Adults

PT Library Book Clubs welcome new readers

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How many times have you read a book you loved and wished that you had someone to talk with about the characters, the plot, and the author’s style of writing? Consider joining one of the three book clubs for adults that meet monthly at the Peters Township Public Library. Members select the books they will read at an annual planning meeting, and the library borrows copies of the books for club participants. Discussions are led by the person who recommends the book to the club.

The Evening Book Club for Adults meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.  This club primarily reads fiction by popular female authors. Upcoming selections include Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio, The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, and The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood. Contact Margaret Deitzer, the club facilitator, to join the club or for more information at 724.941.9430 ext. 3270.

The Afternoon Book Club for Adults meets the third Wednesday of the month from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. This club reads a variety of genres including the classics, non-fiction, history and popular new releases. Upcoming selections include The Power and The Glory by Graham Greene, As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, and War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. Contact Margaret Deitzer, the club facilitator, to join the club or for more information at 724.941.9430 ext. 3270.

The Mystery Book Club for Adults meets the last Tuesday of the month from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The members have chosen to read The Ex by Alafair Burke, Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben, and The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis in the coming months.  Several participants can borrow a Kindle Fire from the library with a copy of the book downloaded and ready to read. Contact Peter Stamoolis, the club facilitator, to join the club or for more information at 724.941.9430 ext. 5767.

These Civic and Social Literacy programs are offered by the library as part of the Pennsylvania Library Association’s statewide initiative, PA Forward, which fosters the idea that libraries can help citizens participate in and contribute to their communities. Good readers make good citizens and research shows that regular readers are more than twice as likely as non-readers to volunteer or to do community or charity work. [1] Libraries cultivate achievement, productivity, and connectedness.

Peters Township Public Library is participating in the PA Forward Star Library Program as part of the Pennsylvania Library Association’s 21st Century Literacies Initiative, PA Forward, and received a Bronze Level Award in January 2017. This statewide initiative places the spotlight on Pennsylvania libraries and the important role our libraries have in the lives of citizens.

[1] National Endowment for the Arts, “To Read or Not To Read: A Question on National Consequence”, November 2007, https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/ToRead.pdf

Celebrate National Library Week Apr 9-15

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Beginning April 9, the Peters Township Public Library joins libraries across Pennsylvania and libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating the many ways libraries are transforming their communities every day through the services and invaluable expertise they offer.

April 9-15 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the changing role of libraries, librarians and library workers.  Libraries aren’t only a place of quiet study, but also creative and engaging community centers where people can collaborate using new technologies, learn how to use a 3D printer or even record their own music.

Libraries of all types are evolving to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Elected officials, small business owners, students and the public at large depend upon libraries and the resources they offer to address the needs of their communities. By providing such resources as e-books and technology classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers or a safe haven in times of crisis, libraries and librarians transform their communities.

“The library embraces the entire community, offering unlimited opportunities for personal growth and lifelong learning,” said Library Director Myra Oleynik. “Libraries level the playing field for people of any age who are seeking the information and access to technologies that will improve their quality of life.”

Libraries also offer something unique to their communities, the expertise of individual librarians. Librarians assist patrons in using increasingly complex technology and sorting through the potentially overwhelming mass of information bombarding today’s digital society. This is especially crucial when access to reliable and trustworthy data is more important than ever.

Visit the Peters Township Public Library and see how libraries transform!

Learn how to use online resources

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Need help brushing up your word processing skills for a new job? Interested in searching your family roots but don’t know where to start? The Peters Township Public Library offers free and low cost computer classes on most Tuesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:45 pm on a variety of topics. The classes are designed to help the community connect with informational resources related to employment, genealogy, social media, 3D printing technology and more.

Registration is required at the library’s Circulation Desk the day prior to the class and payment must be made at that time for classes with a fee. Basic mouse and keyboarding skills are required.

Upcoming classes include:

  • 3D Design and Printing on April 4
    Learn all about 3D printing technology and the fun objects that you can create by downloading, slicing, preparing and printing. Cost $5.
  • Computers 101 on April 11
    Get to know your computer and the Internet, along with the library online library catalog. Free class.
  • Genealogy Research on April 18
    Learn how to use the library’s resources to help you search for your roots. The lesson covers how to use the Heritage Quest database, Ancestry Library Edition and Google. Free class.
  • Word Processing 1 on April 25
    Includes creating/naming/saving documents, working with text and printing options. Cost $5.
  • Word Processing 2 on May 2
    Includes indents, tabs, tables, automating tasks, spell/grammar checks, page numbers, styles and headers/footers. Cost $5.
  • Word Processing 3 on May 9
    Includes templates, e-mail, mail-merge and insert graphics. Cost $5.
  • Beginner’s PC toolkit on May 16
    Learn how to capture content, work with directories, access simple to use programs and learn about keyboard short-cuts. Free class.
  • Computers 101 on May 23
    Get to know your computer and the Internet, along with our online library catalog. Free class.
  • Social Networking on May 30
    A demonstration of Facebook and blogging – two of the most common forms of social networking. Cost $5.

This Information Literacy program series is offered by the library as part of the Pennsylvania Library Association’s statewide initiative, PA Forward, to demonstrate that libraries can help all Pennsylvanians learn how to use online resources and current technology to improve their education, to enhance their job skills, and to participate in civil discourse.

For more information about the computer classes, please call Peter Stamoolis at 724.941.9430 ext. 5767.

Thinking Money traveling exhibition!

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Peters Township Public Library will host Thinking Money, a new traveling exhibition designed to teach tweens, teens and the adults in their lives about money, from Saturday, April 1 through Sunday, April 30. The public is also invited to attend a variety of programs for all ages about financial topics like saving, spending and avoiding fraud.

“Money affects all of us, but many of us lack the information we need to make smart decisions about our financial futures,” said Sue Miller, Assistant Library Director. “Thinking Money is designed to teach us about financial literacy in a way that is not only understandable, but fun, and we’re proud to bring it to our library – the only one in Pennsylvania!”

Through an adventure-themed storyline, interactive iPad content and other fun activities, Thinking Money explores themes like wants vs. needs, preparing for a rainy/sunny day, imagining your future self and avoiding financial fraud.

Programs will include:

  • Thinking Money Kick-off Financial Fair for all ages on Saturday, April 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • JA More Than Money for grades 3 through 5 on five Mondays, April 3, 10, 24 and May 1 and 8 from 4 to 4:45 p.m.
  • Youth Financial Education Workshop for ages 13 and up on four Thursdays, April 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 7 to 8:00 p.m.
  • Achieving Financial Excellence for adults on Saturday, April 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon – CANCELED by the instructor from NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania
  • Junior Jumpstarts for students in grades 9 to 12 and parents on Tuesday, April 11 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
  • Financial Fraud Bingo for adults on Tuesday, April 25 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
  • Money for College for adults on Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Admission to the exhibition, which will be located in main lobby of the library, and all programs are free of charge.

Thinking Money was created by the American Library Association (ALA) in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

In April 2016, ALA and the FINRA Foundation announced 50 libraries nationwide to host the 1,000-square-foot exhibition. In addition to the exhibition loan, the Peters Township Public Library also received a $1,000 programming allowance, expenses paid for a training session at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in June 2016, and promotional and support materials.

This Financial Literacy program is offered as part of the Pennsylvania Library Association’s statewide initiative, PA Forward, to demonstrate that libraries can help citizens become informed consumers and guide individuals, small businesses, and other organizations to contribute to the economic vitality of their communities. Learn more at www.paforward.org.

A Family’s Courageous Battle with Alzheimer’s

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Walk into a shopping mall. A crowded theater. A sporting event. An amusement park. As your eyes scan the crowd, you are looking at someone – in fact, probably several people – whose lives are forever changed by Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It is the only cause of death in the top 10 without any way to stop it or even slow it down.

The Inheritance: A Family on the Front Lines of the Battle Against Alzheimer’s Disease follows the DeMoe family’s courageous journey into Alzheimer’s research as well as the dramatic history of the disease, one of the great medical mysteries of our time. The library will welcome Niki Kapsambelis, author of The Inheritance, on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. Registration for this program is closed. This program is filled. A book signing will follow the program. Read the Pitttsburgh Post-Gazette front page article about the book and the DeMoe family.

The DeMoe family of Tioga, North Dakota, has the most devastating form of the disease: an inherited genetic mutation that causes the disease in virtually 100 percent of all cases, striking its victims in their 40s, killing them in their 50s. Even more sobering is that a person who has the mutation carries a 50 percent chance of passing it on to their children.

Rather than give up in the face of such news, when the DeMoes learned what was happening to them, they agreed to spend their precious, abbreviated years as part of a worldwide study that seeks to find a successful treatment for Alzheimer’s by 2025. Multiple generations of the family are participating in the study, which is now testing experimental prevention drugs. If successful, these drugs have the potential to avert an international pandemic.

Two members of the DeMoe family will appear at the library event to speak about their experiences. They are Robin McIntyre, 33, and her sister Jessica, 36. Their mother, Lori (DeMoe) McIntyre, died from Alzheimer’s in February 2016 at the age of 57. Before she died, Lori was a key contributor to The Inheritance.

Robin, who now lives in Laramie, Wyoming, learned at the age of 29 that she has the Alzheimer’s mutation. She is currently enrolled in a trial testing an experimental drug designed to prevent the disease.

Jessica, who lives in Denver, Colorado, tested negative for the mutation. She has made a pact with her sister to support her in her fight against Alzheimer’s and raise awareness for the disease that took their mother.

This Health Literacy program is offered by the library as part of the Pennsylvania Library Association’s statewide initiative, PA Forward, to demonstrate that libraries can play an important role in helping citizens manage their own and their family’s well-being, and empower them to be effective partners with their healthcare providers so they can live longer, more productive lives.

This program is brought to you through generous funding by Washington Financial Bank.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Niki Kapsambelis was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She worked for several years as a newswoman for the Associated Press in New England, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh. Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and People magazine. She lives in Mt. Lebanon.

Meet Author of “Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work”

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Mention Chuck Noll’s name to just about anyone in southwestern Pennsylvania and they will say they remember him as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who led the team to four Super Bowl victories in a little over two decades and raised the morale of Pittsburghers to become a City of Champions.

To share more about Coach Noll and who he was off the field, the Peters Township Public Library welcomes author Michael MacCambridge on Wednesday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss his book Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work.  Register online or call 724.941.9430 #1. A book signing will follow the program.

Michael MacCambridge is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on football. His book America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation was named one of the most distinguished works of non-fiction by the Washington Post in 2004, and won the Nelson Ross Award from the Professional Football Researchers Association. He also edited the critically acclaimed ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, hailed by Sports Illustrated as “the Bible” of the sport. In addition to his many books, MacCambridge’s freelance writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and GQ.

Reviews of Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work:

“Chuck Noll transformed the Pittsburgh Steelers into one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history. Yet, both during his career and after, he was underappreciated, relatively uncelebrated, and—in part by his own choice—not fully understood. Michael MacCambridge’s carefully-researched and beautifully-written biography finally brings into clear focus one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of American sports.” —Bob Costas, NBC Sports

“If Michael MacCambridge wrote a book about the painting of my house, I’d devour it—he’s that good—a master of bringing a complicated and compelling history to life. In Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work, he paints vivid pictures of how Noll ended up in Pittsburgh, why he was perfect for the Steelers, and why he was the right man for his time in steering the Steelers toward African American players. Of all the important figures in the NFL in the last fifty years, we knew the least about Noll—until now.”—Peter King, The MMQB, Sports Illustrated

“MacCambridge goes behind the Steel Curtain and unveils the coach who delivered a football dynasty, Chuck Noll. Having covered Chuck during most of his Steelers career, I learned things I didn’t know about his struggles and his brilliance. Thanks to relentless research and impressive interviews, Michael puts you behind the desk and along the sidelines to show how one of football’s greatest minds executed his successful game plan. A Hall of Fame effort.”—John Clayton, ESPN

“It’s hard to think of any football coaches who were more successful than Chuck Noll. It’s great that a historian as thorough and intelligent as MacCambridge has finally written the book that will galvanize Noll in the rarefied category he deserves.”—Chuck Klosterman

“MacCambridge has given us the definitive look at the life and times of Chuck Noll. More than just the legendary coach of the Steelers, Noll was a renaissance man with widespread interests and loyalties. It all comes alive here thanks to MacCambridge’s inimitable touch and meticulous research.” —Bob McGinn, author of The Ultimate Super Bowl Book