Kits & Unique Items

Green Tree Public Library is home to a collection of American Girl Dolls that are available for our younger patrons to check out. The Collection grew from an idea to create county-wide access to an educational and fun toy. Many of the dolls in Green Tree’s Collection (and throughout the county) are second-hand and donated! Other dolls have been purchased with generous donations from individuals and in Green Tree, we are very fortunate to have dolls donated by the Green Tree Woman’s Civic Club. The Collection is managed through ACLA, an Advisory Committee, and our librarians at Green Tree. It is not affiliated with the American Girl company. If you are interested in donating to this collection, please reach out to Green Tree Public Library and we’ll be happy to answer questions and help.

How it Works: 

• Each kit may be checked out for one week. The kit must be check out and returned at the Circulation Desk at Green Tree.
• Every doll comes with a number of small items, such as extra shoes and accessories. Before the kit is checked out the library staff member will go over the contents with the patron. 
• Dolls are first come, first served. We are unable to place holds on dolls. But we have so many, there's almost always someone here to choose from!

At this time Green Tree owns and is circulating the following dolls:

• Addy
• Amara*
• Courtney*
• Felicity
• Gabriela*
• Ivy
• Josefina
• Julie
• Kaya
• Kavi*
• Kirsten
• Kit
• Logan*
• Luciana
• Maryellen
• Melody
• Nanea
• Rebecca
• Samantha
• Z*

*Available only at Green Tree!

Our book club kits bundle multiple copies of popular titles, and package them in a durable canvas tote with just one barcode. A designated member/facilitator of the book club can check out the item and distribute and collect books as needed. If your club needs to borrow the books for longer than three weeks, check with a staff member and we can likely extend the due dates. 

Caring for a loved one is one of the most important responsibilities and privileges a person could  have.  Especially when a loved one has become aged or dependent on assistance. In an effort to help families care for their loved ones at home, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging are providing caregiver backpacks. They are specifically designed to provide the caregiver with a variety of resources relevant to the nonprofessional, family caregiver.

Thanks to a partnership with the Heinz Center Affiliates Program, Allegheny County libraries are offering FREE ADMISSION for two adults and six children to a number of museums and historical sites around Pittsburgh! Each pass can be checked out for up to one week at a time. Plus, each pass comes with virtual access to educational information, itinerary ideas, and other fun content.  

The Experience Kit program is being coordinated through the Heinz History Center’s Affiliates Program (HCAP), which includes more than 125 regional historical societies and organizations dedicated to preserving local history.  The Affiliate Program members include history, genealogy, and library organizations located primarily within the counties of Western Pennsylvania. 

The 2024 museum and historical sites include:

• Heinz History Center (includes complimentary admission to Fort Pitt Museum and Meadowcroft)
• Fort Ligonier
• Historic Fort Steuben
• Braddock Battlefield
• Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
• The Depreciation Lands Museum

To check out an experience kit, stop by the front desk during business hours. If you would like to know which kits are available or would like to reserve a kit, please call us at 412-921-9292. Due to the popularity of the kits, we are unable to hold them for longer than one hour.  Each kit can be borrowed for one week and cannot be renewed. 

With your library card, borrow kitchen tools and appliances! These items cannot be placed on hold and must be picked up and returned to the library. Borrowers will need to sign a waiver. Our collection includes:

• an Instapot
• an air fryer
• an ice cream maker
• a non-stick silicone jelly roll pan baking mat
• a Belgian waffle maker
• a Hello Kitty toaster
• a spiral vegetable slicer
• holiday cookie cutters
• Halloween cookie cutters
• an immersion hand blender
• an ice cream maker
• a Kitchen Aid pasta attachment

Are you looking to go on a new outdoor adventure with your child? Nature backpacks are the answer! Each backpack is themed to a different area of natural exploration (water, plants, wildlife, land and culture) and is filled with information and tools to help you and your child discover nature together. Green Tree is home to two nature backpacks, one about birdwatching and one about plants and fungi. When you check out your first backpack you will receive a Nature Explorer Program passport with a list of all the different backpacks available from libraries around the county. Once you have checked out four of the five different themes you get a prize and a certificate of completion! All bags are available for request on the online catalog. Ask a librarian for more details. 

If you're looking to entertain your young child Pre-School Grab Bags are a fantastic way to bring books and learning home. Each themed bag includes four books, a learning manipulative (like a puzzle, toy or puppet) and caregiver tip sheet, all packaged in a sturdy bag made for families on the go.  Green Tree is home to four bags; opposites, weather, birds, and music, but there are many more available through the catalog.  The bags are wonderful for grandparents with visiting grandchildren, family vacations and more. 

Experience the thrill of adventure, the rush of battle, the exhilaration of magic, all while never leaving your living room! How? Through the wonders of playing a table top role playing game with your friends of course! The library offers a variety of core rule books, kits, and expansions to check out. While the majority of the collection is focused on the classic Dungeons and Dragons, there are other game system rule books available here at Green Tree as well as other libraries across the county. 

To see what we have to offer, search Dungeons and Dragons or "fantasy games" in the catalog.

Wouldn't it be great if you could access Wi-Fi anytime and anywhere you want? Check out a Wi-Fi hotspot at the library! A Wi-Fi hotspot is a device that you can use to connect a mobile-enabled device, such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet, to the Internet. The hotspot is portable, so it goes where you go – on the bus, in a park or at home. It’s perfect for business and leisure travel, too. With the hotspot, users no longer have to contend with roaming charges and spotty internet access while on the road. Of course, borrowing and using the hotspot is free! 

You may borrow one Wi-Fi hotspot at a time, which can support up to 15 Wi-Fi enabled devices. The hotspots go out for one week and cannot be renewed. Stop into the library to either pick up a hotspot, if available, or put yourself on the waiting list to receive one later. Like other library items, the hotspots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and will be lent out in the order in which they are requested. At this time, hotspots cannot be placed on hold from other libraries nor transferred to other libraries through delivery. Hotspots must be returned during regular business hours. 

Wi-fi hotspots are just another way that the library is connecting people to the digital world!