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Approximately 1,000 patrons access the library's collection of approximately 13,000 books. In 1820, Benjamin Riegel (Miller by trade) established the town of Riegelsville, PA. His son, John Leidy Riegel, envisioned a community and regional preparatory school in Riegelsville. In July of 1885, he deeded a two-acre tract of land to the trustees of St. John Reformed Church, on which to erect the Riegelsville Academy. When the building was completed in 1886, teachers and students in an association with good books made possible by the possession of a large library, exert a powerful influence in moulding ideals and character. Many of the students who graduated from the Riegelsville Academy continued their education at Lehigh University, Cornell University, Lafayette College, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College, and Ursinus College.
The original academy library occupied the second floor of the north end of the building and the principal of the academy acted as the librarian. Before Mr. Riegel died in 1893, he endowed the academy and library to the care of the trustees of St. John Reformed Church. This board of trustees provided library management and dedicated annual monies to the library's maintenance. The library books were classified and printed catalogs were issued from 1895-1898. In 1906, the library book collection of 4,588 was classified according to the Dewey Decimal System.
By 1916, a decline in student enrollment caused the closure of the Riegelsville Academy. The opening of the Durham Public School in 1901 may have been a contributing factor. In 1925, the Riegelsville Academy building was used for community meetings and functions and an original Mercer tile fireplace was added. This informal community library was open to the public until the late 1950's. Then, in 1960, St. John's Reformed Church leased the academy building to the Riegelsville Fire Company. During this time a community library club known as the Friends of the Library, formed and met in the academy building. On February 1, 1971 the Riegelsville Academy building was sold to the Borough of Riegelsville for $1.00. In 1976, the Riegelsville Borough Council approved a resolution initiated by the group Friends of the Library.This declaration stated that the Riegelsville Library was a legal official government agency of the borough and a Library Board of Trustees was authorized to operate the library. At the time of the 1976 reopening of the Riegelsville Public Library, the library collection included approximately 2,000 volumes. Library hours for the general public were offered on Friday evenings and a children's story hour program was introduced on Saturday mornings. Easton Area Public Library, in adjacent Northampton County, donated 500 books under the Lending Library Program and supplied voluntary storytellers.
The Bucks County Free Library provided program assistance for library members and volunteers. Pennsylvania state assistance was provided to the Riegelsville Public Library in 1982. Although the library is considered an independent entity, it is related to the system of 18 networked libraries in the Bucks County Library system through Access Pennsylvania and for state funding assistance. In 1984, the library was registered as a historical landmark by the Bucks County Conservancy. The Durham Township supervisors approved a resolution designating the Riegelsville Public Library as a provider of library services to the residents of Durham, PA in 1999. Today, there are eleven volunteer members on the library board: nine representatives from Riegelsville Borough and two members from Durham. Together, they manage and guide the operation of the Riegelsville Public Library.