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A new chapter at Peters Township Public Library

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McMURRAY – Myra Oleynik admitted she was worried about leaving her librarian job at Bower Hill Elementary School in Venetia earlier this year.

After all, Oleynik, 57, was at the school since it opened and was an employee of Peters Township School District – both as an elementary school teacher and librarian – for 36 years.

“Being a teacher helped me become a good librarian,” said Oleynik, who earlier this summer replaced Pier Lee as director of Peters Township Public Library.

Lee, 77, stepped down as director of the library after nearly 40 years, but is staying on for a few more months to help ease Oleynik, a Peters resident who grew up in the township, into the position and to oversee a couple of still-to-be-completed projects she is passionate about, including the installation of a café on the library’s second floor.

“I feel very lucky to have Pier here to help me transition,” Oleynik said.

The township’s new library director, who has an undergraduate degree in elementary education from Grove City College, never planned to be a school librarian, or even a public librarian. She said she opted to earn a graduate degree in library science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984 because she thought it would help augment her teaching.

But one thing led to another and Oleynik found herself in charge of several school libraries within Peters Township School District. At first, Oleynik admitted she was apprehensive about running a school library, but quickly realized she liked the change.

“When someone would ask me how it felt not to teach, it was like a knife in my heart,” said Oleynik, who taught first, second, third and fifth grades and ran four different libraries in the district. “But a librarian is a teacher too.”

And after 36 years with the school district, Oleynik decided to retire at the end of the 2014-15 school year. Her husband, John, a teacher at Uniontown Area High School, had just retired. However, serendipity struck.

Lee wanted to retire and told the library board about her intention. Oleynik, who was a member of the library board, was asked if she might be interested in the position.

“People said, ‘Myra you should apply,'” said Oleynik, who sat in on previous interviews for Lee’s successor.

And after some soul searching and talking with her family, she came to the conclusion that retirement was not in her vocabulary and threw her hat in the ring for the position.

“I couldn’t accept I was done,” said Oleynik, who resigned from the board once she applied for the job. “I love teaching and being a librarian.”

Lee has been very supportive, she said.

“Pier kept telling me I can do this,” she said.

Officials from the township, which took over the administrative operations of the library earlier this month at the request of the library board, could not be happier to have Oleynik take over the leadership reins. They said she was the perfect choice.

“Mrs. Oleynik did a tremendous job at Bower Hill,” said Monica Merrell, a member of Peters Township Council. “The township is fortunate to have her at the library. She is fab.”

Oleynik admits she was worried about missing the children at Bower Hill. Three days into her new position, a number of her former students stopped by the library with their parents to say hello and wish her good luck and get a hug. Oleynik gave each one a sticker saying they love the PTPL (Peters Township Public Library).

“I had the privilege of coming here,” Oleynik said. “That made saying goodbye easier.”

As she showed a visitor her badge that says “Reading is the Most Powerful Skill of All,” the theme of the library’s summer reading program, Oleynik said she is looking forward to working with Peters Township School District to promote literacy.

“I really do want to see us build partnerships,” she said. “I also want to continue to build on what Pier has done with the community.”

The only real difference between working at Peters Township Public Library and Bower Hill Elementary is the clientele.

“They are older,” laughed Oleynik. “The pace is a bit different, too. I am kind of used to class after class coming in. I feel a little more insulated here. But, I am going to put my heart into this.”

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