Frank Sarris Public Library*
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Mission
Operation and maintenance of a public library for the residents of the Borough of Canonsburg, Township of Cecil, and Township of North Strabane.
Programs and Services
- At Frank Sarris Public Library (FSPL), our children’s programming is designed to provide and support literacy education from infancy to high school. Our outreach services are available to local daycares and area preschools, and FSPL often collaborates with the Canon-McMillan School District.
- Our preschool programs have proven to be especially popular with families in our community. Some of them include Wiggles and Giggles, Little Picassos, and School Readiness StoryPlay. Wiggles and Giggles encourages toddlers to stretch, sing, and dance. This focus on movement develops a toddler’s gross motor skills, listening skills and social skills while also introducing new vocabulary. Little Picassos stimulates each child’s imagination and encourages their self-expression with hands-on art activities. School Readiness StoryPlay teaches children important school readiness skills such as listening during stories, early literacy skills, and following directions.
- We also have two monthly activities for elementary school-aged children: Lego Club and Read with a Therapy Dog. Lego Club encourages participants to show off their building skills with Legos provided by the library. Completed pieces are also displayed at our location. At Read with a Therapy Dog, children who may be struggling with reading aloud or simply enjoy animals can read to a registered therapy dog. FSPL hosts Lego Club four times a month and Read with a Therapy Dog twice a month.
- Frank Sarris Public Library even offers volunteer opportunities for teens. As volunteers, high school students assist library staff with vital functions including returning items to their designated sections, answering patron inquiries, and assisting with library activities. These responsibilities provide an excellent point of reference for volunteers to use in college interviews and employment applications.
- Our adult programming at Frank Sarris Public Library (FSPL) also provides lifelong learning opportunities and entertainment. One regularly scheduled programming is FSPL Book Club. The FSPL Book Club meets once a month. Members read that particular month’s selection beforehand and then discuss its themes, merits, and symbolism.
- Our most popular events for adults occur on a seasonal basis so that staff may have ample time to prepare for them. One example was the Bigfoot Conference. Doug Waller, founder of the Southeastern Ohio Society for Bigfoot Investigation, discussed his personal research concerning accounts of Bigfoot venturing into urban areas. Audience members were encouraged to share their experiences with the mysterious creatures. In April 2023, we hosted Reading Between the Wines where authors who have worked with Aurora Corialis Publishing and wines from Silver Mark Cellars were featured. Both fiction and nonfiction works (as well as glasses and bottles of wine) were available for purchase from the vendors.
- For the patrons we serve, Frank Sarris Public Library (FSPL) is viewed as a hub for community engagement and outreach. Although our staff participates in community events in Washington County such as Community Days or the Fourth of July Parade, it is the building itself that offers a space for citizens to participate in social and civic events.
- In the past, Frank Sarris Public Library has allowed use of its spacious meeting rooms for events such as nonprofit meetings, chamber of commerce events, and a blood drive sponsored by Vitalant. Aside from these community-wide events, our patrons utilize FSPL and its’ resources for their personal benefit. One notable example was during tax season when individuals retrieved copies of federal tax forms and instruction books from our location. Patrons also had the opportunity to request prints of state tax forms. Our patrons often take advantage of our copying, printing, faxing, and scanning services to send and/or receive documents. Although these services may seem unimportant, it can be a huge relief to a patron who does not have immediate access to a printer or fax machine.
- We at Frank Sarris Public Library hope, through our example, to encourage our patrons to continue or become engaged in their community.
- While Frank Sarris Public Library (FSPL) will continue to offer access to traditional resources such as bestselling books and DVDs, we strive to provide our community with new opportunities to learn through electronic resources. This includes access to online resources, Interlibrary Loan, and PA Dot Practice Tests. Using them is easy as turning a page and patrons can enjoy them from the comfort of their homes.
- Frank Sarris Public Library offers access to multiple online apps. Hoopla is a one stop shop for your streaming digital media needs including Comics, Music, TV Series, Movies, Audiobooks, and eBooks in all genres and age groups. Each patron has the opportunity to borrow 10 items per month. All checked items automatically return themselves, so there are never any late fees. Libby offers all eBooks, Audiobooks, and Magazines available through the WAGGIN library system. For those interested in learning new subjects or relearning old skills, there is Universal Class. It is comprised of online community courses taught by real teachers that are available in a wide range of subjects including English, Dog Training, Yoga, and QuickBooks. Over 600 free online courses are available 24/7 and individuals can complete these courses at their own pace.
- While WAGGIN offers our patrons the ability to access the resources of twenty libraries in Washington, Fayette and Greene Counties, sometimes an item cannot be located within our system. At this point patrons can utilize interlibrary loan (ILL). ILLs represent a collaborative effort with all Pennsylvania libraries to share resources. An item can be requested from a library outside WAGGIN using this method. The borrowing library will usually release the item for one month. This is especially useful for older items not available in WAGGIN.
- Last year, we added Wonderbook to our children’s collection. Wonderbook contains a pre-loaded audiobook player permanently attached to the inside of a hardcover book. Children can enjoy story time anytime, anywhere. The WonderBook catalog includes a wide range of picture books, leveled readers, early chapter books, Spanish language and non-fiction titles. There’s something for every child to discover and enjoy.
- Frank Sarris Public Library is also committed to using our resources for the greater benefit of all. To that end we have partnered with Driving-Tests.org to offer free Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) practice tests to library patrons. The service includes free tests specifically based on Pennsylvania’s DMV materials. This program includes multiple car, motorcycle and CDL practice tests, on-line driver’s manuals (car, motorcycle and CDL) and a FAQ section with detailed answers to over 100 DMV related questions. It is the only site of its kind to include accessibility tools that allows users to hear selections read aloud, converts them into MP3s, translates pages into other languages, magnifies text, and marks portions of the screen for greater visibility on the practice tests.
- Frank Sarris Public Library will continue to explore new technologies and make them available to our patrons.
Primary Revenue Sources
Primary Revenue Sources come from Pennsylvania Department of Education state-aid subsidy, Washington County aid, North Strabane Township, Cecil Township, Borough of Canonsburg, and Canon-McMillan School District.
Primary Fundraising Event
Annual Benefit Luncheon takes place in November each year.
2021 Financials
| Federal Tax ID | 25-6011296 |
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| Revenue | $558,369 |
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| Expenses | $624,031 |
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| Net Assets | $6,090,257 |
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Contact
This website contains an organizational snapshot, as well as links and contact information, for each of our participating charities. We have also included the tax identification number for each charity so Donors wishing to review more detailed financial and governance information may access the Form 990 for that charity via irs.gov.