Chester County highlights library expansion, digital access and new programs in county spotlight
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Summary
At its Feb. 5 meeting, the Chester County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from Joe Sherwood, executive director of the Chester County Library System, about systemwide services, recent facility projects, and digital circulation that reached one million e‑items in 2024.
Joe Sherwood, executive director of the Chester County Library System, told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5 that the county’s 18 library locations and their partners are expanding services and physical space to meet changing public needs.
“Chester County Libraries are nationally recognized centers of knowledge, inspiration, and opportunity, welcoming all residents and contributing to the healthy, safe, and economically vibrant communities,” Sherwood said. He noted that in 2024 the system circulated about 1,000,000 e‑materials and ranked third in Pennsylvania for OverDrive circulation.
Sherwood outlined the system’s makeup — 12 nonprofit partners, three governmental entities and the Phoenixville Area School District — and described programs beyond traditional lending: community gardens, digital media labs and maker spaces, ESL classes, passport acceptance at some branches, museum‑pass partnerships and Wi‑Fi hotspot lending.
He described recent and planned facility projects: the Kennett branch opened a new 30,000‑square‑foot building in mid‑2023; Honey Brook (Honeybrook) is undergoing a reimagining that includes a new children’s wing and meeting space expected to open in February if construction stays on schedule; Coatesville is repairing its basement after a flood and Phoenixville has work underway. Sherwood also highlighted the county’s Henrietta Hankin branch in Exton and other services available there.
Sherwood described tools that broaden access: a mobile app for catalog and account access, Libby and OverDrive for e‑materials, Canopy Plus for films and Flipster for digital magazines. He also said the system provides a “mail order delivery” outreach service for homebound residents and deposit collections at senior facilities. He invited residents and nonprofits to use resources such as Candid (formerly the Funding Information Network) for grant research.
Sherwood credited volunteer and philanthropic support. He said friends groups plan to provide roughly $80,000 for 2025 projects and the library trust intends to contribute about $126,000, including funds for e‑materials and local programs.
Commissioners thanked Sherwood for the update; no formal action was taken.
Sherwood’s presentation emphasized both ongoing demand for digital collections and continuing investment in branch facilities and community programs.
