Announcements

PT Library Foundation hosts Yaa Gyasi

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The Peters Township Library Foundation will welcome the author of Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi, on Thursday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are on sale through the library web site or at the Circulation Desk. Ticket prices are $10 for Students and $15 for Adults. A limited number of VIP tickets will be sold for $60 and include VIP seats, a pre-event meet and greet with Yaa Gyasi, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a copy of Homegoing. Group rates for 20 or more are also available. Email theptlibraryfoundation@gmail.com for details.

The venue for this special event will be The Bible Chapel’s South Hills Campus at 300 Gallery Drive in McMurray. A book signing will follow the program.

The unforgettable New York Times bestseller Homegoing begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into slavery, the other married to a British slaver. Written with tremendous sweep and power, Homegoing traces the generations of family who follow, as their destinies lead them through two continents and three hundred years of history, each life indelibly drawn, as the legacy of slavery is fully revealed in light of the present day.

ABOUT YAA GYASI

Yaa Gyasi was born in Mampong, Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. She holds a BA in English from Stanford University and an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she held a Dean’s Graduate Research Fellowship. Homegoing is her first novel and has won the PEN/Hemingway Award, NBCC’s John Leonard Award, and a New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book. Photo credit: Michael Lionstar

PRESS LINKS

A 26-Year-old Looks to the Past for Her Literary Debut | TIME

 

Yaa Gyasi’s “Homegoing” | The New Yorker

 

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young African Immigrant | The New York Times

 

Yaa Gyasi | NPR

 

 The blazing success of Yaa Gyasi’s ‘Homegoing,’ a panoramic portrait of the slave trade’s legacy | Los Angeles Times

 

‘Homegoing,’ by Yaa Gyasi: A bold tale of slavery for a new ‘Roots’ generation | The Washington Post

 

Meet Libby!

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Did you know that Peters Township Public Library has thousands of ebooks and audiobooks available that you can borrow for free using your WAGGIN library card and your mobile device?

Meet Libby! This new mobile app helps make reading fun. It’s a friendly guide to find libraries near you, remember your library card number and search for your next great read. Anytime, anywhere!

Why you’ll love Libby:

  • One tap to borrow, one tap to read, one tap to return the book
  • Sign in to multiple libraries, with one or more cards for each library
  • Download ebooks and audiobooks for offline reading, or stream them to save space
  • If you prefer reading on your Kindle®, Libby can send your library ebooks to it
  • Keeps track of your reading history in the Activity tab
  • Remembers your place in the book for a synced reading experience across devices

Visit meet.libbyapp.com to give Libby a try!

Get the Libby app for your phone, tablet or Kindle from Google Play or the App Store. Happy Reading!

What’s Your Story?

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Are you a former/current Peters Township Public Library patron, volunteer, staff member, or board member with a fond memory to share?

Perhaps it was sitting with your children at storytime in the ‘70s, helping with a special fundraiser over the past six decades, or discovering a book by a new author on our shelves at one of our four previous locations?  Do you have a special message about how the library has made a difference in your life?  Your story can be as brief as, “I love the library because…” or as reminiscent as, “My oldest memory of the library was when…”  Whatever the story about the library between 1957 to 2017, we’d love to film you sharing YOUR special memory. Families messages are welcome too!

Diane Lioon, secretary of The Peters Township Library Foundation, is coordinating several sessions with photographer/videographer Jim McNutt to videotape you and your brief message. Sessions will be held upstairs in our Local History Room on the dates and times listed below. Sign up at the Circulation Desk for your 20-minute time slot.

Monday, Aug. 14, 1 to 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 1 to 3 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 15, 1 to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 to 3 p.m.

Messages will be on view at our 60th anniversary celebration on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017.

New PA Career Guide

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The 25th edition of the Pennsylvania Career Guide has been released by the Department of Labor & Industry and is available online.  The information within is meant to be a helpful resource for people who are preparing either to continue their education or enter the workforce.

An interest assessment and information on PA CareerLink services and apprenticeships can help job seekers to get started. It also contains the Pennsylvania-specific employment, wage, and job outlook data for 250+ occupations found in the Occupational Data Bank. For those planning to continue their studies, a month-by-month checklist for a senior year of high school and post-graduation plans can be a great resource.

The Pennsylvania Career Guide is available online or in printed copies by CWIA via email at workforceinfo@pa.gov or by phone at 1-877-493-3282.

From The Compendium, News for Pennsylvania Libraries – May 19, 2017

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!