Kohl’s Cares grant helps to spruce up children’s area
Northern Tier Library recently received a $2,000 Kohl’s Cares Shopping Grant.
The donation enabled the library to update its Children’s Room with new furniture and toys, purchase new items for children’s cooking classes and renew the staff break room.
Library partners with PA Forward to enhance literacy in many areas
Libraries have moved far beyond just being book repositories. They are agile institutions serving real-life needs.
In partnership with PA Forward, Northern Tier Library is committed to powering progress and elevating the quality of life in the community by fueling the types of knowledge essential to success: basic literacy, information literacy, civic and social literacy, health literacy and financial literacy throughout the year.
PA Forward provides a framework for libraries to describe the impact of this programming to their communities.
As a Gold Star Library, Northern Tier aims to continue raising awareness and education efforts in Pine and Richland townships.
Calling all fiber arts aficionados
Northern Tier Library has started a new fiber arts group.
The Fantastic Fiber Arts Club will meet from 10 to noon on the first and third Saturdays of each month to hang out and practice their preferred style of fiber art.
This club has no designated teachers at the moment, but you might find help from fellow participants.
Registration is requested for new attendees.
NORTHERN TIER LIBRARY
Northland Tier Library is located at 4015 Dickey Road in Gibsonia. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and closed Sundays. The library can be reached at 724-449-2665 or northerntierlibrary.org. Here are some upcoming programs:
• Weekly Craft: Pickup on Tuesdays through Feb. 11
Kids of all ages are invited to enjoy a simple, weekly take-home craft. Please call or register online to reserve a supply kit that can be picked up on Tuesdays and enjoyed at home.
• Puzzle Swap: 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 25
Do you have a puzzle or two you’ve completed and are ready to start something new? Instead of purchasing a new one, Pittsburgh Puzzle Exchange is hosting a swap at the library. Bring as many puzzles as you wish to swap, and take as many “new” ones as you brought. Registration is requested.
• Makerspace Kits: Jan. 27
This month’s project is an Origami Bookmark Fold, a corner bookmark to keep one’s place when reading. Kids and teens can enjoy a take-home kit featuring directions & materials to complete a craft from our Makerspace! Please call or register online to reserve a supply kit that can be picked up on Mondays and enjoyed at home.
• Pokémon Club: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 3
Bring your cards or games and join other Pokémon trainers at the library to trade and play together. Boards will be available for the card game, and a Pokémon-related project will be there to enjoy. This event is self-directed and open to children, teens, and their families. Registration is required.
• Compost Happens!: 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 10
Compost is a natural process that, more often than not, home composters manage to impede, Penn State Master Gardener John Powell will talk about the basics of home composting from bin selection to the use of the finished product. There will be samples of healthy compost and samples of compost sadly gone wrong. Learn to judge your compost by eye and nose and how to make the necessary corrections. Both kitchen and landscape composting will be covered. After the class is over, you will be able to confidently select a compost bin that meets your needs, know what tools you need to work your compost, know what is safe and practical, and judge the health of your compost. Registration is required.
• Baby Playtime: 11 to 11:30 a.m. through Feb. 11
Come enjoy a half-hour of fun with your baby. We’ll share songs, fingerplays, stories and rhymes. Meet other parents and their babies, and enjoy some special time together. This program is intended for babies ages 0-18 months and will be held Tuesday mornings in the program room on our main level. Siblings are welcome, and only one registration is required for the series of six playtimes.
• Natureology … Polar Opposites: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11
The Earth’s poles are full of ice and snow, and yet many animals spend their lives wandering the cold — and loving it! Even people find it enticing enough to build their homes there. Learn more about snowy creatures at this month’s Natureology with Tony Palermo. This program is for children of all ages, and registration is required.
• Story & Playtime: 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays through Feb. 12 and Thursdays through Feb. 13
Share songs, rhymes and books in the library’s program room on the main level. Families are encouraged to bring a blanket to sit on, but it’s not necessary as we will be on a carpeted floor. This program is for toddlers, preschoolers and their families. Registration is required, and only one registration is necessary for this series of six storytimes.
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• German Conversation Group: 3 to 4 p.m. Feb. 20
This informal group offers a place to practice your German and learn about the German culture with others. Whether you just started learning German or you are a fluent speaker, join us for an hour of German conversation. This group meets on the third Thursday of each month.
• Bluey Winter Freeze Dance Party: 5 to 6:3o p.m. Feb. 26
Join us for a special evening with Bluey. We will play games, dance with bubbles, craft wintry items and enjoy some snacks while we celebrate Bluey in a Winter Wonderland. This program is for all ages, and registration is required.
PINE CENTER
This satellite branch of Northland Tier Library is located in the Pine Community Center at 100 Pine Park Drive in Wexford. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; and closed Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Here are some upcoming programs:
• Pining for Books … “Mistaken Identity” by Lisa Scottoline: 2 p.m. Feb. 10
Trial lawyer Bennie Rosato is called to the local prison to consult with a woman accused of committing murder. Bennie has no intention of taking the case, until she comes face to face with the woman who bears an astonishing resemblance. Bennie takes on the case against her better judgment and starts sniffing out the corruption and dangerous cover-up that lies at its center. Join us to discuss the book.
• Library Leaders Townhall Meeting: 4:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 13
The Library Leaders are a diverse group of Pine-Richland School District students from grades 4-12 who want to make the library better for their community and peers. Townhall meetings provide a chance for leaders to come together, advise on the needs of their peers and learn how to promote the library during this half-hour meeting.
• Coffee & Crime … “A Simple Favor” by Darcey Bell: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27
Mommy blogger Stephanie is ecstatic to have connected with a new friend, Emily, when their sons meet at school. However, Stephanie must question her own morals and sanity when Emily goes missing in this page-turning psychological thriller. Join us to discuss the book.
• STEM Take-Home Crafts at Pine Center
Every month in conjunction with our children’s display, the Pine Center library will offer a free STEM take-home craft available for pickup until supplies last. For the February craft, learn how to make 2D and 3D structures with heart erasers. No registration is required.