STAFF

ALYSSA richter

LIBRARY DIRECTOR

Alyssa has been with the library since August 2016 when she joined the team as an intern while pursuing a Masters in Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Luckily for her, a whirlwind series of events kept her here! When not at the library, Alyssa spends time with her grandparents, laughs with her cousins, and adventures to coffee shops around the city with her husband to work on that week's City Paper crossword puzzle. Audiobooks and podcasts are her jam, so you'll probably catch her listening to a good mystery book or a trivia podcast!

gabrielle backner

YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN

Gabrielle is a Crafton resident and has been a patron of the library since it was in a different building! She looks forward to creating fun and engaging programs for families, children, and young adults and would love to hear any ideas you may have! Gabrielle has read a large quantity of the picture book collection of the Crafton Public Library thanks to her 5-year-old daughter/library assistant, Eva. Her favorite children's book is No Funny Business by Edith Thacher Hurd, and her favorite grown up books are WWII nonfiction. Gabrielle loves reading, writing, animals, pizza, the color blue, plants, sarcasm, and thrift store shopping. She is excited to join the team and looks forward to meeting everyone!

joseph smith

LIBRARY CLERK

Joseph Vernon Smith joined the library staff on Saturday, July 9th of 2022. Since then, Joseph has wasted no time learning the basic operations of the Crafton Public Library. His hobbies are photography, trivia nights, walking, keeping track of how many days he has worked on his job, watching every single Marvel Movie under the sun, and being ever vigilant to the needs of humanity by being benevolent to those in need. He is very passionate about human rights and Autism Acceptance as he has lived with the experience of being on the Spectrum since age 3. He wishes everyone’s life to be filled with hope, love, compassion, inspiration, happiness, and benevolence! When he is not working at the library, Joseph works as a bagger for Crafton Giant Eagle store 646. It is a job that he has held since Monday, July 10th, 2006, and continues to hold this job to this very day!

LINDA SHEARISS

LIBRARY CLERK

After some nasty experiences many years ago that left her swearing she would never again patronize the Crafton Library, Linda has been employed here not once, but twice! Her son volunteered at the library and was eventually hired for a summer job. Once he went off to college, mom stepped into that job. She "retired" in September 2017 due to family care-taking responsibilities. Missing the interaction with fellow employees and patrons, she returned in December 2018. Beside her job, she enjoys travel (especially to the beach), crafts, theater and magic shows, and annoying her husband, children, and bird, Ashes.

tracey vogel

LIBRARY ASSISTANT

Tracey joined the library staff in 2012. She graduated from Carlow University with every intention to become a school librarian but ended up working here instead (and she couldn't be happier)! Although she has her hands in everything, adult programming is her main focus. The monthly "Dinner at the Library" is a favorite of hers. As far as reading goes, she's partial to short stories. Two of her favorite authors are H.H. Munro (The Complete Works of Saki) and Guy de Maupassant. When she's not working, she can be found "estate sale-ing" with her husband, Mike, visiting small town antique stores with her daughters, or playing her new favorite game, Pickleball!