I have the honor and privilege to work in a grand building that has just turned 120 years old. I fell in love with the stately Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall almost immediately as an intern from the University of Pittsburgh 11 or so years ago. I eventually became a Carnegie resident and part of a community that truly loves its library.

I spend a good chunk of my time doing librarian “stuff” and, on the surface, it probably seems like that’s the extent of my job. But, let me just tell you, a building as old as ours needs somebody to look after it all the time, and in essence protect it. And for me, that means that my position as assistant library director has evolved into my also being our facility manager.

They don’t make buildings like they did this one anymore. Despite how long she has been standing tall on the hill, overlooking Main Street, ultimately time marches on and with that, the need is always there to try to “forestall deterioration.” The break and fix and preventative maintenance are almost constant. Moreover, when you factor in upgrades to the facility, that increases the need significantly for upkeep. How, you might ask, can something that is an improvement create more of a demand for stewardship?

When I started here, our building was not air-conditioned and the elevator was relatively new as well. Believe me – and our patrons will back me up – A/C was one of the best things to happen to this building! But with that improvement came a powerful and kind of fancy HVAC system. It’s a system that needs to be maintained, that runs in tandem with our existing infrastructure. We invest a significant amount of money and time each year to keep it running smoothly.

Our executive director oversaw the building’s upkeep for a number of years and now that responsibility has been passed to yours truly. I have to admit, in the beginning, I thought I had made a mistake and gotten in well over my head. But, I am a librarian after all, and research is kind of our thing. So, for every new task and machine I had to learn how to take care of – which was pretty much everything – I did tons of research. I certainly didn’t figure out everything on my own. I’ve had some pretty good mentors along the way. They have helped me navigate waters that were initially completely unfamiliar to me. They allowed me to work side by side with them, teaching me tidbits of their trade, so that I understand our building and its operating systems better.

I’ve reached a point now where I moderately understand how a double boiler radiator heating system works. I make sure our alarm system always works accurately and that the building’s water is always clean and fresh. And very importantly, I’ve learned how to work with service providers to ensure that we get quality work done without being taken for a monetary ride. I’ve learned how necessary it is to ask questions, comparison shop, and how vitally important cultivating good working relationships with companies really is.

In recent years we have done some beautiful landscaping work to our property and around the facility. Library Park is underway! The grounds around the building are one of the most pressing needs with which we could use some volunteer help. There’s always weeding, shrub trimming, rose bush pruning and more always waiting to be done. So, if you’d like to support this grand old facility, we’d love it if you would donate your time to helping us keep up with our seemingly endless grounds work. We’ll gladly provide you with some guidance, gloves, basic gardening tools and cold water.

This side of my job was pretty daunting at first, and I am very grateful to have had help so that I could adequately take on this role. I now know every nook and cranny of this building (with the exception of the attic and I never will thanks to my basophobia – look it up!), what makes things tick and who to call if something malfunctions or breaks. I take great pride in being a protector of our beautiful facility and I’ll strive always to do what it takes to keep her in tip-top shape. If you haven’t visited us for a good while, please stop down and say hello. You won’t be disappointed!

Nate Wyrick is the assistant library director/facility manager at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall.

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