Books & More

Frequently Used

Our Libraries

CSCL

The beautiful Cooper-Siegel Community Library opened on April 30, 2011. Our Federalist style library boasts the latest technology, a carefully curated collection, large well-lit reading areas, the cozy Scott Family Reading Room with fireplace, and private rooms perfect for individual or group study and tutoring. The Fritz Mitnick Welcome Garden provides a lovely outdoor environment to read, visit or meditate upon the variety of trees, plants and shrubbery. The McIlroy Teen Room is home to teens reading, using computers or participating in Teen programming. And most popular of all, the Lauri Ann West Children’s Room has an expansive collection of picture books, CDs, puppet kits, young readers and chapter books. The Hulmes Family Story Room finds children enraptured by books read aloud while the Rockwell Family Art Studio provides a space to create art projects that help children process and retain the stories they have heard.

SCL

The Sharpsburg Community Library was originally located in the former Sharpsburg High School building on Linden Avenue. Due to a rise in rent and the need for a more accessible location, the branch moved to its current location, a former Indian restaurant, at 1212 Main Street in 2009. In 2015, the branch underwent a major renovation designed by Art Lubetz, resulting in the vibrant, eye-catching building you see today. The current building resembles colorful Lego blocks stacked together with each color representing a specific area in the library. The blue block designates where to find adult fiction, books on CD and DVDs along with some tables, chairs and soft seating. The green block houses all the children’s books, movies and music CDs as well as two public computers and lots of toys to play with. The yellow “cheese” block on the front of the building highlights the store front Community Room that is used for library programs and by local organizations for meetings and presentations. The newly established Teen Space is the perfect teen hangout with easy access to YA books and graphic novels, a large tv to watch movies or play video games and an Apple Mac computer with music production and graphic design software. The library provides eight computers for public use and wifi access that extends into the outdoor courtyard. Just outside the courtyard is the original Sharpsburg Community Garden operated and maintained by a group of Sharpsburg residents.

The Cooper-Siegel Story

Eric Cooper and Naomi Siegel made a naming gift to the Library to honor their family’s love of books and learning as well as their commitment to community resources that enrich the lives of all residents in our service area. Naomi eloquently explains the importance of libraries in her essay that begins with the intriguing quote “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.” She also goes on to humorously explain that, “Every time I decide to defer buying a book in favor of checking it out of the library to see if I really want it, I vow to make a contribution to the library in an amount equivalent to the amount I’ve saved. After almost 25 years of promising this, we’re finally doing it. I think we’ll still owe the library.” From 1986 – 2011 the predecessor of our library operated on Powers Run Road in the former Boyd Elementary School as Lauri Ann West Memorial Library. A student at Boyd Elementary School, Lauri Ann died unexpectedly as a child. Her family honored her love of books by making a naming gift to build a library as an addition onto the Elementary School. When the school closed, the Lauri Ann West Memorial Library re-opened as a public community library. Continuing her legacy, the children’s room at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library is named the Lauri Ann West Children’s Room.

The Sharpsburg Story

The Sharpsburg Community Library branch was founded in 1996 to provide better access to library materials and services to Sharpsburg residents in particular. The branch’s collections, programs and services have transformed over the years to reflect and address the community’s changing interests and needs. Today, the majority of the branch’s collections are arranged like a bookstore for easier browsing. The branch also provides free shelf stable food and personal care items through its little pantry and social services referral and assistance through our participation in the Allegheny County Library Association’s student social worker internship program.