Mt. Lebanon Public Library celebrating 90th anniversary

It’s a year of celebration at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.
That’s because the facility at 16 Castle Shannon Boulevard is commemorating its 90th anniversary this year.
“We didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it, but it is an important anniversary, so we wanted to make sure it was recognized,” said Robyn Vittek, library director since October 2015.
That recognition began earlier this month with the debut of the library’s 90th anniversary T-shirts. Two designs – a fox and an owl – are available in youth and adult sizes, with the fox design also available in toddler sizes. T-shirts are $15 each. A limited number of fox and owl stickers are available for $1 each.
The story of the library begins in June 1932, two decades after the community of Mt. Lebanon was founded. The local Lions Club proposed a town library that the club would operate if space were provided in the then-2-year-old municipal building on Washington Road.
Many local groups backed the idea and the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners accepted the proposal. However, much needed to be done before it could open. Throughout the summer and early fall of 1932, local carpenters and tradesmen created library shelving.
Members of the Women’s Club helped Kathryn Peoples, the first librarian, catalog the book donations. On Nov. 15, 1932, the library was dedicated.
On Nov. 15 of this year, the library will host a 90th Anniversary Day with treats and giveaways.
Judy Sutton, the library’s former children’s librarian, will present the history of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library that night at 7 p.m.
Sutton said she was able to walk to work at the library where she was employed for more than 20 years. She said she cherished the moments when she could find just the right book for a child.
“Libraries in many ways are the heart of the community,” she said. “Public librarians are social workers at heart who want to make the world a better place. I loved being at the library. It’s at the center of the community and I got to see different people all day.”
A lot of those people are children she saw grow up through the years, many of whom participated in her story time.
“I think it’s important to associate with other children and to have the experience of being read to at an early age,” Sutton said. “I’m glad the library has lasted this long.”
One event being held to commemorate the anniversary is Buy Your Library a Book Day, scheduled for July 8.
“That’s to mirror the day in 1932 when the Boy Scouts went around to all of the houses in town to collect donations from residents to form the library,” Vittek said.
The Scouts collected more than 8,000 books that day.
On Buy Your Library a Book Day, the public can come to the library or go to www.mtlebanonlibrary.org and make a $25 donation for the purchase of a new book. The goal is to get 90 new books during the one-day campaign.
Ongoing events include special 1932-themed exhibits in the display case that will change monthly through November. The library’s November Annual Appeal will have a special goal of attracting 90 new donors this year.
Vittek said the library is starting to see a return to normal crowds coming back to the library after those numbers decreased during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pre-COVID, we averaged about 105 visitors an hour,” she said. “We’re starting to see traffic pick back up now that we’re offering in-person programming again and things have relaxed a little bit. It’s an amazing place. We have a ton of community support.”
There is much to celebrate. This is a library that circulated 30,162 books in its first year of operation. In 2021, the total circulation of books, e-books, CDs and DVDs was 668,672 items.
“The library was such a grassroots effort from the very beginning,” Vittek said. “The reason we exist is because people of the town came together and said we need a library. Still to this day, we have that amazing community support that makes our library so special.”