Come read with us.

We're very excited to write to you today about our new Book Discussion Group.  If you enjoy reading and discussing what you've read, this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

Each month, our group of readers will all read the same title.  After registering online, participating patrons can come in and pick up a copy of the book from the circulation desk in New Kensington beginning March 5th.  These books can be borrowed for a little over a month.  For the kick off, we've pre-selected Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates.  (Next up will be Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.)  These are both great books we're really excited about, and believe will encourage lively discussion!

That will happen once a month, when members of the Book Discussion Group meet at a scheduled time at the library.  Discussions can be as short or as long as the group wants them to be.  A leader will guide the conversation with prepared questions.

At the first meeting, which will be on Thursday, April 22 at 1:30 PM in New Kensington, the group can pick out some other titles they'll be interested in reading and chart their own course for this exciting program.  Registration is required, so be sure to sign up if you're interested.  The next meetings will be held on Thursday, May 27th at 1:30 PM in New Kensington and 6:30 PM in Lower Burrell.  We'll let you know when registration for this second set of meetings opens.
Why join?  Joining a book discussion group can motivate you to read, allow you to learn while sharing your own and discussing others' perspectives, and even make new friends.  This is one of the library's many programs that encourage lifelong learning and a love of reading in our community.  We hope to see you there!

The verdict is in...

...penguins are cool! (But, as we learned this past Saturday, they don't all live in cold climates.)

One such penguin, Simon, made a special visit to Peoples Library in New Kensington this past Saturday. In excess of 175 people of all ages came out to see him and the attending representatives from the National Aviary. Everyone was treated to an enjoyable presentation while Simon strutted across the table.

Update: Peoples Library digs out from the snow...

If you saw our parking lot in Lower Burrell last week, and are like us, you might have been shocked by the amount of snow!  We know this made it difficult for our valued patrons to park and use the library, and we want to thank those of you who did their best to squeeze into a spot or even walked to the facility.  As mentioned in our previous post, we made special arrangements to have more of that snow removed. 

Check out some pictures to see the the process of removal, and - we're happy to report - the vastly improved conditions:

The digging begins...

Finally, snow is hauled away and you have more room to park!

Won't you be my neighbor?

Did you know that if Mister Rogers were alive today, he would be celebrating his 82nd birthday this year?

Sadly, he has passed, but his spirit of neighborliness lives on. After spending 33 years on the air teaching kindness and generosity, special programs like this one keep his messages alive. We invite you to celebrate his spirit on Thursday, March 11th by attending "Won't you be my neighbor?" Day at Peoples Library, New Kensington.

We're asking our patrons to wear sweaters to the event in honor of Mister Rogers, and also to bring an extra, gently worn sweater to donate to others who are in need of warmth and assistance this winter. Help us create a sizable collection of sweaters to donate to members of our community (our neighbors!) to keep them warm.

As a special bonus, Stage Right! will do a special presentation of "Oh, the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Suess. Registration is required; register online in the Events section of our web site, or by calling 724-339-1021 ext. 14.

Peoples Library digs out from the snow...

As of this writing, Peoples Library is open and warm, ready for you to come in and use the facility.  However, like everyone else in Western Pennsylvania, we have faced many challenges in weathering this storm.

In accordance with our policy of closing in line with school district closings, the libraries in New Kensington and Lower Burrell closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (2/8, 2/9, and 2/11) of last week due to extreme inclement weather.  However, by Thursday, when the school districts in Lower Burrell and New Kensington closed for a fourth consecutive day, we made a special exception. We wanted to support the community, and so we opened both Thursday and Friday, despite our winter weather policy.

We want to thank you for your patience and understanding during our closings.  Check out some pictures of our libraries during this storm.

Peoples Library - New Kensington

Peoples Library - Lower Burrell 

 

  

We'd also like to let you know that we made special arrangements for additional plowing and snow removal in the Lower Burrell parking lot, and so the conditions there have vastly improved. Again, we thank you for your patience during this difficult time!

How was the snow at your house? We'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to share your stories, links to your own blogs and/or pictures in the comments.