CCAC’s push to sell off library books leaves empty shelves; Pittsburgh's Public Source, May 5, 2026

 Jamese Platt, Pittsburgh's Public Source ; CCAC’s push to sell off library books leaves empty shelves

This year the Community College of Allegheny County culled around 30,000 books from its collection, and library staff claim they had little say. Experts say academic book weeding should be a careful, gradual process.

"The Community College of Allegheny County has culled 35,000 books from its library collection. Some library staff members said they never received a clear explanation for the large and fast-paced “book weeding” — a common process in libraries, but one usually done gradually, according to some library management professionals.

On March 10, CCAC’s website announced an upcoming book sale taking place for one week across the college’s main and branch campuses. Books, DVDs and CDs were available for $1, with proceeds supporting a textbook fund for CCAC students.

“New media, such as electronic media including databases, e-texts and streaming media are in higher demand now as sources of information in community college libraries,” wrote Stephen Wells, CCAC’s provost and chief academic officer, in response to questions from Pittsburgh’s Public Source. “We are shifting resources to provide the resources our students need...

Bryanna Biehl, a CCAC student studying microbiology, worked as a volunteer during the book sale. She said she feels conflicted about the current state of the library. While she found the book sale enjoyable and was glad to increase her book collection, empty shelves on the Boyce Campus in Monroeville upset her. 

“Seeing it after the sale, it’s kind of heartbreaking,” Biehl said. “I frequent the library a lot. I would like a physical space to read … That’s what you expect when you go to the library, but seeing all those empty shelves that used to be full of books, it sucks as a student, as a reader, really.”

According to Jenkins, what remains of the CCAC libraries is a skeleton of its former self. “We don’t really have a real collection,” he said. “The damage that has been done, you can’t heal that.”

What you can get for free in and around Pittsburgh - all with a library card; WPXI.com News Staff, February 6, 2026

 WPXI.com News Staff; What you can get for free in and around Pittsburgh - all with a library card

"There’s a card in your wallet that is so powerful, it can get you plenty of things for free—everything from free tickets to shows to a ladder for home repairs. All available if you have a library card.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offers a “Library of Things” to help residents save on household expenses and entertainment. These programs allow patrons to check out physical objects and experience passes with the same ease as borrowing a book.

Andrew Medlar, president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, discussed the financial impact of utilizing library resources. “There are so many things that the library provides. How could anyone know all of them except your friendly librarian?” Medlar said. He estimated that a person utilizing a library card could save “hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.”"

The Tull Family Foundation donated a large sum of money and over 1,300 pounds of meat and produce to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 7, 2025

 LINDSAY SHACHNOW , The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; The Tull Family Foundation donated a large sum of money and over 1,300 pounds of meat and produce to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

"A delivery of more than 1,300 pounds of meat and produce to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on Thursday came as the Tull Family Foundation stepped up to help out amid an ongoing government shutdown that has left millions across Pennsylvania without access to food assistance.

The food bank, which works in more than 10 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, estimates a hefty food and monetary donation from the foundation founded by Thomas and Alba Tull will provide more than 150,000 meals to people in need.

The contribution from the foundation tied to the billionaire minority owner of the Steelers reflects a surge in efforts across the community and the country to keep food supplies flowing to those in need. 

On Nov. 1, SNAP cards used by 2 million Pennsylvanians to supplement their grocery budgets were emptied as a result of the shutdown of the federal government. Local food banks — which are designed to provide added support to people receiving SNAP benefits — have been overwhelmed."

A Citizen of the World Retires; University of Pittsburgh, January 29, 2020

University of Pittsburgh; A Citizen of the World Retires

"After a 54-year career at Pitt, E. Maxine Bruhns announced her retirement earlier this month as director of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs at age 96.

Born in West Virginia in 1924, Bruhns is considered at Pitt as a “citizen of the world”—growing the Nationality Rooms into a collection of 31 mini-museums representing the immigrant populations of Pittsburgh and their contributions to the city. Today, the rooms are collectively designated a historical landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

“The Nationality Rooms are, and will forever be, linked to the identity of the city of Pittsburgh. Maxine has been absolutely instrumental in this achievement,” said Ariel C. Armony, vice provost for global affairs and director of the University Center for International Studies (UCIS), which houses the Nationality Rooms. “This is her legacy.”"

Pittsburgh is filled with people trying to win patents. PPG is at the front of the line. One of an occasional series: Patented in Pittsburgh; The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 20, 2018

Courtney Linder, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Pittsburgh is filled with people trying to win patents. PPG is at the front of the line.
One of an occasional series: Patented in Pittsburgh
 

"Between 2005 and 2015, PPG was awarded 583 patents, the most in the Pittsburgh region, and certainly enough to warrant the structure PPG has crafted to protect its secrets until it has the force of a U.S. patent seal...

Pittsburgh universities churning out patents

Between 2008 and 2017, Pittsburgh's research universities have tripled their patent generation and doubled the number of technology licenses granted for commercial use."

Can Carnegie Museums attract a dynamic leader who also knows how to raise money?; Marylynne Pitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 8, 2018

Marylynne Pitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Can Carnegie Museums attract a dynamic leader who also knows how to raise money?

"Competing for talent

For trustees, finding a new president is always a challenge but this year, competition for quality candidates will be fierce. At least a dozen museums are searching for new leaders, including four New York venues — the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Folk Art Museum, the Bronx Museum of the Arts and the Queens Museum.  Others are the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Mo.; the North Carolina Museum of Art; the Taos Art Museum in New Mexico; and the brand new $41 million Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond, Va.

Kevin Hiles, executive vice president and chief operating officer, leads the transition team, which includes directors of The Andy Warhol Museum, the natural history museum and the Carnegie Science Center’s co-directors.

Mr. Hunt remains optimistic.

“This isn’t a search for a museum director; it’s a search for the president of a legendary institution that’s been part of the fabric of Pittsburgh for 120-plus years. Here, a president has the opportunity to work with four diverse, dynamic museums that are cultural anchors in the Pittsburgh community and leaders in their respective areas of museum study and focus,” he said."

August Wilson’s Pittsburgh; New York Times, August 15, 2017

John L. Dorman, New York Times; August Wilson’s Pittsburgh

"The stacks of the main Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh soon became Wilson’s new classroom, nurturing his intellectual curiosity. I walked throughout the building, imagining Wilson using the large reading rooms and admiring the architecture. With the words “Free to the People” etched in stone across the entrance, the ornate library, which opened in 1895, complements the nearby 42-story Gothic Revival Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.

Back in the Hill District, the local Carnegie Library branch has a community room dedicated to Wilson. During my visit it was packed, filled with patrons playing chess. There is that stool salvaged from Eddie’s restaurant, a large map of the Hill District and notably, a high school diploma issued to Wilson by the library.

August Wilson was 60 years old when he died of liver cancer. His memorial service, held at the grand Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland, was followed by a jazz-infused procession through the Hill District.

“When Wynton Marsalis played ‘Danny Boy’ at the service, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” Mr. Udin said. “August dealt with death in a manner of dignity, the same way he would have done with any of his characters.”

I always wondered how August Wilson could write about joy and tragedy with such vigor. But then I realized that his use of raw vernacular among African-Americans was rather unprecedented. Not only are Wilson’s poems and plays necessary, but they will continue to be vital in understanding the complexities of the common man."

LGBT panel to advise Peduto; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/14/17

Adam Smeltz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; LGBT panel to advise Peduto

"The mayor was traveling back from Washington, D.C., after a $250 million grant announcement involving Carnegie Mellon University, Mr. Acklin said. He said the group can hold city officials accountable to Mr. Peduto’s vision for “the most open, inclusive city in the country.”

“This is such an amazing and positive step in the right direction to be truly reflective of Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ community as it is in 2017,” Mr. Kraus said. Three people helped the mayor’s office to assess 79 applicants.

“I think their charge is even more important today than it was a few years ago, when we started this process,” said Mr. Kraus, who is openly gay. He said “there will always be those who feel that we are, in some way, lesser members of society.” 

The group’s acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual. The “+” symbol typically signals further inclusiveness."

Pittsburgh's smart city efforts include autonomous driving, open data, and renewable energy; TechRepublic, 11/18/16

Teena Maddox, TechRepublic; Pittsburgh's smart city efforts include autonomous driving, open data, and renewable energy:

"Pittsburgh is the home for CMU and it has helped with the push to add new technology. Pittsburgh is partnering with the university to serve as an urban lab for CMU's research and development. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CMU and the city serves as a formal partnership to allow CMU to try new tech around Pittsburgh without undergoing a lengthy approval process, similar to how the city is able to send maintenance crews out to do small projects without first seeking funding, Peduto explained...

The city has formed partnerships with county and universities to create an open data platform. Pittsburgh is providing the public with real-time data about crime, emergency calls, building permits, or anything else being measured."

How does Wholey's in the Strip plan to preserve business legacy?; In The Lead, 5/3/16

Joyce Gannon, In The Lead; How does Wholey's in the Strip plan to preserve business legacy? :

"Many of them worked for the company as teens but rather than anoint any as the new leaders, Mr. Wholey and his brothers have developed a plan with specific guidelines for those who may be interested in a leadership role in the future:

First, obtain a college degree.

Second, work somewhere else for a minimum of two to three years.

Third, earn a promotion at that other job.

“That gives them a view of what the world is,” said Mr. Wholey, who was a concert promoter after he graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass...

For about 10 years, the family has sought advice from the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence about succession planning."

Pittsburgh’s Youth-Driven Food Boom; New York Times, 3/16/16

Jeff Gordinier, New York Times; Pittsburgh’s Youth-Driven Food Boom:

"If there are scholars who hope to study how a vibrant food culture can help radically transform an American city, the time to do that is right now, in real time, in the place that gave us Heinz ketchup.

In December, Zagat named Pittsburgh the No. 1 food city in America. Vogue just went live with a piece that proclaimed, “Pittsburgh is not just a happening place to visit — increasingly, people, especially New Yorkers, are toying with the idea of moving here.”...

For decades, Pittsburgh was hardly seen as a beacon of innovative cuisine or a magnet for the young. It was the once-glorious metropolis that young people fled from after the shuttering of the steel mills in the early 1980s led to a mass exodus and a stark decline.

“We had to reinvent ourselves,” said Bill Peduto, Pittsburgh’s mayor.

And they have. Over the last decade or so, the city has been the beneficiary of several overlapping booms. Cheap rent and a voracious appetite for culture have attracted artists. Cheap rent and Carnegie Mellon University have attracted companies like Google, Facebook and Uber, seeking to tap local tech talent. And cheap rent alone has inspired chefs to pursue deeply personal projects that might have a hard time surviving in the Darwinian real estate microclimates of New York and San Francisco.

No one can pinpoint whether it was the artists or techies or chefs who got the revitalization rolling. But there’s no denying that restaurants play a starring role in the story Pittsburgh now tells about itself."

Website to raise funds for Wilson Center: Founders, others hope to resurrect debt-ridden center; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/8/14

Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Website to raise funds for Wilson Center: Founders, others hope to resurrect debt-ridden center:

"More than 50 people filled a conference room and another 20 spilled into the main part of the Downtown branch of the Carnegie Library Saturday to plan a strategy to save the debt-strapped August Wilson Center for African American Culture...

One of the center's founders, former city councilman Sala Udin, told the gathering that the founding group is working to reverse the course and has retained an attorney to determine the legal framework for fundraising.

Support is being built for pledges on the website www.savetheaugustwilsoncenter.com."