The building was in bad shape. It needed a new roof and wiring. It was a monumental event when we got appropriate wiring and cabling. We went from a manual typewriter to a computer.

This is one of Andrew Carnegie's original libraries. It opened in 1902. It has always been a library and by the 1980s, when the steel mills were shutting down, we were able to hang on by the skin of our teeth. From 1985 to the early 1990s, we were struggling to keep the doors open.

We were able to survive on sheer willpower. Everyone in McKeesport knows I have no pride when it comes to begging for money for the library. We've come up with some unique ways to raise money, such as basket raffles. You have to come up with creative ways to continue programming.

People in McKeesport saw what happened in Duquesne when they lost their library because of the lack of funding. I would get envelopes with a dollar in them. The residents didn't want to lose their library.

Overall, the building is in very good shape: the air conditioning is functioning, and the roof is good. The athletic areas just need to be set up, and offices need to be reconfigured.

The top part of the building caved inward and came down through the roof and took out part of my roof,