Easton Area Public Library
🏢 Lehigh Valley Library System · Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton Area Public Library
A Carnegie landmark on the Delaware River since 1903, the Easton Area Public Library guards the original Flag of Easton — flown when the Declaration of Independence was read here on July 8, 1776 — in its climate-controlled Henry F. Marx Local History Room.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 8am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am–8pm |
| Thursday | 8am–8pm |
| Friday | 8am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 515 Church Street, Easton, PA 18042
Phone: (610) 258-2917
Website: eastonpl.org
Plus Code: 87G6MQRP+VG (Easton, PA)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Easton Area Public Library
The Easton Area Public Library traces its roots to the Easton Library Company, founded on January 16, 1811 — one of the earliest public library institutions in Pennsylvania. After nearly a century of subscriber-supported lending from Library Hall on North Second Street, a $50,000 Andrew Carnegie grant enabled construction of a striking Modern Renaissance building at 515 Church Street, completed in 1903. A second Carnegie grant of $10,500 in 1911 expanded the stacks, and subsequent additions in 1941, 1968, and a major 1985 renovation brought the building to its present form. In 1963 the library was designated one of Pennsylvania's original 28 District Library Centers, extending its resources to Northampton and Monroe counties; today it anchors the Lehigh Valley Library System together with the Bethlehem and Allentown public libraries. The centerpiece of the collection is the Henry F. Marx Local History Room — named for the library's first 20th-century director — which holds approximately 15,000 historical texts, the oldest known map of Easton, and the original Flag of Easton, believed to be the very banner present when Robert Levers read the Declaration of Independence to Northampton County citizens on July 8, 1776.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Original 1903 Carnegie building of blue New Jersey stone, local brick, and granite with faux-marble interior columns — still in active daily use
- Henry F. Marx Local History Room: ~15,000 texts plus the Flag of Easton, flown at one of only three simultaneous readings of the Declaration of Independence (July 8, 1776)
- District Library Center since 1963 serving Northampton and Monroe counties; part of the Lehigh Valley Library System with access to 1.4+ million shared items
- Mobile hotspots, laptops (in-library), museum passes, birding backpacks, board games and video game lending available for checkout
- Palmer Branch at 1 Weller Place, Palmer Township — open Mon 9am–5pm, Tue–Thu 9am–7pm, Fri–Sat 9am–5pm
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Easton cardholders can borrow digitally and research for free through these resources:
📚 Services
- District Library Center resources for Northampton and Monroe county residents
- Henry F. Marx Local History Room (genealogy, church and cemetery records, obituaries, local maps)
- Mobile hotspot lending
- In-library laptop use
- Museum pass checkout
- Birding backpack lending
- Board game and video game lending
- Free public computers, printing, and Wi-Fi
- Palmer Branch at 1 Weller Place, Palmer Township
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and STEM workshops
- Book clubs for adults
- Writing workshops
- Genealogy workshops and local history lectures
- Beanstack reading challenges
- Dungeon Crawler gaming events
- Year-round programming for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Lehigh Valley & Poconos
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Easton · Browse all Pennsylvania libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Flag of Easton, and why is it kept at the library?
The Flag of Easton is a hand-sewn banner believed to have been present on July 8, 1776, when County Clerk Robert Levers read the Declaration of Independence to Northampton County citizens in Centre Square — one of only three simultaneous public readings alongside Philadelphia and Trenton. The flag was deposited with the Easton Library Company for safekeeping in 1821 and has remained in the library's care ever since. Today it is displayed in the climate-controlled Henry F. Marx Local History Room at 515 Church Street.
What makes the Marx Room different from a regular library reference section?
The Henry F. Marx Local History Room is the largest local history and genealogy collection in northeastern Pennsylvania, holding approximately 15,000 historical texts along with church and cemetery records, obituary files, early maps of Easton, and the original 1776 Flag of Easton. The room is named for Henry F. Marx, the library's first director of the 20th century, who greatly expanded the holdings after the Carnegie building opened in 1903. It maintains separate climate-controlled hours (Mon–Fri 10am–noon & 1–4pm, Sat 9am–noon & 1–4pm) and is always staffed.
Is an Easton library card good at other Lehigh Valley libraries?
Yes. The Easton Area Public Library is a member of the Lehigh Valley Library System (LVLS) along with the Bethlehem Area Public Library, the Allentown Public Library, and other partners. Since April 2023, LVLS also joined the Monroe-Easton-Bangor Library Group, connecting patrons to libraries throughout the Poconos. One card gives you access to more than 1.4 million shared items across the consortium.
When is the library open, and does it have a second location?
The Main Library at 515 Church Street is open Monday–Thursday 8am–8pm, Friday 8am–5pm, Saturday 9am–5pm, and closed Sunday. The Palmer Branch at 1 Weller Place in Palmer Township is open Monday 9am–5pm, Tuesday–Thursday 9am–7pm, Friday–Saturday 9am–5pm, and closed Sunday. Both locations are closed on major holidays.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
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