To inspire members to branch out from their home library branches, the Allegheny County Library Association announced a new summer program: the Library Road Trip.
The ACLA comprises more than 70 physical library locations and includes 45 libraries that lie outside the Pittsburgh city limits. According to ACLA CEO Amy Anderson, many people don’t realize that all of the county public library locations form one system and don’t reap the benefits of their membership by exploring.
This could mean finding books some locations don’t have on the shelf or a new weekly storytime that works for a family’s schedule. While the Library Road Trip program is aimed at all ages, Anderson hopes it will encourage families to spend time visiting different libraries together.
“Everything that is available at their home library is also available from any library in the county, and each library also has different programs, different events, different material types that people can borrow,” she said.
When it comes to the Library of Things, which the ACLA’s new catalog has made more accessible and organized, offerings vary significantly by location. If you need a power washer, Anderson adds, you might seek one out in Millvale, while Whitehall holds the solution to a young paleontologist’s birthday party: dinosaur cake pans.
Another benefit to exploring library locations outside of the city, or the one that’s most convenient, is the buildings themselves. Anderson mentions that many are sleek and modern, while some date more than 100 years back and carry a piece of local history.
Prizes are also on the line. For each library ACLA members visit, they’ll get a stamp on their library passports and a coupon for a discount at Spark Books. Those who hit all of the libraries in a region will be rewarded with a swag bag. Anyone committed enough to visit all of them will get to pick a free book, also from Spark Books.
Anderson adds that although she’d love it if people fill out the entire passport, it’s “pretty awesome” if members visit even one new location.
“If there’s something going on at a library that you don’t normally go to, this gives you the opportunity to see what’s going on at those libraries,” Anderson said. “It really just is meant to complement what the libraries are already offering.”
Delaney, a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania, is a Union Progress summer intern. Reach her at dparks@unionprogress.com.