MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY LIBRARY
Jamie Falo – Director
urr ysville
MU N I CI PAL IT Y O F M U RRYSVI L L E NE WS
T
he hammers have stopped pounding
and the dust has cleared! The newly
renovated Murrysville Community
Library’s Children’s Room is now open
for business, offering brightly colored welcoming
space, the latest advanced technology,
comfortable seating, and new shelving full of
nearly 20,000 items to borrow.
The year 2013 was an incredibly exciting year
for the Murrysville Community Library! With a
very successful Capital Campaign, the Murrysville
Community Library Foundation grossed nearly
$500,000 from our generous donors. Thank
you to all who have contributed to this fund.
Our goal to support and ensure the tradition of
developing the future ambitions of Murrysville’s
boys and girls through capital and technological
improvements and endowment enhancement is
a reality because of your generosity. In addition
to technological improvements for our youth,
we have replaced all technology throughout the
Library for adult patrons and staff.
We have grown from an initial in-house
collection of 660 books in 1922 to over 62,000
items in 2013. Now, with the Westmoreland
Library Network (WLNTM) card, you can access
over 830,000 items countywide, 24/7! You are
now able to easily and quickly request materials
from any of the 24 WLN member libraries. You
have access to the whole catalog from home,
office, or on the go.
“The Murrysville Community Library connects
people with ideas and information, promotes
lifelong learning, and helps build community.”
In support of our mission statement, the Library
is open 58.5 hours each week, including three
evenings and Saturdays. In 2013, nearly 90,000
visits were made to the Library, approximately
10,000 individuals attended library programs,
and patrons borrowed more than 141,000 books,
e-books, magazines, audio books, music CDs,
videos, and DVDs.
In addition to print and electronic materials,
the Library hosts many programs for patrons
of all ages. For our youngest members, our
Youth Services Coordinator, Mrs. Carol Siefken,
manages several programs during the school
year, including Toddler Time Stories and
Preschool Storytime. Each summer, Mrs. Siefken
organizes the Library’s popular Summer Reading
Club. In 2013, the Library’s theme for Summer
Reading Club was “Dig Into Reading.” Exactly
886 young readers participated in the club, and
over 4,000 people enjoyed the more than 50
programs offered, all of which supported family
literacy efforts. Other popular Library programs
54 Murrysville
include Dog Reading Pals, Music Together,
Pokémon League, Raising Readers parent
Literacy Club, Socrates Café, Tuesday Evening
Adult Book Discussion Group, Pushing the
Limits, StoryWorks, Afternoon Tea Group, Library
Knitters and Community Connections @ Your
Library, featuring hometown speakers.
If you have not been to your Library lately,
stop in to see the new space and while you are
here enjoy endless possibilities at your Library:
• Read with your children or have them read
to you.
• Surf the Internet on one of our new computers.
• Connect to our free Wi-Fi.
• Borrow a newly released DVD or
documentary.
• Receive one-on-one training on how to use
your e-reader.
• Enjoy one of our 107 unique magazine titles.
The Library receives its funding from many
different sou