Mt. Pleasant library earns educational designation through state program

The Mt. Pleasant Free Public Library recently was recognized as a PA Forward Star Library, joining a few others in Westmoreland County that have achieved the designation in the past.

Mt. Pleasant library director Brian Dawson said officials there have been working toward the designation for awhile.

“We are all proud of what has been achieved and what we have been able to provide to the community,” Dawson said in a statement. “We hope to keep this momentum going.”

The Mt. Pleasant library earned a Silver Star designation, which means the facility achieved a specific benchmark required in the PA Forward program. The program, through the Pennsylvania Library Association, provides support to libraries to incorporate five facets of literacy into their programming — basic, information, health, financial and civil and social.

Stars are awarded quarterly and Mt. Pleasant was among about 30 libraries who achieved that status between July 1 and Sept. 30.

“The PA Forward Star Library program spotlights libraries’ efforts to continue making intentional investments in literacy-aligned programs,” Christi Buker, Pennsylvania Library Association executive director, said in a statement.

The Mt. Pleasant library is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The library earned bronze status in the PA Forward program in 2018.

Other libraries in Westmoreland County that have previously earned star status include: Peoples Library in New Kensington, Murrysville Community Library, Penn Area Library and Scottdale Public Library.