The Tamaqua Public Library is open during the following regular hours: Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 9:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

Holiday hoursHoliday hours for Christmas are as follows: Thursday, Dec. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Friday and Saturday, Dec. 24 and 25. Regular hours resume Monday, Dec. 27.Holiday hours for New Years are as follows: Friday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Saturday, Jan. 1. Regular hours resume Monday, Jan. 3, 2011.Christmas StorytimePlease bring your children and join the library's annual holiday Christmas party. There will be crafts, books, and snacks along with a special North Pole Visitor. The program is for Ages 2-5 and will run from 10-11 a.m.Please sign up for either Monday, Dec. 13 or Tuesday, Dec. 14. Call (570) 668-4660 to register.Community thanksA wealth of gratitude is given to all the community members, businesses, organizations, and churches who have contributed to the library's 2010 Fund Drive. As a non-profit (community-benefit) organization, the library heavily rely on generosity to continue to provide free services, recreation, and programs.Book discussion groupThis month's book discussion is about the book Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon.It is the eighth novel in the Mitford Years series and addresses the meaning of the Christmas Spirit.Interested readers should contact the library so the staff can locate a copy of the book through the Interlibrary Loan system.New members are always welcome to join. Please feel free to come on your own or bring a friend.Due to the holiday, December's book group will meet Monday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. at the La Dolce Casa restaurant on West Broad Street in Tamaqua. Each participant is responsible for their own food/drink tab. Please call the library (668-4660) or Sandy Mehalko (668-4101) by Dec. 15 to reserve a spot.Black DiamondWritersCathy Colangelo, life enhancement and career coach, will present a free talk on creating a vision and writing goals at a joint meeting of the Black Diamond Writer's Network and the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association to be held at the Tamaqua Public Library from 10 am to noon, Saturday, Dec. 18.For more information, call Kathy at (570) 645-3059.The Black Diamond Writers' Network conducts regular monthly meetings at the Tamaqua Public Library from 10 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of each month.Art displayCome see the beautifully framed photography hanging in the Reading Room.Scott D. Lapp of Coaldale has nine photographs displayed including depictions of local areas such as Tuscarora and Stonehedge Gardens. The unique photos will be available for viewing for the next month.Display caseThe library is looking for collectors and artists who would like to display their work in its secured display case in the front lobby for a month.Some of the displays that have been showcased are clay figures, homemade bookmarks, and rock collections.Anyone interested can call (570) 668-4660 to set up a showing.Yearbook collectionThe Tamaqua Public Library is in the process of compiling a complete set of yearbooks for the following area schools: Tamaqua High School (Unknown Date to 1960); Tamaqua Area High School (1960-Present); Coaldale High School (Unknown Date to 1963); and Marian High School (Unknown Date to Present). Thank you to those individuals who have donated books over the last few weeks. The collection is still missing books from the following years:Tamaqua High School's "The Sphinx": 1920, 1921, 1942, 1946, 1955, 1957-1959;Tamaqua Area High School's "The Sphinx": 1960, 1962-1963, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 2007-2009;Coaldale High School's "The Stentor": 1930-1932, 1948-1963;Marian High School: 1980, 1981, 1986-2008.If you have yearbooks that you would like to donate to the library to help complete the collection, please call (570) 668-4660 or email

tamaquapubliclibrary@hotmail.com.WebsitePlease checkthe library's website at

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