The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and U. S. Steel have teamed up to bring “Little Free Libraries” to the local Pittsburgh area, it was announced today.
As part of the launch, seven Little Free Libraries have been established in public locations throughout the City where fans can stop by to pick up a book for their collection or donate their own book for new readers to enjoy. The initial Libraries can be found at PPG Paints Arena, the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation Office as well as the following U. S. Steel facilities – Clairton, Edgar Thomson, Irvin and Research with more being added around the community.
“We are grateful to the incredible employee volunteers from U. S. Steel and the Pittsburgh Penguins who came together to build and decorate Little Free Library book-sharing boxes,” said Daniel Gumnit, CEO of the Little Free Library nonprofit organization. “Their generosity and commitment to literacy are inspiring. These libraries will be a lasting gift – opening doors to books, ideas, and community connections for years to come.”
Accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, each of the new Little Free Libraries launched through the partnership comes stocked with titles personally curated through donations from U. S. Steel as well as Pittsburgh Penguins players and management including:
- Kyle Dubas: Build to Last - Jim Collins & Jerry Porras | The Score Takes Care of Itself – Bill Walsh, Steve Jamison & Craig Walsh
- Jason Spezza: Open – Andre Agessi
- Amanda Kessel: Unbroken – Lauren Hillenbrand
- Dan Muse: Mindset – Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
- Tristan Broz: Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
- Connor Dewar: Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan
- Matt Dumba: Undisputed Truth – Mike Tyson
- Ryan Graves: Born to Run - Christopher McDougall
- Caleb Jones: Tiger Woods Biography - Gilbert N Harroald
- Blake Lizotte: Bear Town - Fredrik Backman
- Sergei Murashov: Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
- Owen Pickering: See You at Harry’s - Jo Knowles
- Jack St. Ivany: Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
To inspire new readers on their journeys, all books included at launch will feature encouraging, uplifting messages from the donors.
These Little Free Libraries are an extension of the Pittsburgh Penguins and U. S. Steel’s Reading Champions Program, promoting a strong reading foundation in diverse, high-need, communities around Pittsburgh.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota with the mission to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes.
Interested in learning more or getting your own Little Free Library? Visit https://www.nhl.com/penguins/community/little-free-library.
