South Park Township Library recognized with Gold Star status

South Park Township Library is doing more than just getting through the coronavirus pandemic — it’s thriving thanks to its online programming.

The community library was the only one in Allegheny County to be recognized with Pennsylvania Library Association Gold Star status in the second quarter of 2020.

According to a news release, The PAForward Star Library Technical Committee reviews submissions from all types of libraries and certifies the quality of programming provided by participating libraries.

Amanda DeKnight, director of South Park Township Library, said that the award was a good eye-opener for the library to realize that it’s doing good things during the shutdown.

“The beginning (of the shutdown) was a little slow, because a lot of regulars are seniors,” DeKnight said. “We’ve taken a lot of time to explain things to them. Being in a smaller community, we know our people really well. We’ve taught people how to use Zoom one-on-one. I’ve jumped on a book club and showed them how to browse books. I think its going well — it’s different.”

Virtual programs at the library have ranged from cooking demos and story times to unbiased financial literacy and music classes.

“Any programming that we can switch to digital, we are switching to digital. We want to have the same standards,” DeKnight said, adding that it looks like this will be the status quo for the foreseeable future.

“Our libraries continue to be community pillars, meeting citizen needs, helping businesses, government organizations and others connect with residents, sharing resources and information which have the potential to positively impact multiple lives,” Christi Buker, Pennsylvania Library Association executive director, said in the news release.

The Community Library of the Allegheny Valley was recognized with Silver Star status for the same time period.