New Castle Public Library
🏢 Lawrence County Federated Library System · New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle Public Library
Founded in 1910 and serving Lawrence County from its current home at 207 East North Street since 1981, New Castle Public Library is the district center for four counties — and home to a nationally recognized genealogy and local-history collection that reaches back to city directories from 1872.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 8:30am–4:30pm |
| Saturday | 8:30am–4:30pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 207 East North Street, New Castle, PA 16101
Phone: (724) 658-6659
Website: ncdlc.org
Plus Code: 86HX2M24+MC (New Castle, PA)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About New Castle Public Library
New Castle Public Library traces its roots to 1910, when a reading room opened on the second floor of the Heilman Building on East Washington Street. After outgrowing successive homes — the remodeled Hoyt Residence (1925) and the Old Post Office Building on North and Mercer streets (1938) — the library moved into its current purpose-built facility at 207 East North Street in 1981. It operates as a 501(c)(3) private corporation under the oversight of the New Castle Library District and serves as the designated District Library Center for Armstrong, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer counties, extending supplementary services to member libraries across all four. The Donald J. Nicolls History Room & Genealogy on the first floor holds one of western Pennsylvania's deepest county-level collections, including city directories from 1872 to 1928, microfilmed local newspapers, cemetery records, church records, and the Nellie Siminton vertical family files, as well as in-library access to Ancestry Library Edition. The library celebrated its centennial on October 21, 2010, and continues to anchor downtown New Castle as a hub for lifelong learning, community programming, and historical research.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Donald J. Nicolls History Room & Genealogy — appointment-based research room with city directories from 1872, county histories, cemetery records, local family histories, Nellie Siminton vertical files, and Ancestry Library Edition
- New Castle Library District Center — required by Pennsylvania law to provide supplementary services to all public libraries across Armstrong, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer counties
- One of only a handful of PA libraries hosting a Yiddish Book Group, partnering with the Yiddish Book Center (Amherst, MA) for a monthly reading series exploring Jewish literature from czarist Russia and post-WWII New York
- Family Place Libraries member — structured early-childhood programming (birth–age 5) with community-professional support for child development
- SPARK catalog consortium member — borrowers share access across Pennsylvania Integrated Library System (PaILS) member libraries statewide
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
New Castle cardholders can read, research, and listen free through Pennsylvania's shared digital resources:
📚 Services
- Donald J. Nicolls History Room & Genealogy (by appointment, ext. 129)
- Interlibrary Loan — statewide and national borrowing via Access PA and ILL (ill@ncdlc.org)
- Exam proctoring ($15 fee; call ext. 109 to schedule)
- Meeting room rentals for community groups
- Homebound patron services
- Reference & research assistance (chat 24/7, email reference@ncdlc.org, phone ext. 109)
- Friends of the Library Book Cellar — used books, CDs & DVDs for sale on site
🎸 Programs
- Yiddish Book Group — monthly literary series partnering with the Yiddish Book Center
- NCPL Book Group and Tuesday Evening Book Club — adult fiction reading groups
- Summer Reading Program for children, teens, and adults
- Family Place Libraries early-childhood storytimes and play sessions (birth–age 5)
- Teen and young adult programming
📍 Nearby Libraries in Western Pennsylvania
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in New Castle · Browse all Pennsylvania libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why did New Castle never get a Carnegie library?
In 1900 Andrew Carnegie offered New Castle $40,000 for a public library, but local trade unions — still bitter over Carnegie Steel's violent suppression of the 1892 Homestead Strike — organized strong opposition. In 1901 the City Council refused to commit the $4,000 annual maintenance appropriation Carnegie required, killing the project. New Castle eventually funded its own dedicated library by purchasing the Lewis S. Hoyt family home for $50,000 in 1925.
How do I access the Donald J. Nicolls History Room for genealogy research?
The History Room is on the first floor but is not open for walk-in self-service. Call ahead at 724-658-6659 ext. 129 or email genealogy@ncdlc.org to schedule an appointment. The collection includes Lawrence County city directories from 1872 to 1928, cemetery and church records, microfilmed local newspapers, family history files, and in-library Ancestry Library Edition access. Photocopying/scanning of specific items is available for a minimum $5 service charge plus $1 per additional page (up to 10 pages per month).
What counties does New Castle Public Library serve as District Center?
As the Pennsylvania-designated District Library Center, New Castle Public Library is required to provide supplementary library services to member libraries in Armstrong, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer counties — a four-county district stretching from the Ohio border to the Allegheny River. This means district residents can request resources through any member library and benefit from shared programs and collections across the region.
What is the Yiddish Book Group and how can I join?
The Yiddish Book Group meets monthly (4:00–5:15 p.m.) to explore Yiddish literature from czarist Russia, revolutionary Russia, and post-WWII New York. The library partners with the Yiddish Book Center — the Massachusetts nonprofit that has rescued more than 1.5 million Yiddish volumes since 1980. No knowledge of Yiddish is required; study guides and reading materials are available at the Patron Services Desk on the first floor.
📜 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.
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