The Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its Sharpsburg branch offer a variety of programming for visitors of all ages.
To view a complete list of offerings, visit coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com. Events at both libraries are listed and can be viewed according to age group and location.
Registration is required for most programs as space is limited and some programs fill up quickly. In some cases, drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
Registration through the online calendar is encouraged when possible so staff members can plan accordingly. To register by phone, call the respective libraries at 412-828-9520 for Cooper-Siegel and 412-781-0783 for the Sharpsburg branch.
Regular operating hours at Cooper-Siegel Community Library, 403 Fox Chapel Road in Fox Chapel, are from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The library will be closed on April 5 for the Easter holiday.
Regular operating hours at Sharpsburg Community Library, 1212 Main St., are from 1 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; the branch is closed on Sundays. Parking is available at the library and the 13th Street Municipal Lot, which is metered. The library is accessible via Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s 91 and 1 bus routes — get off at 13th Street.
Pickup lockers, where library patrons can get items they’ve placed on hold, are located behind Jersey Mike’s at 171 Freeport Road in Blawnox or outside Sharpsburg Community Library. The lockers were funded by the Allegheny Regional Asset District through its Transformative Community Library Fund grant program.
Here are some upcoming events:
Cooper-Siegel Community Library
All ages
• Therapets with Bandit: 10 to 11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. May 2
Head to the library to get some therapeutic pets in with Jessica and her pup, Bandit. Bandit, a 7-year-old Portuguese water dog, loves attention. They will be wandering around the library for everyone to meet. Bandit has undergone special training to provide comfort and affection and is certified through Animal Friends’ Therapets program. No registration is required.
Kids
• Spanish & English Storytime: 10:30 to 11 a.m. every Friday
Join us for a playful storytime in both Spanish and English with interactive books, rhymes and songs. This program is geared toward 3- to 5-year-olds and their caregivers, but younger children are welcome. Register for any dates you plan to attend separately. Registration is required.
• Chinese & English Storytime: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. first Saturday of the month
Explore the Chinese language through bilingual songs, books and playful experiences. This program is designed for kids in preschool through second grade with their caregivers. Register for all the dates you plan to attend. Registration is required.
• Wiggle Storytime: 10:15 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday
Get up and get moving during our toddler and preschool storytime for children 2 to 5 and their caregivers. This interactive storytime features books, fingerplays, bounces, scarves, shakers and a parachute. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
• Play Lab (grades K-6): 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. May 5
A different hands-on project is offered each week on STEAM concepts. Some weeks will have projects to make at the library and then take home, while other weeks will be more focused on experiments to try out at the library. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
Teens
• Makerspace Walk-in Hours: 3 to 5 p.m. Thursdays in May
Teens 12 to 18 and adults can drop in at these times on Thursdays in May to learn how the Makerspace works and what it has to offer.
• Crafts ’n Things — Potluck: 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 7
Teens and adults are welcome to hang out with a group of crafters and work on their own project. All crafts are welcome. Have a crafting question? Stop by and ask the veteran crafters. Finn, our crafting librarian, can assist on multiple types of crafting such as crochet, cross stitch, embroidery and sewing. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits. This session is the Spring Potluck; bring a dish to share.
Adults
• Crafts ’n Things — Potluck: 6 to 7:30 p.m. May 7
Teens and adults are welcome to hang out with a group of crafters and work on their own project. All crafts are welcome. Have a crafting question? Stop by and ask the veteran crafters. Finn, our crafting librarian, can assist on multiple types of crafting such as crochet, cross stitch, embroidery and sewing. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits. This session is the Spring Potluck; bring a dish to share.
• Makerspace Walk-in Hours: 3 to 5 p.m. every Thursday
Teens and adults are welcome to drop by during open hours at the Makerspace and learn what it has to offer.
• Simple Movement Through Somatics: 10:30 a.m. to noon May 4, 11, 18 and 25
Join certified personal trainer Tom Capriotti for a one-hour somatics session. Somatics engages the nervous system in an active learning process that consists of slow, focused and intentional movements. It teaches the nervous system how to release chronic muscle tension, loosening joints and relieving tightness. Somatics also explores how the body holds and expresses painful experiences, applying mind-body healing to aid with trauma recovery. This class requires the ability to get up and down from the floor without assistance. Bring a yoga mat and a water bottle. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Registration is required.
• Community Ink: Bill Gormley and the Ethics of Fictional Detectives: 6:30 to 8 p.m. May 6
This community-focused series celebrates the literary talent of Western Pennsylvania. In this session, Bill Gormley, a recently retired Georgetown University professor of public policy, will discuss his second murder mystery, “The Silent Trumpet,” which is set in Pittsburgh. In the novel, police investigate alleged crimes involving two Black brothers who have traveled different paths in life. One is a hugely talented jazz trumpeter; the other is a highly successful drug dealer. Gormley will focus on the ethical choices his detectives and other characters make. He also will discuss the ethical choices made by several popular fictional detectives. Registration is required.
• Cooks and Books: NYT Cooking: 7 to 9 p.m. May 14; meets on the second Thursday of each month
Each month, we’ll read the same cookbook or choose a common ingredient or cuisine. We’ll each cook something to share and gather to eat and talk. On May 14, we’ll be cooking with New York Times chefs such as Eric Kim, Melissa Clark, Korsha Wilson and Yewande Komolafe. Library patrons can access NYT Cooking online at coopersiegelcommunitylibrary.org/service/new-york-times-and-wall-street-journal-online-access. You’ll receive a code which will be good for 24 hours, and you can go back and get codes as many times as you like. Registration is required. Mark your calendars: The June 11 session will be a field trip to a local restaurant for everyone to eat out together.
• Poetry Workshop: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. May 12 and 26
This group meets every other week and focuses on nourishing and sustaining one’s creative practice. No experience writing or reading poetry is required. We’ll spend time reading and discussing poetry, as well as writing together in response to prompts. Expect to receive and share meaningful, positive feedback as we affirm what is strong and powerful in our writing. Bring a poem on paper (we can make copies at the library) no longer than one page if you’d like to workshop. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come anytime. Registration is requested but drops-in are welcome as space permits. The group is led by Kelley Beeson, an award-winning poet with an MFA from the University of Notre Dame and a member of the Madwomen in the Attic Writing Workshops since 1992.
• Plays Off the Stage: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 19
Everyone 18 and older is welcome to join us for an evening of play-reading. No acting experience is necessary. If you like theater, the English language and spending an hour with other humans, this monthly group is for you. Newcomers are welcome. In May, we will continue reading “Steel Magnolias.” Upcoming plays include “Witness for the Prosecution.” Registration is required.
• DIY Lab Appointment (Jim): 1 to 4 p.m. May 21
This event is for a one-on-one Digitize It Yourself (DIY) Lab appointment. During the appointment, you can transfer and store your analog memorabilia, such as photos, slides, audio and video cassettes, into a digital format for safekeeping. Before making an appointment, please make sure you are able to attend and can abide by the late/cancellation/no-show policy, which is available online at coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com/event/diy-lab-appt-jim-44100. The link also includes information about formats and equipment. Registration is required.
Sharpsburg Community Library
All ages
• “Best-Kept Secrets: A Photography Exhibit by Eli Kurs-Lasky”: Daily through June 27
Eli Kurs-Lasky, an autistic and artistic 30-something, is a writer and self-taught photographer living in Pittsburgh. Visitors can view a collection of his photographs on the library’s gallery wall. The exhibit is presented in collaboration with Evolve Coaching. Kurs-Lasky been involved with numerous projects for Evolve Coaching, in which he has helped to bolster accessibility through creating and editing closed captions and audio descriptions. His work also is available for sale, and 25% of each sale will benefit Sharpsburg Community Library. A closing reception with the artist is planned for noon to 1 p.m. June 27; light refreshments will be served.
Kids
• Maker Monday (grades K-5): 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Monday
This program rotates content with some weeks being more arts focused and other weeks being more science focused. Upcoming events include sun prints on May 4, Bee Bot flower mazes on May 11 and mindful making and meditation on May 18. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
• Little Hands Pre-K Storytime: 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. every Tuesday
This arts-integration storytime will include stories and a hands-on developmentally appropriate art activity. May’s weekly themes: sunshine, May 5; butterflies, May 12; and mindfulness and yoga, May 19. Register for any session of interest. Registration is required, but drop-ins are accepted as space permits.
• Afterschool art (grades K-5): 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday
Everyone is encouraged to find the joy in creating art in this multimedia art studio. May’s lineup: sun sculptures, May 6; symmetrical bug prints, May 13; and breathing wands and yoga, May 20. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
• Read With Mishka the Therapy Dog (grades Pre-K to 6): 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 2
Join Mishka, a certified therapy dog, and her handler, Ms. Alejandra, visit the library on the first Saturday of each month. Children will take turns reading aloud to Mishka; all levels of readers are welcome, from those just learning to expert readers. Pre-K children are welcome with an accompanying adult. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
Teens
• Magic the Gathering Commander League: Noon to 2 p.m. May 9
Join former professional Magic the Gathering player Mike Patnik for this Commander League. Beginners and experienced players are welcome. We will have decks available for players to use, but participants are welcome to bring their own decks. Registration is required, but drop-ins are welcome as space permits.
Adults
• Sharpsburg Community Garden Seedling Giveaway: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 17
Spring is here! Stop by the library parking lot to get a free vegetable or herb seedling during the Sharpsburg Community Garden’s annual Seedling Giveaway. The library will not be open during this event. Library parking is limited. If the library lot is full, we recommend parking at the 13th Street municipal lot.
• Pittsburgh’s Historic Ballparks: 6 to 7 p.m. June 1
Join local author Mark Fatla for a presentation about Pittsburgh’s ballparks. Pittsburgh has an incredible baseball history with great players, teams and historic moments, but few realize the city often has been in the lead in ballpark design and development. Fatla, author of “Pittsburgh’s Historic Ballparks” (Arcadia Press, 2023), will chronicle the nine ballparks that hosted major league baseball in Pittsburgh between 1876 and the present, including the Negro Leagues. Copies of the book will be available for purchase; cash, check, Venmo will be accepted. Registration is required.