March Madness (with books)!

Thank you all who participated in 2023, check out our winners at our official March Madness website!

The Allentown Library District will be hosting March Madness, a battle of books this year. We would like to invite you and your school to participate!

We will be creating three separate brackets for 3 different genres: picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels. Each bracket will feature 16 books from the genre, and each week, participants will be invited to vote on books.

Click here to go to our official March Madness website!

Allentown Public Library presents March Madness Unknown Black

TED Talks

Our Favorite TED Talks

TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. They believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. We asked our staff to share their favorite TED Talks and paired them a few books that may help you expand your understanding on the topic. This is what they came up with. (Click on the book covers to find the books in our catalog)


Matt Walker: Why Sleep Matters Now More Than Ever


Wim Hof: Standing the Ice with Our Minds


Amy Tan: Where Does Creativity Hide


Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion


Dr. Mark Holder: Three Words That Will Change Your Life


Pamela Meyer: How to Spot a Liar


Temple Grandin: The World Needs All Kinds of Minds


Other TED Talks We Like (With Dewey Locations of Books on Similar Topics)

  1. Michael Sandel: What’s the Right Thing to do? / 172.2 and 301.417 and 320
  2. Mariana Atencio: What makes you special? / 155.4 and 158
  3. Simon Sinek : How great leaders inspire action / 303.34 and 658.4
  4. Brené Brown : The power of vulnerability / 158
  5. Tim Urban : Inside the mind of a master procrastinator / 155.2
  6. Julian Treasure : How to speak so that people will listen / 658.45 and 808.51
  7. Robert Waldinger : What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness / 158.1 and 170.44
  8. Chimamanda Adichie : The danger of a single story / 305.8 and 372.21
  9. Angela Lee Duckworth : Grit: The power of passion and perseverance / 179.9, 155.4 and 158.1
  10. Elif Shafak : The revolutionary power of diverse thought / 321.8 and 331.4133

Servicios Actualizados

1 de julio, 2020

Para usar el servicio de recoger materiales de la ventanilla de autoservicio, favor de llamarnos antes de llegar a la biblioteca at 610-820-2400 x2 o usar el catálogo en línea para reservar su libro o material audiovisual.  Trabajaremos bien duro para agarrar sus materiales de los estantes, ponerlos en una bolsa para que estén listos a recoger cuando Ud. llegue a la ventanilla.

La ventanilla de autoservicio está abierta según nuestro horario de verano:

lunes a sábado 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tiene que mostrarnos su tarjeta de la biblioteca válida en la ventanilla para recoger sus materiales.

NO se puede entregar sus materiales de la biblioteca ni pagar sus multas en la ventanilla de autoservicio.  Favor de entregar sus materiales de la biblioteca en el buzón de devoluciones localizado en el estacionamiento detrás del edificio.  La biblioteca va a poner los libros entregados en cuarentena según las presentes directrices antes de colocarlos de nuevo en los estantes.

¡Nuestros Bibliotecarios, el Personal de Circulación y Servicios Técnicos siguen trabajando duro para proveer al público una selección más grande de libros electrónicos y audiolibros electrónicos populares y programas virtuales, “Ask Us 24/7”, videos, críticas de libros, y mucho más!

¡Apreciamos mucho a nuestros clientes y estamos muy contentos de servirles!

Service Update

July 1, 2020

You may now pick up materials either at the library’s drive up window or from inside the library!

For Drive-thru window pickup service, please call ahead or use the online library catalog to reserve your items. We will work diligently to pull and bag your materials so they are ready to go when you arrive at the window.

The pickup window is open 10AM – 4PM Monday through Saturday. You must present your valid library card at the drive-thru window for materials pickup.

Return items and fines will NOT be accepted at the drive thru window. Please use the drop box in the rear parking lot. The library will quarantine returned books according to current guidelines before they are released to the stacks.

No books may be brought into the library. Please drop off any returned materials including CDs and DVDs at the book drop in the rear parking lot or front of the building for quarantine.

Our Librarians, Circulation and Technical Services staff continue to work behind-the-scenes to provide you with a larger selection of popular eBooks and e-Audiobooks, virtual programs, Ask Us 24/7, videos, book reviews, and more!

We appreciate our patrons and are happy to serve you!