Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall

2nd Saturday Civil War Series: The War That Never Was: Great Britain, the U.S., and the Trent Affair with William Vodrey
2025-11-08 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Avenue, Carnegie, PA, 15106, United States
In Person in the Lincoln Gallery at ACFL&MH

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9370579279Meeting ID: 937 057 9279

The U.S. Navy’s seizure of two Confederate diplomats, James Murray Mason of Virginia and John Slidell of Louisiana, from a British Royal Mail steamship off the coast of Cuba in November 1861 set off an international firestorm of controversy. The crisis even threatened, for several tense weeks, to bring the British Empire into the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. Our speaker will explore the tangle of political, diplomatic and naval issues involved, and how President Lincoln (who is said to have remarked, “One war at a time”) was able to resolve the dispute without the United States and the United Kingdom going to war for yet a third time.

Judge William F.B. Vodrey serves on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Born and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, he graduated with honors from Oberlin College and later received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He has been interested in presidential and military history for many years, and often speaks on such topics to historical societies, clubs and roundtables. He is a member of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable, American Battlefield Trust, Ohio History Connection and Sons of the American Revolution. He is also a former Civil War reenactor with the 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. B, in which he skyrocketed in just five short years to the rank of corporal. Judge Vodrey lives in Cleveland with his wife Susan; they have three grown sons.

Veterans Day at the Carnegie Carnegie
2025-11-11 13:30 - 14:30
Join us on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11 at 1:30PM, for our annual celebration honoring all who have served in the United States Armed Services.

We look forward to welcoming special guests from the American Legion Post 82, 9th Pennsylvania Reserves, Carnegie Elementary School, and more.

Our annual celebration will be held outside, rain or shine, with refreshments in the Lincoln Gallery afterwards. The Espy Post will be open for special tours during the event. We hope to see you there!

Embracing Our Differences: "Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South" by Winfred Rembert
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for community conversations about diversity & inclusion!

This Fall, we’re reading and discussing Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South by Winfred Rembert. Rembert relates the course of his life: working as a field laborer in Georgia, participating in the Civil Rights Movement, escaping a near-lynching, and ultimately finding solace in art.

Copies are available for checkout at the Library’s circulation desk. Pick up your copy of the book any time the Library is open!

Registration is appreciated – please click here to register!

Paperback Platoon book club: "The Lost Bookshop"
2025-11-13 18:30 - 19:30
Calling all women veterans and family members: join us to connect with other women through a love of reading!

Paperback Platoon is a book club for women filled with veterans, service members, and their families. Our goal is to build connection with each other through a shared interest and love for reading. This group meets on the second Thursday of each month from 6:30-7:30 PM.

For this month’s meeting, we’ll discuss The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods. Copies of the book will be available for checkout at the Library’s circulation desk.

Join our BookClubs.com page or our Facebook group for more details or to register!

Knife Sharpening with Dennis Snedden: Thanksgiving Edition
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:30
Look sharp – it’s a hands-on workshop on sharpening and caring for your knives! A well-sharpened edge is much safer and more effective than a dull one, and with a little guidance, anyone can learn to keep their knife edges in excellent condition. Experienced sharpener Dennis Snedden will teach participants how to keep their own knives sharp and ready to use.

Each participant should bring two or three 5″-10″ kitchen knives (non-serrated); a diamond, oil, or water stone (if you have one); a honing rod or steel (if you have one); your knife edge questions; and a will to learn! You will learn the best and safest techniques for honing a fine edge. Come with dull knives – leave with safer, sharper, functional edges!

No ceramic knives, hair or sewing scissors, please.

A suggested donation of $15 will be put towards funding the 2026 kids’ Summer Reading Program. Space is limited, so please click here to register! 18 years and older, please.

Fluent Friends: Practice Speaking English with Literacy Pittsburgh
2025-11-18 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-11-20 17:30 - 19:00, 2025-12-16 10:00 - 11:30
Join our open-to-all English Conversation Practice Group — a friendly and welcoming space where people from all backgrounds can come together to practice speaking English in a relaxed, supportive environment. Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, this group is about building confidence, improving fluency, and connecting with others through conversation. No pressure, no judgment — just real talk and real people. Everyone is welcome!

This group meets every third Tuesday of the month from 10:00-11:30am, and every third Thursday of the month from 5:30-7:00pm. Registration is not required — just drop in!

Time Travelers Book Group: "The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes
2025-11-20 11:00 - 12:00
Join us for our historical fiction book group! We’ll explore different eras of history, share our thoughts and responses, and make new friendships as we share a different historical fiction title each month.

This group meets on the third Thursday of the month at 11:00am.

For this meeting, we’ll discuss The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. This novel, set during America’s Great Depression, follows five women who work as librarians, delivering books to folks in the mountains of Kentucky. Copies of the book are available at the Library’s checkout desk.

Registration is appreciated, but not required – please click here to register.

Meeple Meet-Up: Euro-Gaming for Adults
2025-11-22 12:00 - 16:00
Do you like Terraforming Mars? Settlers of Catan? Agricola? Ark Nova? Or other “Euro” or Euro-flavored strategy games with wooden meeples, worker placement, tableau building, and so forth? Come to the Library for an afternoon of board gaming!

This event is for gamers ages 18+, and no experience is necessary. New players are welcome!

Registration is not required to attend, but it is recommended, and those who register will get a link to our Discord server for any pre-game day discussions or suggestions. Click here to register!

Carnegie Model Railroad Club: Intro meeting
2025-11-22 14:00 - 15:00
Join model railroad hobbyist Nick Yackovich for the first meeting of the brand-new Carnegie Model Railroad Club!

This group for adults and kids aged 10+ will meet monthly to share knowledge, learn from each other, and design and build an original model railroad track layout. No experience is necessary. If you have any questions, please contact Nick at nytweetums@comcast.net.

Registration is appreciated, but not required. Please click here to register!

Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club presents Robert Mitchum Classics: "The Grass is Greener" (1960)
2025-11-25 19:00 - 21:00
Join the Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club as we celebrate the legendary Robert Mitchum!

Tonight: The Grass is Greener (1960), directed by Stanley Donen. Mitchum plays a wealthy oil tycoon who falls for the married proprietress of the crumbling manor that he tours while vacationing in England. This sophisticated romantic comedy also stars Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Registration is appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. Please click here to register.

Carnegie Crafters - Craft Night at the Movies: "Mean Girls" (2004)
2025-12-01 18:00 - 21:00
Calling all knitters, crocheters, embroiderers, and fiber artists of every kind! Come join the Carnegie Crafters! We share advice and inspiration, chat with new friends, and work on our projects in a supportive group setting.

Tonight, join us for a Craft Night at the Movies! Enjoy crafting while we watch Mean Girls (2004), with Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and Tina Fey.

Doors open at 6:00 PM, and the movie will start at 7:00 PM.

No craft? No problem! You are welcome to join, but keep in mind that that the lights will be on. Please email carnegiecrafters@gmail.com with any questions.

Registration is not required – all are welcome!

Selah Labyrinth Meditation Walk
2025-12-02 18:30 - 19:30
Please note: this evening’s Labyrinth Meditation Walk has been canceled due to the weather. Thank you for your understanding!

Join members of Carnegie Presbyterian Church’s New Hope Worship Center for an open meditation walk through the church’s Selah Labyrinth. Journey inward through a contemplative walk through the labyrinth’s twists and turns into the center and back out again, in a process similar to a spiritual or personal exploration. This event is beginner-friendly and non-denominational.

All ages are welcome, but we ask that guests maintain a calm and quiet demeanor while navigating the labyrinth.

No registration is necessary – please drop in any time between 6:30 and 7:30 PM!

Ukulele Strum-Along
2025-12-04 18:00 - 20:00
Come strum with us! Join Amber Rozel of Steel City Ukuleles for a free introduction to the simple, versatile instrument known as the ukulele. Learn just a few simple chords, and you’ll be able to play hundreds of songs – no prior experience needed, and you don’t need to own your own ukulele! Meet other uke-enthusiasts and join our strum-along group!

The event will start with a special lesson for first-timers at 6:00 PM. If you already know your way around a ukulele, join us at 6:45 to play along!

This group is intended for teens and adults. Please click here to register!

Carnegie Celebrates the Season
2025-12-06 10:00 - 13:00
Join us for our annual holiday celebration! Enjoy crafts, cookies, caricatures, and other fun activities, plus have your photo taken with Santa in front of our historic fireplace! All kids will receive a free gift and treat bag.

Sponsored by the Borough of Carnegie, the ACFL&MH, and the Carol Covi Children’s Event Committee. This is a free event and registration is not required.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
2025-12-08 18:00 - 19:00
Learn the history of AA and hear the experiences of members in this free talk!

For the past ninety years, Alcoholics Anonymous has helped millions of people with alcohol addiction issues. Tonight, hear firsthand about the power of AA from members of the organization. Free refreshments provided; Q&A to follow.

Registration is appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. Please click here to register.
