Nine years ago, a dark, dank, cold and empty church stood at 117 E. Bertsch St. in Lansford.

Now, the former United Methodist Church has become the Panther Valley Public Library - a bright, warm, inviting place, filled with thousands of books. A children's area is home to lots of colorful plush animals, comfy bolster pillows, whimsical wall hangings and low shelves stocked with stories. Along the back wall, a table lined with computers offers a quiet place to do research.But the library, which serves Lansford, Summit Hill and Nesquehoning, is struggling to survive: If its board can't come up with $160 by Sept. 24, the telephone will be shut off. Library hours have been cut to Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon and Thursday evenings from 5-8 p.m., and its director and assistant director are working without pay."Please don't close this place down. My kids come here to do their home work," said borough resident Oswald Davila.A good public library "is what makes a community," said resident Stephen Brunda of the Lansford Historical Society.On Thursday, library Director Debi Dodson called a meeting to brainstorm funding avenues and to appoint a new board (most of the previous board members resigned, she said). The new board president is Marie Ondrus; members include Christy Nothstein, Oswald Davila, Michele Beshock, Stephen Brunda, Noah Watkins and Kathy Marek. Bridget Cannon remains as assistant director, also on a volunteer basis.Because keeping the telephone line open is a priority, a book and bake sale is planned at the library from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 23 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 and 25th. Books for the sale can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and noon on Tuesday; baked goods can be brought the days of the sales.The group discussed ways of getting word out about the library's plight, including interviews on local radio stations, including Penn's Peak Radio, sending donation solicitations to library patrons, asking local businesses for help The Panther Valley School District is another source of student volunteers and energy. Watkins suggested a Panther Valley Public Library column in the TIMES NEWS.The library does have a Facebook page, which can be accessed by typing Panther Valley Public Library into the social networking site's search engine. The library is working on a website, Dodson said.In addition to funds, the library needs volunteers. If Thursday's meeting is an indication, the library has a small but solid group of people willing to work. Davila, whose children use the library's computers and books for home work assignments, volunteered to do whatever is necessary, from shoveling snow to hauling books to moving furniture. Minutes after the meeting ended, Davila was on the floor, fixing shelves in the children's section.Volunteers are staffing the library. The Lansford Historical Society, which bought the church nine years ago, raised and spent about $100,000 to get it started, said member Germaine Brunda. The society is providing a volunteer to work Thursday evenings.More help is needed - there are about 300 books waiting to be labeled and shelved. Dodson plans to start that task on Saturday morning, and would love to have volunteers to help. Volunteers are also needed to stamp, label and address fundraising letters, answer the phone and help patrons with the computers and check out books, Dodson said.To volunteer, call the library at (570) 645-3780.The community is stepping up: Nothstein, who works for PenTeleData, said her employer donated a switch, Ethernet cables and a backup video card for the computer. The company also plans to donate proceeds from a Dress Down Day, she said.The Schuylkill Area Community Foundation donated $260, which the library used to buy 27 children's books, Dodson said. "It was the first time that new books were ever purchased for this library," she said.The library's shelves are stocked with donated used books.Ondrus has applied for a $25,000 state grant through the office of House Speaker Keith McCall. However, the grant money won't be available until next year, and cannot be used to pay routine bills. Instead, it can be used to buy equipment. the library would use the money for new books, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, a movie license, programming, shelving, a hot water heater, bathrooms and a computer for the office.