He’s making libraries into something more
Robert Lambert grew up in Southeastern Pennsylvania’s York County, with a love of reading that shaped his life. A bright student, he spent his teenage years interning at York’s Martin Library, where mentors showed him not only the stacks of books but also the business and community role a library could play.
That early insight stayed with Lambert (SCI ’95G). After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and earning a bachelor’s degree at York College of Pennsylvania, he earned a master’s in library science at the University of Pittsburgh, where his professors impressed upon him the power of intellectual freedom and the library’s responsibility to connect people.
When he graduated, Lambert went home to York, located in the south-central part of the commonwealth, about 100 miles west of Philadelphia. That’s where he’s built a quarter-century career in a system that spans 13 libraries and five satellite locations.
Lambert, now president of York County Libraries, has an office a stone’s throw away from where he once worked as a library intern. Armed with a master’s degree in public administration from Pennsylvania State University while having also completed Stanford University’s executive education program in social entrepreneurship, he’s pushing the library far beyond its traditional image.
In 2013, he launched LibrariesFeed, a nonprofit that combines literacy with healthy meals to fight childhood hunger. The program has provided healthy snacks and meals for more than 10,000 at-risk youths. He’s also forged partnerships with schools and cyber programs to provide library services.
Under Lambert’s leadership, York County Libraries launched a $10 million capital campaign to expand technology resources for young people and is reshaping its culture to “meet people where they are.”
Lambert speaks often about opportunity. “It takes 1,000 days to build a brain,” he says, stressing the importance of early literacy. “Every child in our county deserves a chance to achieve their dreams. We’re going to give them that chance.”
More than 650,000 people visited York County’s libraries in 2024, but Lambert insists success isn’t measured solely by numbers. “It’s about how we grow people,” he says, “and how we connect them to services and resources that help them thrive.”
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