Gap Branch Library to Close Following Lancaster County Tax Defeat

Gap Branch Library to Close Following Lancaster County Tax Defeat

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Gap Branch Library Closure Triggered by Failed Lancaster County Tax Referendum

The Gap Branch Library announced it has no choice but to close its doors after Lancaster County voters rejected a property tax referendum designed to fund the county’s public library system. The branch—operating as an offshoot of the Intercourse Library—will close due to a lack of funding, though officials have not yet released an exact closure date.

The ballot measure faced opposition on Election Day, with roughly 63% of voters casting ballots against the proposal. Opponents argued that families should not have to pay additional taxes. If approved, the referendum would have established a new property tax expected to raise over $44 million, which amounts to more than three times the total revenue generated across all county libraries in 2024.

Consolidating Operations at the Intercourse Library Main Branch

Located inside the Houston Run Community Center at 835 Houston Run Drive since 2008, the Gap Branch—also known as the Salisbury Township Library—established a local footprint. Founded when Jonas and Anne Beiler, former owners of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, built the community center and invited the Intercourse Library to open a branch on the building’s second floor, it became Lancaster County’s first public library housed within a private building. The library has maintained a collection exceeding 15,000 items alongside free WiFi and public computers.

Gap Branch Library to close after Lancaster County votes 'no' on tax referendum

Without the new tax revenue, library administrators stated that sustaining both the physical footprint in Gap and the main branch at 31 Center St. in Intercourse is no longer financially viable. In a public statement, library officials expressed gratitude for ongoing annual contributions from donors and three local townships, noting that support will prove critical as operations scale back and consolidate.

“The ramifications will be felt at every library countywide, and patrons will unfortunately see changes in services,” Intercourse Library officials wrote. “Here at the Intercourse Library, the impact is significant. We have no choice but to close the Gap Branch Library.”

Broader Pressures on Countywide Public Library Funding

Without the defeated tax measure, the county’s 14 public libraries must continue relying on municipal funding, grants, and donations to keep their doors open.

Newly opened Pequea Valley Library plans branch in Gap
Photo: lancasteronline.com

“The argument that libraries are obsolete is not valid,” the Intercourse Library stated. Pointing to a five-millennia history of continuous adaptation, library leadership added, “Libraries connect communities, encourage interaction and build social capital. The phone in your pocket will never replace what the public library offers.”

While patrons across Lancaster County brace for shifting service models following the nearly 2-to-1 defeat of the tax proposal, officials have yet to confirm the exact timeline for when the Gap Branch will close.

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