New Library Addition to be Dedicated on Sunday, April 13

Area residents are invited to the Peters Township Public Library on Sunday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m. to celebrate the completion of the new 4,800 sq. ft. two-story addition. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to open each of the new areas will begin at 2:00 p.m., and each family attending will be given a small memento commemorate the occasion. An afternoon of music, activities for children, and tours of the new addition will continue until 5:00 p.m. A special program, “Trolleys to Washington”, will begin at 3:00 p.m. featuring a slideshow presentation about the inter-urban line that ran between Pittsburgh and Washington, PA.

The dedication of the new addition culminates plans to expand the library, which began with the $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund awarded to the library in November 2006. Through the generous support of many residents, the library was able to accept the grant by raising matching funds of an additional $500,000. Groundbreaking for the addition took place in July 2007, and several new areas added will be available to the public at the dedication.

These new areas include:

• A 700 sq. ft. Teen Reading Room, a space designed for young adults. This corner room on the first floor is filled with natural light by day and colored ceiling lights by night. A frosted glass partition separates this area from the children’s space with shelving along the walls to house the young adult collection. The room also has café-style seating to play video games and a small kitchen area with a sink, countertop and cabinets. Tables and chairs in the room can be easily moved into an adjacent storage room to clear the space for dancing, concerts,
or other programs. A retractable wall-mounted screen can be used for educational presentations, group instruction or viewing the latest DVDs.

• A Family Activity Room, also on the first floor adjacent to the current Children’s Department. This kid-friendly area encourages freedom and creativity in a colorful, welcoming environment. A story time corner with a built-in, spot-lighted stage will be used for children’s programs. Low shelves along the walls will house books for toddlers and younger children. Pint-sized furniture will suit the smallest library patrons for reading, coloring, and arts and crafts. Large climb-able blocks with interactive panels will be located in the center of this carpeted room and huge, soft cushions in a variety of shapes can be used as chairs or stacked into any number of imaginative shapes.

• A Local History Room which will house all things related to Peters Township History. The bond volumes of “Life in Peters Township”, an Oral History Project by the Peters Township Public Library will be kept in this room. These volumes record and preserve the history of the township through personal audio interviews with past and present residents. The interviews reflect the many facets of the history of Peters Township, including farm life, education, government, recreation, transportation, churches, and industry, and at the same time preserve many of the personal experiences of our longtime residents.

• Additional shelving space on the second floor for the entire adult non-fiction collection.

• A Conference Room on the second floor with a large table and seating for eight, which will be available for use by a variety of community organizations.

All area residents are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m. and remain afterwards to tour the new facilities and enjoy an afternoon of programs and light refreshments.