Northland Public Library Strategic Plan: CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES 2016-2020 FINAL

APPENDIX II
Northland Public Library
Northland Public Library is a municipal authority providing public library service to residents of the 5 member
municipalities: The Borough of Bradford Woods; Franklin Park Borough; Marshall Township; Ross Township
and the Town of McCandless. The member municipalities provide approximately 58% of Northland’s funding,
with 19% of its income coming from the Allegheny Regional Asset District, 11% from the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, 7% from self-generated income and 5% from the Northland Public Library Foundation.
Northland is a member of the Allegheny County Library System (ACLA), a federated system of the 45 public
libraries in Allegheny County and the Electronic Information Network (EIN) which provides technology
services to county libraries. As a member of ACLA, Northland lends material and provides most library
services to any resident of Allegheny County without charge. Access to some services is limited to residents of
the member municipalities.
The Northland Public Library Authority owns a 30,250 sq. ft. building built in 1978 and renovated in 2003-
2004, located in the Town of McCandless. Northland also contracts with ACLA for 1 weekly bookmobile visit
in Marshall Township. Northland also operates two remote Lending Kiosks (NOMADS), one in Franklin Park
and one in Ross Township. The Library also services remote material returns at the NOMAD sites as well as
one in Marshall Township. Northland loaned 1,050,354 items in 2014 (circulation) and hosted 456,657 visitors.
Northland’s direct service area covers 60 square miles, stretching north from the northern boundary of the City
of Pittsburgh to the Butler County line and west from the western boundaries of Hampton and Shaler
Townships to the eastern boundary of Beaver County.
Northland was, as far as we can determine, the first public library in Pennsylvania to convert to RFID (Radio
frequency Identification) technology which permits multiple items to be checked out or checked in at one time
and permits easy self checkout. Approximately 50% of our checkouts take place at self checkout machines, a
percentage that remains consistent and would be higher if all members of the EIN used RFID as well.
Northland provides a collection that covers a wide range of subjects and formats including many electronic
formats. The staff also provides a variety of programming for patrons of all ages. Programming is conducted at
Northland, as well as offsite locations such as local schools, parks and community centers.
HISTORY OF NORTHLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Until the library's opening October 6, l968, the only library service available to this area of the North Hills
community was a bookmobile which operated from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
On July 3, l963, representatives from most North Hills communities attended a meeting at the Northway Mall to
study the possibilities of establishing a library in this area. Keith Doms, director of the Carnegie Library had been
speaking to municipal officials urging them to send representatives to that meeting. Mrs. Charles Strang of
McCandless, leader of the library movement, accompanied him on his visits. The outcome of that meeting brought
an estimate of $59,000 to maintain a central library, or one dollar for each of the 59,000 people it expected to serve.
By April of l964, Ross commissioners had decided to put the issue of the library on the township's ballot and let the
people decide whether or not they wanted to pay the cost. Decision day for the library was November 8, l966, when
the Ross voters, largest of the population centers, voted whether or not they would pay one mill in taxation for
support of a cooperative community library.
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