GLENSHAW PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Glenshaw Public Library, 1504 Butler Plank Road, Shaler, was established in 1895 and is known as the oldest free library west of the Alleghenies.
To reach the library, call 412-487-2121, email glenshawlibrary@gmail.com or visit online at glenshawpubliclibrary.org.
Hours are 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays for a quilters meet-up, 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, as well as 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays and and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays for a meet-up of embroiderers.
Various preplanned private classes and events are offered as scheduled, including:
• Painting Trees Art Class: 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesdays — Jan. 21 and 28, Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25: This six-week course will introduce students to painting a variety of trees and painting landscapes with trees. Students will study the basic shapes and structure of different trees — including palm trees, evergreen trees and deciduous trees — and will paint original landscapes with trees. Bring your painting supplies to the first class. Also, start collecting photos and drawings of the different types of trees to use as reference for your landscape paintings. The cost of the course is $105. Make checks payable to Teri Geever and mail them to Teri Geever, 1831 Vollmer Drive, Glenshaw, PA 15116.
• Roots — Adult Storytelling: 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29. This recurring storytelling event typically takes place on the last Thursday of every other month. The theme of the Jan. 29 gathering is “Resolution.” Come share a story of one made, kept or broken — from the past or on the horizon.
• America’s Tapestry: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through May 2026. The Pennsylvania branch of a national needlework group is creating a panel to mark America’s 250th anniversary. The public is invited to stop by at this time to view the panel’s progress and add a few stitches. Be sure to sign the guest book.
For details, visit glenshawpubliclibrary.org.
MILLVALE COMMUNITY LIBRARY
The Millvale Community Library, 213 Grant Ave., is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The Tool Lending Library is open from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
For a complete list of ongoing programs and services, visit millvalelibrary.org.
Chess club underway through April 10
The Youth Chess Club for children 18 and younger meets from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Friday through April 10.
No experience is necessary, and there is no cost to learn to play. Members of Queens Gambit will provide the instruction.
Snacks will be provided.
Fridge, pantry open 24/7
The Millvale Free Fridge is a community fridge located on the deck behind the Millvale Community Library.
The Millvale Free Pantry is now at the same location behind the library. Both are accessible to the public 24 hours a day.
The fridge is stocked with fresh and frozen groceries and meals from community members, as well as local food partners including 412 Food Rescue, the Gardens of Millvale, Sprezzatura, Lemon Tree Coffee, Abielle Voyante Tea Co. and more.
The fridge and pantry aim to promote food security and reduce food waste. The pantry also is stocked with hygiene and personal care products.
Residents who would like to contribute financially to the fridge and pantry fund can do so online at givebutter.com/MCLCommunityFoodResources.
To donate items or become an ambassador for the effort, email millvalefreefridgeandpantry@gmail.com.
Free music lessons available; new beatmaking session offered
You Be You Inc. offers free music lessons for all ages at the library:
• Grown-up and Me Music: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday in the community room. This free music and movement class is geared toward infants through age 4 with a caregiver. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is advised at youbeyouinc.com.
• Tween Beatmaking/Music Production: 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Youngsters 8 to 12 can meet up every Tuesday and explore the beats in this new offering at the library. Everything you need will be provided. Register for this free program via https://millvale.librarycalendar.com/event/tween-beat-makingmusic-production-you-be-you-music-1124. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is advised at youbeyouinc.com.
• Tween Guitar: 4 to 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday. These free guitar lessons are geared toward children 8 to 12. Students do not need experience, and several guitars are available. The program is funded by the Grable Foundation as part of You Be You’s Neighborhood Empowerment Music Project. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is advised at youbeyouinc.com.
• Adult Guitar: 6 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday. These free guitar lessons are geared toward children 8 to 12. Students do not need experience, and several guitars are available. The program is funded by the Grable Foundation as part of You Be You’s Neighborhood Empowerment Music Project. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is advised at youbeyouinc.com.
Volunteers needed
Millvale Community Library is looking for volunteers to help in a variety of areas, including:
• Tool Lending Library: Help patrons check out tools, explore the library’s extensive collection of 800-plus tools, keep everything organized, fix and maintain tools, and sign up new Tool Library members.
• Front desk: Help patrons locate materials, answer the phone, get up-close and personal with our books, tools, DVDs, and more — perfect for an avid reader.
• Free Fridge and Pantry: Help keep the library’s fridge and pantry stocked, cleaned and well documented.
• Workshop/program leaders: We are always looking for people who are interested in sharing their interests/talents with the community. Do you have a skill or hobby you would like to share with children, teens or adults? Let us know!
• Plant parent: We are looking for someone to care for our indoor and outdoor plants. This would include watering, pruning, repotting, etc.
• Yard work: Help our Building and Grounds Committee keep our yard happy, healthy and ready to be used by the community. Work includes weeding, cutting grass, trimming trees and bushes, etc.
Visit tinyurl.com/mrxsfk39 to fill out a volunteer application online or stop by the library for a paper version.
Volunteers must be 14 or older, and everyone must submit a criminal record check and PA child abuse history clearance, as well as a fingerprint-based federal criminal history background check.
For details, call the library at 412-822-7081.
SHALER NORTH HILLS LIBRARY
For details about any of the programs below or to register, visit the library’s website at shalerlibrary.org, call the library at 412-486-0211 or email Sharon McRae at mcraes@shalerlibrary.org.
Shaler North Hills Library is located at 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For a complete list of offerings, check out the online calendar of events.
Note: The library will be closed Jan. 30 for a staff in-service day.
Upcoming programs
• Love Shapes the Story, an Evening With Author Jenny Birch: 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Jan. 28. Tweens, teens and adults are welcome to join Shaler Area teacher Jenny Birch as she talks about her young adult fantasy novel, “Woven From Clay.” The novel from Wednesday Books, an imprint of Macmillan USA, is about choosing love over fear and rewriting the path you thought you had to take. Attendees will craft and create with clay while we discuss and share insight on embracing one’s true self and the connection and complexities of earth and humanity. Registration is required.
• Adopt a Grandparent Storytime at Ridgecrest: 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Jan. 29. This special intergenerational storytime is held on the last Thursday of every month. Join Miss Ing and Miss Joyce for songs, rhymes and stories, as well as the opportunity to meet residents of Arden Courts, 1125 Perry Highway, Ross. Join us for a unique intergenerational exchange; maybe you can “adopt” a grandparent of your own. No registration is required.
• Tail Waggin’ Tutors (Therapy Dogs): 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 31. Children in kindergarten and up are encouraged to sign up for a 15-minute session to read to their favorite therapy dog on the last Saturday of every month. To give more youngsters an opportunity to read, registration is required, and a child may register for up to two sessions. You can sign up for more if slots are still open on program day. Register online or call the library.
• Book Babies at Night: 6:30 to 7 p.m. Mondays. There will be songs, stories and fun for children from birth to 18 months along with a caregiver. No registration is required.
• Book Babies: 10:15 to 10:45 and 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. Tuesdays. There will be songs, stories and fun for children from birth to 18 months along with a caregiver. No registration is required.
• Mathventure: 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesdays. Children ages 3½ to 5, along with a caregiver, will have fun with early math concepts through stories and song. No registration is required.
• Adopt a Grandparent Storytime at Arden Courts: 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Feb. 6. This special intergenerational storytime is held on the first Friday of every month. Join Miss Ing and Miss Joyce for songs, rhymes and stories, as well as the opportunity to meet residents of Ridgecrest of McCandless in McCandless Crossings, 8870 Duncan Ave. Join us for a unique intergenerational exchange; maybe you can “adopt” a grandparent of your own. No registration is required.
• Candyland Alive!: 10:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 7. This 45-minute program, starting in 15-minute increments, is geared toward preschoolers and elementary children, but all are welcome. Journey through the world of Candyland as we experience the sights and stops along the game board. We’ll tour through Cupcake Commons, Peppermint Forest and more while enjoying games, stories, fun and, of course, candy. Sign-up is required. Please only register for children who will be participating. If you have more than one child in your party/family participating, please register them individually. Note you are registering for a time slot to begin Candyland and allow for 45 minutes for full program duration, despite your start time.
• Be Your Own Valentine: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13. This program is for teens in grades 7-12. Not feeling the Valentine’s Day hype? Be your own valentine instead. Join us for a laid-back night of snacks, music and creative art-making that celebrates self-love and being real. No pressure, no fake romance, just fun, creativity and good vibes. No registration is required.
• History Matters — “Chernobyl: Aftermath”: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Feb. 20. join Michael Haritan, a Pittsburgh-based commercial photographer, will share talk about his newly released book, “Chernobyl: Aftermath of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster.” The 267-page book documents his 2016 and 2018 visits to the nuclear reactor disaster site in Ukraine, the abandoned city of Pripyat, a psychiatric institution and orphanage, and untold interviews with the last remaining survivors and inhabitants still living in the Exclusion Zone. His photographs will be on display in the library gallery during the month of February. Books also will be for sale. Mark your calendars: The March 20 program will be about the Homestead Strike.
• Family Iftar Celebration: 5:15 to 7:45 p.m. Feb. 26. Everyone is welcome to celebrate iftar, the meal eaten after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, with food, games and activities for the whole family. Registration is required.
Winter reading challenge open to all ages
Shaler North Hills Library is running a winter challenge for book lovers of all ages through Feb. 21.
For every book one reads or listens to, or for every 10 books read to a child, patrons can submit an entry slip for a chance to win a weekly prize.
No registration required. Entries can be dropped off when you stop by the library.
Adults invited to join puzzle competition
The library is hosting a PuzzleMania competition for adults from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 31.
Gather a team of up to five people, 16 and older, and compete against others to see how fast you can complete a 500-piece puzzle.
If you don’t want to compete, you can still stop by and work on a puzzle.
Hot tea and hot chocolate will be served. Participants are welcome to bring their own snacks.
There will be cheesy prizes.
Registration is required to ensure there are enough puzzles to go around.
To register, call the library at 412-486-0211 or go online. visit shaler.librarycalendar.com/event/puzzlemania-competition-adults-15823.
Make a valentine to brighten a senior citizen’s day
Valentines for Seniors is now in its sixth year at Shaler North Hills Library.
Everyone is encouraged to make a valentine to distribute to make the day of a local senior citizen.
The effort has grown since its start in 2021, when 920 valentines were distributed. Two thousand cards were shared in 2022, 1,700 in 2023, 1,500 in 2024 and 1,800 in 2025.
Here are the guidelines:
• Make a valentine without glitter;
• Place the valentine into a plastic baggie — sandwich, quart or gallon size.
• One valentine per baggie so they can be individually delivered to area residents.
• Drop them off between Feb. 5-10 at the library. Valentines must be received by Feb. 10.
The valentines will be delivered to area residents and facilities by Feb. 14.
Mini Golf FUNdraiser to benefit library
Everyone is invited to play 18 holes of mini golf between the library’s stacks from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 14-16.
For the Mini Golf FUNdraiser by the Friends of Shaler North Hills Library, families and organizations also are invited to design a mini golf hole. Past themes have included Harry Potter, rubber ducks and Monopoly. The holes would be built at home and brought to the library on Feb. 13 to set them up. To sign up, stop at the checkout desk or email Sharon at mcraes@shalerlibrary.org.
Patrons can vote for their favorite design.
The cost is $5 per player and $2.50 for children 10 and younger.
Play for teens only, grades 7 and up, will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.
A mini book sale for kids also will be held during the mini golf event.