If ever you are in the Lower Moreland township area, located on the outskirts of Northeast Philadelphia, perhaps you may consider visiting the Huntingdon Valley Library. It is located at 625 Red Lion Road in Huntingdon Valley and is placed between the Lower Moreland High School and the township’s Middle School making it especially easy for students to visit.
The Huntingdon Valley library was first founded in 1871, on Huntingdon Pike. It was then reestablished in 1919 by the Community Club of Huntingdon Valley. While this library was running, the Community Club would raise funds by running movies and minstrel shows in order to keep the library going. Despite these efforts, the library closed after a few years due to a shortage of funds. With no shortage of perseverance, the Women’s Club of Huntingdon Valley sought to open the library again as a community project. Their collection was mainly made up of donated books and the rent for the library was paid by residents in the area. In 1961, the library was incorporated as a non-profit organization with a board of trustees following the passing of a referendum. Finally, in 1995, the library joined the Montgomery county library and Information Network Consortium (MCLINC), a non-profit organization that holds a consolidated group of the public libraries in the county. The library is a part of both of these organizations today.
As soon as you walk into the hallway of the Huntingdon Valley Library, you are exposed to many different memorabilia which includes trophies won by the Lower Moreland middle school and high school as well as decorations taken from many popular books. Perhaps the most notable of these decorations are the 4 banners sprawled across the hallway wall, showcasing the emblems of four school houses from the immensely popular book series, Harry Potter: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. As you walk further in, you are greeted with a large banner promoting the 1000 books before kindergarten program, an initiative reading in which parents are encouraged to read 1000 books to their newborns and toddlers in preparation for them to enter kindergarten.
The library holds several initiatives to give a spotlight to deserving books. On one stand they have a collection of books that have been featured on Tiktok. The stand has a large Tiktok logo at the top and under it says, “As seen on #BookTok”. It has many popular books that have been featured on Tik Tok including Daughter of the Pirate King and The Gilded Ones. By including a stand like this the library is able to appeal to a large demographic of kids and young adults who spend time on Tiktok.
Another interesting library initiative is their shelf displaying “Bottom Shelf Books–Hidden gems from the bottom shelf conveniently displayed for your discovery”. This is an initiative to spotlight books which do not usually get as much attention, being typically placed on the bottom shelves of the sections they sit in. I appreciated this stand as well, as many of the books that would normally be overlooked are truly hidden gems! One of the books displayed is Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu which is now a Netflix Original directed by Amy Poehler. By promoting these books individually, the library greatly increases the chance of young adults choosing them.
The library proves to be an ideal studying area. It’s not only the ample amount of tables and desks that are in the library that makes it appealing but the placement of the seating that makes the studying experience so unique and special. Since the library sits at the top of a tall hill overlooking Lower Moreland township, it allows for scenic window views which can add immensely to the ambiance when studying. Many tables and seats are placed strategically near the window to make for an optimal studying experience. Additionally, the library has comfortable couches, bean bag chairs, and swiveling chairs. Finally, there are numerous rows of computers laid out in the middle of the library for students to use.
If you are ever searching for an ideal studying spot in the Northeast Philadelphia area, consider visiting the Huntingdon Valley Library.
Rohan Mathew is a senior at Drexel University who is pursuing a B.S in Economics accompanied with a minor in English. He enjoys singing and playing guitar and occasionally performs at open mics around the Philadelphia area. When he wants to take a break from schoolwork, he decompresses by playing soccer with his friends.