Library announces changes for 2010

Patrons of the Peters Township Public Library will experience some changes in the library’s operations in 2010 due to cuts in state funding to public libraries.

Pier Lee, Library Director, recently learned she would not be received an anticipated check for $26, 912 from the state for funds generated through Access Pennsylvania. This shortfall is in addition to an already expected cut of about 20% from the state. During their recent meeting, the Library Board and Lee reviewed their options to cut operating costs and generate additional revenue, while maintaining the same level of service to library patrons.

One of the many measures to address this deficit will begin January 2, 2010, when the daily fine for overdue adult materials will be increased from $.10 to $.25 per day. The fine for overdue children’s materials will remain at $.10 per day.

The Board has also unanimously voted that the library will not offer Sunday hours during the summer months in 2010 from Sunday, May 30 through Sunday, September 5 to decrease its operating costs. Outside of this period, the library will continue to offer Sunday hours from 12 noon until 4:00 p.m.

To help prevent further reductions in service in 2010, the library is seeking pledges from the community in any amount to the Friends of the Peters Township Public Library. A form to submit a tax-deductible donation is available at the library or on the library’s web site and can be returned to the library by mail or in person.

Holiday Programs at the Library!

Please join us to celebrate the season at one of the many free holiday programs we are offering in December for you, your family, and your friends!

TRINITY BELL CHOIR
For all ages
When: Tuesday, December 1 from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Join us for relaxing hour of beautiful holiday bell music. Refreshments will be served after the performance. Register at the library's circulation desk or call 724.941.9430.

CHRISTMAS JOY: A HOLIDAY CONCERT WITH NICOLE MARIE GASSE
For all ages
When: Saturday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Nicole will entertain us with an evening of selections from "Christmas Joy", her holiday CD released in 2008. Nicole Marie Gasse, soprano, is a graduate of the D'Angelo Department of Music at Mercyhurst College. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Nicole Marie has displayed a passion for opera beginning at a young age. Currently residing in the Pittsburgh area, she continues to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer. Register at the library's circulation desk, call 724.941.9430, or email Carrie Weaver.

TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AND
LIBRARY CHILDREN'S HOLIDAY PARTY
For all ages
When: Sunday, December 6 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 6:00 p.m. outside the library and be followed immediately by the Children's Holiday Party inside the library. Join us for an evening of crafts and fun for the whole family to enjoy! Refreshments will be served and Santa will join in the fun too!

HOLIDAY YOGA
For kids and parents of all ages
Duration: 5 weeks, November 30 - December 28
When: Mondays, 1:15 - 1:45 p.m.
The holidays can be hectic -- chill out with Miss Linda's holiday yoga class! Yoga postures and breathing techniques will be taught in a fun and playful way. Children will stretch, sing, move, and imitate in this 30-minute yoga class for youngsters. Have child dressed comfortably and prepared to "play" in bare feet! Register in the Children's Department or call 724.941.9430.

EDIBLE HOLIDAY TREATS
For kids and parents of all ages
When: Thursday, December 3 from 6:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Join us for this annual library tradition. Santa never had better taste or tasted better! Register in the Children's Department or call 724.941.9430.

FAMILY ORNAMENT NIGHT
For kids and parents of all ages
When: Tuesday, December 8 from 6:45 - 7:15 p.m.
Join us for this annual library tradition. Plan on adding some sparkle to your holidays and your holiday gift giving! Register in the Children's Department or call 724.941.9430.

HOLIDAYS AND HOT COCOA
Grades 6 - 12
When: Wednesday, December 16 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Join us as we start the holiday season in style! We'll decorate cookies, drink hot cocoa, decorate our Teen Room tree and karaoke to our favorite holiday tunes. For our gaming enthusiasts, we'll even bring out our Wii Ski, so you can practice before you hit the slopes!

GIFT WRAPPING PARTY
For kids and parents of all ages!
When: Thursday, December 17 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Having trouble sneaking around to wrap gifts for that special someone? Bring them to the library! We'll provide the festive wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and bows-you provide the presents! A limit of three gifts per person please, and all "smaller than a breadbox." Let your holiday spirit shine! Register in the Children's Department.

HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON
For kids and parents of all ages!
When: Monday, December 21 from 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
What better way to celebrate the season than by sharing your favorite holiday movies with your family? Even better-how about an all-day movie marathon at the library! Drop in for your favorite or stay for more-Christmas cheer and good tidings await! Bring a holiday snack to share and begin the week before Christmas in a special way.

Christmas Joy: A Holiday Concert with Nicole Marie Gasse

The Friends of the Peters Township Public Library will host "Christmas Joy: A Holiday Concert with Nicole Marie Gasse" on Saturday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Nicole will entertain us with an evening of selections from "Christmas Joy", her holiday CD released in 2008. Nicole Marie Gasse, soprano, is a graduate of the D'Angelo Department of Music at Mercyhurst College. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, She has displayed a passion for opera beginning at a young age. Currently residing in the Pittsburgh area, she continues to pursue her dream of becoming a professional opera singer. Register at the library's circulation desk, call 724-941-9430, or email Carrie Weaver.

How to Stay Sane (and Organized) Through the Holidays!

Just in time to help us prepare for the holidays, Patty Kreamer returns to the Peters Township Public Library on Saturday, November 14 from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. to discuss "How to Stay Sane (and Organized) During the Holidays!"

It's that time of year when everyone seems to turn into Scrooge. This year, you don't have to! If the holidays make you miserable because clutter and chaos are ruling your life, then this program is for you. Patty’s program offers simple, practical solutions on how to organize your life and WIN the clutter battle once and for all - all year round!

• Learn the 3 steps to organizing successfully.
• Discover how to make quick, logical decisions.
• Find Out how to easily maintain the daily flow of paper.
• Implement the E.A.S.Y. system -- Organizing has never been easier.

Due to the popularity of Patty’s programs, you must pre-register in advance to reserve a seat. Sign up at the library’s circulation desk, call 724.941.9430 or email Carrie Weaver.

Author, national speaker, consultant and organizer, Patty Kreamer, CPO® (Certified Professional Organizer®), is the Founding Past President of the National Association of Professional Organizers - Pittsburgh chapter and Past President of and The National Speakers Association - Pittsburgh chapter. She was named Women's Business Network's 2007 Woman of the Year as well as one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business and one of Pittsburgh’s Fastrackers in 2005.

NEW Adult Writing Workshop

Are you passionate about writing and looking for someone to critique your work? If you would like to give and receive inspiration, motivation, and encouragement in a group atmosphere, the Peters Township Public Library is offering a new Adult Writing Workshop on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:00 p.m. beginning on November 3, 2009.

Facilitating the writing workshop will be author Linda Foltz, whose accomplishments include a published book and articles that have appeared in various magazines, including Seventeen, Teen Voices, and Family Resources Magazine. She has also been featured on local and national radio and television, including The Montel Williams Show. Linda believes her writing success is due largely to the ongoing support of members of her first writing group – eventually all of its members were professionally published. Linda is currently working on her second full-length manuscript.

Adult writers of all skill levels and genres are welcome to this free program. Please register for this program at the library’s circulation desk or call 724-941-9430.

Technology Tailgate

Put on your black and gold, and come tackle the new technology available at the Peters Township Public Library at a “Technology Tailgate” being offered on Saturday, October 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the library’s main lobby.

Staff members wearing Pittsburgh Steeler shirts will offer hands-on demonstrations of the library’s new materials. The Young Adult Department will offer patrons a chance to play the Madden NFL 10 video game, one of the many video games available for 7-day checkout. The Children’s Department will be holding an “Out with the Old” Mega-Sale of VHS tapes and cassettes, and will demo new interactive children’s books. Online resources for the whole family will be presented by the Reference Department staff, including the library’s online catalog, Rosetta Stone Language Learning, ConsumerReports.org, e-newsletter and Twitter account.

The library’s many books and DVDs about the Pittsburgh Steelers will be on display for checkout and light refreshments will be available. Please stop by for a few minutes (or more)and find out what your library has to offer to you and your family!

Senior Crime Prevention University

Every year, across Pennsylvania and the United States, senior citizens fall victim to many kinds of consumer fraud, especially home improvement, telemarketing, foreign lottery and sweepstakes scams. With 2.5 million residents over the age of 60 and the third highest percentage of senior citizens in the nation, Pennsylvania is a desirable place for con artists. With that in mind, the Attorney General expanded efforts to educate more seniors how to better protect themselves against fraud through his Senior Crime Prevention University program, which will be offered at the Peters Township Public Library on Tuesday, October 13 from 2:15 to 3:45 p.m. Register for this free program at the library’s circulation desk, call 724.941.9430 or email Carrie Weaver.

The presenter for this program will be Senior Supervisory Special Agent Richard Shaheen, who has spent 22 years serving the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as an Agent for the Office of Attorney General. He began his career with the Attorney General’s Office as a Special Agent with the Medicaid Fraud Control Section and after 13 years was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent in Medicaid Fraud. He was again promoted, this time to Senior Supervisory Special Agent in the Education and Outreach Unit.

As a recent victim of check fraud myself, I am looking forward to the information that will be presented by Special Agent Shaheen. If you are not a senior citizen yourself, please share this information with family, friends, or neighbors who would benefit from this valuable program.

The G-20 Summit: Outcomes, Prospects, and Implications

Dr. Schuyler Foerster will deliver his final presentation as President of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh at the Peters Township Public Library on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. His topic, The G-20 Pittsburgh Summit: Outcomes, Prospects, and Implications, will open the 2009-2010 series. The upcoming World Affairs Council programs will be part of the series The Economics of Power - Rising Powers in a Changing World, which will focus on the world's emerging powers and examine the current economic climate as the global marketplace attempts to work its way back to recovery.

In his October 1st program, Dr. Foerster will discuss what emerged from the G-20 Summit held in Pittsburgh on September 24-25, 2009. He will also highlight conclusions reached concerning the current economic climate, recent developments that may be encouraging or cause for concern, and the impact of the G-20 Summit to the Pittsburgh Region. To attend this program, please register at the library's circulation desk, call 724.941.9430, or email Carrie Weaver.

In recognition of his long-term commitment to the Peters Township Public Library, a farewell reception for Dr. Foerster will be hosted by the library in the main lobby from 6:15-7:00 p.m., prior to the evening's presentation. The public is invited to extend their best wishes to Dr. Foerster as he begins his new assignment as the inaugural Brent Scowcroft Professor of National Security Studies at the United States Air Force Academy Department of Political Science and Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies.

Library Technology Fair this Saturday

Learn all about interactive books, Playaways, downloadable audiobooks and more at a Technology Fair to be held at the Peters Township Public Library on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the main lobby.

Staff members will offer hands-on demonstrations of the library’s many new materials. The Young Adult Department will introduce over 50 new video games to be made available for 7-day checkout, and a free pair of earbuds will be given to persons attending the fair. Online resources to be featured will include the library’s online catalog, Rosetta Stone Language Learning, ConsumerReports.org, e-newsletter, and Twitter account. The self-checkout system for books will also be highlighted.

“We want to ensure that all of our patrons are aware of the many free services that our library has to offer,” says Pier Lee, Library Director. “We want them to be comfortable using these new devices and take full advantage of them in their busy lives, especially as we begin a new school year.”

No registration is required for this event.

RITA ® Award-winning romance author at PT Library

Fans of romance novels will have the opportunity to meet
award-winning author Gwyn Cready, who will be at the Peters Township Public Library on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Cready will discuss “Time Travel, Jane Austen, and the Road to Becoming a Romance Writer”.

Cready was honored in July at the Romance Writers of America Conference in Washington D.C. when her second novel “Seducing Mr. Darcy” was selected as the Best Paranormal Romance for 2009. Pittsburgh is the setting for this novel, and the book’s time-traveling heroine works at the National Aviary. Readers will recognize many of the other Pittsburgh landmarks used throughout the book. Cready’s first novel was “Tumbling Through Time”, which Janet Evanovich calls "Funny and sexy .. a reading adventure you don't want to miss." Her next book, “Flirting With Forever” is due out in March 2010.

For more information on Gwyn, visit her website. Register for this free program at the library's circulation desk, call 724.941.9430, or email Carrie Weaver. A book sale and signing will follow the program.

Ferguson's Career Guidance Center

Looking for a new career or just starting out in the job market? Planning for college and trying to choose a major? The Peters Township Public Library has an excellent resource available for you to use for help in all these areas!

The Ferguson's Career Guidance Center is a comprehensive career research database, broken down into three main sections: Job and Industry Profiles, Job-Hunting and Workplace Skills, and Career and Industry Resources. The Job and Industry Profiles section, organized into 16 Career Clusters created by the Department of Education, contains information on nearly 3,400 jobs and 94 industries. The Job-Hunting and Workplace Skills section provides invaluable advice on applying for a job, acing an interview, behaving professionally in the work environment, and more—with more than 90 sample résumés and cover letters included. The Career and Industry Resources section includes more than 55,000 entries on scholarships, internships, and more, divided into easily browsable categories with searchable records.

Starting to think about college? The database includes a College Planning and Financial Aid section with a College Planning Timeline, advice on Choosing a College, and Financial Aid Directories for undergraduate, graduate, and vocational education.

Learn more about this excellent resource available to Peters Township Public Library patrons! Visit our home page and click on the Online Databases link on the right side of the page. From there you will see a link to Ferguson's Career Guidance Center. You will need to provide your library bar code number to access this site.

Doug Oster's Fall Gardening Secrets

Garden columnist and radio host Doug Oster will visit the Peters Township Public Library on Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m. He will discuss how to put your garden to bed in the fall, preparing the garden for spring planting now, tips for planting perennials in the fall, secrets to bulb planting and more.

Oster is co-author of Grow Organic: over 250 tips and ideas for growing flowers, veggies, lawns and more. A book sale and signing will follow the program.

Doug Oster is the co-host of KDKA radio’s Sunday morning program The Organic Gardeners and is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Backyard Gardener. His column is distributed regionally by the Associated Press and nationally by Scripps Howard News Service. He also works as writer, producer and on air talent for WQED-TV's OnQ program contributing stories related to gardening. Doug fills the same role at WYEP-FM's Allegheny Front program. He appears on KDKA-TV's Pittsburgh Today during their gardening segments. Doug's "Grow Your Own" gardening/cooking column is syndicated nationally through the Los Angeles Times News Service. He is also founder of Cultivating Success, a garden program for adoptive and foster children.

Register for this free program at the library’s circulation desk, call 724.941.9430 or email Carrie Weaver.

Consumer advice available at ConsumerReports.org

In addition to Consumer Reports magazine, our library patrons will now be able to access the "ConsumerReports.org" website.

Known as one of the most trusted resources for information and advice on consumer products, this award-winning website contains information that enables consumers to make better purchasing decisions. Users will find advice and tips on saving money on home improvement plans, how to shore up personal finances, ways to improve health and much more.

A link to the Consumer Reports website is available through the library's website by clicking the "Online Databases" icon on the right side of the home page. Users will need to enter their library bar code numbers to access the site.

Through ConsumerReports.org, patrons can explore the product reviews, ratings, news and comparisons. The information is updated frequently, providing reliable data, unbiased information and more than 1000 ratings,reviews, product comparisons and video clips.

Consumer Reports.org provides consumer advice for many products in each of the following categories: appliances, automobiles, babies and kids, electronics, food, health, home and garden, money / personal finance, and many others. Content includes: buying advice, overviews, ratings report cards, recommendations, user/tester reviews, videos, and much more.

We hope you will enjoy using this most recent addition to the outstanding resources provided for you by the Peters Township Public Library!

Blasey Rocks the Library!

Who would have thought you could have this much fun at a library on a Saturday night? Over 200 fans of all ages were treated to a free concert by Scott Blasey in the main lobby of the library last night. Blasey, lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Pittsburgh-based rock band The Clarks, offered up an evening of family-friendly music including several popular Clarks tunes, favorite cover songs and requests from the audience.

Pier Lee, Library Director, welcomed the crowd to the event, pointing out that the library offers so much to the community including downloadable audiobooks and playaways. After entertaining the audience with 90 minutes of songs and humorous tales, Blasey concluded the evening by remarking how lucky we are to have such a beautiful library, encouraging everyone to visit the new Teen Reading Room and Family Activity Center - an area very much enjoyed by his two young daughters. Copies of Blasey's three solo CDs, Shine, Don't Try This at Home, and Travelin' On will be available at the library for loan in the next few days.

If you didn't make it to the library show, Blasey will be performing at the Peterswood Park amphitheater on Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. Don't miss it!

A Summer Evening with Scott Blasey

Scott Blasey, lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Pittsburgh-based rock band The Clarks, will appear for a special solo "after-hours" show at the library on Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m.

In addition to his success with The Clarks, Blasey has found an audience for his solo work. He's released three solo CD's, beginning in 1995 with Don't Try This at Home. His second disc, Shine, contains the regional hit Born Too Late. In 2007 he released Travelin' On, an eleven-song journey through rock and blues, county and R & B. With the help of producer Salim Nourallah (Old 97's), Blasey enlisted some of Dallas, Texas' finest musicians, including Chris Holt on guitar, to interpret the road-weary songs of a Pittsburgher living in Texas. He has since moved his family back to Western Pennsylvania and enjoys being part of this community.

For more about Blasey and his music, visit his web site .

Register for this special event at the library's circulation desk, call 724-9041-9430, or email Carrie Weaver.

"Faces of the Civil War" with Dr. Paul D. Newman

Commonwealth Speaker Dr. Paul Douglas Newman will discuss Pennsylvania's role in the fighting and lasting memory of the Civil War at the Peters Township Public Library on Thursday, July 30 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The presentation will contrast the popular memory of the war with its messy and gruesome realities, as revealed by photographs. Newman will ask participants to compare the realities of the Civil War with 20th and 21st century conflicts and to debate its permeating themes. This program is free of charge and open to the public. Register at the library’s circulation desk or call 724.941.9430.

Dr. Paul Douglas Newman is Professor of Early American history at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, where he has taught since 1995, being awarded the Phi Eta Sigma Teacher of the Year Award in 2002, and the Pi Lambda Theta Educator of the Year Award in 2003. Dr. Newman earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in history at the University of Kentucky, and his B.A. in history from York College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Newman is the Editor of Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, and has served as a consultant for a number of public history projects including the Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Fort Ligonier, the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, among others. Dr. Newman began offering Commonwealth Speakers lectures in 1998. He is the recipient of the History Channel’s 2008 “Save Our History” Teacher of the Year Award.

This presentation is a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The Pennsylvania Humanities Council, a nonprofit organization, inspires individuals to enjoy and share a life of learning.

Downloadable audiobooks are here!

Our library has expanded our services with the addition of free downloadable audiobooks through a new digital media library. Patrons can check out and download titles anytime, anywhere by visiting the library home page and clicking on the green audiobook downloads graphic.

Library card holders may browse the collection of best-selling and classic titles. To check out, users will need a valid library card, a computer with an internet connection, and an email address. Once downloaded, digital titles can be enjoyed on the computer or transferred to a supported device, like an MP3 player. Many audio titles can also be burned to CD to enjoy in the car. At the end of the lending period, titles will automatically expire and are returned to the collection. There are never late fees or damaged materials.

“We are thrilled to offer our patrons another cost-saving use of their local library,” said Library Director Pier Lee. “With this free service, our busy patrons can listen to audiobooks while exercising on the trail, running errands in the car, or traveling on vacation over the summer months.”

Patrons will need to install free software, the OverDrive Media Console for audio titles, to use on a Windows operating system or Mac. The free and easy-to-use service is provided by the Peter Township Public library and powered by OverDrive, Inc, a leader in providing world-class infrastructure for downloading premium digital content.

Memorial Day Holiday Hours

The Peters Township Public Library will be closed on Sunday, May 24th and Monday, May 25th due to the Memorial Day holiday. Normal library hours will resume on Tuesday, May 26th at 9:00 a.m. Thank you for your cooperation.

OR Editor to discuss "Enter, With Torches"

Park Burroughs started in the newspaper business 38 years ago as a copy boy, back in the days of Linotype machines and carbon paper, when reporters pounded out their stories on typewriters, and newspapers were considered the most vital source of information. Much has changed since then, and newspapers are fighting for their survival. Burroughs wrote about those bygone days of newspapers and the characters who made them in The Business, a serialized story published on his Internet blog, Grumpy Old Editor.

The Business is one of nine stories included in Burroughs new book, Enter, With Torches: Recollections of a Grumpy Old Editor, which he will talk about at his presentation on Wednesday, May 20th at 7:00 p.m. at the library. In addition to discussing the problems facing the newspaper industry today and the future of journalism, he'll read selections from other stories in his book, many of them humorous tales about growing up and learning to be an adult. Books will be available for purchase ($19.95) and signing after the presentation. Credit card or checks will be accepted; checks may be made out to "Observer Publishing Co." Register at the library's circulation desk or email Carrie Weaver.

Do you Tweet?

Follow our updates on Twitter and stay connected with us here at the library!

Saving Money by Growing Organically

Garden columnist and radio host Doug Oster will visit the Peters Township Public Library on Saturday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m. to discuss “Saving Money by Growing Organically.” Oster will teach tips and tricks for gardeners on a budget. His lecture will covers seed starting, composting and explain the simple things gardeners can do to save money and have their best gardens ever. Oster is co-author of Grow Organic : over 250 tips and ideas for growing flowers, veggies, lawns and more.

Register for the program at the library's circulation desk or call 724-941-9430.

Oster is the co-host of KDKA radio’s Sunday morning program The Organic Gardeners and is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Backyard Gardener. His column is distributed regionally by the Associated Press and nationally by Scripps Howard News Service. He also works as writer, producer and on air talent for WQED-TV's OnQ program contributing stories related to gardening. Doug fills the same role at WYEP-FM's Allegheny Front program. He appears on KDKA-TV's Pittsburgh Today during their gardening segments. Doug's "Grow Your Own" gardening/cooking column is syndicated nationally through the Los Angeles Times News Service. He is also founder of Cultivating Success, a garden program for adoptive and foster children.

Copies of Doug's books Grow Organic ($18.95) and A Gardener's Journal ($15.95) will be available for purchase and signing. Purchase both copies for $33.00! Cash or checks made payable to Doug Oster.

National Library Week April 12 - 18

Time to celebrate the contributions of libraries in our communities nationwide– Stop in today and discover how worlds connect @ your library!

We have a special celebration planned here at the library for Saturday, April 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be provided by Friends of the Peters Township Public Library.

Programs include:

THAT GUY WITH THE BIRDS!
Ages: For kids and parents of all ages
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Come to the library for John Lege’s program featuring music, magic, educational facts, audience participation, and entertainment with ... LIVE TRAINED PARROTS!! All of these rescued birds have a story ... learn about their amazing transformations. Register in the Children's Department.

SUPER SMASH BROTHERS BRAWL TOURNAMENT
Ages: Grades 6 – 12
11:30 - 4:00 p.m. Check in is at 11:30 a.m. Game play will begin at 12:00 noon. You must check in before 12:00 noon in order to play. Join us in the Teen Reading Room for a special one-time Super Smash Brothers Brawl Tournament. Players should sign up in teams at the Teen Desk. Participation is capped at 32 players. Get ready to BRAWL!

PRIZE DRAWINGS
At 2:00 p.m. prizes will be drawn for Peters Township residents who have completed and submitted the library survey recently mailed to their homes.

PITTSBURGH YOUTH BALLET
3:00-3:45 p.m.
Young dancers from this internationally recognized school will perform for our enjoyment!

FINE FREE WEEK!
In recognition of National Library Week, all Washington and Greene County libraries have announced a Fine Free Week for National Library Week. Fine forgiveness will apply to normal overdue items and not lost or otherwise delinquent. We thank our library users for their loyal patronage throughout the year!

Stop in this week and return your library survey to be eligible for the prize drawings this Saturday!

Easter Holiday Hours

The library will be closed on Friday, April 10 and Sunday, April 12 for the Easter holiday. The library will be open on Saturday, April 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Regular operating hours will resume on Monday, April 13 at 9:00 a.m.

Take Care Tips with Jennifer Antkowiak

Get rid of the excuses. Get rid of the guilt. Make taking care of yourself a priority. Jennifer will discuss her newly-released book, Take Care Tips: How to Take Care of Yourself While You're Taking Care of Others, which gives 100 different ten minute plans that will bring mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual balance to your life.

Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
First Floor Meeting Room

A busy mom and former TV news anchor, Jennifer taps into the expertise of those she's interviewed over 17 years to give you practical, easy-to-use methods for looking and feeling better in ten minute chunks of time. Copies of Jennifer's book ($16.00) will be available for purchase and signing after the program. Cash or check will be accepted; checks may be made out to Jennifer Productions. Register at the circulation desk, call 724-941-9430, or email Carrie Weaver.

Build Your Own Fairy Garden

Whether it's fairies, gnomes or elves that give your garden that special sparkle, you'll want to encourage them to stay around. How better to do that than to build them a unique, miniature garden of their own? This class will teach you how. The garden shown in this photo can be planted in a container of its own or at the base of an old tree. Nancy Vejlstrup will discuss "fairy houses" and how a walk in the woods can provide you with many of the natural materials needed. It doesn't matter if it's a "Toad Abode" or a cookie factory in a hollow tree, you'll want to add that special magic to your garden this spring.

Program Details:
Thursday, April 2 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Cost: $10.00 per person ($15.00 per and one child (ten years or older)
Presented by: Nancy Vejlstrup, Exhibit Designer for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Register at the library's circulation desk.

Classic Film Night on Wednesday, March 25

The featured film for this month's Classic Film Night will be Sunset Boulevard starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden and released on August 4, 1950. Sunset Boulevard is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made. In 1989, The National Film Registry of the Library of Congress chose it for their initial list of 25 landmark films deemed "culturally, historically, or esthetically important."

The film will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Reading Room on the Second Floor. Join us at the library as we celebrate the tradition of classic film! Register at the library's circulation desk.

"...All right, Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my closeup.''

Rising Powers: The New Global Reality

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has enjoyed the spotlight as the sole superpower in world affairs. Yet the 21st century promises to be characterized by multiple and competing sources of global power. Join Michael R. Kraig for “Rising Powers: The New Global Reality” at the Peters Township Public Library on Thursday, March 19 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. as he provides analysis of the dynamics driving the diffusion, redistribution, and redefinition of power around the globe.

Dr. Michael Kraig is director of Policy Analysis and Dialogue at the Stanley Foundation in Muscatine, Iowa. In this role, he is currently managing the overall conceptual and substantive direction of several foundation initiatives: United Nations and Global Institutions; US and Global Security; US and Asian Security; US and Middle East Security; Rising Powers; and Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament. These ongoing programs are centered on widening the policy debate in the United States and within foreign capitals by discussing multilateral, cooperative policy options that could make both the United States and the world more prosperous and secure. Kraig has a Ph.D. in political science from the University at Buffalo, New York, with a concentration in international relations, US foreign policy, and comparative politics.

Register for this program at the library’s circulation desk, call 724-941-9430 or email Carrie Weaver.

This program is part of the library’s continuing partnership with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and is part of this year’s series "Looking to the Future: the U.S. and the World”. An honorarium for these speakers was generously provided by a grant from the McMurray Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764.

Your Town, Your History

The bound volumes containing 21 interviews collected and transcribed during the library's Oral History Project are now available for patrons to check out and enjoy. They are located on the second floor with a "Life in Peters Township" photographic display.

The interviews record the history of the township through personal audio interviews with past and present residents, some now decreased. Photographs, documents, records, letters, and other items shared during the interview process were digitized by library staff and volunteers and are included throughout the transcripts. A collective bound edition is also available in the Library & Archives at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.

The interviews reflect various facets of the history of Peters Township, including farm life, education, government, recreation, transportation, industry, and daily life in a rapidly changing suburban community. Funding for the project was provided by Taste of the Township.

"I'd like to thank the Academy..."

Yes, Oscar Night is almost here! The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC, beginning with the red carpet arrivals at 5 p.m.

Did you know all five Best Film Nominees were adapted from books?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
The Conviction of Richard Nixon : The Untold Story of the Frost/Nixon Interviews
by James Reston ("Frost/Nixon")
The Mayor of Castro Street by Randy Shilts ("Milk")
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Q & A by Vikas Swarup ("Slumdog Millionaire")

The library has all five of these books in our collection, as well as many other books that eventually were turned into Oscar-winning films. Visit the library and check out our display for the Academy Awards in the main lobby, or email me for a complete list of titles in our collection. Happy Oscars!

Here We Go!

Pittsburgh's goin' to the Super Bowl!

To help pass the hours until Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1st at 6 p.m., visit our display of Steeler "stuff" on the second floor of the library and read about all the Steeler greats - past and present. We've got Steeler DVDs too!

Check out the 2008-09 version of "Here We Go!" on YouTube!

Books on Screen program filled

The Books on Screen program is now filled with the maximum number of participants permitted by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council. We are thrilled by the tremendous response to this book/film discussion series!

We have currently begun a waiting list for the program. Please consider visiting the Reference Desk on the second floor of the library to be placed on that list. If you have any questions regarding Books on Screen, please call 724-941-9430 ext. 327.

Books on Screen Program nearly filled

If you were considering signing up for our Books on Screen program to begin in February, please come into the library as soon as possible to do so! We only have room for four more participants before we reach the maximum permitted by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

In case you are not familiar with this very popular program, Books on Screen compares four acclaimed films and the literature that inspired them. This book discussion series begins in February 2009 at the library on Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Our discussions will be facilitated by David R. Shumway, Professor of English, and Literary and Cultural Studies at Carnegie Mellon University.

Visit the adult program page on our web site for more details about the books/film adaptations to be discussed as well as the program dates. If you have any questions, please call the Reference Department at 724-941-9430 ext. 327.