Friends of Chestnut Hill Library is working on a soft opening of our bookstore and will announce details soon. Meanwhile to tempt book lovers, we are holding a fundraiser to share our love of books.

This Valentine's Day, the Friends of the Library are getting into the matchmaking business. Are you interested in a mysterious and entertaining date? For a $5 donation, the Friends will set you up on a Blind Date with a Book. You may choose your genre, so while we can't guarantee a happily ever after, we can promise no awkward small talk and that your outfit will be perfect! Set up a Blind Date with a Book for yourself or make one as a gift to another.

Pre-orders from our Friends website (CHLibraryFriends.org) are encouraged though we will have a limited number of “blind date” books available curbside. Pick up from outside our store location at 84 Bethlehem Pike between 12 and 4 p.m. on February 12 or 13. 

We will also have a limited number of special Valentines produced by our board member and local artist Joanne Dhody, who has designed for Laurel Hill Gardens and the Mutter Museum. 

If you are still looking for ways to show your Valentine or friends you are thinking of them, the Friends of Chestnut Hill will also be selling special bookplates for $25 for books to be added to the Chestnut Hill Library’s permanent collections. It’s a fun way to recognize a book lover or special event.

Visit our website for how to get involved with the Friends or support the bookstore and watch for more information about our soft opening. Thank you to more than 150 neighbors who have already signed up as volunteers and share our excitement over a bookstore opening in Chestnut Hill.