Parkland Community Library

What Parkland Community Library does

Parkland Community Library is a 501(c)-equivalent public library incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1973, operating from a single 10,200-square-foot facility at 4422 Walbert Avenue in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It serves residents of the Parkland School District (population ~55,000), with 16,060 registered adult cardholders as of FY2021-2022. The library maintains a physical collection of approximately 100,225 items and provides access to 1.5 million items through the Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative (LCLC) partnership spanning 20+ regional catalogs. It is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with 11-50 staff.

The library's service portfolio combines traditional lending with an increasingly diversified digital and experiential offering. Core technology includes the ChiliPAC catalog system and integrations with Libby/OverDrive (ebooks/audiobooks, no monthly limit, 8 simultaneous checkouts), hoopla (streaming, 5 instant borrows/month), and Kanopy (film streaming). Loanable technology products include Playaway Launchpads (pre-loaded learning tablets for ages 3-7), Hublet Tablets (children's wing kiosks), Read-Along/Vox Books, and laptops via the Library of Things. Specialized facilities include the 2025-launched Idea Lab makerspace featuring the Da Vinci Science Center Mobile FabLab, sensory kits, museum pass partnerships with seven regional institutions, a seed library, and a Plant A Row food donation program. The library integrates with 15+ third-party platforms covering research (EBSCO, Britannica, POWER Library, Ancestry), language learning (Mango, Transparent Language), homework help (Brainfuse), and creative education (Creativebug, ParentTV).

The business model is non-commercial: the library is funded through dedicated library tax revenue from the Parkland School District, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania appropriations, charitable donations (processed via the Friends of the Parkland Community Library volunteer organization and a Friends Book Shop), and modest non-resident card fees. Service is free for in-district residents; printing is priced at $0.10/page (B&W) and $0.50/page (color); the library operates fine-free as part of the Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative initiative. Programming spans all ages (children, teens, adults, seniors) and includes 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, Summer Reading (2026 theme "Unearth a Story"), Medicare counseling via PA MEDI, voter education with the League of Women Voters, and accessibility services. Reach metrics for FY2021-2022 include 83,983 visitors, 242,044 items borrowed, 34,974 digital resource uses, and 9,891 in-person plus 3,038 virtual program attendees.

Name

Parkland Community Library

Legal name

Parkland Community Library

Website

https://parklandlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parkland Community Library is a 50-year-old public library in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serving the Parkland School District's 55,000 residents with 100,000+ physical items, 1.5 million through regional partnerships, and digital lending, makerspace, and educational programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library resources
• Digital lending platforms
• Children's literacy programs
• Library educational programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Library Tax Revenue: Primary funding through dedicated library tax from the local community/taxing authority.
2. State Funding: Revenue received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for library services.
3. Donations: Charitable donations from community members supporting library operations and programs.
4. Non-Resident Fees: Paying non-residents can obtain library cards for access to services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Parkland Community Library lends physical materials (books, DVDs, magazines) and digital content (ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video) to Parkland School District residents free of charge and to paying non-residents via subscription. It supplements lending with community programs for all ages, an Idea Lab makerspace, technology access (WiFi, laptops, tablets, printing), reference and research databases, museum passes, and special services such as notary, interlibrary loans, Medicare counseling, and accessibility accommodations.

Product overview

Parkland Community Library operates as a public library system offering a unified platform of physical and digital services. The core offering centers on the ChiliPAC library catalog (covering 1.5 million items through the Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative), supplemented by multiple digital lending platforms including Libby/OverDrive, hoopla, and Kanopy. The library provides loanable technology products such as Playaway Launchpads, Read-Along/Vox Books, Hublet Tablets, and laptops through the Library of Things collection. Specialized services include the Idea Lab makerspace with FabLab access, museum passes, seed library, sensory kits, and various reading programs through Beanstack. Physical services encompass notary, interlibrary loans, accessibility resources, and diverse programming. The digital ecosystem integrates with numerous third-party platforms for streaming, language learning, homework help, and research databases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 83,983 annual visitors served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lehigh Carbon Library Cooperative (LCLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Library cooperative providing shared catalog and card system, expanding access to over 1.5 million items across 20+ library catalogs in northeastern Pennsylvania including partnership with Lehigh Valley Library System and Monroe County libraries.
• South Whitehall TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Municipal partner for library expansion project and campus. Joint ribbon-cutting ceremony held June 22, 2021. Township commissioners approved expansion and renovation in December 2019.
• Friends of Parkland Community LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer organization that supports library through fundraising, programs sponsorship, book sales, and the Friends Book Shop. Major sponsor of all library programming.
• Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mammograms Can Be a Lifesaver program (June 2021) and Flu Shot Clinic (November 2021). Library adopted their Clean Air Policy.
• League of Women VotersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2020 for voter education and civic engagement programs, including voting importance awareness.
• Luther CrestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly programs offered virtually and off-site at Luther Crest senior community.
• Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PA MEDI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides Medicare Enrollment Assistance through certified PA MEDI counselors for one-on-one appointments.
• WalgreensminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDrop-in flu-shot clinic hosted in Zirkel Meeting Rooms.
• Parkland CARES Food PantryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to distribute bi-weekly Snack Packs to Parkland School District students during summer. Library serves as food donation site.
• Jewish Day School of the Lehigh ValleyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYouth Services librarians led regular enrichment programs during school year.
• Western Lehigh Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded $1,000 community grant in memory of Sophie Gerhard and Edwin Adamczak for community garden project.
• Allentown West RotaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in community garden project at South Whitehall Township Recycling Center.
• Discover DairyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdopt a Dairy Cow program partnership; library received dairy calf Fluff for community education.
• Neighborhood ForestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free trees to children on Earth Day.
• Area Museums (Museum Pass Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner museums include Allentown Symphony Hall, Crayola Experience, Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Lehigh Valley Zoo, Longwood Gardens, and others providing discounted or free access through library passes.
• Da Vinci Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile FabLab visiting library for kids, adults, and teens sessions with hands-on science activities.
• Parkland School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary service area; district population of 55,000. Residents receive free library access. School district provides funding through local tax base.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Easton Area Public Library: Public library serving Easton and surrounding Northampton County communities in the Lehigh Valley. Operates with similar municipal library governance and comparable services, but operates in a different immediate catchment within the broader Lehigh Valley.
• Abington Township Public Library: Suburban Pennsylvania public community library in Montgomery County serving Abington Township. Comparable municipal library model with similar programming and digital services, though operating in the Philadelphia suburbs rather than the Lehigh Valley.
• Springfield Township Library: Suburban Pennsylvania public community library of comparable size and single-municipality footprint to Parkland. Provides standard library services including digital lending, children's programming, and community events, but in a different geographic market.
• Wyomissing Public Library: Suburban Pennsylvania public library serving Wyomissing in Berks County. Comparable in scale and service mix to Parkland — children's programming, digital lending, community events — but operates in a different geographic market in eastern Pennsylvania.

Direct peers

• Allentown Public Library: Municipal public library serving Allentown, Pennsylvania — the same city where Parkland is headquartered. Operates a similar service mix including physical collections, digital lending, programming, and community partnerships, directly competing for Lehigh Valley patrons.
• Lower Macungie Library: Suburban Pennsylvania public community library serving Lower Macungie Township, adjacent to the Parkland School District. Comparable in scale and service mix with children's programming, digital lending, makerspace elements, and community events, competing for similar Lehigh Valley households.
• Emmaus Public Library: Borough-level public library serving Emmaus in the Lehigh Valley, immediately adjacent to Parkland's service area. Comparable municipal library model with similar programming, digital lending, and community-event scope, directly competing for nearby residents.
• Bethlehem Area Public Library: Regional public library system serving Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the same Lehigh Valley region. Provides overlapping services — physical and digital lending, programming, museum partnerships — and competes for patrons across the broader Lehigh Valley catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Delaware County Libraries: Federated library system serving Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Provides coordinated public library services across suburban Philadelphia communities, comparable in municipal library service delivery though operating at a multi-municipality scale larger than Parkland's single-district footprint.
• Chester County Library System: County-wide library system serving Chester County, Pennsylvania, with multiple branches and shared cooperative services. Comparable in public library service delivery to suburban communities, but operates at a broader geographic and administrative scale than a single-municipality library like Parkland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PCommLib
• Instagraminstagram.com/parklandcommunitylibrary
• TikToktiktok.com/@parklandcommunitylibrary
• Xx.com/parklandcommlib

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parkland Community Library