Libraries throughout Westmoreland County want to encourage patrons to explore their offerings in an entirely new way — while taking in the splendor of local parks .
Through the Take Reading on the Trail ( TROTT ) program , participants are invited to walk , bike or run on a different trail every Saturday morning throughout June and July . Each week , a representative from a local library will be on hand to greet patrons .
The nine-week program was founded last summer by Rostraver Public Library Director Naomi Cross as a way to promote all of the resources that local libraries have to offer . She enjoys spending time on the trails with her own family , she says , so she thought it would be a great idea to take the program countywide .
“ We had a great response to the program last year , with one patron even attending all nine weeks ,” says Cross . “ It was a great learning experience for everyone .”
This summer , public libraries in Rostraver , Murrysville , Scottdale , Penn Area , Manor , Mount Pleasant , Delmont , Ligonier Valley and Norwin will participate in the program . Participants will explore a variety of trails across Westmoreland County , including the Great Allegheny Passage , the Coal and Coke Trail , Bushy Run Battlefield , the Ligonier Valley Trail , Duff Park and the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve . Pets are welcome on some of the trails , and most are wheelchair accessible .
“ The Trail TROTT not only gives our patrons a chance to check out all of Westmoreland County ’ s amazing trails and parks , but also helps to spread the word about all of the resources we offer , in addition to print materials ,” says Barbara Flynn , Norwin children ’ s librarian .
Westmoreland Library Network member libraries offer more than 800,000 items available to check out for free , including audio books . Digital books can be downloaded from local libraries onto mobile devices via the free Overdrive app , which is available through Amazon , the App Store or Google Play . Member libraries encourage program participants to download audiobooks to listen to while hiking the trails .
“ We ’ re trying to present the idea that we ’ re more than just books ,” says Cross . “ This program helps us push our audio and digital books and lets participants get to know what our community has to offer .”
Participating libraries and dates are as follows . Please contact the host library for information about the specific trail on which to meet . ■
T . R . O . T . T . 2017 Take Reading on the Trail
June 3 Penn Area .......... Bushy Run 1253 Bushy Run Rd ., Jeannette
June 10 Norwin ............... Braddock ’ s Trail Park 3699 Turner Valley Rd ., Irwin
June 17 Scottdale ........... Coal & Coke Trail / Kendi Park 500 Mt . Pleasant Rd ., Scottdale
June 24 Delmont ............. Westmoreland Heritage Trail Athena Dr ., Delmont
July 1 Murrysville ......... Murrysville Community Park 4056 Westertown Rd ., Export
July 8 Rostraver ........... GAP / Cedar Creek Park By Boat Launch 453 Evergreen Dr ., Belle Vernon
July 15 Manor ................. Manor Park Brush Creek Rd ., Manor
July 22 Mt . Pleasant ....... Coal & Coke Trail By American Architectural Salvage 23 W . Main St ., Mt . Pleasant
July 29 Ligonier .............. Ligonier Valley Trail Bouquet St ., Ligonier
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