Lehighton Area Memorial Library has received funding in the amount of $169,699 to use toward its building addition.

State Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera announced on Thursday that the library has received a Keystone Grant.

The grant will be used for the construction project which includes the 1,433-square-foot addition for youth services, community room and two ADA restrooms.

Library Director Melissa Hawk said this morning that the library feels fortunate to have received the funding.

“Everybody is very excited,” Hawk said. “It was a very competitive process, so we weren’t sure we were going to get the money.”

Hawk said the addition will give the library “a lot more options as far as programs are concerned, a lot more space for the programs, and make it easier for people to come and spend time at the library.”

Also, Hawk said it will allow the library to move all of the children’s items into another area; give the library more room in the current area for adults to stay and be able to read; and the community room will give them a private place to meet.

Hawk said the library will also be open to community groups so that they also have another option of where to meet in the community.

“There’s so much going on in Lehighton right now that I think this is the perfect time for us to do this,” she said. “It will be an opportunity for people to get involved; we’ll be looking for volunteers to help with programs and to improve our service to the community.”

Hawk noted that it’s a matching grant, so the library will have to contribute about $170,000 to help meet the $340,000 project cost.

“We do have money that people have given over the years,” she said. “We will be launching a capital campaign to cover extra costs like furnishings and things like that obviously so that we have the resources to continue.”

Twenty-seven public libraries in 18 counties have been awarded $6.8 million in Keystone Grants to use toward improving physical facilities.

“The role public libraries play in their communities has evolved to meet the needs of those they serve,” Rivera said. “In addition to broadening users’ outlooks through books, computers and other resources, libraries serve as gathering spaces for community discussion, host STEM-aligned makerspaces, and can be innovation incubators, where neighbors can foster and advance new ideas.”

Hawk said a “really optimistic” project timeline is two months once they break ground, but added they will have to go through the bidding process that the borough will assist them with.

“We are so grateful for all the support we’ve had from the community, and we can’t wait to give them the library that they really deserve,” she said.

Hawk said the library has been closed since Sept. 10 for carpeting and repairs to the existing building, and plans to reopen on Oct. 1.

In the meantime, she said the best way to contact the library is at liblehtn@ptd.net.