Suggested Book Club Books

Check out this list from bookclubchat.com that gives their suggestions for your book club!

The Library offers 5 different book clubs including morning and evening mystery book clubs. 

Check our online calendar or ask your librarian today for more information.  

Local Author Visit

THE MAKING OF PRIORITY A: FROM LIFE TO FICTION, FROM WRITING TO PUBLISHING

Author Les Holliday will discuss his debut novel, Priority A, from first inspiration to how the plot took shape. From there, the path to publishing: searching for an agent and exploring self-publishing.

Les has a B.A in literature and an M.S. in Communication Studies. He taught Radio-TV and English courses while working as an on-air DJ in the Chicago area for six years. In the Pittsburgh area, he was the English department chair at South Park High School for 28 years and operated a mobile entertainment company for 30 years. He also spent a year teaching Radio/TV courses at Shippensburg University.

After an opening presentation of the development of Priority A from initial idea to final publication, Les will open the discussion for any questions about writing, his DJ experience, or anything else. If he says, “It’s all shrouded in mystery,” ask him why that line is in the book.

Wednesday, June 24th at 6:30pm

Please register. 

All Poetry

AllPoetry is a large online poetry community designed for poets of all levels to publish work, join groups, participate in contests, and get feedback. It acts as a social network for writers, emphasizing daily, often encouraging feedback and providing various writing, educational, and publishing opportunities. 

There are literally over a million poems to read on AllPoetry.com! 

Test & Career Prep

 

 Your Bethel Park Public Library card gives you access to free test and career prep to help your job search and advance your career!  Peterson's Test & Career Prep eResource can help you prep for a variety of tests from AP exams to the LSAT.  It also includes prep for vocational tests including the real estate exam, Praxis exams, NCLEX exams, and many more. 

Additional resources include a scholarship search and tutorials on Microsoft Office. 

Ask your librarian today how to access Peterson's Test & Career Prep free with your library card. 

1 on 1 Technology Appointments

 

 Learn more about your laptop, smartphone, Library reading apps or common software program!

Library classes are free!  Please see the Adult Reference Desk for the schedule.

Browse the Library's computer books available for check-out. 

Artificial Intelligence: Library Resources

 

Learn more about the fascinating artificial intelligence technology with these library resources:

Libby/Overdrive books and magazines

Udemy Online Courses

 

Please ask your librarian for assistance if needed. 

Gardening

 Dig into these gardening essentials and make the most of this beautiful growing season! 

Books Rated by Readers Not Robots

Looking for book recommendations?  Try www.whichbook.net!  Pick a mood and discover your next read. You can also search by Character & Plot, and by using a World Map.

Celebrate America250 with the Library

Check out these items on the American Revolution and register for the upcoming America250 events at the Library!

Literary Hub's Anticipated Books List

Check out Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books!

If needed, please ask your librarian for assistance locating an item.  

Items owned by other libraries in the county can be delivered to the Bethel Park Public Library. Also, try our Pickup Lockers!

Books to Read - 2026

From the BBC, books to read this year!

Please ask your librarian for assistance finding an item. 

Ask us about our ebooks and audiobooks with Libby/Overdrive and Hoopla (apps available). 

Hoopla Changes Coming May 1st

Starting May 1st, the Allegheny County Library System will be implementing a daily spending cap to Hoopla. This sets a dollar amount limit that, once reached, will pause Hoopla checkouts until the next day. The daily cap resets at midnight local time.

You will encounter new messaging in the app and browser experiences. This is a collective limit, not to be confused with the personal check out limit, which remains at 5 per month. 

Please use the Favorites button in Hoopla to build a curated collection to choose from quickly. 

Get more out of Hoopla with BingePass (special collections of unlimited content) and Bonus Borrows (curated, specific titles that are available at the last week of the month).

Ask your librarian for assistance if needed. 

Writers - Biography in Context

 

Access articles, photos and more for over 600 writers with Biography in Context and your Library Card!

 This database contains the life stories of thousands of famous people including actors, leaders, inventors and singers.

Sins for Erin - Author Talk

Saturday, April 11th at 2pm

Please Register

Join Author Logan Joyce for a Deep Dive into Pittsburgh’s Most Daring Heist Ring

In his new non-fiction book, Sins for Erin, author Logan Joyce uncovers a gripping—and deeply personal—chapter of Pittsburgh’s criminal past. Centered on his own Irish-Catholic ancestors, the book explores what The Pittsburgh Press (1922) called “one of the most daring and successful shoplifting rings ever operated in Pittsburgh.”

Operating between 1917 and 1922, the ring was ignited by the spirit of the 1916 Irish Easter Rising. Far from simple theft, these downtown heists were a means of resistance, helping to fund Irish rebels during the War for Independence. Led by the formidable Bridget (Keane) Joyce and her partner-in-crime Helen (Riley) Bannon, this family-run operation bridged the gap between the storefronts of Downtown and the neighborhoods of the South Side—until it all came crashing down in 1922.

 About the Author Logan Joyce is a Pittsburgh native and historian who has been digging into his family’s South Side roots since the age of 13. A chance discovery on Newspapers.com in 2021 led him down a four-year rabbit hole of archives and ancestry, culminating in the 2026 release of Sins for Erin.

New Items in the Catalog

 Looking for the newest additions to the county catalog? 

Check out the new arrivals page for items recently added or on order! 

 

On The Rocks: the Primadonna Story

 Thursday, April 9th at 6:30pm

Please Register 

Author Maria Costanzo Palmer will discuss On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story, which dishes up heaping helpings of nostalgia, with entertaining stories of quirky characters, delectable dishes, great memories and enduring friendships from a time when dining out was an experience to savor.

   

Maria Costanzo Palmer is an author, speaker, home cook, and nonprofit professional. Just last year, she was named one of L.A. Weekly’s “Top 15 Rising Authors to Watch" for her debut co-authored book On the Rocks. Her book even snagged a feature in Forbes as a must-have gift for all those entrepreneurial spirits on your holiday shopping list! The book has receiving critical acclaim for its interesting voice as it is written in the first person narrative in her father's voice. The book has racked in several awards, like the American Bookfest Award for Narrative Nonfiction in 2023, and it even scooped up the 2024 New York Book Festival’s Book of the Year!

The Waxing Queen - Author Talk

Saturday, March 28th at 11am

Please Register

Join us for an author talk with A.F. Schreiber.  Local author Justin D. Bellow will be conducting the chat.

A.F. Schreiber is a former journalist and magazine writer turned author who enjoys creating immersive worlds with relatable characters. She mainly reads romantasy and dark romance. In addition to writing and reading, she’s also a Swiftie with a slight hot cocoa addiction. Connect with her on Instagram @_afschreiberauthor. The Waxing Queen Part I: The Moon Cycle Series Book I is an epic fantasy romance with Anastasia vibes. Now available on KU and in paperback.

Justin D. Bello is the author of the epic fantasy series The Bard’s Heresy, which includes The Gift of the Guardians, The Blackguard’s Bond, and The Key to the Kingdom. A lifelong lover of adventure stories, Bello’s work blends action and adventure with traditional elements of classic fantasy and medieval history. He enjoys creating morally ambiguous worlds full of characters struggling to fight for good when faced with overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable evil. A full-time literature teacher, Bello lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and children.