Press Releases

Media Contacts:

Alyssa Marsico, Marketing Specialist 412-261-5040 ext 3104 [email protected]

Brandi Hunter-Davenport, PA Forward® Project Manager 717-766-7663 [email protected]

ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION GREATER PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER AND PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION WORKING TOGETHER TO MOVE PA FORWARD®

Greater PA Chapter joins PA Forward® partnership; Provides community educational programs and resources through libraries

Erie, PA (Feb. 14, 2018) – As the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, the Alzheimer’s Association is committed to raising awareness of this fatal brain disease. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) the Alzheimer’s Association staff will provide educational programs and resources to the community at libraries throughout Pennsylvania.  

“We are so pleased to partner with a great organization such as the Pennsylvania Library Association” said Gail Roddie-Hamlin, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter. “These programs will provide our local communities with vital information on facing the challenges that arise when confronted by Alzheimer’s disease.”

Know the Ten Signs and Healthy Living for your Brain and Body will be the programs initially offered through libraries in Clearfield, Erie, Luzerne, Northumberland and Westmoreland counties between March and June. Previous programs also occurred in Blair County. Additional topics and discussions will be offered in other areas of the state as scheduled.

“We are honored to have the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter join us as PA Forward® partner,” said Christi Buker, Pennsylvania Library Association Executive Director. “PA Forward® frames the picture of what all Pennsylvania’s libraries offer to our citizens daily and helps us to share the value they bring to the communities they serve. The Alzheimer’s Association has a myriad of programs and resources that can truly help change the trajectory of someone’s life. They are a welcomed addition to the work of PA Forward® and will help libraries provide more health literacy opportunities for their patrons.”

PA Forward®, an outreach initiative of the Pennsylvania Library Association, works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist all residents in enhancing their overall quality of life. The program seeks to improve the literacy levels of Pennsylvanians by connecting them with the information, learning, and technology resources available at their local libraries. These programs aim to develop a better trained and more skilled workforce, which in turn grows the commonwealth’s tax base, economy and population.

The Know the Ten Signs programs encourages awareness of Alzheimer’s so that recognition of the Ten Signs could lead to earlier diagnosis as well as care and planning options. Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body teaches attendees that the health of the brain and body are connected, providing insight on how to optimize physical and cognitive health throughout one’s life. These programs allow facilitators from the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association to engage with the community and are equipped with care, support and educational resources for attendees. 

For more information on this program as well others offered by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater PA Chapter, call 814-456-9200. The Association also has a toll-free, 24/7 helpline available at 800-272-3900. Information is also available at alzconnected.org. Libraries interested in hosting a program in their local area can contact the Pennsylvania Library Association at 717-766-7663 or [email protected].

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Alzheimer’s Association®

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, visit alz.org/pa.

About the Pennsylvania Library Association

Founded in 1901, the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) is the state’s oldest and most diverse professional library organization serving libraries, library employees, library trustees, and Friends of the Library groups. For more information, visit www.palibraries.org, facebook.com/PALibraries or @PALibraryAssoc on Twitter.

Mechanicsburg, PA (October 20, 2017) – Roughly one year ago, the Pennsylvania Library Association launched their bench-mark, PA Forward® Star Library program.  Today the program has some 170 libraries registered.  

“We are elated to see how well the program has taken off,” said PA Library Association Executive Director Christi Buker. “PA Forward® frames the way libraries talk about their programs, working to help their patrons understand how programs and materials made available through the library are investments in their own literacy skill development. The Star Library program is just our way of recognizing all that libraries are doing and our way of thanking them for being pillars of support in our local communities.”

PA Forward® works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist all residents in enhancing their overall quality of life. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and clearly demonstrate their incorporation of the literacies in their programming activities. Those libraries are recognized for meeting action items within the bronze, silver and gold star levels of the program. 

A repository of the types of programs that qualify libraries for Star Library status can be found in the PA Forward® Commons found at http://bit.ly/2ilY9Iv.  

The following is a listing of libraries and the highest level of star status achieved on or before Sept. 30, 2017.   

Gold Star Level

·         Abington Community Library – Lackawanna County

·         Allentown Public Library – Lehigh County

·         Altoona Area Public Library – Blair County

·         Annie Halenbake Ross Library – Clinton County

·         Blossburg Memorial Library – Tioga County

·         Coudersport Public – Potter County

·         Easttown Library – Chester County

·         Free Library of Northampton Township – Bucks County

·         Free Library of Springfield Township – Montgomery County

·         Genesee Area – Potter County

·         Green Free – Wellsboro – Tioga County

·         Grove Family Library – Franklin County

·         James V. Brown Library – Lycoming County

·         Monroeton Public Library – Bradford County

·         Muhlenberg Community Library – Berks County

·         Muncy Public Library – Lycoming County

·         North Pocono Public Library – Lackawanna County

·         Osterhout Free Library – Luzerne County

·         Oswayo Valley Memorial – Potter County

·         Peters Township Public Library – Washington County

·         Pittston Memorial Library – Luzerne County

·         Public Library for Union County – Union County

·         Reading Public Library – Berks County

·         S W Smith Memorial Public Library – McKean County

·         St. Marys Public Library – Elk County

·         Tunkhannock Public Library – Wyoming County

·         Ulysses Public Library – Potter County

·         Upper Merion Township Library – Montgomery County

·         Warminster Township Free Library – Bucks County

·         Wyalusing Public Library – Bradford County

Silver Star Level

·         Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls – Beaver County

·         Claysburg Area Public Library – Blair County

·         Easton Area Public Library – Northampton County

·         Fleetwood Area Public Library – Berks County

·         Free Library of New Hope and Solebury – Bucks County

·         Green Free Library – Canton – Bradford County

·         Hollidaysburg Area Public Library – Blair County

·         Lackawanna County Library System Bookmobile – Lackawanna County

·         Lower Macungie Library – Lehigh County

·         Madigan Library – Penn College – Lycoming County

·         North Wales Area Library – Montgomery County

·         Sayre Public Library – Bradford County

·         Scranton Public Library (Albright Memorial Library) – Lackawanna County

·         Tyrone-Snyder Public Library – Blair County

·         Valley Community Library – Lackawanna County

·         Western Allegheny Community Library – Allegheny County

Bronze Star Level

·         Beaver Area Memorial Library – Beaver County

·         Bellwood Antis Public Library – Blair County

·         Bethel Park Public Library – Allegheny County

·         Bloomsburg Public Library – Columbia County

·         Cambria County Library – Cambria County

·         Chippewa Branch Library – Beaver County

·         Collinsville Community Library – York County

·         Emmaus Public Library – Lehigh County

·         Frackville Free Public Library – Schuylkill County

·         Fulton County Library – Fulton County

·         Gladwyne Free Library – Montgomery County

·         Horsham Township Library – Montgomery County

·         Huntingdon County Library – Huntingdon County

·         Indian Valley Public Library – Montgomery County

·         Indiana Free Library – Indiana County

·         Kutztown Community Library – Berks County

·         Mansfield Free Public Library – Tioga County

·         Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library – Bucks County

·         Marian Sutherland Kirby Library – Luzerne County

·         McBride Memorial Library – Columbia County

·         Mengle Memorial Library – Jefferson County

·         Mifflin Community Library – Berks County

·         Mt. Lebanon Public Library – Allegheny County

·         Nancy Kay Holmes Library – Lackawanna County

·         Northern Cambria Public Library – Cambria County

·         Schuylkill Valley Community Library – Berks County

·         Selinsgrove Community Library – Snyder County

·         Somerset County Library – Somerset County

·         Village Library of Morgantown – Berks County

·         Summerville Public Library – Jefferson County

·         West End Library – Union County

For more information about the PA Forward® Star Library program, contact Brandi Hunter-Davenport, Project Manager, at 717-766-7663 or [email protected].

PA Forward ®Star Library Program continuing to help libraries meet needs of local communities

Mechanicsburg, PA (July 10, 2017) – A program conceived to enhance staff training and support libraries in their efforts to provide patrons with opportunities that yield investments in local communities continues to shine throughout Pennsylvania. The PA Forward® Star Library program has grown into a s tatewide phenomenon, with libraries in all reaches of the state advancing their community engagement and programming efforts, as they become recognized star libraries. 

“The reception the Star Library Program has received and continues to receive is mind blowing, yet humbling,” said Christi Buker, PA Library Association Executive Director. “Mind blowing because this program began as an idea from the work of one of our leadership academy cohorts in 2015 and I don’t think anyone involved in that initial discussion could have forecast how much the program would grow in two short years. It’s also very humbling because of just how much we’ve grown in such a short time frame. 

“When you think of the Star Library Program, you see a library’s intentionality in offering community engagement opportunities to help meet the needs of the residents in the area,” Buker added. “You see the staffs going through training and development to ensure they are equipping themselves with the skills needed to develop quality programming. You see the library as a beacon of light in an area, helping that area find its own shine. We’re just so proud to be a part of a movement that is changing lives.”   

PA Forward® works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist all residents in enhancing their overall quality of life. The Star Library recognition offers support to libraries who participate and incorporate the literacies in their programming activities. Those libraries are recognized for meeting benchmarks within the bronze, silver and gold star levels of the Star Library Program.
 
A repository of the types of programs that qualify libraries for Star Library status can be found in the PA Forward® Commons found at http://www.palibraries.org/members/group_content_view.asp?group=117296&id=670180. 

The following is a listing of libraries and the star status achieved between April 1 and June 30, 2017. 

Gold Star Level

• Abington Community Library – Lackawanna County
• Allentown Public Library – Lehigh County
• Altoona Area Public Library – Blair County
• Grove Family Library – Franklin County
• North Pocono Public Library – Lackawanna County
• Osterhout Free Library – Luzerne County 
• Peters Township Public Library – Washington County
• Pittston Memorial Library- Luzerne County
• Reading Public Library – Berks County
• Upper Merion Township Library – Montgomery County 

Silver Star Level

• Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls/3rd Silver Star – Beaver County
• Claysburg Area Public Library/2nd Silver Star – Blair County
• Easton Area Public Library/2nd Silver Star – Northampton County
• Free Library of New Hope and Solebury/2nd Silver Star – Bucks County
• Madigan Library at Penn College/1st Silver Star – Lycoming County
• Muhlenberg Community Library/4th Silver Star – Berks County
• S.W. Smith Memorial Public Library/2nd Silver Star – McKean County
• Tyrone-Snyder Public Library/2nd Silver Star – Blair County
• Warminster Township Free Library/5th Silver Star – Bucks County

Bronze Star Level

• Beaver Area Memorial Library –  Beaver County
• Bethel Park Public Library – Allegheny County
• Fleetwood Area Public Library – Berks County
• Fulton County Library – Fulton County
• Horsham Township Library – Montgomery County
• Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library – Bucks County
• Marian Sutherland Kirby Library – Luzerne County
• Mengle Memorial Library – Jefferson County
• Nancy Kay Holmes Library – Lackawanna County
• Northern Cambria Public Library – Cambria County
• Scranton Public Library – Lackawanna County
• Valley Community Library – Lackawanna County
• Western Allegheny Community Library – Allegheny County

Libraries working toward their star status can submit their documentation by visiting www.paforwardstarlibraries.org.  Follow the prompts to create an account and review the submission instructions. More information about PA Forward® and the Star Library Program is also available at www.palibraries.org. Once there, click on the “Get Involved” tab and then click on “PA Forward®.” Also feel free to contact Brandi Hunter-Davenport, PA Forward® Project Manager, at 717-766-7663 or [email protected] 

Harrisburg, PA (May 30, 2017) – With a theme of “Money Matters: Financial Literacy for All Ages,” the 2017 PA Forward® Financial Literacy Summit offered an array of information and resources, informing and educating attendees about money management, including practices, tools and tips to help make sound financial decisions for life. This year’s summit was sponsored by PA Forward® partnering organization First National Bank.

“As business partners and neighbors, we’re involved with the community by providing financial support to economic development groups and nonprofit organizations such as the PA Library Association. We also help organizations succeed by contributing our time. Many FNB employees serve on local boards and provide valuable expertise to drive financial education for our business community,” said Candy Abram, a Harrisburg-area Branch Manager for FNB. “For me, the ability to partner with the PA Library Association and members of the library community to educate the public on how to better manage their day-to-day finances is an exciting and rewarding opportunity. 

“It is vital that we work together to provide this valuable service to the communities in which we work and live. Financial Literacy affects individuals of all ages and all economic incomes. If individuals lack the proper tools to be in control of their financial situations, our communities suffer. First National Bank takes pride in giving back to the communities and this partnership with PA Forward® provides that natural platform and I am proud to be a part of such an impactful solution.”

Libraries are more than book repositories and over time, these community centers have begun to provide outlets for programs and information sessions to help patrons live and lead more productive lives. The summit which took place at Penn State – Altoona earlier this month, was an opportunity for librarians and their staffs to not only learn about programs and resource information available for them to share with their patrons but to gain some information that may help inform decision-making processes regarding their own finances.

The PA Forward® Financial Literacy team works to assist libraries in providing information to consumers, individuals, small business and organizations so they in turn can contribute to the economic vitality of their communities through innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development. As a part of that outreach, they work with multiple community partners, including First National Bank. 

Abram, who’s been involved with the initiative since 2013, presented a luncheon session entitled Successfully Navigating Finances for the Sandwich Generation, covering how to best steer through the challenges facing individuals who are balancing their personal finances, along with the financial well-being of their children (no matter their age) and their aging parents, as a part of their daily financial planning and in addition to their own plans for retirement.

First National Bank is one of the region’s leading full-service banks, offering comprehensive financial solutions, including commercial and consumer banking, trust, wealth management, insurance and brokerage, along with innovative online and mobile banking services. Learn more at www.fnb-online.com. Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC.

This year’s Financial Literacy Summit was hosted in partnership with PA Library Association’s Juniata-Conemaugh Chapter. Conference presenters included: First National Bank, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, PA Treasury, Northland Public Library, Penn State University Libraries, Peters Township Public Library, Susquehanna Foundation, PA Attorney General’s Office, PA Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEEA), Carbondale Public Library, Abington Community Library and the Taylor Community Library.

For more information about PA Forward®, visit www.paforward.org. 

About the Pennsylvania Library Association

Founded in 1901, the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) is the state’s oldest and most diverse professional library organization serving libraries, library employees, library trustees, and Friends of the Library groups. For more information, visit www.palibraries.org, facebook.com/PALibraries or @PALibraryAssoc on Twitter.

About PA Forward®

The Pennsylvania Library Association’s PA Forward® | Pennsylvania Libraries initiative was conceived to give voice to what the library community already knows, and what other states throughout the nation recognize – with the right support, libraries are ideally positioned to become the community centers of information, technology, and learning that will fuel educational and economic opportunity for all of our citizens. For more information, visit www.PAForward.org, facebook.com/paforward or @PAForward5 on Twitter.

York, PA (May 1, 2017) – Standing in the Martin Library in York County, PA Library Association (PaLA) President Carrie Turner joined state officials and community members to highlight how libraries continue to meet the needs of their local communities. The morning event, hosted by the York County Libraries, put a spotlight on a new partnership between the PA Library Association and the PA Insurance Department through the PA Forward® program.

“Long gone are the days of libraries being known simply as book repositories,” noted Turner during the morning press conference. “Our libraries have transformed into community centers offering a multitude of programs, resources and opportunities, helping our patrons become more informed and more engaged in their local areas.

“We are honored to have the PA Insurance Department join us as a partner through PA Forward®. PA Forward® is truly the framework that paints the picture of what all Pennsylvania’s libraries offer and helps us to tell the story of just how valuable libraries are to society’s greater good. Through this partnership, the department will offer programs at libraries throughout the state on topics ranging from insurance 101 for teens to health to car to renters’ insurance options. When you think about it, when we are talking about insurance, we are talking about our lives. The PA Insurance Department is a wonderful addition to the work of PA Forward®, extending the reach of our libraries.”

Staffs from both organizations met and realized some commonalities in relation to their goals and efforts to educate and assist residents throughout the commonwealth. After further discussion, they realized there was synergy between the two and that the PA Insurance Department would make a great addition as a PA Forward® partner.

“Governor Wolf’s and my top priority for the Insurance Department is consumer protection and education,” Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller said. “Partnering with the PA Library Association will allow us to bring information on important insurance topics, from helping high school students learn more about auto insurance, to educating renters on why they should have renters’ insurance, to helping seniors better understand whether a given annuity is right for them, will help us deliver this information directly to consumers who need it.”

PA Forward® works through five key literacies – Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health and Financial – to assist all residents in enhancing their overall quality of life. The initiative has grown into a statewide program which seeks to improve the literacy levels of Pennsylvanians by connecting them with the information, learning, and technology resources available at their local libraries. Working through each of the literacies, PA Forward® aims to develop a better trained and more skilled workforce, which in turn grows the commonwealth’s tax base, economy and population. As a result, academic, school, and public libraries throughout Pennsylvania empower residents and businesses alike with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today’s ever-evolving society.

“Libraries can help ensure that our youth are equipped with the necessary basic skills in financial matters to become confident and informed consumers,” said Robert Lambert, President of the York County Libraries. “From understanding money, to consumer literacy; from personal finance, to money management; this partnership will provide youth with the knowledge, resources and skills to be able to secure and improve their financial wellbeing.”

After a few brief remarks, Insurance Commissioner Miller offered a 101 on auto insurance session for teens. Juniors and seniors from the Helen Thackston Charter School were in attendance for the presentation. 

Pennsylvania Department of Education Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Libraries Glenn Miller was also on hand for the morning event and spoke to the importance of how libraries serve as a bridge in our communities.

“For generations, resource-sharing and collaboration have been hallmarks of library services. PA Forward® builds on this long tradition of collaboration by bringing together libraries, state agencies, businesses, non-profits, and associations to advance literacy,” said Commissioner for Libraries Miller. “When we break down our silos and leverage our assets together to tackle illiteracy in all its forms, we underscore the lasting benefits of a literate citizenry, we empower their capacity to succeed in the 21^st Century economy, and we display the kind of ingenuity required of a Government That Works.”

Libraries interested in scheduling PA Forward® programming, including sessions with the PA Insurance Department, can contact the PA Library Association at 717-766-7663 or [email protected]. A full listing of PA Forward® partners can be found at www.paforward.org. For more information about the PA Insurance Department, visit http://www.insurance.pa.gov. For more information about York County Libraries, visit http://www.yorklibraries.org/.

About the Pennsylvania Library Association

Founded in 1901, the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) is the state’s oldest and most diverse professional library organization serving libraries, library employees, library trustees, and Friends of the Library groups. For more information, visit www.palibraries.org, facebook.com/PALibraries or @PALibraryAssoc on Twitter.

About PA Forward®

The Pennsylvania Library Association’s PA Forward® | Pennsylvania Libraries initiative was conceived to give voice to what the library community already knows, and what other states throughout the nation recognize – with the right support, libraries are ideally positioned to become the community centers of information technology,  and  learning  that  will  fuel  educational  and  economic  opportunity for all our citizens. For more information, visit www.PAForward.org, facebook.com/paforward or @PAForward5 on Twitter.