Penn Hills Library, 1037 Stotler Road, offers a variety of programs for all ages.
For a complete list of offerings and to register for programs, visit pennhillslibrary.org. To reach the library by phone, call 412-775-4700.
Regular operating hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The library is closed on Sundays.
The library will be closed May 25 for Memorial Day and June 19.
Art contest open to students in grades 6-12
The library is hosting a Teen Art Contest for students in grades 6-12.
Artwork can be submitted through May 16.
There are two groups of categories: Overall and Medium. Any piece of art may be submitted for up to one Overall and one Medium category. You can only submit one piece of art per Medium category.
There are six Overall categories — Best Original Art, Best Animal, Best Fan Art, Best Original Character, Best Digital Art and Best Fan Character — and six Medium categories — Best Drawing, Best Realistic Work, Best Sketch, Best Sculpture, Best Painting and Best Jewelry.
The art must be created by the person submitting it. No AI-generated or AI-edited artwork will be accepted.
All artwork will be displayed in the Teen Space. Voting will take place May 18-23. Winners will be announced May 30.
Entry forms are available at the Teen Desk. For details, call the library at 412-775-4700.
To sign up for teen program reminders, text TEENSPH to 412-240-6540.
Summer reading kickoff set for June 13
The library will host a kickoff party for its summer reading program from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13.
All ages are welcome to attend since the program offers reading challenges for children, teens and adults.
The theme this year is “Unearth a Story.”
There will be books, food and swag during the kickoff.
Details are in the works. Visit pennhillslibrary.org for updates.
Food distribution, fridge open to all
The Community Fridge is an ongoing, free library resource.
Available items include fresh veggies, meal kits, milk and dairy products, juice and more. The pantry shelves hold canned goods, snacks and breakfast items, as well as pads, tampons and diapers.
Patrons do not need to provide any information in order to take items. Everyone is welcome to take whatever they need.
The restocks take place from 5 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday and 11 a.m. to noon every Friday.
Please bring reusable bags as there are a limited number of milk crates available that can be used to transport food.
Members of the community are welcome to donate any unopened and unexpired food to the Community Fridge. To make a monetary donation, you can write a check or donate online. Be sure to indicate on the check or in the comments of your online donation that you intend for it to be used toward the Community Fridge.
The library partners with local organizations including the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Aldi, Sheetz, Dollar General, 412 Food Rescue, the Good Food Project, Grow Pittsburgh and Panera Bread.
In addition, a Community Fridge book shelf offers a variety of titles about mutual aid, food justice and more. The books are located on the lower level next to the Local Authors section. Patrons can check out any of these books at any time.
For questions about either program, contact the library at 412-775-4700.
Volunteers are welcome to assist with the Community Fridge. To help, call the library or email phlibrary@pennhills library.org.
CHILDREN (birth to age 11)
• Music and Movement (birth to age 5): Two sessions every Wednesday — 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to noon. Come to the library to sing, move, dance and make music together. The program focuses on having fun while developing gross motor skills. No registration is required.
• Lego Challenge (ages 6-11): 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. May 21. Join us for a fun Lego lab and engineer new concepts and builds. Registration is required.
• Children’s Cinema: “The Bag Guys 2” (grades K-5): 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. May 23. Join us for this PG-rated animated film starring the voices of Danielle Brooks, Sam Rockwell and Natasha Lyonne. There also will be snacks and a craft. Registration is required.
• Science Up Close (ages 6-11): 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. May 19. Discover the “micro” world using microscopes to see the world up close. We will focus on making observations, drawing and asking questions about what we observe. Registration is required.
• Open Play: Rainbows (birth to age 5): 10:30 a.m. to noon June 1. Enjoy playtime at the library with fun children’s toys and music. We will begin with a circle time on rainbows this month and follow with open-ended play and exploration. No registration is required.
• Art in Motion (ages 6-11): 4:30 to 5 p.m. June 2 and 9. Make art based in STEAM concepts as we use gravity and motion to make unique art. Try your hand at Rolling Art on June 2 and Exploding Art on June 9. Registration is required.
• Magic of Butterflies (birth to age 11): 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. June 6. Join Dr. Maria to learn more about the magic behind butterflies. You’ll bring home a butterfly caterpillar to raise and release. Limit one caterpillar per family. Registration is required.
• Process Art: Butterflies (birth to age 11): 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. June 6. Children of all ages are welcome to explore, experiment and create freely. The focus is on the fun of the art process rather than the final product. This month for butterfly education and awareness weekend, we will make butterflies of all varieties. Registration is required.
• DIY Pride Pins (ages 6-11): 4 to 4:30 p.m. June 11. Children of all ages are welcome to stop by and make a Pride pin with the buttonmaker in the Children’s Library before Pride Storytime.
• Pride Storytime (ages 6-11): 4:30 to 5 p.m. June 11. Celebrate Pride at the library as we share inclusive books, dance through bubbles and wave our rainbow parachute. Children of all ages and their caregivers are welcome. Registration is required.
TEENS (grades 6-12)
Teen programs do not require registration.
• Air Dry Clay Insect Garden: 1 to 3 p.m. May 16. Use air dry clay to create your own insect garden.
• DIY Cloud Lights: 3:30 to 5 p.m. May 19. Use stuffing and paper lanterns to create a cloud light.
• Decoupage Cardboard Signs: 3:30 to 5 p.m. May 20. Use different colored paper to turn a piece of cardboard into art.
• Teen Art Club: 3:30 to 5 p.m. May 26. Join our teen-led group in exploring art styles, techniques, challenges and more.
• Cardboard Succulents: 3:30 to 5 p.m. May 27. Decorate cardboard to create your own succulents.
• Teen Space Takeover: 1 to 5 p.m. May 30. Drop by and spend your afternoon at the library! Join us for a craft and chat about what’s going on in your life.
• Unearth a Story sessions: 2 to 4 p.m. Make Reading Trackers, June 10; Creative Writing, June 17; Book Club, June 24.
• Teen Pride Party: 2 to 4 p.m. June 15.
• Teen Summer Camp sessions: 2 to 4 p.m. Capture the Flag and Pressed Flowers, June 9; Movie and Friendship Bracelets, June 16; Junk Journaling and Shrinky Dinks, June 23; Tie Dye and Sun Prints, June 30.
ADULTS
• Yoga: 2 to 3 p.m. Fridays. Bring your own yoga mat and towel to this free class. There are a limited number of mats to borrow. No registration is required.
• Literacy Pittsburgh Open Lab: 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays in May and June. Open lab is a drop-in time for individual instruction on any basic computer skills. You may get assistance with Northstar online learning, Google applied digital skills, job-seeking digital skills, signing up for online learning opportunities, typing club and more.
• Accessible Crafts: Button Making: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 18. This craft program is for patrons of all abilities. Mark your calendars: The June 1 session will be a bird sun-catcher; June 15 will be a window cling. No registration is required.
• Game Night: 6 to 8 p.m. May 20, June 3 and 17. Play one of our board games or bring one of your own. Registration is required.
• Black History Appreciation Jazz Celebration: 1 to 2 p.m. May 23. Join us for a celebration of jazz greats as C-Payne and Jazz Central take us on a musical tour. Registration is required.
• Documentary Film Club: “Three Wishes”: 6 to 8 p.m. May 27. This 2023 documentary follows a mother filming her family’s daily life, punctuated by time spent sheltering in the basement, as the Israeli army retaliates against the second intifada in the West Bank in the early 2000s. Registration is required.
• The Hidden Kingdom: Fungi and Their Ecological Power: 6 to 7 p.m. May 28. Mushrooms are not just forest curiosities or culinary treasures — they are the visible expression of a vast, underground kingdom that quietly sustains life on Earth. This introductory presentation explores the essential ecological roles of mushrooms and fungi, highlighting how they benefit plants, animals, ecosystems and even our climate. Presented by Barbora Batokova, the creator behind @fungiwoman and president of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. Registration is required.
• Classic Movie Club: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”: 1 to 3 p.m. June 2. Join us for a showing of this 1966 drama starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal and Sandy Dennis. Based on an adaptation of Edward Albee’s 1962 play, the film was Mike Nichols’ directorial debut. Popcorn will be provided. Registration is required.
• Penn Hills Peace Coalition: 6 to 7 p.m. June 2. Join the coalition at its monthly gathering to discuss methods to support violence prevention in Penn Hills. No registration is required.
ALL AGES
• Family Storytime: Summer Fun: 11 to 11:30 a.m. June 13. Families are welcome to join us for fun stories, songs and books. Designed for children birth to 5, but all ages and siblings are welcome. This storytime focuses on creating a shared experience and bond around books. Feel free to stay, play and explore the library together afterward during the Summer Reading Kickoff Party. Registration is required.
• West African Drum Class: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 18, June 1 and June 15. Experience the powerful rhythms of West Africa. Participants will learn the fundamentals of traditional djembe drumming, including basic hand techniques, rhythm patterns and the cultural history behind the music. Registration is required.
• Bell Choir: Movie Soundtracks: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. June 20. Ring in the summer with a sampling of soundtracks brought to you by the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Bell Choir. Registration is required.