"Listen While You Walk" Resumes!

A new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that although more Americans are walking, they are not exercising enough to reap the health benefits. At least 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, helps prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and some forms of cancer.

To help patrons in their efforts to exercise daily, the library is resuming our popular “Listen While You Walk” program beginning Thursday, September 6 at 9:15 a.m. The program, beginning its second year, offers walkers another way to exercise – while listening to a new book or favorite author. Staff will introduce attendees to a selection of “Playaways,” all in one portable audiobooks, and then lead a 30-minute walk on nearby Arrowhead Trail. The program will continue each Thursday at 9:15 a.m., weather permitting.

Register for this free program by emailing programs@ptlibrary.org, at the circulation desk, or call 724.941.9430. For more information about the program, call the Reference Department at 724.941.9430 ext. 327.

3rd Annual Local Foods Potluck Dinner!

Celebrate the season’s bounty at the 3rd Annual Local Foods Potluck Dinner at the Peters Township Public Library on Friday, August 3 at 6:30 p.m. The event is being hosted by the library’s GO Green Club and Cooking Club and is open to the community.

Attendees are asked to bring a potluck dish to share made with locally grown foods or some samples from their home gardens. Bring along your recipe to share with the group.

Register online or at the library’s circulation desk by Wednesday, August 1, 2012. For more information, email the GO Green Club.

PLAYAWAY DAY @ the library!

The library will host a “Playaway Day” on Thursday, July 19 to feature their Playaway and Playaway View collections from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the main lobby.

Donna Destefano, Account Manager Eastern Region at Findaway World, will be available to demo the devices and help patrons with any questions. Those attending will receive free giveaways to use with the Playaways including ear buds and audio cables to use in their car. Patrons will also be eligible to win a basket filled with items to use along with Playaway products.

Peters Township Public Library is one of nine libraries in the country and the only one in Pennsylvania selected as a beta testing site for the new Playaway View™ from Findaway World. There are 30 Playaway Views, the first portable all-in-one video player, available for adult patrons to checkout, each preloaded with a different video selection. The Children’s Department has over 60 Playaway Views available for the younger patrons.

As the library is participating in a trial program for this new product, patrons who check out a Playaway View will be asked to complete a short online survey to give feedback about the device.Hard copies of the survey will also be available at the library. Patrons who participate in this special beta testing and complete the survey will be eligible to win a $100 Visa gift card.

For more information, call the library at 724.941.9430.

AARP Driver Safety Refresher Course coming soon!

For those who have completed the AARP Driver Safety Course within the past 3 years, a refresher course will be offered at the Peters Township Public Library on Tuesday, July 24 from 12 noon until 4:00 p.m.

This course will offer the latest information on accident prevention, new car innovations, and rules of the road, and how to prevent injuries to you and your passengers. Verification of previous course completion is required -- please bring your course completion certificate or a copy of an auto insurance bill that lists the discount applied from previous course completion.

The fee for the course is $5. Please make checks payable to AARP if registering at the library; if registering through the AARP website at www.aarp.org, please pay by credit card. Remember to bring your current driver’s license and AARP membership number (if a member) to class.

GO Green Camp for Kids!

To introduce young children to green lifestyle choices, the Peters Township Public Library’s GO Green Club will host a new GO Green Camp for Kids at the library on June 12, 13 and 14 from 10:00 a.m. to noon each day. The camp is free and open to children entering grades 3 through 5 in the fall. Registration at the library circulation desk is required as space is limited.

The 3-day camp for kids will offer a different “green” topic each day, and participants can sign up for one, two or all three days of the program. Themes for each day of the camp will include:

Tuesday, June 12: Day One will be all about the WATER CYCLE, featuring speaker Josie Posti from Pennsylvania American Water Company. Featuring the story of our water cycle, an interactive watershed model, creating water cycle bracelets, and a water taste test, you will never think about a glass of water the same way again.

Wednesday, June 13: In Day Two, you will find out RECYCLING from Scott Dellinger from Greenstar. Where does all that stuff you put in your green recycling bin end up? What should you be putting in the bin anyway? Also, GO Green Club member Angie Phares will explain how to turn your food scraps and other materials into wonderful compost – with a little help from some friendly worms.

Thursday, June 14: In Day Three, you will learn all about LOCAL FOODS – and we don’t mean what you buy at the supermarket! You will plant seeds, taste local foods, and prepare simple recipes with Erin Hart of American HealthCare Group. Ms. Hart is also the Director of Farm to Table Pittsburgh. Have you ever visited a local farmer’s market? Find out where you can go to get fresh, local food that tastes great and is SO good for you. Bring a healthy appetite to this program.

Are you a high school student interested in helping with this camp? Email the club, and you will be contacted with more details about volunteering at the GO Green Camp for Kids.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind

The library will host Susan Dishart, Vice President of Marketing and Development for Guiding Eyes for the Blind on Wednesday, April 18 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Dishart will present information about Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an internationally accredited nonprofit guide dog school founded in 1954. One of the foremost guide dog schools in the world, it is known for its cutting-edge training programs, commitment to excellence, and dedication to its elite and superbly trained guide dogs. The school provides professional instruction and follow-up support services to the blind at no cost. Visit their web site for more information.

A local graduate of the program, Mike Gravitt, will be present. Gravitt is originally from South Boston, Virginia, but has resided in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since early 1998. Presently, he is using his first guide dog, Rick, who is a black and tan Labrador, which GEB provided him in November of 2005. Mike is a manager at Bender Consulting Services, his employer since 1998, where he currently works on-site in Bayer Corporation's Communications Technology group. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. He is active in the American Council of the Blind and the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International. He is also an alumnus of the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, and Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity.

Register to attend this program online, at the library circulation desk, or call 724.941.9430.

Social Media Implementation on Tuesday, April 24

A 2012 study by Forrester Consulting, a global research and advisory firm, has revealed that “To succeed in the connected world, marketers must create connected brands: brands that continuously engage with people when they want, where they want, and how they want – particularly through social media.”

To help you learn how to use social media most effectively for your small business, the Peters Township Public Library will host “Social Media Implementation: How to Take Your Business to the Next Level” on Tuesday, April 24, 2012. The program will be presented by Robert Stein, Director of the Informational Technology Leadership program at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, and will begin with a continental breakfast from 8:00-8:30 a.m. followed immediately by the presentation. The cost for program is $15.00. Register by Friday, April 20 at the library's circulation desk. Registration is not complete until payment has been received.

Do you have a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn – but don't know how to get your business on the sites? Do you want to learn step-by-step how to best use the features available to you? These topics and more will be addressed when Robert Stein, a nationally renowned innovator and advisor in the technology industry, discusses the intricacies associated with implementing social media for your small business. Learn step-by-step how to get your business on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Stein will review all the basic features of the sites as well as some advanced ones.

This program is presented by the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center and hosted by Peters Township Chamber of Commerce and Peters Township Public Library.