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About Us

Library Staff & Board

Meet Our Staff

  • Amy McDonald, Library Director
    Amy McDonald, Library Director

    Our fearless leader! Amy worked so hard as our Director of Development & Partnerships, spreading the word about all the amazing things we do up here on the hill, that when Amanda moved on in 2019 we just had to have Amy as our new library director! Amy is happily married and has three very energetic sons: Connor, Colby, and Caiden (we "C" where she was going with that!). Now, despite her being from New England and cheering on both the Patriots and the Red Sox, we do allow her out in public; you might see her at our We Be Book'n Book Club, an "Exciting Excursion," or some big library fundraiser, where her extraordinary people skills shine.

  • Heather Auman, Head of Library Services
    Heather Auman, Head of Library Services

    Heather is Head of Library Services, i.e. “jack-of-all-trades” at the library, where she teaches some tech classes, manages the collection, coordinates adult programming, creates the newsletter and website, and yells at the computers when they don’t behave. Heather’s a published author (under H. L. Blake) and her dearest obsessions include sci-fi/fantasy (especially Ender's Game and Lord of the Rings), the ocean, newborn kittens, adventure games, and of course libraries of all shapes and sizes. Heather’s usually hidden in the back office so you may never see her, but her handiwork is all around. If you need some tech help, just ask - she enjoys the chance to get away from her desk!

  • Becky Proie, Youth Services Manager
    Becky Proie, Youth Services Manager

    Becky Proie is our Youth Services Manager. She is a self-admitted theatre geek who helps out backstage at Comtra Theatre in Cranberry and has a penchant for costumes. Did you see her dressed as Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus for Halloween? It was AMAZING! When she's not doing storytimes and running the show in Youth Services, Becky is a Pens fan and a sucker for a good brewery. Her "guilty pleasure" TV show is The Masked Singer, and though she doesn't have a lot of time to sit down with a good book, she does multi-task by listening to audiobooks on Overdrive while working. Gotta get the reading in somehow!

  • Amelia Dickson, Youth Services Programming Specialist
    Amelia Dickson, Youth Services Programming Specialist

    Amelia has her degree in Early Childhood/Special Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She is passionate about accessibility for underrepresented populations and has worked as an early childhood and special education teacher, particularly in the area of autism support. With her expertise & experience, we're sure she'll do amazing things with our Sensory Storytime and Play K programs! Originally from Harrisburg, PA, her hobbies include hiking, yoga, singing, and music. Sounds like great fodder for a storytime (well, maybe not the hiking part...)!

  • Rachel Brant, Youth Services Programming Specialist
    Rachel Brant, Youth Services Programming Specialist

    We are pleased to announce Rachel is now joining the Youth Services team! Rachel has her degree in Elementary/Special Education and also worked as a PreK teacher at Westminster Nursery School. When she has free time, you can find her fishing, spending time with family, and eating sweets - especially ice cream! The Giver by Lois Lowry is her favorite book (good choice).

  • Laura Kulin, Operations Manager
    Laura Kulin, Operations Manager

    Our caffeine-loving Library Mama, Laura is another staff member who dons many a hat. Among other things, she sends thank-you notes for donations and is responsible for all the pretty stickers and protective covers on our books. Laura has a Bachelor’s in Business Admin and also works full-time consulting with companies who export into high risk countries, to help them establish Letters of Credit and present documents on their behalf to U.S. banks. Sounds complicated! Laura loves her eggs straight up hard boiled and might charm you by doing a little soft-shoe when answering a question; it depends on the day. She is involved in Italian Greyhound Rescue and has a German Shepherd named Gunner who will kiss you death if you’re not careful.

  • Marie Brajdic, Bookkeeper
    Marie Brajdic, Bookkeeper

    Marie is our bookkeeper and has her Bachelor's in accounting from Robert Morris College. Her full-time job is as an accounting consultant for a diverse clientele, including non-profits (like us!). Marie resides in North Fayette with her husband, daughter, and their dog, Sadie. When she's not crunching numbers, you can find her at her daughter's soccer or track events, shoe shopping, or watching HGTV.

  • Norene Ruggiero, Circulation Desk Supervisor
    Norene Ruggiero, Circulation Desk Supervisor

    Norene has worked here for many moons, since the library first opened! So she has ALL the answers to ALL the questions. Norene is the Circulation Department Supervisor and keeps us all in tip-top shape around here. Norene is a licensed Cosmetologist, and she enjoys working on her computer, gardening, caring for her cat, cooking, baking, and reading.

  • Donna Shemon, Library Assistant & Systems Specialist
    Donna Shemon, Library Assistant & Systems Specialist

    Donna may just be our most orderly circulation clerk. She grew up in Freeport and raised triplets (who are now in college) which we’re pretty sure is the reason she’s so very organized. Donna works behind the scenes with a lot of our library reports and lists, drawing heavily on her B.S. degree in Management Information Systems. A seriously hardworking and amazing multi-tasker, she also hunts for missing and lost books around the library (it's like a treasure hunt!). She is totally into watermelon, Rocky I and II, and claims she cannot remember ever receiving a gift she wasn’t truly grateful for (now that’s a nice person!).

  • Elaine Vattimo, Library Assistant
    Elaine Vattimo, Library Assistant

    You may never meet a kinder person than our Elaine! Elaine loves her library so much that she just had to work here, and she is happy to help you out at the front desk or in the youth services department. Besides loving her library and Harry Potter (of course!), Elaine loves and lives for her family. She has a sweet daughter named Lauren, an adopted kitty named Pepper, and a BFF who happens to be her husband. She's lucky to live close to extended family and just as lucky to live in the West Allegheny community. Elaine likes to stay as busy as a honeybee, so you may see her out and about in the community, at school, or hunting for a great bargain. She also keeps buzzing by working as an adult education instructor and is currently teaching classes for English language learners.

  • Laura Zottola, Library Assistant
    Laura Zottola, Library Assistant

    Laura is another of our staff with an interesting "day job." She has her Master's Degree in English and teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Robert Morris University - impressive! Laura was born in Hawaii and grew up as a "military brat," where she had the opportunity to travel around the U.S. and live in Colorado, South Dakota, and some other cool places. When not working, Laura is busy at home with her husband, two girls, and a new puppy named King.

  • Mackenzie Partyka, Library Assistant
    Mackenzie Partyka, Library Assistant

    Mackenzie is the newest friendly face on our front desk team! Besides her part-time gig at the library, she is also working towards achieving a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (she is of course taking classes remotely...that would be quite a commute!). Her favorite pastimes are spending time with family and friends, listening to music, taking road trips, and swimming (but obviously only in the summer!).

  • Nancy Holston, Library Assistant
    Nancy Holston, Library Assistant

    Nancy is another smiling face at our circulation desk. She’s lived an interesting life (one wonders how she ended up in in Western PA?!) and has a beautiful cherry red Pontiac Solstice convertible she calls the Doll Shoe. Nancy is a US Army Veteran and retired from a 33-year career with the FAA Air Traffic Technical Operations as Electronics Technician and Manager at the Pittsburgh Airport. After three years as a volunteer at the library, she decided it was time to join the official staff! Nancy loves Charlie’s Angels and enjoys munching on Necco Wafers while watching movies, when she's not going on an amazing safari or cruise to some exotic destination (we're so jealous, but we love hearing her stories when she comes back!).

  • Stephen Auman, Library Assistant & Maintenance
    Stephen Auman, Library Assistant & Maintenance

    Stephen is one of our circulation clerks, but he does much more than that, especially after hours when he turns into "Maintenance Man"! You might occasionally see him doing some heavy lifting or with his head in the ceiling, but don't be concerned - he's doing his job. Stephen is married - to our own Heather Auman (they met working at the library...awwww). He’s a self-published author and our resident artist, happy to draw a pony or superhero right on the spot for any child who asks. Before working here, he worked for the government (it’s classified).

Library Board of Trustees
Members of the board are listed below with their representative borough, township, or organization.

Erin Carlisle, President (NF)
Barb Piskorik, Vice President (O)
Patty Giura, Treasurer (NF)
Pam Perry, Secretary (NF)
Jude "Skip" Shemon (F)
MaryAnn Wiesner (F)
Tim O’Sullivan (F)
Michele Conti (NF)
Zac Wassel (O)

Board Meeting Minutes

  • Items Borrowed

    95,299

  • Registered Members

    10,994

  • Dollars Raised

    35,730

  • Program Participants

    8,010

© 2021 Western Allegheny Community Library

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