Pocono Mountain Public Library – Where God kisses the mountains

Pocono Mountain Public Library – Where God kisses the mountains

Located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna, pronounced Toe-bee-han-uh, comes from an American Indian word meaning the dark water of a stream running through land flanked by alder trees. Tobyhanna’s past is steeped in the bygone era of the railroad, timber and ice houses. 

As far back as 1912 the town wasn’t known for much more than its Tobyhanna Army Depot, which was used as a site for artillery training. In a Field Artillery Journal of 1917, the village of Tobyhanna was cited as interesting… “only because it contains a station that enables you to leave it."

In this unincorporated town of just over 6,000, the Pocono Mountain Public Library is the center of the community that lives up to the town’s motto: Where God kisses the mountains. 

Love folk music? Come here to learn a thing or two about folk music. The library offers free guitar workshops and guitar hootenannies that draw twice as many kids as adults. 

Want an easy way to make art? Gelli Print is a technique that relies on paint and blocks, so the budding artist can make art that never turns out the same way twice. The library’s Gelli Print Workshops are free and open to all.

Where the art of the short story is revealed... So far in my travels, I have yet to encounter a library that doesn’t offer a book club, but the Pocono Mountain Public Library offers a book club with an unusual twist—a Short Story Book Club. Each month, readers gather together to focus exclusively on reading and discussing the fine details of literary short stories. Currently, the short stories of Vladimir Nabokov are turning the pages.

This library frequently posts weather alerts on its Facebook page and has been known to use Facebook to cancel events whenever a tornado watch is in effect.

As a civic outreach, the Pocono Library holds a bake sale in conjunction with a book sale to get people to register to vote and to remind them of impending municipal primary elections! In addition to its short story book club, the library also offers a regular book club. Special programs held spring, summer and fall are devoted to knitting & crochet.

Although Tobyhanna is a small town, tourists flock here in the fall to witness the dramatic color of its changing leaves. Only 26 minutes from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, just over two hours from New York City, and just under two hours from Philadelphia, the town has attracted new residents who work in the city, but commute home to a spacious land known for its low rolling hills, and broad flat stretches of northern hardwood forest full of beech, birch and maple trees.  

Quaking from your commute? Learn how to calm your body and mind. Meditation to Quiet the Mind is a group meditation workshop guided by Bev Abel, who is an Ananda certified meditation instructor. Breathe deep and walk-in. All are welcome! 

Pocono Mountain Public Library Hours

Mon            10am to 6pm

Tues, Thur   10am to 5pm

Wed            12pm to 8pm

Fri, Sat        12pm to 4pm