Penn Area Library

What Penn Area Library does

Penn Area Library is a public, non-profit community library serving Penn Township and surrounding Westmoreland County communities in Pennsylvania. Founded in 1972 (originally as the Level Green Library), it operates a single 9,000-square-foot facility at 2001 Municipal Court, Harrison City, PA, with 7 staff members. Services are provided free of charge to Pennsylvania residents and include physical lending of books, DVDs, and audiobooks; digital content via the Libby app; public computer and WiFi access; mobile printing through Princh; interlibrary loan; and age-segmented programming for children, teens, and adults. The library curates the annual Summer Reading Program and other community events, and maintains a Teen Zine and teen volunteer pipeline as part of its community engagement.

The technology stack is composed primarily of third-party, integrated platforms common to Pennsylvania public libraries. Core catalog and account management run on the Polaris Integrated Library System, shared with the Westmoreland County library network. Digital lending is delivered through OverDrive's Libby app, reading program tracking through Beanstack, contact and survey forms through WPForms and SurveyMonkey, event ticketing through Eventbrite, and merchandise fundraising through Bonfire. Research and reference resources are provided through state-funded platforms including POWER Library, POWER Kids, Gale Topic Collections, and Ancestry Library Edition (the last sponsored by the Friends of the Library). 24/7 chat-based reference assistance is offered via 'Chat With A Librarian.'

The library's economics are those of a municipally-funded non-profit. Primary funding sources include Penn Township appropriations, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania state aid, and allocations from the Westmoreland County Federated Library System. A $200,000 Keystone Grant was awarded in 1998 to fund facility expansion from 2,400 to 9,000 square feet. Supplemental income comes from community donations, the Friends of Penn Area Library (which has donated over $15,000 historically via three annual used book sales), United Way contributions, merchandise sales (Bonfire), and targeted fundraising campaigns, including a 2026 'Stack Our Stacks' campaign with a $70,000 goal. A seven-member volunteer Board of Trustees, appointed by the Penn Township Board of Commissioners, governs the library.

Name

Penn Area Library

Legal name

Penn Area Library

Website

https://pennlib.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library programming
• Digital book lending
• Interlibrary loan
• Research databases access

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrison City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Tax Revenue: Primary funding from Penn Township municipal funding, state funding through Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and library system allocations from Westmoreland County Federated Library System
2. Donations and Fundraising: Community donations through direct contributions, online donations via Polaris catalog, and annual Stack Our Stacks campaign. 2026 campaign目标是筹集$70,000
3. Friends of the Library Support: Funds raised through three annual used book sales (March, July, November), member dues, and volunteer support. Over $15,000 donated to library historically
4. United Way Agency Contributions: Accepts contributions through United Way with agency code 3076 and Westmoreland County code U696
5. Keystone Grant Funding: Received $200,000 Keystone Grant for library expansion from state library funding

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Penn Area Library is a nonprofit public library that lends physical and digital books, audiobooks, and other media, provides free public computer and Wi-Fi access, and offers research databases, community programming, and meeting space to residents of Penn Township and Westmoreland County at no charge. It is a member of the Westmoreland County Federated Library System and participates in statewide resource sharing.

Product overview

Penn Area Library operates as a single-location public library offering a unified mix of traditional and digital services. Core offerings include physical material lending (books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD), digital content via the Libby platform, research databases including POWER Library, POWER Kids, Ancestry Library Edition, and Gale Topic Collections, plus community services such as public computers, multi-purpose room rentals, mobile printing via Princh, and 24/7 Chat With A Librarian assistance. The library also runs seasonal programs like the annual Summer Reading Program and operates a Friends of the Library organization that conducts book sales and funds special projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends of Penn Area Library: A volunteer organization that provides supplemental funds and volunteer support for special projects and collections that the library could not otherwise afford. Holds three used book sales per year and has donated over $15,000 to support the library.

Products and services

• Physical Library Materials Lending

Quantifiable outcome

• No fines for overdue e-materials; automatic return with no charges
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Westmoreland County Federated Library System (WCFLS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1972County-level library system that provides coordinated services, shared catalog (Polaris), and support for member libraries. Penn Area Library operates within this system for interlibrary loan and resource sharing.
• Westmoreland Library NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network providing shared technology infrastructure, event calendars, and collaborative programming across Westmoreland County libraries.
• ACCESS PENNSYLVANIA / POWER LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level digital resource program funded by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Provides over 2,000 full-text resources including journals, newspapers, and specialized databases to public library cardholders.
• Friends of Penn Area LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer support organization established in 2003 that raises funds through three annual book sales, provides over $15,000 in donations historically, and sponsors programs, equipment, and the Ancestry database.
• Penn TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government that provides primary funding, land/building support, and board appointment oversight. Contributed substantial funding for 1998 library expansion.
• Penn-Trafford School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal school district that originally provided space for library services and continues as a community partner.
• Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission (PTARC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal recreation commission as a community partner listed on the library's helpful websites resources.
• Libby App (OverDrive)coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital lending platform integrated with Westmoreland Library Network providing eBooks and eAudiobooks to library patrons with no late fees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Westmoreland Library Network: The county-level library system of which Penn Area Library is a member. WLN provides the shared Polaris ILS, Libby integration, POWER Library access, event calendar (events.wlnonline.org), and coordinated countywide programming — directly comparable in mission, geography, and service mix.

Regional players

• Free Library of Philadelphia: Philadelphia's public library system, also Pennsylvania-based. Operates free public library cards, no-fines lending, similar digital lending (Libby/OverDrive), comparable community programming structure, and similar municipal/state funding model — same regulatory and state-aid environment.
• Allegheny County Library Association: A Pennsylvania library cooperative serving Allegheny County. Operates with similar shared catalog, interlibrary loan, e-resource access, and member-funded governance — directly comparable in county-federated library structure and Pennsylvania public library funding model.
• Bucks County Free Library: A Pennsylvania county library system offering similar free cards, no-fines structure, Libby digital lending, children's/teen/adult programming, and state-funded POWER Library access. Same PA regulatory environment and comparable suburban-county footprint to Penn Area Library.
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: A Pennsylvania public library system serving Pittsburgh and Allegheny County with comparable programming (children's, teen, adult), digital lending via Libby, and free card access. Different geography (urban Pittsburgh vs. suburban Penn Township) but directly comparable as a PA public library nonprofit.
• Beaver County Library System: A small Pennsylvania county library federation similar in scale to the Westmoreland County system. Operates as a county-level library cooperative in PA with comparable service mix (interlibrary loan, digital lending, children's/teen/adult programming) — closely comparable to Penn Area Library's county-system context.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Public Library: One of the largest US public library systems, offering free library cards, no-fines model (since 2020), extensive digital lending via Libby, similar children's/teen/adult programming, and comparable municipal/state funding — operates at much larger scale but mirrors the same public library service model.
• Seattle Public Library: A flagship US public library system with comparable digital lending (Libby), free public cards, research databases (similar to POWER Library), and community programming. Operates at city-wide scale rather than township scale but exemplifies the same municipal-library service model.

Others

• OverDrive (Libby): The digital lending platform provider that powers the Libby app used by Penn Area Library. Not a direct competitor but an enabling ecosystem partner — comparable in that OverDrive defines the digital lending experience patrons receive through the library.
• ProQuest (Ancestry Library Edition): Provider of the Ancestry Library Edition genealogy database offered free at Penn Area Library's public computers. An enabling vendor/partner rather than a peer service, but directly relevant to the library's research database offering and subscription model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-area-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Penn Area Library