Announcements

New On-Demand Streaming Service – hoopla!

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The popular on-demand streaming service hoopla digital is now available for free for Peters Township Public Library cardholders. Members can access over 1,000,000 titles in various formats – audiobooks, eBooks, comics, music, movies, and TV. PT Library cardholders can stream content from any computer or mobile device by downloading the hoopla digital app for IOS and Android.

With hoopla, Peters Township Public Library now offers a vast digital collection to borrow immediately from anywhere. Hoopla is available on your desktop, phone, tablet, Alexa devices, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV. You may borrow 8 Instant Borrows each month. Books are available for 21 days, videos are available for 72 hours, and music titles for 7 days after you borrow. Titles are automatically returned and removed from your device at the end of the lending period.

“Our patrons have given us great feedback over the past year about how our library services can help meet their needs,” said Illyanna Logan, Assistant Library Director. “One thing that we heard over and over again was that the Peters Township Public Library community wanted more digital content available with their library card. When we saw that, we immediately thought of hoopla. It gives us a great way to instantly increase our digital offerings with a vast library of content in diverse formats that’s always available. We think this resource will be a great addition to our digital collections and hope our patrons enjoy exploring all that hoopla has to offer!”

The hoopla digital collection includes popular entertainment and educational content, such as hit TV series, newly released music, bestselling audiobooks and eBooks, and much more. All items in the collection are always available, so no holds are necessary. This new service is not replacing OverDrive or Libby for downloading eBooks and audiobooks. The library is providing more digital content at the request of its members.

To get started, visit hoopladigital.com on your desktop or visit the App Store or Google Play to download the mobile app. In late March and April, the library has scheduled Intro to Hoopla classes via Zoom. Visit ptlib.org/classes to register to join the Zoom session.

Additional resources:
How to hoopla on IOS, Android, or Kindle
5 easy steps to get started with hoopla

What is Kids Mode?
hoopla Kids Mode is a multi-format, digital media experience designed especially for kids (up to age 12). All of the content – movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, eBooks, and comics – has been curated and brought together in this one family-friendly place. Kids Mode is a feature that should be used with parental guidance. There are different age ranges using this feature and the titles available range from G-General Audiences to PG – Parental Guidance Suggested. Parents or guardians are expected to decide whether a specific title is appropriate for their child.

How do I activate Kids Mode?
hoopla Kids Mode is very simple to activate. Once you are logged into your account, just go into your settings in the upper right. Then click/tap on the Kids Mode toggle switch, and you’re all set. Click here for a guide on how to activate Kids Mode. We also offer a Kids Mode option on the home page in the top right corner! Logging out and back into your account switches Kids Mode off by default.

 

Adult Programs Survey Results

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In October 2021, we emailed our newsletter subscribers four questions to help us plan programs for adults in 2022.

Our survey identified four essential points that help us address the needs and wants of the community:
● Who is interested in adult programs?
● How do people want to participate in programs?
● When are people available for programs?
● What kind of programs are of interest?

We received 215 responses and are excited to share what we learned.

Graphic of survey responses from 2021 program survey showing age, preferred time, format, and types of programs.

 

Your responses will help us plan and react to the needs and interests of the community. Furthermore, we can continue to provide programs that align with the PA Forward Literacies: Basic Literacy, Information Literacy, Civic & Social Literacy, Health Literacy, and Financial Literacy. For example, the survey responses revealed that you are interested in Physical Health. Knowing this, we can leverage our community partners and continue to have programs like Medicare 101 (11.17.21), upcoming Nutrition Myths (12.9.21), and add new classes and events to the mix.

If you responded to the survey, you may receive follow-up emails from our staff as we continue to explore your responses and share programs that may interest you.

Didn’t see the survey? You can sign up for our e-newsletter and select the kind of updates you would like to receive.

Do you want to present a program at PTPL? Read our program policies and fill out a program proposal to share your ideas.

If you have any questions or want to know more about programs at PTPL, please get in touch with Sydney Krawiec, Program & Outreach Coordinator. You can reach her via email at  skrawiec@pt-library.org or call 724-941-9430 ext. 3260.

Remembering 9/11 – Twenty years later

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In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Peters Township Public Library will feature a program with author Tom McMillan and an education exhibition from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

Tom McMillan, author of Flight 93: The Story, the Aftermath, and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11, will share a virtual presentation on Tuesday, September 7 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. From the plane’s delayed takeoff in Newark to the moment it plunged upside-down into an open field in nearby Somerset County, Pennsylvania, McMillan will guide participants through the events, aftermath, and legacy of Flight 93. Register at http://tiny.cc/Flight93program to receive the Zoom meeting invitation.

McMillan serves on the board of trustees of Pittsburgh’s Heinz History Center and previously served on the board of directors of the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial. He resides in Pittsburgh and recently retired after a 43-year career in sports media and communications. A lifelong student of the history and the Civil war, he has had two other books published: Armistead and Hancock: Beyond the Legend of Two Friends at the Turning Point of the Civil War and Gettysburg Rebels: Five Native Sons Who Came Home to Fight as Confederate Soldiers, which won the Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award.

From September 1 through 12, the library will participate in September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed the World, an educational exhibition that presents the history of 9/11, its origins, and its ongoing implications through the personal stories of those who witnessed and survived the attacks. Told across 14 posters, this exhibition includes archival photographs and images of artifacts from the Museum’s permanent collection. It explores the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and communities at the local, national, and international levels, and encourages critical thinking about the legacies of 9/11. Visitors can view the exhibit in the Multi-Purpose Room on the first floor during library open hours.

“During this 20th anniversary year, it is our privilege to share these lessons with a new generation, teach them about the ongoing repercussions of the 9/11 attacks and inspire them with the idea that, even in the darkest of times, we can come together, support one another, and find the strength to renew and rebuild,” said 9/11 Memorial & Museum President and CEO Alice M. Greenwald.

Taylor Jenkins Reid featured for Novel November

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UPDATED: September 23, 2021

New York Times-bestselling novelist and screenwriter Taylor Jenkins Reid will be the featured author for The Peters Township Library Foundation’s Novel November. The literary event will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. at the Peters Township High School Auditorium at 121 Rolling Hills Drive in McMurray. This will be the fourth program in the Novel November series. Previous featured speakers include Yaa Gyasi in 2017, Tim O’ Brien in 2018, and Anna Quindlen in 2019.

Tickets are now on sale at https://ptlib.org/TJRtickets. You can also purchase tickets at the library’s circulation desk. Out of an abundance of caution, masks will now be required at this event.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter of several novels that explore love in all its complexity. She writes and speaks candidly about women’s issues, relationships, marriage, and the writing process.

Reid’s newest novel, Malibu Rising, is a New York Times bestseller that follows the four famous Riva siblings who throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. The events of the night in 1983 reveal the many secrets that shaped this family’s generations, and the Rivas lives change forever. With her beloved, signature style, Reid writes a powerful story of historical fiction that explores fame, family, identity, and the impact of secrets unraveled. Malibu Rising is a #ReadWithJenna book club pick and is set to be adapted as a Hulu television series.

Her previous novel, Daisy Jones & The Six (another New York Times bestseller), details the history of a fictional rock band from the 1970s and what led to their rise to and fall from fame. In addition to writing the novel, Reid also wrote the lyrics for each song featured in the book. Before its publication, the novel was picked up by Reese Witherspoon for her monthly book club, and by Hello Sunshine, Witherspoon’s production company, for an Amazon limited television series starring Riley Keough. Daisy Jones was named one of the best books of 2019 by several media outlets, including NPR, The Washington Post, Esquire, Glamour, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, and more. The audiobook has also received critical acclaim and was named one of Apple Books’s Best Audiobooks of 2019.

Reid is also the author of the acclaimed novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (also a New York Times bestseller), which follows the story of a fictional Hollywood icon and her glamorous life and marriages. A television adaptation of Evelyn Hugo is in the works, with Reid writing the series adaption. Her other books include One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever Interrupted. Reid’s novels have been Indie Next picks and have been featured in People, US Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, Goodreads, and more. She lives in Los Angeles.

Update for June 1, 2021 Library Operations

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From Peters Township Public Library Director Lacey Love:

As you are aware, Governor Wolf, in coordination with the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force, announced that mitigation orders except masking will be lifted on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31. In line with these new orders, I wanted to give you an update on our library operations. We will be providing more information about in-person, outdoor programming soon, but here are the changes effective June 1, 2021:

*Masks are still mandatory for all unvaccinated persons in all public spaces.

*Library hours will remain the same: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and closed Sunday.

*Six computers will be available for public use on the 2nd floor, up from four computers.

*Three study rooms on the 2nd floor for individual use only, one person per room.

*Two chairs per table on the 2nd floor and the booths in the non-fiction area will be fully open.

*No fines for overdue library materials and the first 10 prints from our computers are free.

*Tables and chairs will be available in the Youth Services Department, including the Teen Room.

*Café Lee, Conference Room, Multi-Purpose Room, and Reading Room are still unavailable.

*Teen gaming booths, video games, toys, AWE computers, and children’s computers are not available.

*HVAC renovations are still underway in the building. Please be aware that this may cause a temporary disruption in services, as well as issues with the building temperature.

If you have any questions about these changes, please email me. We hope to see you soon in our library building!

Access The Wall Street Journal anytime, anywhere!

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We are happy to announce that the Peters Township Public Library is able to provide PT Library cardholders with digital access to The Wall Street Journal from anywhere! The Wall Street Journal is one of the largest newspapers in the United States, providing coverage of breaking news and current headlines from the US and around the world and is published 6 days a week.

Simply click here to create your account, and you can start using wsj.com immediately. Your access will be available for the next 3 days.  After 3 days, simply come back and click the above link again, and log in as an existing user with the same username and password you originally created. Please note, your sign-on credentials are for your personal use ONLY and cannot be shared with other individuals. Any violation of this clause will result in Dow Jones terminating access.

Any questions please email us at ptlib@ptlibrary.org or call 724.941.9430 #4.