to help build our community… to, as the American Library Association (ALA) states, “promote library use […]

StoryWalk® at Ashbridge Park

Combines reading and outdoor activities in one fun experience. The Lower Merion Library System and the Lower Merion Parks Department have installed a StoryWalk at Ashbridge Park in the Bryn Mawr section of the Township. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The StoryWalk is a literacy and exercise activity for […]

One Book Every Young Child

Reading is Fun! And early literacy is important. Literacy in the early years is particularly important for children as it gives them a head start in learning these essential life skills that they will use on a daily basis, as well as preparing them for when they begin school. Helping them to read and write […]

Pick up a Launchpad

Launchpads are now available at Ardmore and Ludington libraries. So what’s a Launchpad you ask? They are preloaded devices that look a lot like a Kindle, except they come preloaded with content for kids, teens, and adults. They are designed with a simple easy-to-use interface, and they don’t require any download time or Wi-Fi access […]

Black History Month @ LMLS

Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, is considered the Father of Black History Month. Woodson, the son of former slaves, entered high school at 19 and completed his coursework in 2 years. He then attended the University of Chicago, earning a Master’s degree in History. Later, he earned his doctorate from Harvard. Throughout his […]

Tales of the Traveling Librarians

Some people think of me as the “Traveling Librarian,” as I have worked at all six of the LMLS libraries during my employment, and even though Gladwyne is now my home library, I still show up at other branches from time to time. (I think of myself as the library Whack-A-Mole, since you never know […]

Wowbrary and LMLS Newsletters

The LMLS libraries offer a variety of emails newsletters to keep you up on programs, news and new items available for checkout. Click here to sign up for one or all of them. WOWBRARY: You don’t know what you’re missing until you sign up for your library’s FREE Wowbrary newsletter. This weekly email newsletter informs […]

Drag Queen Story Hour Comes to the Penn Wynne Library

Belmont Hills Library Reopens & Announces Major Donor

Lower Merion Celebrates the Reopening of the Belmont Hills Public Library and Announces Major Donor On Sunday, November 4, 2018 the Belmont Hills Public Library reopened after a year-long renovation and expansion.  The library received a 1,804 square foot addition and the remainder of the library was updated with new paint, windows, lighting, furniture and […]

One Book, One Lower Merion 2018

Spooky Screens

With Halloween coming, kids and adults alike might be looking for scary, spooky, or downright frightening things to watch. For children, your library has several new Halloween-themed movies and TV show videos : Scooby-doo and the Gourmet Ghost Ready Jet Go – Jet’s First Halloween Garfield’s Halloween My Little Pony Friendship is Magic – Pony […]

Mystery series set in France

Mystery readers: If you’re a looking for something a little different, how about a trip to France? There are several very fine mystery series set in France that include lots of local color and usually mouth watering descriptions of delicious local foods. Martin Walker’s series feature Dorgogne village police chief, Bruno Courrèges, who solves crimes […]

All About Opera

How does the story of a Spanish gypsy entangled in a love triangle of deceit and seduction with a military officer and famous bullfighter that ends in a crime of passion sound? Perhaps the tale of a famous singer and her political revolutionary lover who are targeted by a corrupt police captain and must go […]

Intro to Consumer Reports

See below some of the great things you can do with one of our most popular resources, Consumer Reports

Read Your Way Into a 2018 New Summer TV Series!

Read Your Way Into a 2018 New Summer TV Series! Need a book for the summer?  It might be as simple as turning on the TV… Remember John Krasinski from The Office and Promised Land? Well, now he stars in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, which is streaming on Amazon this summer. Jack Ryan is an […]

It Would Be a Crime to Miss These Mysteries!

Staff Picks!

Adult Fiction Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O’Keeffe Dawn Tripp (Adult Fiction) Author Dawn Tripp has done an excellent job of imagining the voice of painter Georgia O’Keefe in this fictional interpretation of the artist’s life. Tripp’s goal was to explore how the early events and experiences in O’Keeffe’s life shaped her into the iconic […]

Multimedia Resources for Kids

The Lower Merion Library System (LMLS) is proud to provide 24/7 access to BookFlix and TrueFlix. BookFlix and TrueFlix are digital resources created, by Scholastic, to teach reading, reading comprehension, research skills, reinforce subject knowledge, and explore different means of gathering information. Both BookFlix and TrueFlix include websites for further study.  They also have a […]

Mango Languages

Not Just for Kids Anymore – MS and YA Graphic Novels for Adults!

The graphic novel post last year gave an overview of the great graphic novel collection that LMLS has to offer. This time around, I’d like to focus on middle school (MS) and young adult (YA) graphic novels that adults should seriously consider reading for themselves. Graphic novels are more than just the swashbuckling action & […]

Journey to Ireland

Now Patrons Can Check out “Book Clubs in a Bag”

Lower Merion libraries are happy to announce that we are now offering Book Clubs in a Bag. Patrons can now check out a book club in a bag at Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Penn Wynne, Gladwyne and Ludington libraries. So what does this mean, you ask? Well, each bag comes with 9 or 10 copies of […]

Longwood Gardens Community Read

LMLS Museum Passes – Beyond the Branches

News from LMLS Junior Rooms – New Toys

JANUARY 23, 2018 – Thanks to the Lower Merion Library System Director’s Office, the expertise of LMLS Technology Librarians and our Children Librarians, each of our library Junior Rooms received some wonderful materials to expand our STEM programming. What is STEM? “STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific […]

The Best Books of 2017

JANUARY 4, 2018 – Don’t let the cold weather get you down.  When the snow starts to fall curl up with a good book!  To help you choose your next great read, literary tastemakers have put together some fantastic BEST OF 2017 lists.  Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites: Andrew Carnegie Medals for […]

Check out the Season

DECEMBER 5, 2017 – We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: Movies, Books, Music, and BAKING! Whether, you want to cozy up by a fire after reading about how to make a fire or just watch a movie involving fire, Lower Merion Libraries have that. We also have CAKE PANS at […]

Broadway Plays on DVD at Your Library

NOVEMBER 21, 2017 – Are you a theater lover? Are you interested in great performances in classic plays by the big stars of today and yesterday? Then we have a heads up for you. Now available at your Lower Merion Public Libraries: The Broadway Theatre Archive Collection. The New York Times called the extraordinary Broadway Theatre […]

Belmont Hills Library is Under Renovation!

NOVEMBER 7, 2017 – Did you know that the Belmont Hills Library was started in 1935 in St. Andrews Chapel, a mission of St. Asaph’s Church? Under the auspices of the Girls Friendly Club, and named West Manayunk Free Library, this branch of the Bala Cynwyd Library soon outgrew its one room in the Mission […]

Halloween Treats to Download from Overdrive

OCTOBER 24, 2017 – Written by Alyssa Tino, Belmont Hills Library Staff member It’s finally Halloween time! You know, that part of the year to enjoy a fun scare through what you watch, read and listen to. Our library system has a great collection of horror/thriller/mystery materials available through the library’s Overdrive service. First, sign […]

The​ ​Search​ ​for​ ​Your​ ​Roots​ ​Begins​ ​Here​ ​-​ ​at​ ​Your​ ​Library!

OCTOBER 9, 2017 – The​ Lower Merion​ Library​ System​ can help​ you​ ​​get started​ with your​ family’s genealogy​ ​research. ​We​ offer​ free​ access​ ​​to two ​of ​the ​most valuable​ and​ necessary tools​ ​–​ Ancestry.com​ (​ library ​ edition)​ and​ the​ ​Internet. ​Never​ underestimate the​ value​ of something​ ​as​ ​ubiquitous​ ​as​ ​the ​Internet​ ​for ​family​​ ​research!​ […]

Libraries Expand Computer Connections with Chromebooks

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 – Thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 38 Chromebook computers are now available for in-library use. Chromebooks are compact laptop computers that run the Chrome operating system from Google. They are used to connect to the Internet and run the suite of Google applications, providing word processing, spreadsheets […]

One Book, One Lower Merion 2017

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 – One Book One Lower Merion proudly announces that Dr. Paul Offit’s Pandora’s Lab will be the Fall 2017 book.  This fascinating, highly readable book tells  amazing story of science gone wrong in ways that affect all our lives. Our kick-off event will be a book review on Wednesday, November 1st at 1 […]

Why Should Kids Have All the Fun?

AUGUST 2, 2017 – By Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library While it’s important to foster life-long reading habits in children, it’s equally important for libraries to support and encourage our adult readers. Not just because active adult readers often become active library donors, though that’s hard to ignore, but because libraries should […]

Print From Anywhere with an Internet Connection

JULY 14, 2017 – The Lower Merion Library System offers mobile printing services.  With this service, users will be able to send print jobs to the public printer at 5 of our libraries from laptops, smartphones, or tablets from almost anywhere.  This service is currently available at these libraries: Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyne, Ludington, and […]

Children’s Audio Books for Summer Listening

June 19, 2017 – by Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library. The car is packed, the cooler full of sandwiches and cold drinks, and its time to hit the road for that 7-hour car trip to the grandparents or campground. A deck of cards and puzzle books are good, but five minutes out […]

So You Want to Travel the World?

MAY 9, 2017 – So, you want to…travel the world? Take a cruise? Go for a road trip to see the local sights? Well, guess what? Your local Lower Merion library can make your dream vacation come true! Nestled in non-fiction between 910 through 917 we have what you need, travel guides. Lower Merion libraries […]

Build Your Skills with LearningExpress Library

APRIL 24, 2017 – Build Your Skills with LearningExpress Library Help!  I need to … Learn how to create a spreadsheet Build my confidence with math Improve my writing skills Practice for a test Create a resume No matter what age you are, in today’s fast changing world we all face continuous challenges keeping up […]

Graphic Novels @ LMLS

MARCH 27, 2017 – A fantastic collection of graphic novels are available at the Lower Merion Libraries. Just like TV shows, movies, and books, graphic novels have a variety of genres to explore, running the gambit of horror, supernatural, thriller, history, biography, and yes, even romance. Graphic novels offer a different medium to experience a story, and […]

Gladwyne Library Set to Re-Open March 25

MARCH 13, 2017 – We Welcome You Back!  Hooray! Hooray!  The newly renovated Gladwyne Free Library will open its doors to the public at the Grand Reopening Celebration on Saturday, March 25 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Ribbon Cutting ceremony will begin at 1:15 p.m. In 2016, the Library embarked on a renovation project […]

Excellent Middle Grade Books

FEBRUARY 28, 2017 – Middle Grade is a category of novels aimed towards readers aged 8-12. This is a pivotal point in young readers’ lives—they have graduated from 1st Chapter books (like Magic Tree House, Clementine, Daisy Meadows’s Fairy series, etc.), which are shorter, contain simpler words and plots, and are formulaic (which is not […]

PA Forward – Uniting libraries across Pennsylvania

FEB. 13, 2017 – Have you heard about the PA Forward initiative that has served to unite all libraries across the Pennsylvania, maybe you’ve noticed the logo in our libraries or on our social media feeds? What’s it all about you ask? The PA Forward initiative has served to strengthen public libraries position as essential […]

Local History Collections @ LMLS

Jan. 27, 2017 – Lower Merion Township has a rich and fascinating history.  To help you explore it, Lower Merion Library System has a variety of resources available.  Ludington Library has a wide collection of local history books housed in special shelves, while Gladwyne Library is home to a number of railroad atlases, photographs, and […]

Mobile Printing – From Anywhere With Internet Access

JANUARY 18, 2017 – The Lower Merion Library System is pleased to announce the availability of mobile printing.  With this new service, users will be able to send print jobs to the public printer at 4 of our libraries from laptops, smartphones, or tablets from almost anywhere.  This service is currently available at these libraries: […]

Crafting Blog

JANUARY 6, 2017 – Submitted by Gwen Gatto, Library Assistant at Belmont Hills Library Now that Fall is over and we’re in the new year, so when those feelings of winter nesting start wrapping their warm, cozy arms around you, it’s time to bring out the knitting needles and dust off the sewing machine. As […]

Get in the Holiday Spirit with Hoopla Movies & Music

DECEMBER 22, 2016 – Curling up for a movie with the family? Hosting a holiday party and need a jolly soundtrack to keep everyone in the spirit? Going on a road trip for Christmas and need some tunes to keep up the enthusiasm in endless traffic? Start your holiday cheer with Hoopla, which offers free […]

Donate Items – It Benefits You & Your Library

DECEMBER 6, 2016 – Several libraries in Lower Merion Library System accept donations of items from their patrons. Do you have lots of books, music CDs or DVDs lying around that you no longer need? Donate them to a Lower Merion Library such as Belmont Hills, Bala Cynwyd or Ludington. Penn Wynne and Gladwyne are […]

Music and More via Your LMLS Library

NOVEMBER 22, 2016 – What kind of music do you like? 2016 is coming to an end but what a roller coaster year it has been for music. Billboard has released its top 100 songs of 2016.  It goes from the #1 hit “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey to #100 “Boom Clap” by Charli […]

Ludington Library’s Second Annual Craft Fair

NOVEMBER 7, 2016 – Just in time for your holiday shopping, Ludington Library is hosting its Second Annual Craft Fair!  The Fair will take place on Saturday, November 12th and Saturday, November 19th, with over 20 different artisans vending each day from 10 am to 4 pm.  This means that attendees on both days will […]

Halloween Movies From Hoopla

OCTOBER 22, 2016 – Are you in the mood to be creeped out? Of course you are! It’s that time of year for horror movies to overtake your televisions. Why not check out some of the free available movies the library has to offer on Hoopla Digital? Simply log in to your account, or create […]

Teen Read Week @ LMLS

OCTOBER 10, 2016 – Did you know that October 9-15 is Teen Read Week? An adolescent literary initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), Teen Read Week began in 1998 as an initiative advocating for teens to read. Teen Read Week encourages teens to “Read for The Fun of It”.   Each year brings […]

Art on Display

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 – Ludington Library Ludington Library has a beautiful art exhibit space along the main entrance ramp.  Have you been in to see the changing art shows? The recent renovation of the library included adding eight large display cases and providing an exhibit wall area approximately 27 feet long.  The exhibit space has […]

Cake Pans, Museum Passes & more

SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 – You already know that your library card allows you to borrow books, audiobooks, and movies, both in the library and online. But do you know about the other, more unusual collections at our branches? CAKE PANS     Both Penn Wynne Library and Ludington Library lend novelty cake pans. Ludington has […]

New & Improved LMLS Website

JULY 11, 2016 – From the Library Director, David Belanger Hello and welcome to the redesigned website for the Lower Merion Library System.  This is just one of the many exciting projects underway this summer in Lower Merion libraries. I would like to introduce myself as the new Director of Libraries for Lower Merion Township.  […]

Summer Reading Clubs

JULY 6, 2016 – Summer brings thoughts of relaxing at the beach or sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade. Hopefully a good book is part of the mix. This year’s Summer Reading Club’s  Read-to-Me program is for babies, toddlers and preschool age children, and encourages daily reading. The On Your Mark, Get Set, […]