Note from the Director

Happy New Year from our Library family to you and yours!

As the new year begins, we wanted to express our gratitude to our community for your support this year. We are so happy to be able to provide innovative programming into the building and see an increase in Library usage this year. In review, it has been a great year for the Haverford Township Free Library. Here are just a few highlights:

• A return of storytime to our building with over 500 caregivers and children attending programs (In 2023, we will offer a storytime 5 days a week in our building!);
• Over 100,000 patron visits to the Library in 2022 (Up from 72,344 in 2021);
• A hosting of our annual Business Breakfast back in the building this year (1st time in three years) which was very successful and drew over 70 local business people and community leaders;
• 223 participants and 42 business sponsors for our Dewey Decimal Dash Run & Walk helped us with our fundraising goal to support the Library while reaching participation of runners and walkers to pre 2020 level.
• Our Sounds of Summer Concert Series was back in full swing this year with 3 terrific concerts at Merwood Park that drew 300 music lovers!

We know that we could not deliver all of the amazing programs, services, and collections to our community without your support. Help us to make 2023 even better! Please consider a gift to the Library so that we can continue to provide you and your family with even more amazing opportunities for life-long learning, creativity, and culture now and into the future. Make a donation by clicking here.

2023 also brings exciting work on our renovation and expansion of the Library. We have important and exciting news coming up about this in the very near future, so stay tuned!

On behalf of the Staff, Board of Trustees, and Friends of the Library we hope you have a happy and healthy new year!

Warm regards,

Sukrit Goswami, Library Director 

Library Book Clubs

Looking for a book club? The Library has many to choose from. Our clubs meet monthly, some in person and some on Zoom. To find out more about these groups or to register, stop by the Reference Desk, email reference@haverfordlibrary.org or call 610-446-3082 ext 503. Check out what we will be reading in January!

Cookbook Club (Community Room)

Monday, January 9 - 6:30 pm (2nd Monday of the Month)

The Cookbook Club is for anyone who loves cooking, likes to talk about cooking, or wants to explore new recipes. Each month we select a cookbook; participants select a recipe, prepares it, and brings it to share with the group.

Selection - Milk Street: Cook What You Have Cookbook by Christopher Kimball.

Books on Tap (Hybrid, Community Room & Zoom)

Tuesday, January 17 - 7:00 pm (3rd Tuesday of the Month)

The book club at the bar! This month we are doing BYOB in the building. This group reads recently released fiction.

Selection - Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Cookies and Mystery (Board Room)

Thursday, January 19 - 11:00 am (3rd Thursday of the Month)

Cookies and Mystery features cookies, coffee and discussion of a different mystery genre each third Thursday of the month at 11:00 am. Each month the group will read mysteries with a theme.

Selection - Paranormal Mysteries

Hooked on History (Zoom)

Monday, January 23 - 7:00 pm (4th Monday of the Month)

History Lovers! This book club is for you! We begin with a book read as a group, followed the next month by each member selecting a book from a list on the historical period/topic. For January, we will read Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, the next meeting we will select from a list about Indian and Pakistan history.

Reading a Round (Zoom)

Tuesday, January 24 - 7:00 pm (4th Tuesday of the Month)

This group reads bestsellers and many genres of literatures. It’s HTFL’s 1st and longest standing book club!

Selection - It Girl by Ruth Ware

Graphic Novel Club (Zoom)

Wednesday, February 1- 7:00 pm (1st Wednesday of the Month)

Each month readers discuss alternative graphic novels tackling real-life issues and non-fiction subjects, and the independent publishers that release both alternative and mainstream superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy graphic novels and comics.

Selection - Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine

NEW! - Just the Facts: Non-Fiction Book Club

Wednesday, January 25 - 7:00 pm

Community Room

Join us for this monthly discussion of different non-fiction books. For our inaugural meeting we will be discussing The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee. The Song of the Cell recounts our evolving understanding of the body's smallest structural and functional unit - and its implications for everything from immune therapy and in vitro fertilization to Covid-19.

Stop by the Reference Desk to register and pick up a copy of the book!

Adult Calendar

Monday, January 9

6:30 pm - Cookbook Club (Community Room)*

Wednesday, January 11

2:00 pm - Great Courses - True Crime: Decoding the Evidence (Zoom)*

Thursday, January 12

2:00 pm - Quilting Group (Community Room)

Friday, January 13

10:00 am - Tea and Stitch (Community Room)

Tuesday, January 17

7:00 pm - Books on Tap (Hybrid - Community Room and Zoom)*

Wednesday, January 18

2:00 pm - Great Courses - True Crime: Decoding the Evidence (Zoom)*

Thursday, January 19

11:00 am - Cookies and Mystery (Board Room)*

Friday, January 20

10:00 am - Tea and Stitch (Community Room)

*Registration Required

Youth Services Department Highlights

Crafternoon Thursday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thursday, January 12 - 4:15 - 5:00 pm

The Hub

Join us for stories and craft activities celebrating upcoming holidays and observances! This Thursday, children will create a craft inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. For families and children ages 6-12.

Registration is required; each registration is for 1 child. Click here to register.

NEW! - LEGO® Club

Tuesdays, Beginning January 17 - 4:30 pm

The Hub

Can you complete the challenge? Using LEGOs, kids will compete to become master builders!

The second half of the program will allow children to freely create – building their confidence and social skills and practicing basic engineering skills, all while having fun! Ages 6-12.



Registration Required. To register, click here.

Tween Book Club (Zoom) - Choose Your Favorite Book

Tuesday, January 24 - 7:00 pm

In January, YOU pick the book! That’s right, we want to hear what your favorite book was in 2022. And it can be anything. Fiction, non-fiction,

sci-fi, even a graphic novel.

How to Join:

• Be a tween
• Sign up at the Youth Services Desk on the 2nd Floor
• Receive an email about how and when to pick up your Goodie Bag in the month of January
• Join us on Zoom on Tuesday, January 24 at 7pm with your most absolute favorite book of 2022 to share with the group. 

We’ll talk about our favorite books we read in 2022 and why we loved them so much. Meet new people!  Get new ideas! Have fun!

Family Fun Fridays

Fridays, beginning January 20 - 2:30 pm

Children's Room

Have a great time with the whole family! We have puzzles, board games, card games, magnet tiles and more for children ages 5-12 and their caregivers; for the little ones we bring out the toys. Start your weekends off in a fun way!  

No registration required; bring your library cards to the Youth Services Desk in exchange for a game or a box of toys.

Storytimes at HTFL!

NEW! PJ Storytime

Mondays beginning on January 16 - 7:00 pm

Children's Room

Join us for a storytime before bed. Bring your snuggle buddy and feel free to come in your PJs! Ages: 0-5 years with a caregiver.

Circle Time Storytime

Mondays & Thursdays - 10:30 am

The Hub

Join us for a delightful time of books and songs! This in-person storytime will be held in the Library’s Hub for children ages 0 to 5 years old.

Babies and Books

Tuesdays - 11:30 am - **NEW TIME**

The Hub

This storytime includes books, songs, rhymes and movement games with your infant or toddler! Babies and Books is tailored to children under the age of 18 months.

NEW! Preschool Storytime Craft

Wednesdays - 4:15 pm

The Hub

Join us for a delightful time of stories and a related craft. Meets Wednesdays at 4:15 pm in the Hub. For ages 3-5 with a caregiver.

Toddler Storytime

Fridays - 10:30 am

The Hub

Toddlers will hear stories, sing songs, and play movement games while enhancing their early-literacy skills in a fun, warm environment! Toddler Storytime is tailored to children 18 months to under 3 years.



Registration is required for all storytimes. To register, click on the name of the storytime above. Each registration is for 1 family.

Children's Calendar

Monday, January 9

10:30 am - Circle Time Storytime (The Hub)*

Tuesday, January 10

11:30 am - Babies and Books Storytime (The Hub)* **NEW TIME**

Wednesday, January 11

4:15pm - Preschool Storytime Craft (The Hub)*

Thursday, January 12

10:30am - Circle Time Storytime (The Hub)*

4:15 pm - Crafternoon Thursday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (The Hub)*

Friday, January 13

10:30 am - Toddler Storytime (The Hub)*

Monday, January 16

10:30 am - Circle Time Storytime (The Hub)*

7:00 pm - PJ Storytime (Children's Room) NEW!

Tuesday, January 17

11:30 am - Babies and Books Storytime (The Hub)* **NEW TIME**

4:30 pm - LEGO® Club (The Hub)*

Wednesday, January 18

4:15pm - Preschool Storytime Craft (The Hub)*

Thursday, January 19

10:30am - Circle Time Storytime (The Hub)*

Friday, January 20

10:30 am - Toddler Storytime (The Hub)*

2:30 pm - Family Fun Fridays (Children's Room)



*Registration Required

Historic Grange Estate

Holiday House & Train Display

143 Myrtle Ave., Havertown

Saturday & Sunday, January 7 & 8 -

1:00 - 4:00 pm

Tour the Grange Estate decorated for the holidays. The Carriage House of the Grange Estate is transformed into the Cobbs Creek Lines Holiday Railroad, a magical land of Lionel and O Gauge trains. Viewers of all ages delight in the immersive, fun-filled and fantastic display of trains. Each year a dedicated group of volunteers assembles to enhance the train display, and each year’s visit brings something new to enjoy!

For more information click here.

Backyard Composting Workshop (Virtual)

Haverford Township Parks & Recreation

Monday, January 16 - 7:00 pm

Learn how to reduce your waste, fight climate change, and make free organic fertilizer in your backyard. Gwenn Nolan of Mother Compost will be sharing her knowledge and passion with us. If you want to learn more about wasting less, this is the presentation for you! Township residents are eligible to purchase a subsidized compost bin for $30 after attending the workshop, while supplies last.

FREE, Registration required. Click here to register.