The announcement by the Pittsburgh Carnegie Library system that some of the neighborhood branch libraries will be closing has been met with much public outcry, and has sparked discussions about the role of libraries in our communities.

Bookless Libraries, an article published on Inside Higher Education’s website highlights the debate about the role of the library in the 21st century.

In the age of technology, can libraries be replaced by online substitutes? Or are the “bricks and mortar” of the library essential to it’s definition? These are the questions debated in this article, which discusses the different perspectives on the library as a community center, or simply as a place to locate information.

Who is Guyasuta? He was a Seneca chief who led the French and the British through the wilderness of western PA.

Six years ago, Councilman Peduto captured his spirit and created a Fellowship for young and young hearted Pittsburghers to help form public policy through a unique process. This year you are invited to be a part, as we study triple bottom line economics and see how it can be utilized to revitalize our neighborhoods. The fellowship is looking for young, committed residents of Western PA that plan on staying in the area for at least the next 2 to 5 years.

The first presentation of the fellowship this year, The New Deal/ A Better Deal – A Context For Historical Change, will take place on Thursday, October 29, 2009 6:30pm – 8:30pm at AVA Lounge, 126 S. Highland Avenue, 15206.
Just email pat@jacksonclark.net to sign up or learn more, or visit www.guyasutafellowship.com.

Councilman Bill Peduto will be one of the sponsors the Three Rivers Bioneers conference that will be held in Pittsburgh this weekend. The mission of the conference is to foster a local movement of citizens and organizations who strive to cultivate sustainable communities in the Three Rivers bioregion through social justice, ecological health and innovative solutions.  The conference will take place from Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18 at the Pittsburgh Project.

The keynote speakers of the conference are Greg Boulos, the Western Director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, and Khari Mosley, the Director of Green Economic Initiatives for G-TECH strategies.  Other speakers broadcast via satellite from the National Bioneers Conference include Andrew Weil and Michael Pollan.

For more information, or to register for the conference, visit the website.

On Saturday, Councilman Bill Peduto was the keynote speaker at Pittsburgh Podcamp 4 at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. His speech focused on the emergence of e-democracy and how individuals can help change pittsburgh, the democratic process and the world through technology and new media.  Read more about this event in this Pop City article.

Podcamp is a community unconference that allows people to come together to discuss, and learn more about social media.  There have been 3 previous Podcamps in Pittsburgh, and Councilman Peduto has attended them all.  To learn more about Podcamp, visit the website.

Today, Councilman Bill Peduto will speak at the 2009 Mahatma Gandhi Birthday Celebration,
presented by the Alliance for Humanitarian Initiatives, Nonviolence and Spiritual Advancement.

The goal of the Alliance is to  celebrate Mahatma Gandhi as a global humanitarian figure, promote his legacy of nonviolence, and engage youth in appreciating Gandhi’s powerful message.  The event will include dance performances, cultural activities, and inter-faith religious practices to celebrate the birth of Gandhi and his message.  Topics of discussion will include “Gandhi on a New Generation” and “Gandhi and Martin Luther King,” and the keynote speaker will be Professor Varadaraja Raman, Emeritus Professor of Physics and Humanities at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Councilman Peduto also issued a City Council Proclamation in honor of this event.