TICKET TO RAD More than 25 years ago, Allegheny County created a Regional Asset District (RAD), and added a penny to the state’s 6 percent sales tax to fund it. Half the proceeds go to county and municipal governments and the other half are distributed to libraries, arts organizations, parks and other regional assets. In 2021, the library received $361,652, accounting for 15 percent of its budget. Anyone with a library card can check out a RAD Pass [1], an online ticket lending system that offers free or discounted tickets to many of the regional attractions in the district, including Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture Series, the Children’s Museum, all of the Carnegie Museums and MCG Jazz at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild. You could even go to a Pirates game, if that’s still a thing.
LIBRARY LOCKERS The Mt. Lebanon Public Library has upped its no-contact pickup game. Later this spring, the library’s upper entrance will have 39 lockers, located near the book drop. Patrons who have items to pick up can request that they be placed in one of the lockers, where they can scan their library cards and follow the prompts.
The lockers are manufactured by Bibliotheca, a company that specializes in tech solutions for libraries. The library’s automated sorting system is a Bibliotheca product.
Jeremy White, the library’s associate director for information technology, expects the lockers to be ready for use sometime in April or May.
DEATH AND TAXES Ben Franklin’s famous quote inspires this workshop, which combines the importance of completing your healthcare directives and naming someone as your healthcare power of attorney in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself, along with a brief explanation and demonstration on the holistic art of Reiki, to get you in the correct frame of mind for paying your taxes and thinking about eternity. Presented by the Family Hospice Speakers Bureau, this program, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, will be conducted both in person and via Zoom. Register online [2].