News

Library Foundation welcomes “V.E.” Schwab for Novel November

by

The Peters Township Library Foundation is excited to announce that Victoria “V.E.” Schwab will be the featured author for their upcoming Novel November event. The literary event will take place on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Peters Township High School Auditorium in McMurray, located at 121 Rolling Hills Drive. This program will be the sixth in the Novel November series, with previous featured speakers including Yaa Gyasi, Tim O’Brien, Anna Quindlen, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Andy Weir.

Ticket Sales

Tickets for the event will go on sale on Thursday, September 7, 2023, and can be purchased online at ptlib.org/veschwab. Adult general admission tickets are priced at $30, while student tickets are available for $5. All general admission tickets include a post-event book signing with Schwab. Riverstone Books, The Foundation’s independent local bookselling partner, will sell Schwab’s books before and after the program. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to hear from a New York Times bestselling author.

A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for $75. The VIP ticket includes a reception with music and light refreshments from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. in the Peters Township High School cafeteria. VIP ticket holders will receive a copy of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and attend a pre-event book signing by Schwab. You can also purchase tickets at the Peters Township Public Library circulation desk.

About V.E. Schwab

Photo of Victoria "V.E." Schwab“V.E.” Schwab is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, and the international bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters. 

 

More about “V.E.” Schwab

Addie LaRue is Invisible – But Memorable https://www.npr.org/2020/10/08/921305498/addie-larue-is-invisible-but-memorable

The Book of VE Schwab’s Heart
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/84041-the-book-of-v-e-schwab-s-heart.html

Author VE Schwab on writing monsters to help her readers fight real life https://www.cbsnews.com/news/victoria-schwab-author-darker-shades-first-kill-writing-young-adult-fantasy/

Visit her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@veschwab_onwriting

Mythic Fiction Writing Contest Winners

by

Throughout April, the Youth Services Department accepted submissions for a unique writing contest for tweens and teens. The contest’s theme was “mythic fiction,” in conjunction with the library’s NEA Big Read Grant featuring the novel Circe by Madeline Miller.

Library staff member Elizabeth May coordinated the contest, entered by ten tweens and three teens. May offered a workshop in March to help participants prepare for the contest. The teen entries were all retellings of classic Greek and Norse mythology, all with strong female characters. The tween entries took a more general approach of being mythology-inspired or featuring a mythic creature.

Library staff, The Peters Township Library Foundation members, and celebrity judges reviewed all the entries based on three criteria: creativity, technique, and theme. 

Over 50 people attended a reception on Thursday, May 4, at the library to announce the winners. Each tween and teen who participated were given a certificate of participation. The top two winners in each category for tweens and teens did a reading of their entries for their families and friends. Both runners-up and grand prize winners received prizes. May plans to hold another themed writing contest next year to encourage the craft of writing.

Select the writer’s name to read their entry.  

The winners included:

Tweens:

Grand-prize winner: Dora Liu

Runner-up: Claire Heller

Teens:

Grand-prize winner: Hannah Cataneo

Runner-up: Hannah Crnkovich

Additional writers included:

Andrew Bricker
Alissa Diraimondo
Ashley Hafenbrack
Zachary Hathaway
Jo Myers
Thomas Oxenreiter
Alaina Petrovich

U.S. Army War College Officers return to PT Library

by

The Peters Township Public Library will welcome senior officers from the U.S. Army War College for a panel discussion on Applying Strategic Empathy: From Humanitarian Relief to Great Power Competition. The officers will appear in person at the library on Tuesday, May 23, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. Register at ptlib.org/awc23 to reserve your seat for this program or to receive a Zoom link to watch from your home.

This will be the 17th consecutive year the library has hosted a panel discussion with officers from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This presentation is part of the Eisenhower Series College Program with the U.S. Army War College.

Strategic empathy is one of many capabilities the U.S. Army War College seeks to enhance in the rising senior leaders who participate in its resident 10-month master’s degree program. Government actors become more effective when they apply strategic empathy and thereby more fully understand the nuanced perspectives and motivations of their allies, partners, competitors, and adversaries.

 

Featured speakers for the program:

Dr. Michael Neiberg will serve as the moderator for the discussion.

Colonel Dena Goble will share her insights regarding the importance of strategic empathy as a U.S. Army Reserve military police and civil affairs officer recently responsible for leading 800 soldiers during US resettlement operations for thousands of Afghan refugees.

Brigadier General Atul Bhat from the Indian Army will give the audience an opportunity to improve their own strategic empathy for India as he candidly explains the historical challenges, current dilemmas, and emerging opportunities for India as it navigates the great power competition between the United States and China.

Peters Township Public Library is a GOLD STAR Library, which is part of the Pennsylvania Library Association PA Forward initiative. Libraries can give citizens of all ages the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives, to contribute effectively in their communities, and to participate in civil discourse.

PA Forward Gold Level Library

 

 

About the Speakers

Michael S. Neiberg is Professor of History and Chair of War Studies at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. His published work specializes on the First and Second World Wars in global context. His Potsdam: The End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe (Basic Books, 2015) won the Harry Truman Prize. The Wall Street Journal named his Dance of the Furies: Europe and the Outbreak of World War I(Harvard University Press, 2011) one of the five best books ever written about that war. His latest book is When France Fell: The Vichy Crisis and the Fate of the Anglo-American Relationship (Harvard University Press, 2021), which won the 2022 Society for Military History Book Prize. In 2017 he was awarded the Médaille d’Or du Rayonnement Culturel from La Renaissance Française, an organization founded by French President Raymond Poincaré in 1915 to keep French culture alive during the First World War.

Colonel Dena Goble has over 35 years of Army Reserve service. Enlisting at 17, she has served in numerous leadership positions of increasing responsibility. Her expertise is as a military police officer specifically with detainee operations in Guantanamo Bay Cuba and Iraq. She has trained with other militaries in Japan, Tajikistan, Jordan, and Germany. As a civil affairs professional Colonel Goble partnered with the Jordanian Armed Forces to enhance the integration of women into their military. She also liaised intergovernmental coordination for the Syrian refugee crisis. Most recently, she led over 800 Soldiers in support of the Department of Homeland Security during the resettlement of Afghan evacuees.

Brigadier General Atul Bhat of India is an armored officer who has served in various parts of India. He has held varied command and staff assignments during his 30 years of service, including command of an infantry company during Counter Insurgency Operations, command of an armored regiment and an armored brigade, and he has served as deputy commander of an armored brigade at extremely high altitude in the Himalayas. He is a graduate of the Indian Staff College and Higher Command courses. An electronics engineer, he belongs to the northern Kashmir province of India and has traveled widely across his country.

NEA Big Read CIRCE

by

PT Library is one of 62 organizations across the country participating in the 2022-2023 NEA Big Read. From April 1 to May 11, our community will celebrate Circe by Madeline Miller with a full calendar of events for all ages. The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. PTPL has partnered with The Peters Township Library Foundation, Washington & Jefferson College, Peters Township Parks & Recreation, the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce, and Mondays Brewing Company to offer a wide variety of programs and activities for the community. If you have media inquiries about PTPL’s Big Read, please contact Assistant Director Illyanna Logan.

Circe features topics in Greek Mythology and history and themes of independence and resilience that weave their way through the library’s offering of events and activities. A partner read for youth was also selected as part of this program. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Choksi features an Indian-American twelve-year-old who navigates through Hindu folklore to save family and friends, all while wearing her Spiderman pajamas.

Register for programs through the event calendar and continue reading to find more community activities!

Join us at the library as we kickoff a month of programs surrounding Circe by Madeline Miller. See Washington County Spinners & Weavers Guild demonstrations, visit Hummus Pittsburgh’s food truck, grab free copies (while supplies last) of Circe or our partner read Aru Shah and the End of Time, and participate in our community art project. No registration is necessary, and all ages are invited. This event will be at the library on Saturday, April 1, from 12 to 2 pm.

 

On Thursday, May 4, NYT best-selling author Madeline Miller will discuss her journey in imagining one of the most (in)famous witches in literature, including her inspiration, research, and writing process. This event will be at 6:30 pm and held via Zoom, but viewing parties will also be held at Chartiers-Houston Community Library, Eva K. Bowlby Public Library, Monongahela Area Library, and Peters Township Public Library. Register for the zoom link here.

 

The library and Chamber of Commerce invite you to take a journey through Peters Township! Pick up a passport at the library and explore the township while you collect secret phrases on your odyssey. Discover mythical characters and creatures while exploring Peters Township! Return your passport to the library for a chance to win a prize. More stops = more chances to win!
Passports will be available starting April 1 at the NEA BIG READ Kickoff event and throughout the month of April.

 

All ages can log their reading and complete activities in our Circe-inspired Bingo Challenge on the Beanstack App. Read mythic books, attend library events, or take your own little odyssey in a park. Once you have Bingo, come to the library for a prize on or after April 10!
https://ptlibrary.beanstack.org

 

The library that brought you the world-renowned Hogwarts Digital Escape Room invites you to Escape the Labyrinth. Test your knowledge and puzzle skills as you try to escape the Minotaur’s Labyrinth! Will you be able to unravel this mystery, or will you fly too close to the sun? This virtual escape room will be available online. Just click here to play!

New PTPL Events Calendar and Online Room Reservations

by

We are thrilled to launch a new intuitive calendar for you to find and register for events that interest you! Go to https://events.ptlibrary.org/ to get started. Be sure to bookmark that webpage for future use. We thank the Peters Township Library Foundation for their financial support in bringing this new calendar, registration, and room reservation platform to our community!

Using the New Calendar

You can see a screenshot of the February 2023 calendar below. Along the left side of your screen, you can search for events by keywords, age group, program type, and registration type. Events are color-coded by age group on the main portion of the calendar. You can change the view to Upcoming, Month, Week, or Day. You can easily see which programs are Full, Open, Waitlist, or require no registration.

New Program Sidebar

If you view the calendar on a desktop and hover over the program title, the program details will appear on the left sidebar. In the example below for Orchids 101 on February 11, you can see that 15 seats are remaining for this program for adults. Click on the program title in the sidebar or the full calendar to register. 

 

Full Event Details and Registration

Below is the full event listing for Orchids 101. Using the three icons in the center of the description, you can add the event to iCal or your Google Calendar, print the event, or share it on social media. Next, you can review the Event Details. If registration is required, complete the requested information. The Add Another button allows you to add multiple persons using your contact information. If you are registering for a program from the Youth Services Department, we are asking you to register the name of your child/tween/teen. If we need the name of the Parent/Guardian with the child, the registration form will specifically ask for that information. Optional questions How did you hear about this program? and Do you want to sign up for the newsletter? will help library staff learn how you receive library program information. If you have additional questions, you can refer to the Contact Info for that particular event on the far right of the listing.   

Once you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation to your provided email address. You will receive a program reminder 48 hours before the event takes place with instructions should you need to cancel. If you are on a waitlist for a program, check your email frequently for a notification if we have moved you from “Waitlist” to “Registered”!
If you do not use email, you can call the library at 724.941.9430 #1 to register for a program. Please have the event date and title ready when you call.

Reserve a Meeting Room Online!

In addition to a new calendar and registration platform, PTPL also has a new page for reserving meeting rooms. Outside organizations no longer need to call the library to check for meeting room availability – it’s all visible online at events.ptlibrary.org/reserve-room. This page is also accessible through the library website. Under the Using the Library tab, select Meeting Rooms and follow the link. 

You can view availability either by room or by day. Once you select a room or date, you can see all availability.

Greyed-out times slots are not available to book. Any time slot with an orange plus sign is available. Simply choose the desired start time of your meeting, and fill out a brief form with your contact information, AV equipment needs, and organization type.

 

We can no longer accept paper forms to request a room. Once the form is submitted, please allow two business days for library staff to review and respond.

Launching this new online calendar was one of the objectives of Goal 2 of our Strategic Plan: Prevail as a gateway of knowledge and information by offering programs and services that meet the needs of a 21st-century citizenry. Our objective was to strengthen marketing and communication strategies to maximize opportunities for sharing information in a cohesive manner that improves your library experience. We are pleased to offer you this new calendar to begin 2023!

Andy Weir is the 2022 Novel November featured author

by

Andy Weir will be the featured author for The Peters Township Library Foundation’s upcoming Novel November. The literary event will be held on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. at the Peters Township High School Auditorium at 121 Rolling Hills Drive in McMurray. This program will be the fifth in the Novel November series. Previous featured speakers included Yaa Gyasi in 2017, Tim O’Brien in 2018, Anna Quindlen in 2019, and Taylor Jenkins Reid in 2021.

Ticket sales begin online at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 7, at ptlib.org/AndyWeir. Adult general admission tickets are $25, and Student tickets are $5. All general admission tickets include a post-event book signing with Weir. Riverstone Books, The Foundation’s independent local bookselling partner, will sell Weir’s books before and after the program.

A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for $60. The VIP ticket includes a reception with passed appetizers from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. in the Peters Township High School cafeteria. VIP ticket holders will receive a copy of Project Hail Mary, Weir’s newest book, and attend a pre-event book signing by Weir. You can also purchase tickets at the Peters Township Public Library circulation desk.

A digital ticket option will be available for $25 for those who prefer not to attend in person. A recording of the program will be available on Friday, November 4, with a code to view for 14 days.

Following local health and safety guidelines, if Novel November cannot take place in person, all tickets will automatically convert to the digital format.

About Andy Weir
Andy Weir built a two-decade career as a software engineer until the success of this first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing full-time. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of such subjects as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. Weir lives in California. His newest book, Project Hail Mary, has been optioned for a film starring Ryan Gosling.

More about Andy Weir:

Littsburgh: Staying Within the Realm of Real Physics: Littsburgh Interviews Andy Weir

Observer-Reporter: ‘The Martian’ author to land in Peters Township for Novel November

Sound advice: Audiobooks to thrill, delight, and spread hope

‘Project Hail Mary’ was consistently voted the best science fiction book of 2021 — here’s why it’s as incredible as everyone says

Review: Andy Weir’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ is an out-of-this-world tale of science and friendship

‘The Martian’ author Andy Weir aims for the stars with new sci-fi thriller ‘Project Hail Mary’