Mar 3, 2017 2 min read

MONONGAHELA – Recognizing that libraries are no longer just about books, Tiffany Jean Fleet brought new patrons into Monongahela Area Library by hosting offbeat events about bats and backyard chickens.

Most recently Fleet began to teach cursive writing courses because she feared the handwriting style was becoming obsolete and that soon no one would be able to read it in old deed books, said Terry Necciai, a library board member.

“She impacted a lot of circles of people,” said Necciai, while discussing Fleet, who died of a heart attack caused by a blood clot Feb. 24 at age 37.

“They just kept stirring up ideas, and sometimes she’d run with them,” Necciai said.

The library will host a tribute for Fleet, who lived in Fairchance, Fayette County, from 4 to 7 p.m. March 13 at the library at 813 W. Main St. Testimonials will be offered at 6 p.m.

Fleet would have marked her third year as director of the library in May.

Aside from sponsoring events about bats for Halloween, she held classes for high school students to help them with their college preparation tests and provided information about property assessments.

“She brought people into the library,” Necciai said. “She knew libraries weren’t just about paper anymore.”

Library board President Michelle DeHosse said Fleet loved being in the genealogy room and would drop everything if someone called and asked her to research something in there for them.

“Genealogy was her pet,” DeHosse said.

“There has been such a change in the library since she’s been there,” DeHosse said, adding that the summer children’s programs were at or near capacity and the adult programs in recent years were well attended.

Michelle Parnell, another library board member, said Fleet helped to put the library in a position where big things were about to happen.

“The employees and board and Tiffany really started to operate like a fine-tuned machine,” Parnell said.

“We found our groove, for a lack of a better term,” she said.

Fleet had become engaged to be married to Denny McClelland Jr. of Pottsville shortly before her death. She had no surviving immediate relatives.

Memorial contributions in her honor are suggested to Monongahela Area Library, 813 W. Main St., Monongahela, PA 15063, or Fayette Friends of Animals, P.O. Box 1282, Uniontown, PA 15401.