News

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!

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.   

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!