JOYCE CAROL OATES TO SPEAK The annual lecture series that honors the late resident Joe Wertheim, a former chair of the library board, will bring iconic author Joyce Carol Oates to Mt. Lebanon next month.

Oates will speak at Mellon Middle School Auditorium (across from the library) at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 18.

A longtime professor at Princeton University, Oates has won many prizes over her long career, including the National Book Award, the Prix Femina Etranger and the Pushcart Prize.  Best known for her novels, Oates also writes short stories and poetry. Among her best-known novels are A Garden of Earthly Delights, The Falls, Them, We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, The Gravedigger’s Daughter and The Accursed.

Her new work of fiction, A Book of American Martyrs, is being hailed as a timely read about the philosophical and class schism in today’s America. The novel chronicles the struggles of two families, both headed by men who are ideologically driven and arrogantly opposed to critics, when one father, believing himself to be divinely inspired, shoots the other, a doctor at an abortion clinic.

Cost is $20 general admission and $50 for the VIP reception and lecture. Tickets are available at the library or at www.mtlebanonlibrary.org/lectureseries.

THIS IS A STICKUP! At 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 15, retired Keystone Oaks School District history teacher Edd Hale will tell the story of one of Pittsburgh’s most notorious crimes: The Great Castle Shannon Bank Robbery. On May 14, 1917, Castle Shannon erupted in violence as four desperadoes robbed the town’s only bank and found themselves caught in a Wild West-style shootout with the townspeople. This lecture—based on extensive research of court documents, period newspapers and even an eyewitness interview—reviews how this holdup was planned, executed and partly foiled. Sponsored by the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon.

RECYCLE YOUR COMPUTER Bring your old electronic devices to the Mt. Lebanon Public Library parking lot on Saturday, March 18 for recycling. Commonwealth Computer Recycling will shred old hard drives and collect other sorts of electronic waste for recycling from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This recycling event is intended for computer equipment, cellphones, small appliances, cameras, calculators, typewriters, fax machines, keyboards, computer peripherals and more. For a full list of acceptable items (and any collection fees), visit www.ccrcyber.com/events/. CyberCrunch will remove hard drives from your computer and perform on-site hard drive shredding for a donation of $10 per drive.  Personnel will be on hand to help you unload, if needed. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

BEETHOVEN’S BIO Dr. Cleon Cornes will teach a six-week class focusing on the life and music of famed German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, Friday mornings at 10, beginning March 10. A crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in Western music, Beethoven remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. His best-known compositions include nine symphonies, five piano concertos, 32 piano sonatas, an opera and his great Mass. Many of his most admired works were composed when he was almost entirely deaf. Dr. Cornes will discuss Beethoven’s life and play excerpts from his many compositions.