May 13, 2015 By Suzanne Elliott 2 min read

Cynthia Richey, the longtime director of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, said May 11 in an email to area library directors that she plans to retire in October.

“I have loved public library service ever since I began working as a page in my local library when I was 13 years old,” Richey, 65, wrote. “Although I’ve worked in four libraries, the last 32 years of my career have been at Mt. Lebanon, as head of children’s services and then director in 1996.”

The Mt. Lebanon library has 40 full and part-time workers.

Richey, who has worked at the Mt. Lebanon Library for 32 years, said she will continue to be involved with libraries and literacy, but as a volunteer.

“I want to do things while my brain and knees still work,” she said. Her last day will be Oct. 10.

Richey, a Mt. Lebanon resident, is the second long-time South Hills library director to announce plans to retire this year. Last month, Pier Lee, director of the Peters Township Public Library, said she plans to retire this year after 40 years with the library, but has yet to set a retirement date. Lee’s successor is Myra Oleynik, the librarian at Bower Hill Elementary School in Venetia. Oleynik starts her new job July 6.

Richey’s position is expected to be posted later this week by Bradbury Associates/Gossage Sager Associates, a national firm that specializes in the placement of upper-level library personnel. A successor is expected to be named before Richey officially retires.