EXTON, PA — The Chester County Library Trust recognized founding president James E. McErlane on Oct. 1 for two decades of leadership that helped establish the organization and expand financial support for library programs, collections and services across Chester County.
McErlane was honored during the Trust’s annual Donor Appreciation Event at the Chester County Library, where the Chester County Commissioners presented him with a citation recognizing his service to the organization and broader community.
McErlane helped establish the Trust in 2006 and served as its founding president. His early work included developing policies and refining bylaws as the organization built a fundraising structure supporting the Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch.
“Jim McErlane is a leader whose enduring commitment to the Chester County Library Trust and the broader community will be felt for generations,” the commissioners stated in the citation.
Former state Sen. Andy Dinniman, a Chester County Library Board member, also credited McErlane with bringing people together to address community issues.
“Every county needs a Jim McErlane to provide this vital function,” Dinniman said. “Chester County has been blessed through Jim’s work.”
McErlane, a lifelong Chester County resident and Navy veteran, is a senior partner at Lamb McErlane and a Villanova-trained attorney. His public service has included roles on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Judicial Conduct Board and the Judicial Nominating Advisory Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, as well as involvement with local nonprofit and community organizations.
The Chester County Library Trust is a nonprofit organization established to supplement traditional funding available to the county library system. It raises money for collections, expanded programs and services, and projects that cannot be funded through library operating budgets.
More information about the Trust is available at https://chescolibraries.org/about/how-you-can-help/chester-county-library-trust/.
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