Preview screening set on ‘Free for All’ documentary
Northland Public Library is giving the public the opportunity to view the documentary “Free for All: The Public Library” before it premieres April 29 on PBS.
The screening will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. April 11 in the library’s upper level of the adult nonfiction area.
Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
“Free for All” tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the Free Library Movement to today’s librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures and book bans, meet those who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all.
To learn more about the documentary and its filmmakers, visit pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/free-for-all.
Registration is required. To sign up, register online through the event calendar, stop by the Ask a Librarian Desk or call the library at 412-366-8100, ext 113.
Donations welcome on Library Giving Day
April 1 is Library Giving Day, and the community’s support makes a difference in the lives of the more than 90,000 residents directly served by Northland Public Library.
Donations to the nonprofit Northland Public Library Foundation can be made online at https://tinyurl.com/5ac22np6. Cash or checks can be dropped off at any of the library’s service desks. Checks also can be mailed to the Northland Public Library Foundation, 300 Cumberland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.
For a list of other methods of giving, such as donor advised funds, bequests or retirement account distributions, visit northlandlibrary.org/foundation/support-make-a-donation.
For details, contact the foundation at nplfoundation@northlandlibrary.org.
Volunteers needed for library’s book sale
Northland Public Library is looking for volunteers to help with its Spring Book Sale, which will run from May 1-4.
Volunteers are needed to help set up, sell items and tear down after the four-day event.
To sign up, visit the volunteer page at northlandlibrary.org. For questions, contact Kelley Moten at motenk2@northlandlibrary.org.
The public is invited to beat the crowds and register for the preview sale from 5 to 7:30 p.m. May 1.
Registration, which opens April 1 and runs until April 30, costs $10 — or patrons can pay $15 at the door. Space is limited to 60 attendees, and tickets are not refundable.
To register, visit https://northlandpubliclibraryfoundation.salsalabs.org/Spring2025BookSale.
The regular book sale will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 2 and 3. There will be a $5 bag sale from 1 to 4 p.m. May 4; bags will be provided by library staff.
Tickets still available for annual Garden Gala
While the VIP tickets have sold out, supporting sponsorship and general admission tickets are still available for the 2025 Garden Gala: Down the Rabbit Hole on April 26 at Northland Public Library, 300 Cumberland Road.
The annual 21-and-older fundraiser hosted by the Northland Public Library Foundation will feature a selection of local food and beverage vendors, live entertainment, a silent auction and more.
The sponsor and VIP reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., with general admission entry at 7:30.
Supporting sponsorship tickets cost $3oo and include two VIP tickets; general admission tickets are $75. To purchase tickets, visit northlandlibrary.org/foundation/garden-gala.
For details about the event, call Alexis McKinley, foundation director, at 412-366-8100, ext. 104, or email her at mckinleya@northlandlibrary.org.
Programs for adults
• Talking Flirty: Romance Authors Tell All: 2 to 3:30 p.m. March 29
Join local authors as they discuss all things romance, from subgenres to writing characters to writing “those” love scenes. Susan Helene Gottfried will moderate a panel with authors Christina Bunner, Lainey Davis, Beck Grey, Liz Milliron and narrator Amber Battaglia.
• Craft night: Upcycled T-shirt Yarn: 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 31
Learn to make your own chunky, cotton yarn from old T-shirts to use for crochet, macrame, and crafts! We’ll also provide craft ideas for your t-shirt yarn. Registration is required for this program. You will need to bring your own cotton or cotton blend T-shirt, preferably without side seams.
Featured Local Businesses
• Caregiver Support Cafe: Caring for Loved Ones at Home: 6 to 7 p.m. April 3
Join Erin McMaster, memory care adviser from Arden Courts, and Jeanie Watson from Home Matters, a home health agency that helps keep loved ones at home while monitoring decline. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Registration is required.
• Pittsburgh’s Historic Ballparks: 6 to 7 p.m. April 10
Mark Fatla, a lifelong baseball fan and author of “Pittsburgh’s Historic Ballparks” (Arcadia Press, 2023), chronicles the nine ballparks that hosted Major League Baseball in Pittsburgh between 1876 and today, including the Negro Leagues. Historic photographs illustrate design and construction phases, the major changes as parks expanded and aged, and eventually their demolition. Registration is required.
Programs for young people
• Middle School Writing Group: 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 2
This gathering held the first Wednesday of each month is for students in grades 5-8 who enjoy creative writing and would like to meet other students with similar interests. Join us for writing games, group writing exercises and interesting prompts. Bring your notebook or laptop because there will be plenty of unstructured time to start a new project or continue working on an old one, as well as opportunities to share your work, if you wish. No registration is required.
• Homeschool Meet-up: 10 to 11:30 a.m. April 3
Students ages 9 to 15 can join Kim Pierson and her imaginative writing prompts for an exercise in creative writing. Participants can bring things they are working on as well, as well as their laptop, tablet or notebook if they like. Otherwise, materials will be provided. Registration is required, and space is limited.
• Nature Friends Storytime: 10 to 10:30 a.m. April 15
Children 3 to 5 are invited to join us for nature-themed stories, songs and library fun. No registration is required, but space is limited.
Ongoing programs
• Crafting With Ms. Kim: 10 to 11:30 a.m. every Thursday
Children 3 and older can create a 15-minute craft with Ms. Kim. This is a drop-in program. Meet in the program room in the CATS Department near the Early Readers.
• Pokémon Club: 4 to 5 p.m. first Tuesday of each month
Gotta catch ’em all! An hour of Pokémon fun for Pokemon trainers ages 10 to 16. We’ll have a different activity each month, and trainers are welcome to bring their own cards and games from home to show off and share. No registration is required.
• Cookbook Club: 6 to 8 p.m. first Monday of each month
Home cooks of all skill levels explore dishes from various cookbooks. You may make a dish to share related to the month’s theme. Email summersk@northlandlibrary.org with questions or to join the group’s email list. The April 7 gathering will focus on recipes for brunch; the May 5 theme is Community/Collaborative Cookbook.
• Tea and Stitches: 10 a.m. to noon first Friday of each month
Anyone who enjoys knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, embroidery or other needle arts are invited to work on their project while chatting with other crafters. Tea and snacks will be provided. No registration required, and all experience levels are welcome. If you’re interested in joining, email colemank2@northlandlibrary.org.
• Movie Matinee: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. April 16
Adults are welcome to a showing of “Discover London.” The film offers a tour of the Bloomsbury and Marylebone neighborhoods. In Bloomsbury, there will be stops at Charles Dickens’ house, the Silver Vaults, a posh umbrella store and the Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School. In Marylebone, the Wallace Collection will be highlighted, featuring the paintings of Frans Hals, Peter Paul Rubens and other old masters. We’ll also learn how the streets of London received their names. Mark your calendars: The May 21 showing will be “Nowhere Special,” a film set in Northern Ireland about a terminally ill father who needs to find a new family for his 4-year-old son.
For a full listing of events, activities and ongoing groups, and to register for programs at Northland Public Library, 300 Cumberland Road, McCandless, visit northlandlibrary.org.