PA Forward

Pa Forward Star Program (Gold Level) RGB

The Manheim Community Library is proud to be a part of the PA Forward program. PA Forward is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Library Association. It was created to give voice to what the library community already knows, and what other states throughout the nation are also recognizing: With the right support, libraries are ideally positioned to become the community centers of information, technology, and learning that will fuel educational and economic opportunity for all citizens. Libraries are no longer just buildings that house books. Today’s libraries are agile institutions serving real-life needs. They hold the key to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in Pennsylvania by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success: Basic Literacy, Information Literacy, Civic and Social Literacy, Health Literacy, and Financial Literacy.

The Five Literacies:


1. Basic Literacy – Libraries can push Pennsylvania to achieve one of the highest literacy rates in the country, a trained and skilled workforce, and a growing economy, tax base, and population.


2. Information Literacy – Libraries can help all Pennsylvanians learn how to use online resources and current technology to improve their education, to enhance their job skills, to develop their personal lives, and to fully participate in a digital society.


3. Civic and Social Literacy – Libraries can play an important role in helping citizens have the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives, to participate and contribute effectively to their community, government, and society, and to connect with one another through discourse.


4. Health Literacy – Libraries can play an important role in helping citizens manage their own and their family’s well-being, and empower them to be effective partners with their healthcare providers so they can live longer, more productive lives.


5. Financial Literacy – Libraries can help citizens become informed consumers and guide individuals, small businesses, and other organizations to contribute to the economic vitality of their community through innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development.

Look for Manheim Community Library programs and events that will focus on improving the knowledge and skills necessary to improve the lives of the people in our community.