Butler Area Public Library is located on North McKean Street in Butler. Submitted Photo

In 2023 the Butler Area Public Library received a generous grant from the Janice Phillips Larrick Family Charitable Trust, with the objective of celebrating the library's 130th anniversary and the community it serves.

The Stories We Share has been a yearlong project focusing on celebrating the common bonds community members share through stories, art, and music. The library began the project in February 2024 and has hosted events throughout the year celebrating local authors, poets, musicians, and storytellers, as well as film, photography and art.

This year, the library also added new free resources for reading, coding, yoga, parenting, and genealogy:

NoveList Plus is the premiere database of reading recommendations — presenting fiction, nonfiction and audiobooks and includes expert recommendations, reviews, articles and lists.

* NoveList K-8 Plus is especially for younger readers with reading recommendations for both fiction and nonfiction, for children in grades K-8.

* Bold Yoga offers free virtual yoga classes for children and adults. Yoga classes range from beginner to more advanced. Chair Yoga, Meditation and Bendy Bookworm Yoga for Kids are also offered.

* Fiero Code is a free self-paced learn-to-code software program. Through tutorials and projects, Fiero Code teaches coding languages, such as HTML, Python and JavaScript.

* ParentTV offers thousands of on-demand parenting videos and courses with content designed to support those who care for children, from pregnancy through to teenage years. ParentTV works with psychologists, pediatricians, mental health specialists, nutritionists, occupational therapists and parenting educators.

* Fold3 provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. On Fold3, you can combine records found on the site with what you have in your own albums and shoeboxes to create an online memorial for someone who served.

For 130 years, the library has been a resource for all in the city of Butler to pursue information, education, and possibilities. The library has been, and will continue to be, a vital resource for the community.

This article was submitted by the Butler Area Public Library.