The Milanof-Schock Library, located at 1184 Anderson Ferry Road in Mount Joy, serves a population of more than 28,000 people and is assigned a service area that includes the municipalities of Mount Joy Borough, East Donegal Township, Rapho Township, Mount Joy Township and Marietta Borough. Our fully accessible 8,000 square foot building offers more than 45,000 items ready for you to take home. People visit the library about 70,000 times a year for programs, to find a book or DVD or to just find a place to spend some time without having to purchase anything.
History
Library service to the residents of Mount Joy began in 1962 as a Girl Scout troop community project. Demand was so great that a bookmobile stop at Mount Joy Memorial Park was added soon after. This bookmobile stop at Mount Joy was the most-used stop in Lancaster County by 1963, circulating approximately 800 books per week.
The library moved into its first building, a store front at 22 East Main Street, in 1964. It was in this small space that library services began to grow. Originally called the Mount Joy Library Center, the library began canvassing local businesses and individuals for donations by July of that year, taking the first steps in establishing the most important relationship the library has to this day: our relationship with our community. A library is only as good as the community that supports it.
Through the 1970s and the 1980s, the Mount Joy Library Center shows up in yellowed, brittle newspaper clipping with innovative programs like “Japanese papercrafts,” interesting speakers like one from F&M giving a talk about watercolors, and celebrations of National Library Week, often partnering with local
Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. Announcements of fund drives are the most regular clippings. Again and again the support of the community is reflected in successful funding and the number of community members who served as Board Members, volunteered at the library, and wrote supportive letters to the editor encouraging donations to the library. Many of these folks worked tirelessly for decades.
The library’s little home on Main Street was said to be “a well-lighted and pleasant place” that volunteers said was a “pleasant way to spend a few hours in the evening.” The library collection grew from 3,500 books in 1965 to 10,000 only ten years later. Circulation of books to the community grew too. Black and white pictures of library staff accepting donations or announcing programs in the newspaper show the ever-growing shelves in the background, and library minutes often include work being done to rearrange the space. Library Board minutes from as early as 1988 mention the search for a new library, at one time even considering leasing part of an old supermarket space.
Capital Campaign
By 1993, community interest and expanded services made clear the need for a new facility. Spearheaded by community volunteers, capital campaign plans were developed, and a capital fund drive began in 1996 with a goal of $1.1 million dollars. Two major gifts totaling over $800,000 were pledged to the project.
Anne Milanof became a library volunteer in 1965 and served for 25 years, becoming President of the Library Board. In her will, she donated $450,000 to the library building fund. Clarence Schock started his own oil company (SICO) and founded the SICO Foundation. The Foundation awarded $400,000 to the library building fund in memory of Mr. Schock.
The New Library
The new building, a fully accessible 8,000 square foot building opened in February 1999. With the new building came a new name, Milanof-Schock Library, and an expanded service area that
includes municipalities of Mount Joy Borough, East Donegal Township, Rapho Township, Mount Joy Township and Marietta Borough. The Capital Campaign was so successful that the library has no mortgage and no debt, allowing every dollar raised to go directly to library service.
In August 1999, community members and volunteers of the Book Sale Committee organized the Friends of the Milanof-Schock Library, a not-for-profit association of persons interested in the growth and development of the library. Upon formation of the group, officers were elected and regular meeting times were established.
“Best Small Library in America”
Over the years, Milanof-Schock Library’s dedicated service to its community has earned local, national, and international recognition. Shortly after moving into the new building, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Library Journal awarded Milanof-Schock Library the title of “Best Small Library in America” for 2006. The “Best Small Library in America” award was created to discover, reward and showcase the exemplary work of libraries serving populations under 25,000. Here is the article on the Library Journal’s web page.
Today
Today, Milanof-Schock Library is dedicated to being a community resource that enriches lives through education, information, exploration, and socialization in an ever-changing world. As a member of the Library System of Lancaster County, the library receives funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, and the five municipalities the library serves. However, less than half of the library’s budget comes from governmental sources. The library raises more than half the operating budget from passports, fundraising events, and from donations from our community. The library is an independent entity with an independent Board of Trustees that has established policies and procedures in compliance with all pertinent laws. Milanof-Schock Library is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, allowing for federal tax exemption of your donations.
