Books always have been at the heart of Mt. Lebanon library director; South Hills Almanac, 6/27/16

Luke Campbell, South Hills Almanac; Books always have been at the heart of Mt. Lebanon library director:

"As comedian Drew Carey sat in the contestant’s chair of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” playing for a donation to the Ohio Public Library, he confidently and correctly answered a $500,000 question.

Fifty thousand dollars of the winnings were split among 10 people pursuing a career in teen librarianship, a path Vittek applied to pursue at Kent State University only a few months before.

“I applied for Kent State’s master of library and information science program at about that same time,” said Vittek. “I was not in a good place at the time. I didn’t want to leave my mothe. [sic] But to get into library school, to get that scholarship and to also be awarded a graduate assistantship that made my tuition free, it was just a natural fit.”

Her subsequent career eventually led her to taking over the director’s position in Mt. Lebanon, where the library last year had about 359,000 visitors and lent more than 588,00 physical items.

“Establishing a connection is the most important part of the job,” Vittek said. “You can go to any library and check out a book, attend a program or use the computer, but to have a personal connection and feeling that this is my library, my community and my home. That is why I want to have personal connections."