By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

The Oxford Library recently welcomed Jon Dunkle as the new director, and he is excited to become involved in the new community he will be working in. 

“I’m excited to work with the Oxford Chamber of Commerce, Oxford Mainstreet and the Oxford Arts Alliance. I know there is much we can collaborate on,” he said.

Dunkle lives in Gap, Pa. and is married with two children. He is no stranger to the library world. 

“I ran a library for the state of Delaware, and I’ve also done fundraising for Delaware’s Farmland Trust. I am also a baseball historian, which means I research and write about baseball. I have contributed to the Journal of Canadian Baseball and to other books.

The Journal of Canadian Baseball publishes both popular and scholarly research on the rich and diverse culture of baseball in Canada.

“I came to Oxford because I was looking for an opportunity to give back to the community,” he explained. “I see the library as a hub for this diverse population. I see my job as reaching out to the community and providing help.”

Dunkle believes in lifelong learning and is hoping to provide a place for adults to learn something new. One of those offerings is GED classes which are offered by the Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center. For more information about this program, contact [email protected].

Since he does like baseball, some of the public might be interested in a program he offered at another library.

“I do like baseball and I like to teach,” he said. “In my previous position, I did bring in a sports writer to talk about his position. That was well-attended, so I may do something like that here.”

He said that having a place for local residents to come and use computers to search for jobs or for local students to be able to do their schoolwork is very important.

“Not everyone in the community has internet or access to a computer or Internet and the library welcomes people to use their computers any time the library is open,” Dunkle said. “Many things have changed when applying for jobs and much of that is done through computers now. We are here to help and can provide resources in looking for employment.”

During the summer months, the library has a lot of interesting classes, programs, and activities for children and adults alike. 

Dunkle has only been at the Oxford Library one month, but is anxious to meet with other townships to see how the library can serve their residents.

One quick way to learn about the library is to visit the website at oxfordlibrary.org.

The library is located at 48 S. 2nd Street in Oxford. More information is also available by calling 610-932-9625.