The holidays have arrived at Lehighton Area Memorial Library.

For the second year, the library will display and sell handmade trees, angels, book sculptures and ornaments made from recycled books and magazines. The sale serves as an important midyear fundraiser for the library, which is expanding its services with the ultimate goal of reopening on Mondays.

Inside the library you’ll find colorful angels made from hymnals and botany books, a nautical-themed sculpture made from a shipbuilding book and whimsical boat and beach decorations, basic trees covered with buttons and bling, and more. With dozens of creations to choose from, library staff members hope that there will be something for everyone.

The project continues to be led by library aide Kathy Long.

“Last year, I did it because the Sesquicentennial Committee had Trees in the Park. There were trees in the park, and across the street there were trees in the library,” she said.

Last year the library sold 64 trees, 16 ornaments and four angels, raising more than $1,100.

Lehighton’s Sesquicentennial Committee eventually passed on the trees in the park program to a newly formed events committee. There will be even more decorated trees in the park this year — and likewise, a greater variety of book trees and more at the library.

“We’re hoping that people embrace this as much as they did last year,” said Long. “The trees make a great gift. For just $10-20, you can get a small tree and have a unique, handmade item that has a story behind it. It’s a conversation starter.”

New this year are book sculptures — whimsical display pieces that can be displayed in a book-lover’s home year-round, not just during the holidays.

Because each piece is handmade by Long (with other library staff helping to fold trees), no two trees or sculptures have turned out the same — despite following a similar pattern for each design.

“They are all unique. I’ve never folded the same way twice, and no two sculptures look the same,” she said. “We have green trees and pink trees, and uncolored trees that you can really tell that it’s a book. But even though I bling some of them up a bit, I still want people to be able to tell that they are made from books.”

Long hopes that people will again be generous with their donations.

“People understand the work that goes into these,” said Long, who noted that each tree must be folded, painted, then decorated with purchased materials.

More importantly, she hopes that the tree sale serves as a reminder to the community that the library needs support year-round, not just during its annual campaign.

It recently finished its “Money for Mondays” campaign and has big plans for how to continue making the library a relevant and vibrant part of the community — but those plans depend on the community’s continued support.

“The library isn’t just here for the books and the movies and the computers, but for activities for the community as well,” she said.

Story time on Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings continues to be a popular draw; a new adult coloring night and other events are also bringing more people into the library, Long said.

Long enjoys watching new generations discover the library, and welcoming back patrons who haven’t been there in years but are now bringing their children or grandchildren.

“They can sign them up for a library card and borrow books without paying for them. These kids will get to grow up with the library,” she said.

Book trees, sculptures and ornaments will be on display through Christmas or until they are sold out; any year-round pieces or winter-themed pieces will be available through the winter season until they are sold.

The Lehighton Area Memorial Library is located at 124 North St., Lehighton.