Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is one of 29 District Library Centers and serves all public libraries in Allegheny County.

District Library Centers receive funds from the state of Pennsylvania in order to provide support services to the local public libraries in their geographical areas. This support can include reference, interlibrary loan, consulting services and continuing education.

The District Services Department provides expert advice in all areas of library science and library management in addition to clarifying and disseminating information to and from the Office of Commonwealth Libraries and implementing statewide programs.

Please click here to contact us or continue reading about the services that we offer as a District Library.

Some of the information contained in the pages is password protected for use by ACLA public library directors and staff.

Support services that Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh provides as the Pittsburgh District Library Center include:

Over 5 million items pass through the distribution center annually!

Delivery Services

• Delivery service is available 5 times a week for all state-aided libraries in the Pittsburgh District.
• Book, audiovisual materials and mail transfer occur among 73 libraries in Allegheny County.
• Shipping Update 2008: From MANUAL to AUTOMATED! New!

Pittsburgh District Interlibrary Loan Program

• Local library collections are routinely supplemented through interlibrary loan services. Most transactions are free, however sometimes libraries from outside Allegheny County charge a lending fee.
• OCLC WorldCat and Access PA database search tools are used to obtain materials for customers of Allegheny County libraries.
• Loan request vehicles include telephone, fax, email, online or van delivery.

Continuing Education

• Live presentations, audio and teleconference workshops are available for staff as well as local library trustees.
• Programs are offered in cooperation with Allegheny County Library Association and the Office of Commonwealth Libraries.

Professional Collection

• A comprehensive collection of materials related to services and operation of public libraries is available.
• Information on new trends and audiovisual materials for staff development are also included.

Teen Services

• Karen Brooks-Reese, Teen Services Coordinator, plans and implements district-wide programs such as Teen Summer Reading. She is available to help with teen services at all libraries in the district.
  Teens and Librarians - Everybody Wins PowerPoint Presentation. New!
• The teen services provided include: assistance with planning and running teen programs; setting up Teen Advisory Councils; creating, updating and maintaining teen collections; planning teen spaces; and training new teen staff.
• Teen Specialists throughout the district attend quarterly meetings for discussion, training and resource sharing.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - A State-Wide Resource Center

In conjunction with the role Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh plays as a District Library Center, Carnegie Library is also designated as one of only four state-wide resource centers in Pennsylvania that maintain major research collections and are tasked with providing specialized materials and services to all Pennsylvania residents. The other three resource centers include: Free Library of Philadelphia, State Library of Pennsylvania and Penn State University.

Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh also has operational oversight for the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH). LBPH is a network library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a department of the Library of Congress. NLS provides most Braille and recorded materials as well as playback equipment. Large print books and described videos are purchased with contributions.

LBPH also offers reader advisory services, answers reference questions about disabilities and related topics and maintains a collection of print and video materials on blindness, visual impairment and physical disabilities. LBPH is administered for Western Pennsylvania by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh with funds provided by Pennsylvania through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries.