Montgomery County Pennsylvania Library District

Betsy Ross & Dr. Benjamin Franklin: Founding Mother, Founding Father
2026-05-07 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | William Jeanes Memorial Library and Nicholas and Athena Karabots Center for Learning, 4051 Joshua Rd, Lafayette Hill, PA, 19444, United States
Come meet Betsy Ross and Dr. Benjamin Franklin…in person! Think you know the legend? Come hear the REAL story.
Registration opens Thursday, April 16

Schwenksville History
2026-05-12 19:00 - 20:30 | PVL @ Schwenksville Borough Hall, 300 Main Street, Schwenksville, PA, 19473, United States
Event takes place at Schwenksville Borough Hall
300 Main St, Schwenksville, PA 19473
Join us for an overview of the history of the Schwenksville area for the past 250 years. This little crossroads served as a hub for settlers, community organizations and businesses in the surrounding area, long before it was incorporated as a town in 1903. Hear about t’s native Lenape roots, the two families instrumental in the town’s development, revolutionary war troops occupying the area, the influence of the predominantly German settlers, and the many business enterprises that made it a thriving, self-sufficient community. We’ll share some of the town’s stories too–what it was like to grow up and live in Schwenksville.
This talk will be given by three members of the Schwenksville Historical Committee, Lee Ann Manning, Darren Clossin and Paula Hogan. You may recognize Paula from her history blog, Keystone Wayfarer. Darren will be exhibiting some items from his extensive collection of Schwenksville memorabilia. And the wonderful collection of “birdhouses” built by Robert Albright will also be on display. If you like local history–don’t miss this!
Registration requested, not required.

The Secret Army: Secrets and Spies of the Revolutionary War
2026-05-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006, United States
A spy is a person who is sent into enemy territory to inspect their works, ascertain their strength, and secretly communicate intelligence. In accordance with the rules of war, a spy, if caught, is subject to capital punishment.
Espionage and spying are the least understood, yet one of the most interesting aspects of history. Intelligence gathering has traditionally been considered the domain of men. Until recently, the exploits of women who served as spies have often been overlooked or considered of little importance.
This presentation details the fascinating exploits and daring of many of the spies of the Revolutionary War. When many colonists decided to end their relationship with England to become an independent nation, citizens on both sides of the conflict became agents of espionage. They served as couriers and used various means to convey useful information as agents for both the British and the Patriots.
Presented by Herb Kaufman, M.Ed., Historian
Sponsored by the Friends of Huntingdon Valley Library.
Intended for adults.
Please R.S.V.P.
Part of Huntingdon Valley Library’s America 250 series.

The Declaration of Independence and American Dreams
2026-05-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Upper Perkiomen Valley Library, 350 Main St, Red Hill, PA, 18076, United States
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, we will be hosting Rogers Smith, Professor Emeritus of Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Smith will be speaking about the Declaration of Independence and how it revealed the ideals and (often conflicting) values and interests of the American revolutionaries. The lecture will be highlighting the tensions surrounding the Declaration and also cover the many roles that it has played in American History.
Registration is requested.

Bryn Mawr & Beyond: Hidden Stories of the American Revolution
2026-05-14 18:30 - 20:00 | Ludington Library, 5 S Bryn Mawr Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA, 19010, United States
As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, join Jim Segrave-Daly for an entertaining discussion of the role that Bryn Mawr & the Main Line played in the Philadelphia campaign from September 1777 to June 1778. Discover the local sites and patriots that supported George Washington and the Continental Army during the British occupation of Philadelphia, after the battles of Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown & others.
Register Here

Friday Movie Matinee - HVL
2026-05-15 11:00 - 13:00 | Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006, United States
Join us for a Free Friday Movie.
Today we will be showing Top Gun (1986) R, 110 minutes.
When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) is sent to the Top Gun Navel Fighter Weapons School, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman (Val Kilmer).
Part of Huntingdon Valley Library’s America 250 series.
Movies are sponsored by Friends of Huntingdon Valley Library who generously pay for our movie licenses.

Kit's Interactive Theatre presents Colonial Faire - 1737
2026-05-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006, United States
Come enjoy a fun-filled interactive play by Kit’s Interactive Theatre that depicts the arduous life of early America as well as the revelry. Though days of rest are few, today is the day of the Colonial Faire. Help indentured servant Katie Cotswold finish her chores so all may skip off to the faire. Partake in games and frolics where merriment abounds just before the rollicking Maypole dance!
This performance combines history, dance, music, imagination, and improvisation with a great mixture of humor. Kids and adults will be cast right into the show. If you are interested in receiving a study guide before the show, please email Head of Youth Services Vanessa Nelson at hvlys@mclinc.org.
For families with children ages 5 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Please RSVP.
Sponsored by the Friends of Huntingdon Valley Library.
Part of Huntingdon Valley Library’s America 250 series.
Developing her original style of interactive theatre since 1987, Kitty writes, choreographs, produces, and performs all of her material for Kit’s Interactive Theatre. Her passion for history and love of theatre have inspired her to create 16 different, high-energy programs ranging from Ancient Egypt to Women’s Rights. With so much creativity, spontaneity and wit packed into each show, adults have as much fun as the kids!
kitsinteractivetheatre.com

Celebrate America Book Club
2026-05-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Royersford Free Library, 200 South Fourth Ave, Royersford, PA, 19468, United States
Intended for Adults
Woman’s Club of Royersford presents Celebrate America Book Club, a monthly book club exploring the women who build America (1776-Present)!
As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, we’re diving into the untold stories of the women who shaped the United States from 1776 to today. From revolutionary printers and abolitionists to modern-day scientists and supreme court justice. We’ll explore the “hidden heroes” of our history.
The selection for this meeting is The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
No registration required.
See the upcoming selections

Paint a Mini Liberty Bell
2026-05-19 13:00 - 14:00 | PA
Intended for ages 8+ and limited to 15 attendees
Come celebrate America’s 250th birthday and paint a mini Liberty Bell and learn some Liberty Bell facts from Miss Lizzie.
Please plan to bring your own smock (an old oversized shirt works). All other materials will be provided.
The Perkiomen Library at Schwenksville is excited to collaborate with our neighbors at Engage Art Studio & Artisan Gallery to bring you this program.
The program will take place at 1005 Gravel Pike, Schwenksville, PA 19473. Please plan to park in the upper parking lot and enter directly to the studio level.
ALLERGY ALERT: Engage is home to a most adorable studio cat who wanders freely.
Registration is REQUIRED for this program. Please use the registration link.

Rest in Peace
2026-05-20 19:00 - 20:00 | Indian Valley Public Library, 100 E. Church Avenue, Telford, PA, 18969, United States
Thousands of men and women from Montgomery Country served in the Revolutionary War. Where are these Patriots buried, what did they do for the cause, where did they live, what were their occupations and what were their names? What methods can you use to find where your relative lived in Montgomery County and if they were a part of the Patriots’ cause?
Presenter: Dr. Susanne Johnston was an educator for 47 years in public and private schools and universities in the area. She specializes in the American Revolution, Native American Issues, genealogy, genetics and forensics.
Registration for this event opens Wednesday, May 6 at 9:00 am

New Old Entertainment: Songs, Tunes, and Crankies
2026-05-28 18:30 | William Jeanes Memorial Library and Nicholas and Athena Karabots Center for Learning, 4051 Joshua Rd, Lafayette Hill, PA, 19444, United States
Intended for adults
What’s a crankie?? Come enjoy a evening of music, song, and dance, and find out! Long-time old-time musicians and dancers, Box & String duo will show us all the ways we used to entertain ourselves before there were screens, including the first “moving pictures,” or crankie.
Their musical roots are traditions from the American Appalachians, England, Canada, Scandinavia, and France, and they play a collection of instruments including guitar, 4- and 5-string banjo, mandolin, concertina, melodeon, fiddle, harmonica, jaw harp, and foot percussion.
Registration open at 6:30 PM Thursday, May 7, 2026

Revolution 101: The History of American Independence
2026-06-01 18:00 - 19:30 | William Jeanes Memorial Library and Nicholas and Athena Karabots Center for Learning, 4051 Joshua Rd, Lafayette Hill, PA, 19444, United States
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, join local historian Jim Segrave-Daly for a 4-part series with lively discussion of the causes, events, and individuals whose actions led tot he American Revolution and the historic changes that resulted. The series begins in 1763, after Englan’s victory in the Seven Years’ War, and culminates in ratification of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.
Series dates:
Monday, April 6, 6:30 PM – Registration opens Monday, March 16
Monday, May 4, 6:30 PM – Registration opens Monday, April 13
Monday, June 1, 6:30 PM – Registration opens Monday, May 11
Tuesday, July 7, 6:30 PM – Registration opens Tuesday, June 16

Sewn in America
2026-06-04 18:30 - 19:30 | William Jeanes Memorial Library and Nicholas and Athena Karabots Center for Learning, 4051 Joshua Rd, Lafayette Hill, PA, 19444, United States
Discover how sewing shaped American life before ready-to-wear fashion. Based on the DAR Museum’s 2024 exhibition, this program examines the way in which American women (and men) from the 18th and 19th centuries learned and deployed their sewing skills to furnish their households, earn livings, and express themselves, with contemporary examples of the themes explored.
Presented by Liz Bauer, a volunteer docent of the DAR Museum in Washington, D.C.
Registration opens Thursday, May 14

Benjamin Franklin Visits HVL
2026-06-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006, United States
Actor and Historian Mitchell Kramer visits the library as Benjamin Franklin.
Sponsored by the Irene Reiter Endowment.
Please R.S.V.P.

Scrap Flag Sewing #1
2026-06-06 11:00 - 12:00 | Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1700 Markley Street; Suite 116, Norristown, PA, 19401, United States
Intended for teens & adults
Come sew an American flag using scrap fabric!
Registration required

USA 250th Celebration
2026-06-06 11:00 - 14:00 | Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1700 Markley Street; Suite 116, Norristown, PA, 19401, United States
The United States is celebrating its 250th anniversary (Semiquincentennial) on July 4, 2026, marking two and a half centuries since the Declaration of Independence.
Join us at the library, a few weeks early, as we observe and celebrate. There will be a range of activities for adults and families including speakers, activities, and cake!
Sheilah Vance, is the author of several bestselling and award-winning books will speak. They are the award-winning nonfiction book, Threshold to Valley Forge: The Six Days of the Gulph Mills Encampment (2025), the novel Becoming Valley Forge (2016), Creativity for Christians: How to Tell Your Story and Stories of Overcoming from the Members of One Special Church (Sept. 2010); the novels Chasing the 400 and Land Mines, and its companion journal, Journaling through Land Mines.
Threshold to Valley Forge: The Six Days of the Gulph Mills Encampment was named a Finalist, Regional NonFiction, Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2025. Becoming Valley Forge won the Regional Fiction Category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2016).
Ms. Vance will speak and sign copies of her local history book.

Educator Christian Klemp will appear in Revolutionary Era clothing to talk about colonial history and the revolution.
Representatives from the Peter Wentz Farmstead will lead patrons in quill writing (register separately for this).
Our sewing teacher, Nancy M., will lead a sewing class making folk flags (register separately for this).
Teens from the library’s cooking & culture club will demonstrate colonial cooking.
We’ll also have colonial games, trivia, and even a few prizes.
Lastly, there will be cake!

Registration helps us plan, but is not absolutely necessary. Coming together as community to remember our history is what is most important.
Learn more

Writing with a Quill Pen #1
2026-06-06 11:30 - 12:15 | Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1700 Markley Street; Suite 116, Norristown, PA, 19401, United States
Are you curious what writing with a quill pen is like? Come learn about 18th century writing and artwork and get a chance to try it out for yourself.
Presented in partnership with Peter Wentz Farmstead.
Registration required

Writing with a Quill Pen #2
2026-06-06 12:45 - 13:30 | Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1700 Markley Street; Suite 116, Norristown, PA, 19401, United States

Scrap Flag Sewing #2
2026-06-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1700 Markley Street; Suite 116, Norristown, PA, 19401, United States

The Unfinished Business of 1776
2026-06-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Conshohocken Free Library, 301 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA, 19428, United States
Join us for a timely discussion with local author Thomas Richards, Jr. on his just released book The Unfinished Business of 1776: Why the American Revolution Never Ended. As we remember 250 years of history since the American Revolution this year, what are our hopes for the future of the country? Please register in advance so we know how many plan to attend.
About the Author: Thomas Richards, Jr. teaches history at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia and holds a PhD in History from Temple University. He is the author of Breakaway America: The Unmanifest Future of the Jacksonian United States, he lives in Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania, where George Washington once camped.
Registration is required

The Revolutionary War in Montgomery and Bucks Counties
2026-06-09 18:00 - 19:30 | Upper Perkiomen Valley Library, 350 Main St, Red Hill, PA, 18076, United States
Michael Jesberger, military historian and lecturer, will be here to help us celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Mr. Jesberger will be speaking on the Revolutionary War in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Both counties played an important role in the fight for independence.
Register at https://mnl.libcal.com/event/16314967

Pennsylvania Women and Their Fight for the Vote
2026-06-12 08:00 - 17:00 | PVL @ Schwenksville Borough Hall, 300 Main Street, Schwenksville, PA, 19473, United States
Intended for adults
Join us for a 19-minute documentary, Finding Justice: The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for
the Vote: Part present-day detective story and part a historical account of the movement for voting rights,
Finding Justice: The Untold Story of Women’s Fight for the Vote tells the story of a band of
intrepid women and their one-ton bronze bell that became a celebrated icon of the women’s
suffrage movement. Followed by a Q&A with Amanda Owen, the filmmaker and executive director of the
Justice Bell Foundation.
Amanda Owen is a writer, independent historian, filmmaker, and the cofounder and executive
director of the Justice Bell Foundation. She wrote and directed Finding Justice: The Untold Story
of Women’s Fight for the Vote, a documentary that premiered at the National Women’s History
Museum and aired on PBS stations. Her book, The Justice Bell: Tracing the Journey of a
Forgotten Symbol was published in December 2025.
Justice Bell Foundation website: https://www.justicebell.org/
Learn more

Friday Movie Matinee - HVL
2026-06-12 11:00 - 13:00 | Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006, United States
Join us for a Free Friday Movie.
We are showing Apollo 13 (1995, PG)
Part of Huntingdon Valley Library’s America 250 series.
Movies are sponsored by Friends of Huntingdon Valley Library who generously pay for our movie licenses.

History of Camp William Penn
2026-06-16 18:30 | Glenside Free Library, 215 S Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA, 19038, United States
Intended for adults, but teens are also welcome.
Come honor Juneteenth by learning the powerful, local history of Camp William Penn.
Presentation to be given by local historian Donald Scott, Sr., author of the book Camp William Penn 1863-1865: America’s First Federal African American Soldiers’ Fight for Freedom.
Register here

Celebrate Freedom on Juneteenth
2026-06-19 10:15 - 11:00 | Roslyn Branch Library, 2412 Avondale Avenue, Roslyn, PA, 19001, United States
Intended for ages 4 – 12.
Celebrate freedom by making a Liberty Bell and Juneteenth magnets.
Registration required and opens on Sunday, May 31 at 9am

Celebrate America Book Club
2026-06-22 18:00 - 19:00 | Royersford Free Library, 200 South Fourth Ave, Royersford, PA, 19468, United States
Intended for Adults
Woman’s Club of Royersford presents Celebrate America Book Club, a monthly book club exploring the women who build America (1776-Present)!
As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, we’re diving into the untold stories of the women who shaped the United States from 1776 to today. From revolutionary printers and abolitionists to modern-day scientists and supreme court justice. We’ll explore the “hidden heroes” of our history.
The selection for this meeting is The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill
No registration required.
See the upcoming selections

Spies in the Revolutionary War
2026-06-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Indian Valley Public Library, 100 E. Church Avenue, Telford, PA, 18969, United States
Discover who some of the famous Revolutionary War spies. Learn where were they lived and the methods they used to spy. Try out some of the methods yourself!
Presenter: Dr. Susanne Johnston was an educator for 47 years in public and private schools and universities in the area. She specializes in the American Revolution, Native American Issues, genealogy, genetics and forensics.
Registration for this event opens Tuesday, June 9 at 9:00 am

Animals in the Military
2026-06-24 18:30 - 19:30 | Indian Valley Public Library, 100 E. Church Avenue, Telford, PA, 18969, United States
Intended for ages 5 – 12
This program is designed for elementary students to explore the fascinating ways animals have supported the U.S. Marine Corps throughout history. From horses and donkeys to dogs, cats, lions, and even ducks, students will discover how animals have been loyal helpers, mascots, and even heroes. Through storytelling, interactive questions, and fun activities, students will learn about teamwork, bravery, and the unique bond between Marines and animals.
Presented virtually by the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Registration starts June 10 at ivpl.org. You can also view the presentation at the library.

Ranked Choice Voting
2026-06-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Elkins Park Free Library, 563 Church Rd, Elkins Park, PA, 19027, United States
Intended for adults
Dr. Jack Nagel, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, will be coming by to talk to us about Ranked Choice Voting. This talk explains how RCV works for single-winner and multi-winner elections, presents arguments for and against the method, and assesses prospects for further adoptions.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Colonial Games: Drop-In
2026-06-25 15:00 - 17:00 | Abington Free Library, 1030 Old York Road, Abington, PA, 19001, United States
Intended for students in grades 3 – 8
Celebrate America 250 by playing games like it’s 1776! Join us in playing colonial-era games and making a whirligig to take home.
Note: If your child is 10 or under, parents and caregivers must stay in the department during the program.
No registration required!
