The director of the Orwigsburg Area Free Public Library said the library offers much more than books.

There are programs for home-schooled students, children and older adults, plus trivia events, crafts and games, Director Claudia Gross told West Penn Township supervisors this week.

“We’re not just educational; we’re recreational, too,” she said.

Gross attended the meeting to ask supervisors to consider donating to the library. She explained that she is visiting other area municipalities to request the same.

“I know everybody here — fire, ambulance and police — needs assistance in one way or another, but the library in Orwigsburg is really growing,” she said.

And while the 216 E. Independence St. library might seem like a bit of a hike from West Penn, Gross said residents are using it.

“We have 386 active patrons that reside in your township and come to our library,” Gross said. “And our library has family cards, so 386 cards could actually be several hundred people, or 1,000-plus.”

In addition to loaning out books and movies, Gross said the library continues to build its Home School Happenings program for youths.

“We have a lot of (students) in Tamaqua, Kempton, Bethel — we are like the only area that is having home-school events,” Gross said.

It offers free technology help and one-on-one computer help several times each week. It also has a knitting club, chess club and trivia club, along with weekly story times and events for young children.

A Lego Club and Book Club meet frequently, and weekend programs often include crafting. Seniors frequently gather to sip tea and socialize.

“We changed our hours because the older adults wanted to come earlier,” Gross said. “Sometimes we have seniors come in and they haven’t talked to anybody in three days.”

Special events are also held.

“We are going to do a trivia event at Muhammad Ali’s Camp on April 23, and it’s open to the public for free. It’s an amazing place,” she said of the historic Fighter’s Heaven near Deer Lake.

The library is open 50 hours a week.

“That’s one of the most that any libraries are open in Schuylkill County,” Gross said.

The county has 15 libraries.

Gross noted that the library receives 12% of its operating costs from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Libraries, and must raise about $100,000 to meet costs.

The library does not receive funds from the Blue Mountain School District, which it serves. It also doesn’t “automatically” receive financial assistance from municipalities, she said.

“We get no money from municipalities other than what we get from me going and telling people that the library is there for everybody,” Gross said. “It’s free to join the library but it’s not free to run the library.”

She said she knows that all nonprofits organization are in need.

“We’re hoping that a little bit down the road, West Penn Township would consider giving the library a little bit of love so we can continue our mission of providing services for free,” Gross said.

She encouraged supervisors and residents to check out the library or view its events at www.orwigsburglibrary.org.

The library can be reached at 570-366-1638.