February is Library Lovers' Month!

It has been a busy week at the Library! We have been finalizing details for several programs that we will be offering as part of our "Library Lovers'" celebration in February.

"Library Lovers' Month" is a time for everyone to recognize the important role libraries play in the cultural and economic success of local communities and the nation as a whole. Whether you visit our library for bestselling books, children’s programs or access to computers and the Internet, you are encouraged to show how much you love your public library during the month of February.

You can show your love in many ways:

• Visit the library often and checkout materials.
• Participate in the many programs we offer.
  
• Consider a tax-deductible contribution.
• Volunteer your time at the library.
• Promote your library in the community.

Late yesterday afternoon, we placed a really attractive display in the main lobby about the event, highlighting several of the programs we will offer in February.

Coming up first will be "Books into Movies", a book and film discussion program featuring Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This special "after hours" event will be held on Sunday, February 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Reading Room. Presenters will be Elizabeth Raffaele and Leigh Ann Totty. Program fee is $6.

Next up will be "How to Take GREAT Photos" on Monday, February 25 from 7-8:30 p.m. with Mindy McNaugher, Staff Photographer for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for 23 years. Visit her web site to see her amazing photographs. Program fee is $15.

Members from the United States Army War College Eisenhower College Series Program will visit the library to discuss "The Search for United States National Security and World Order in the 21st Century" on Tuesday, February 26 from 7-8:15 p.m.

For your listening pleasure, the Peters Township High School Jazz Ensemble will perform in the main lobby on Saturday, February 23 from 1-3 p.m. This talented group of high school students really impressed us at the Library's 50th anniversary celebration, so we asked them back to entertain our patrons once again.

If there are any pirate lover's in the family, mark Saturday, February 9 from 1-3:30 p.m. on your calendar for our "Pirates of the Caribbean Swashbuckling Adventure Party." Children's Librarian Heather Blake has planned an awesome program for all ages, so put on that pirate gear, matey, and join us for an afternoon of treats, songs, and buried treasure.

For registration details about these featured programs and more, visit our programs page or stop in the library to see our lobby display. Please come in for a visit - we'd LOVE to see you!

Classic Film Night, Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m.

The Library's "Classic Film Night" series continues this Wednesday, featuring "The Thin Man" starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. Read the article in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about our series and its special host.

Please register in advance for this free program at the Library's circulation desk or call 724-941-9430.

Patty Kreamer "...But I Might Need It Someday!"

Patty Kreamer's program at the Library today was completely filled! If you were unable to join us, we do have both of Patty's books in our collection so you can catch up on what you missed.

The titles are --But I Might Need It Someday : How to Organize Your Life and Win the Clutter Battle Once and For All! and The Power of Simplicity : Choosing to Live Your Life on Purpose . Please visit iBistro to reserve your copy today or call the Library at 724-941-9430. For more information about Patty, visit her web site.

Just Added! Microsoft Office 2007

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 have been added to the patron computers on the second floor of the Library. Stop in and see how the traditional menus and toolbars have been replaced by the Ribbon, and find out what's behind the Microsoft Office Button. These new applications promise to be easier to use by providing an uncluttered workspace. Come in and see for yourself!

Tired of Reruns?

If the Hollywood writers strike has got you down, and you are tired of watching reruns of all your old favorites, maybe it's time for something new!

The Peters Township Public Library has a large collection of television programs on DVD to help you get through those bad days without "The Office." Just visit iBistro and do a "Power Search." Under the "subject" line, type "television programs" for a list of the 640 titles currently in our collection. If you are an adult and want to narrow your search more, under the "item type" select "Adult video digital disc."

That will give you a list of 173 titles like "Friday Night Lights", "Grey's Anatomy", "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Prime Suspect", to name a few. Come visit the library, make your DVD selections, and maybe bring home a book or two to take your mind off all those new episodes you are craving.

Use iBistro to browse our catalog, renew materials and more!

Wondering if we have the newest James Patterson book in our collection? Need to renew that book you checked out for your research paper? Or do you just want to see a list of materials you've checked out?

You can do all this and more by using iBistro, our online catalog. All you need is your Peters Township Public Library card and a 4-digit PIN number, obtained at our Circulation Desk. Search our catalog from home or log-in with your user ID (your library bar code number) and PIN to view items checked out on your account with due dates displayed. You can also renew materials for an extra 3-week period if not on hold for another patron (only one additional week for CDs, video cassettes and DVDs.) Place a hold on a book that is currently checked out, and you will be called when the book is available for you to borrow.

We are here to help you 24/7 - visit iBistro today!

New Fitness DVDs

Did you make a New Year's Resolution to get more exercise each day?
We've added some new fitness DVDs to our collection to help you -

Tummy Trimmers
Peel Off the Pounds Pilates
Build Muscle, Shrink Fat
The Biggest Loser Power Sculpt: The Workout
The Biggest Loser Cardio Max: The Workout
Yoga for the Rest of Us: Back Basics
Yoga for the Young at Heart: Accessible Yoga for Every Body

These DVDs are currently on display on the first floor in the DVD Collection. Please stop in the library to check them out or visit iBistro, our online catalog, to reserve one today!

Evening Book Club

The Evening Book Club will be discussing Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer in the Library's Reading Room at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2008.

From the inside book flap: "When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top.No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds. Six hours later and 3,000 feet lower, in 70-knot winds and blinding snow, Krakauer collapsed in his tent, freezing, hallucinating from exhaustion and hypoxia, but safe. The following morning, he learned that six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back to their camp and were desperately struggling for their lives. When the storm finally passed, five of them would be dead, and the sixth so horribly frostbitten that his right hand would have to be amputated.

Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed journalist and author of the bestseller Into the Wild. On assignment for Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world.A rangy, thirty-five-year-old New Zealander, Hall had summited Everest four times between 1990 and 1995 and had led thirty-nine climbers to the top. Ascending the mountain in close proximity to Hall's team was a guided expedition led by Scott Fischer, a forty-year-old American with legendary strength and drive who had climbed the peak without supplemental oxygen in 1994. But neither Hall nor Fischer survived the rogue storm that struck in May 1996.

Krakauer examines what it is about Everest that has compelled so many people -- including himself -- to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense. Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement."

For more information on the Library's Book Clubs, visit the Programs web page.