The combination of a series of positive experiences at my favorite local libraries and the realization of the local support that makes each of them successful convinced me that this subject merits a column celebrating “Love Your Library” month. I am grateful for the way the Bridgeville, Mt. Lebanon, and Carnegie libraries enhance my life. Each of these institutions is unique, with its own positive benefits for its clients.
The Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie has been providing outstanding services to that community since 1901. In addition to functioning well as a library, this building boasts an outstanding entertainment venue in the Music Hall. I have attended several memorable musical performances in it. The building also houses an impressive historical museum, focused on the Civil War. This room was the actual home of “the Captain Thomas Espy Post #153 of the Grand Army of the Republic” from 1906 till 1938, when the last Civil War veteran died; it has been lovingly maintained since then as a memorial to the veterans of Company H, 62nd Pennsylvania, organized at Bethel Church and initially commanded by Captain Espy.
Adjacent to the Espy Post is the Lincoln meeting room which hosts the popular “2nd Saturday Civil War Series” each month. In September I attended an excellent lecture there by National Park Service Ranger Matt Borders entitled “Western Pennsylvania in the Maryland Campaign”. In his talk the speaker reviewed the September 1862 campaign which culminated in the Battle of Antietam on September 16, highlighting the participation of several well-known regiments that were raised in Western Pennsylvania, including the aforementioned 62nd and the 111th (which included Company E, the “Chartier Valley Company”). I am eager to learn more about Company E.
The current Mt. Lebanon Public Library is the product of an initiative begun in 1932 by the local Lions Club. It was housed initially in the Township Municipal Building where it received major support from civic organizations in the community. In 1963 a new building was dedicated, located on Castle Shannon Boulevard, then significantly expanded in 1997. Robust financial support from the municipality has enabled the Library to offer a wide range of services to its clients. In a typical week three dozen special programs are offered, serving a wide variety of interests.
I have always enjoyed their August “Courtyard Concerts” series. Each Thursday evening a small music group performs in their lovely outdoor courtyard, presenting a different genre each week. This summer I was able to attend three concerts. They were idyllic, presented out-of-doors on warm summer evenings in a tastefully landscaped park-like setting. The first concert featured a traditional jazz trio led by trumpeter Roger Barbour – excellent repertoire of songs, competently performed. I also enjoyed the Squirrel Hillbillies, a mature duo performing original (pieces they have written) urban folk songs. The final concert was an annual event, a performance by the current Mt. Lebanon High School String Quartet, with selections by Baroque and Classical composers. These quartets are always a pleasure to hear; the musicians are all poised on the verge of being proficient. I wish this series were made available all year around, perhaps being offered once a month.
Despite my affinity for the Carnegie and Mt. Lebanon libraries, the Bridgeville Public Library, housed in the Bill & Grace McDivitt Center for Lifelong Learning, will always be my favorite. Bridgeville did not have a library when I was growing up. In 1962 a group of strong-willed women – Sylvia Saperstein, Grace McDivitt, Betty Mihalyi, Betty Mincemoyer, Louise Bergstrom, and Betty Sutton – decided the community deserved a public library; a few months later it was a modest reality in a small room in the Bridgeville Trust Company Building. When the Pennsylvania Railroad terminated passenger service in 1968, the Library Association was able to take over the old passenger station at 441 Station Street for renovation into a library. In 1975 they acquired an old Baltimore & Ohio caboose, which provided much needed space for expansion. The renovation work was done voluntarily by the Kiwanis Club. Similarly, operation of the library was performed primarily by volunteers. We have fond memories of my mother working there (and contributing reviews of new books for the Bridgeville News).
After Bill and Grace McDivitt passed away, their estate established a charitable foundation and identified the Bridgeville Library Association as the beneficiary of a generous annual donation. The Library Board of Directors took advantage of this opportunity, acquired the current property at 595 McMillen Street, and constructed an impressive building for its new home, a home it has enjoyed since 2011. I was impressed with the facility the first time I visited it, particularly the way the architect produced such a welcoming space. Everything about it makes one immediately fell at home there. I particularly like the lounge and fireplace at the north end, the exposed ceiling, the community room, and the wall of windows on the west side that fill the interior with light.
In addition to the normal collection of services a library provides for its community, this building has become an excellent venue for displaying artwork. Recent exhibitions have included the annual Pittsburgh Society of Sculptures exhibit, a special display of Native American art and artifacts, and an impressive exhibition of graphic arts by local amateur artists. Like its neighboring libraries, the Bridgeville Public Library continues to enhance the lives of its clients.
The common thread linking these three libraries is the combination of generous contributions by people from all walks of life – world famous philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie, local benefactors like the McDivitts, and thousands of everyday Joes and Janes. As the Federal Government continues to terminate its support of the arts (and science, education, and welfare), it behooves us to explore funding models focused on local resources. We desperately need to support the continued enhancement of our lives through literature, music, history, and the arts.