Keeping Up With the Joneses

Take a peek at the lives of your neighbors and satisfy your curiosity about what “everyone” is reading…

Each morning, staff members at the Frank Sarris Public Library empty the outside drop boxes of items that were returned during the night and seeing what’s been taken out allows us a small window on the world.  Today, for example, an interesting variety of fiction and non-fiction has found its way back to us.

Novels to have crossed the circulation desk this morning include such titles as Sam’s Letters to Jennifer (James Patterson), a large print copy of Harlan Coben’s The Stranger, Sacred Sins by Nora Roberts and the recent release Descent (Tim Johnston).

An eclectric mix of non-fiction was returned in the wee hours, as well.  Titles leaning toward the practical include The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Ultimate Chicken Cookbook, but books of that nature are not the only ones to have recently circulated.  For instance, we have 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Pittsburgh, The Art of Charles Schulz and Pillsbury’s Best of the Bake-off: Casseroles, to name just a few.

So, there you have it…now you know what your neighbors are doing behind closed doors – they’re reading!

Are YOU Up to the Challenge?

This summer, the Frank Sarris Public Library is issuing a challenge to the community…a million minute challenge. Staff members are asking that everyone, young or old, summer reading participant or non-participant, keep track of the amount of time they spend reading this summer, (through July 25).

It doesn’t matter whether you’re enjoying the current bestseller by John Sandford or reading the latest Mo Willems to your kids, it all counts! “Do only books count?” you ask. No, any reading material is acceptable, whether it’s a magazine, an instruction manual or the back of your breakfast cereal box. You needn’t borrow the item from the library (though we certainly encourage you to do so!), nor does it have to be a physical item – time spent reading electronic books and magazines counts, too.

The library will provide you with the supplies you need to record your reading and staff members will keep track of the community’s progress…you’ll be able to watch us move toward our goal of one million minutes both within the library and through its social media sites.

On your mark, get set…READ!

Borrowing from the Convenience of Home

Did you know that it’s possible for you to borrow library materials without ever leaving the comfort of home? Electronic materials are perfect for those rainy days when you just don’t feel like dragging yourself—or you little ones—out of the house and to the Library! If you haven’t already, why not try a digital format magazine through Zinio? If you need help registering a Zinio account, be sure to check out our “how to” instructions on our website (www.franksarrislibrary.org) or come in – or call – for assistance. The Library offers a wide variety of titles, including Newsweek, 30-Minute Meals, Mental Floss, and The Rolling Stone, so the odds are good that you’ll find something of interest!

If magazines aren’t your thing, we encourage you to see what books are available for borrowing through Overdrive – start by visiting the Library’s home page to get to the Overdrive catalog, then search and see what appeals to you! There are more than 2500 titles available if you’re looking for eBook fiction, and if your preference is non-fiction there are almost 1000 selections from which to choose!

If you’re one of those people who have been meaning to read “the classics”, eBooks can make it easy on you to do so…There are more than 46,000 titles in the public domain available through Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org), and these never expire and don’t count against your library checkout limit! In case you were wondering, you don’t have to have an eReader…books and audiobooks can be downloaded to your home computer, too!

FSPL Receives Generous Grant

Last month, the Frank Sarris Public Library learned that it is has been awarded a generous, two-year grant from the Grable Foundation. The Grable Foundation is known for its support of children’s educational programs and this donation will provide funding for several aspects of library service.

The grant will fund the addition of approximately 500 picture books to the library’s holdings. These books will become a collection that is used to expand the library’s outreach programs; they will be taken by two library staff members to the local Headstart location, and other daycares and preschools, on a weekly basis.

The Grable Foundation’s grant will also enable the library to create 70 themed kits for children from infancy through elementary school age (up to the fourth grade level). These kits will contain books and educational materials that will be available for check-out to teachers, homeschool families and others in the community. The library will be holding an Open House in the Spring to introduce the kits to educators in the area.

Make the Library Your Next Stop this Christmas Season

Maybe you’re aware that Christmas is right around the corner, but if not, this website will tell you exactly how far off it is!  Certainly, there is much to do and little time in which to do it, but don’t worry, the Frank Sarris Public Library is here to help with that.

We still have Enjoy books available – at just $30, one would make a great gift to yourself or someone else – and Second Hand Prose offers a wide selection of books hoping to find new homes, many of them are suitable for gift-giving. The best part? You can fill a bag with books for just $5! Looking through the selection there, you can find an assortment of holiday-themed books for sale and hundreds of others, too.

Naturally, your friendly neighborhood library has books for borrowing as well. You can find books to help you get into the holiday mood, books with recipes for cookies or for crowds, and books to assist you with your holiday décor.

Have you decided to make some gifts this year? We can help with that, too!  A keyword search of the catalog will enable you to find Stylish Gifts to Make in a Day, Edible Gifts, and much more. If you’re still struggling to find the right gift for the person who has everything, consider this…

You can honor someone special while helping to build the library’s collection.  The library accepts monetary donations for the purchase of materials, and book plates are placed in the new materials to acknowledge both the honoree and the donor.  Notification is sent to the honoree, and donation forms can be printed out in advance (please see our website) or picked up at the library.

Yarn-a-holics Unite!

Are you addicted to yarn? Do you have more patterns than you could possibly try in a single lifetime? If you stitch, you’re welcome to do it with us! Come to the library and bring whatever cross-stitch, crochet, embroidery or knitting project you’re doing and stitch with us every Tuesday at 5:00.

Come to the library for board games!

Come to the library to play board games Wednesday evenings at 6:30. This is your chance to play the 24Math game, chess, checkers, Monopoly and more

Bring the kids to the library for an Old

Bring the kids to the library for an Old Fashioned Christmas craft. There’s no charge for your little one to make and take a holiday keepsake. This Saturday from 11:30-2

Stock up on books for the winter!

We’d love to help you stock up on books for the winter from our used book sale room! Hardbacks are $1 and paperbacks are 50¢, or you can fill a bag for just $5. We’ve got children’s books, adult paperbacks, fiction and non-fiction, all looking for a new home.

Coming Soon…a Day of Wellness

Join us all day on Friday, December 12th to learn more about

healthcare coverage that fits your budget and meets your needs.

Whether you’re uninsured or just want to explore your choices, the

marketplace navigator will help find coverage that’s right for you.

We will also have free health screenings and services from

Canonsburg’s new UPMC Centers for Rehab Services.