Jun 23, 2015 3 min read

McMURRAY – Peters Township Public Library will officially become a township department next month.

Peters Council agreed unanimously Monday to take over operations of the library effective July 1. Patrons, however, should not notice anything different. Books, DVDs and other items will still be checked out the same way and with the same card.

“This will be very similar to how it works with parks and recreation,” township manager Michael Silvestri told council.

The only real difference is the library’s five full-time employees now work for the township, including longtime director, Pier Lee, who will segue into a part-time consulting position once her successor, Myra Oleynik, comes on board. Oleynik’s official start date is July 20, Silvestri said.

The library board asked the township in April if it could take over the library.

“The board had discussions concerning related issues of transitioning to a new director,” said library board Chairman Richard Easton in an April 21 letter to council. “As council is aware, this is a significant change for the library, as we have not had a new director since 1975. Over the years, the library operation has become much more complex and multifaceted. … Looking to the future, it would make sense for the library staff to become township employees and that the township provide payroll and human resources services. In addition, we believe the library should have full department status so that the bookkeeping process is managed through the township’s business department.”

As part of the transition process, council passed a special ordinance making the library a separate township department, as requested by the board. This action included the approval of job descriptions, compensation and hours for the director, information technology/reference librarian, head of reference, head of youth services and children’s librarian.

That ordinance will also allow council to appoint directors to the five-to seven-member library board for a three-year term. Current members of the library board will remain until their term expires. The board will now be responsible for preparing and presenting an annual report to council.

With the passage of the ordinance, Oleynik, who was previously a librarian at Bower Hill Elementary School, will be responsible for preparing the annual budget, which will be submitted to the library board and then given to council for final approval. Silvestri said the township gives the library just under $800,000, an amount that is not expected to change. Late fees, money generated through programming, gifts and other financial contributions will be used to support the library.