Name change for Charleroi library

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

John K. Tener’s legacy will live on in Charleroi, but the library that bears his name will be known by a different title. 

The former John K. Tener Library, a historic landmark located at 638 Fallowfield Ave., has changed its name to the Charleroi Area Public Library. It’s part of a nearly $300,000 rebranding initiative. 

Library Board President Barbara Pepper announced a series of changes to come during a special event at the facility Thursday morning.

The first public library in Charleroi was organized in 1941 and housed at 401 Sixth St.

In 1974, it was incorporated as the Metropolitan Area Public Library Association and acquired the former Charleroi Post Office building at its current location.

Restoration of the post office began in 1980, and about a decade later the building was renamed to honor Tener, a former Charleroi resident and Pennsylvania governor, who passed away in 1946.

Last year, the current board started to discuss changing the name to better reflect the organization’s mission and service area.

Tener’s legacy will carry on at the library in a special section adorned with historic memorabilia and texts. 

In addition to the name change, the library will undergo a full restoration and a variety of facility upgrades, thanks to grant funds and a collaboration of several stakeholders — a process that was more than a year in the works.

Pepper said the library learned of a 2-1 Challenge Grant from the Washington County Community Foundation last September.

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