History lovers of all ages can find something to inspire them at their local library. The Allegheny County Library Association sponsors several history programs that connect our library patrons with the past. Visit a local historical site with an Experience Kit, connect to history through play with an American Girl Doll, or hear the stories of Black leaders in their own words with the HistoryMakers — all free with your library card!
Experience Kits
Thanks to a partnership with the Heinz Center Affiliates Program, Allegheny County libraries are offering free admission for two adults and six children to a number of museums and historical sites around Pittsburgh! Each pass can be checked out for up to one week at a time. Plus, each pass comes with virtual access to educational information, itinerary ideas, and other fun content.
While some of the participating historical sites are now closed for the season, the Heinz History Center, Fort Ligonier and the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum kits will be available through March 2025.
The Experience Kit program is being coordinated through the Heinz History Center’s Affiliates Program (HCAP), which includes more than 125 regional historical societies and organizations dedicated to preserving local history. The Affiliate Program members include history, genealogy, and library organizations located primarily within the counties of Western Pennsylvania.
Those interested in participating in the program can visit their local library to check out a kit. A list of participating libraries is available at aclalibraries.org/experience-kits.
American Girl Dolls
Since 2014, the Allegheny County Library Association’s American Girl® Doll Lending Library has been connecting children with history and creative play.
Each doll kit contains the doll with accompanying outfit; a doll bed, pillow, and blanket; a corresponding book; hair brush; journal; letter to the child; and a letter to the parent/guardian. The kit also contains a brochure, prepared especially for this project by the Heinz History Center, describing what Pittsburgh was like in the doll’s time period.
Some libraries in the county have dolls on-hand and ready to check out, but children can request dolls to be sent to any library location through the library catalog.
The Lending Library was created with dolls that were either donated or purchased through donated funds. ACLA welcomes donations of new or gently-used American Girl® dolls, clothing and books to help build kits. Please contact Carrie Lane to arrange donations.
HistoryMakers
The Allegheny County Library Association is proud to provide library cardholders with access to The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive.
A 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution, The HistoryMakers is committed to preserving, developing and providing easy access to an internationally recognized archival collection of thousands of African American video oral histories. By recording the stories of both the well-known and unsung African Americans from diverse backgrounds, The HistoryMakers seeks to preserve and elevate the cultural equity of the African American community to the level of its historical record, as well as to increase the cultural understanding of present and future generations.
The collection is intended for a wide array of users – from youth, to adults, to institutions. Youth, especially underserved youth, benefit greatly from exposure to the role models and the stories of success that have been recorded. Adults, many of whom seek a better understanding of our society and of the role of African Americans in history, gain the ability to also influence and educate youth, colleagues, friends, and family with their knowledge. Institutions, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, community organizations, corporations, the media, and the general public, are all users of The HistoryMakers content.
To access The HistoryMakers with your library card, click here. The HistoryMakers is available to all library cardholders in Allegheny County.