Happy World Sight Day

I chose World Sight Day to bring to your attention a new partnership between Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the Free Library of Philadelphia and Bookshare, a service that greatly enhances access to books and information for Pennsylvania’s print disabled patrons.


A Blind Guide to Stinkville

It’s not very often that I come across a children’s book that accurately, authentically, and respectfully depicts a disabled protagonist (if I can find a children’s book with a disabled … Continued


When an Author Visits

Nothing beats the excitement of an author coming to visit! At the moment we’re waiting for Kwame Alexander’s visit on Sunday, October 16th from 2:30-3:30 pm at the Carnegie Lecture Hall in Oakland.


Vegetarian Cookbooks

In March of this year I became a vegetarian. It happened by accident at first. I went a week without eating meat by chance and decided to run with it. Now, I didn’t have a problem with cooking without meat, hence the happenstance week without meat, but I have been exploring different vegetarian cookbooks since then, and I’ve found some excellent titles at the library! Take a look!


What is Rape Culture? A Reading List for a Difficult Topic

Recent high-profile news stories have brought the terms “rape culture” and “bystander behavior” into mainstream discussions about rape, sexual assault and gender violence. Although this can be a difficult to understand, emotionally fraught subject matter, these news stories are an opportunity for us to explore, discuss and understand these important topics in a more meaningful way.


Best of BARD: September 2016

It truly is the end of the hot summer months, for we have our first non-fiction sighting in the Top Five in many months. We must truly be reflecting hard, … Continued


Easy Library Fixes

Have you caught Joe Swanberg’s Easy on Netflix yet? If you have, read my semi-spoilery review and check out some of Swanberg’s previous works.



Resources for Caregivers

Seasoned New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast in her graphic memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? wonderfully illustrates the complications of navigating the role of caregiver for her aging … Continued


Throwback Thursday: Lovers and Fighters

“Boom Boom’s” visit made an impression on me, though. How could it not? Mancini’s presence was meant to be an example of what we, too, could accomplish, if we worked hard. We could be contenders. We could be somebody. Maybe not in the ring, but somehow. All you had to do was pay your dues and have faith, and somehow everything would turn out okay.