Allegheny County has moved into the yellow phase of reopening. Many of you may be wondering what this means for your Library—and, maybe even more so, your favorite Library program. Though we don’t have a date in mind for reopening, I promise that we are just as eager to see you as you are to see us! We want everyone to be safe and healthy…

One time, at least five teens and I were all playing solitaire -- alone, together -- on the floor of the Library. It was spontaneous, solitary (of course), yet unifying. It felt like a lesson in mentoring then, and even more-so now. On that day and any typical day as a Children’s and Teen Librarian, I would think about teen brain development as part of…

While we love helping you find great reads and want to find the right book just for you, we also recognize that many of us love to explore on our own. Being able to go into the stacks to scan the shelves, scout out the new book area, and check out what has been put on display all create a special feeling when one finds…

It’s challenging to be creative with cooking when our time at the grocery stores is limited, the kids are tired of the usual go-to meals, and some days, cooking a meal is just hard! While our libraries are not open for you to browse our cookbook collection, we want to make sure that you have amazing options right at your fingertips at home to help…

Ever wondered how the first Census began? What has changed over time? Why they ask certain questions? Let's dive in to some of these questions using Library resources and research. The first Census Day took place on August 2, 1790. Rather than the door-knocking (or texting) enumerators we know today, the original census takers rode on horseback to find, question and catalog the population of…

Whether you have more time on hand, more stress than you can manage, or are looking for the social connection and creative inspiration you would find at the Library, we are here to help! Even just a little bit of creative activity is a proven way to relieve stress and boost positive feelings. You might already know that you can access dozens of creative tutorials…

How to Use This Guide   This is a brief introduction to the wonderful world of manga designed for educators, parents, librarians, and manga enthusiasts. In this guide you will learn about the history of manga, the genres of manga, the Japanese publishing industry and about manhwa. This guide is meant to be light and informative, but not everything you need to know about manga. Manga as…

We all been home for a while now and possibly gone through our stacks of library books we grabbed before library doors closed, the books we bought that have been sitting on our shelves for years, the books we have borrowed from friends and neighbors for that quarantine no-contact connection, and even got the book for that new virtual book club you just joined. So now what? Librarians are here to help! One of our favorite parts of our jobs is recommending great…

Good librarians, like any professionals, have a set of little-noticed soft skills that we use to help people in our communities everyday. At the top of that list is something known as the "read-alike." A read-alike is a recommendation of a book that is available right now, and that will hold you over until that brand new bestseller that you came in looking for is…