Oakmont Carnegie Library plans fundraisers

With the ever-changing pandemic protocols making large indoor gatherings difficult to plan, Oakmont Carnegie Library officials and board members had to think of new ways to help fund programs and building improvements.

The result was the return of an outdoor event in which families can express their creativity and ride for reading.

Bikes for Books is scheduled for Aug. 21 at the library at 700 Allegheny River Blvd.

Participants will meet at the parking lot starting at 8 a.m. to decorate their bikes and gather to become a rolling parade along the main borough streets, with a police escort.

Decorative supplies will be provided. Families can also decorate their bikes at home beforehand. All nonmotorized modes of transportation are welcome.

The parade goes along Allegheny River Boulevard, turns down onto Allegheny Avenue and ends at Riverside Park, where there will be bike games including an obstacle course. The cost is $20 per rider or $60 for a family.

Event coordinator Katie Lascola said they came up with the bike idea after having to again cancel Taste of Two Towns, one of the library’s largest annual fundraising efforts.

“Covid kind of took it out the last couple of years,” she said. “When it was time to plan for it, we didn’t know what we were facing or if things were going to change again or what was happening. We just decided to try some different fundraisers. We’re going to have some outside events this time.

“We did it once before, pre-covid. It was just an idea that I had and thought it would be really fun. I reached out to the police to see if they would help (and) the borough to see if we could do it.”

Lascola said there was a good turnout for the first Bikes for Books in the summer 2019, and she hopes more people will come out this month.

There is no deadline to register and people can sign up the day of the event. Participants will also receive a water bottle.

People can contact Lascola at Lascola.katie@gmail.com or call 724-841-4953.

Bikes for Books is one of two big library events set for August.

Truck on Down to the Library

Truck on Down to the Library is planned for 3 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 29.

There will be food trucks, a balloon artist, raffles, games, a scavenger hunt and bucket rides from the Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department.

Library Director Beth Mellor commended the organizers for their ingenuity and the community for its continued support.

“We have a new library board this year, and the two upcoming fundraisers were their ideas to welcome back the community and to have an outdoor fundraiser,” Mellor said. “We had lots of concerns about having an indoor fundraiser, so this worked out really well for us. It’s also a nice way to have families together for a fundraiser. Taste of Two Towns is definitely an adult event.

“The events themselves will help us with new programs we’re working on, such as our community maker space, the grab-n-go craft bags we’re creating for children and some building upgrades.”

The library is open Mondays through Saturdays. However, many of its programs remain virtual either through Facebook or Zoom.

Mellor said they are constantly working with various officials and hope to return to more in-person activities soon.

“I guess I’m like every director in the county trying to balance access with the concerns about the rising covid rates due to the Delta variant,” she said. “I follow the numbers, talk with my borough manager on a regular basis and ask for input from the library team about how they want to manage that balance. It’s all about safety for the community and the library staff members.”

More information about the library is available at oakmontlibrary.org or by calling 412-828-9532.