Spotlight on Social Work Student Fellows
ACLA’s Social Work in Libraries Program has grown by leaps and bounds this year. We’ve expanded our reach from seven communities to eleven, and our Fellows have been hard at work. From September through December they logged a combined total of 400 individual patron interactions, and an additional 444 interactions related to group programming and […]
Libraries Support New Parents
Many parents do not realize that learning and kindergarten readiness begins at birth. It is the simple daily interactions that parents have with their child that set the foundation for reading and prepare them for school – talking, singing, playing, writing, and reading. A study by Zero to Three found 45% of parents believe “the […]
A Word from Our CEO, Amy Anderson: Thank you, RAD!
The Allegheny County Library Association and its members would like to thank the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) for its continued dedication to the county’s libraries. With the generous support of RAD through its annual allocation, the RAD Transformative Community Libraries Grant, and 2023’s additional line item support of $3 million, Allegheny County’s libraries will […]
Love Your Library campaign raises a record-breaking $1.26 million for Allegheny County libraries during the month of September
The Jack Buncher Foundation provides match to support literacy and learning Pittsburgh, PA — (December 5, 2022) – The Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA) and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) announced today that during September’s annual Love Your Library campaign, the 46 library systems in Allegheny County raised a record-breaking $1.26 million in charitable contributions, more […]
A Word from Our CEO, Amy Anderson: Year One in Review
I can hardly believe that it has already been a year since I started my work here at ACLA. I knew before I began that it would be a challenging year of learning a new job, in a new community, with all new faces and expectations. While this year has not always been easy, I […]
Caregiver backpacks provide support for library patrons caring for loved ones
National Family Caregivers Month, celebrated each November, is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. Caring for a loved one who is elderly or dependent on assistance is an important responsibility, but it can often feel overwhelming. Your local library is here to help! Allegheny County libraries have partnered with the […]
A Word from Our CEO, Amy Anderson: Libraries Are Transforming Our Communities
The libraries of Allegheny County have always worked hard to serve in ways that build their communities and make them stronger. The services they provide not only work to educate and entertain but to also inspire and unite. All our libraries have found ways to meet the needs of their communities and we could not […]
Whole Person Librarianship: A National Movement
Whole Person Librarianship is an approach drawing from social work concepts, such as cultural humility and person-in-environment, to help librarians become more confident in learning from, interacting with, and serving diverse patrons. Sara Zettervall, MLIS, and Mary Nienow, MSW, started the movement in 2012, and since then dozens of libraries across the country have […]
Celebrating Three Years of Social Work Students in Libraries
In recent years, the role of libraries in our communities has changed significantly. Today’s library-goers visit for any number of reasons: to use a computer, take a tutoring session, attend a story time, join a yoga class, or just to be somewhere safe. Library staff are trusted fixtures in their communities and, as such, […]
Meet ACLA’s Social Work Program Coordinator, Katrina Mink
ACLA is pleased to introduce the newest member of our team: Katrina Mink, BSW/MSW, Social Work Program Coordinator. Katrina directly oversees all aspects of the social work program, including field instruction for students, coordinating with Pitt’s School of Social Work, and providing additional social work services to libraries without a student placement. Katrina has […]
