Our Mission

The Mary S. Biesecker Public Library is the friendly, convenient connection between our community and the resources it needs for lifelong learning and personal growth.

Our Guiding Principles

• We believe books are forever. We promote and maintain books as an important medium for gaining and sharing knowledge, and creating dialogue.
  
  
• We are a place of connection, discovery and growth for everyone. We provide the resources, technology and programs that make new ideas familiar.
• We welcome children and families, aiming to instill a love of reading as young as possible. We are a safe and welcoming place for children to become lifelong learners.
• We bridge the past and the future. History is preserved at the library, while preparing our community to understand and embrace changes in technology and society.
• We believe in service and stewardship. We’ve been entrusted with public and private funds, we understand the needs and interests of our community and use those gifts to provide exceptional service, resources and programs.

Brief History

In 1914 the Somerset Public Library was started by nearly 100 local residents who wanted to share their love of reading with the local community. In 1943, after spending its first three decades at different locations across town, the library moved to its present location at 230 S. Rosina Ave. in Somerset, PA.

The library was renamed The Mary S. Biesecker Public Library after Mary Scull Biesecker, a local philanthropist involved in the establishment of the library. Her husband, Frederick Biesecker, was a prominent local attorney, politician and businessman. The library continues its founders’ tradition with a collection of over 25,000 items including books, e-Books, dvds, audiobooks, and periodicals.  We also have modern electronic resources including free internet, public computers, wireless printing, and fast WiFi throughout the library.

We are a public library, supported by state and local funding, corporate and private donations and small fee services within the library.  We are members of Access PA System, American Library Association, Pennsylvania Library Association, and the Cambria County District Library System.

Personnel Information

Library Director: Lee Ann Schrock

Library Aides: JoAnn Critchfield

IT & Facilities Coordinator: Morgan Simmons

Communications Assistant: Christopher Saunders

Library Clerk: Cathy Johnson

Volunteers: Helen Skalski

Board of Directors:  Mr. Matt Deal – President, Megan E. Will – Vice President, Mrs. Marsha Dykstra- Treasurer, Mr. G. Henry Cook – Secretary, Mrs. Sheena Mandichak, Mrs. Leslie DeVries and Mrs. Sarah Pile.

We are a PA Forward Star Library Partner

Libraries are no longer just buildings that house books. Today’s libraries are agile institutions serving real-life needs. They hold the key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in Pennsylvania by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success: Basic Literacy, Information Literacy, Civic and Social Literacy, Health Literacy, and Financial Literacy. The PA Forward Star Library Program showcases and recognizes libraries that incorporate PA Forward and the five key literacies into their programming activities, displays and events. Read more about the partnership on http://www.paforward.org/.