The Coraopolis Memorial Library employs one librarian and five support staff members.
Mary Elizabeth Hampe, Library Director & Librarian
Mary has been the Director of the Coraopolis Memorial Library since 2019. She possesses a master’s degree in Library Science from Clarion University and a master’s degree in Business Education from Robert Morris University. She is also a PA-certified Business, Computer, & Information Technology teacher, a PA-certified Library Media Specialist, and has also studied English as a Second Language. In 2019, she earned her certificate of public librarianship as a public librarian professional from the state of PA. Prior to coming to the CML, Mary worked as a school librarian and technology teacher for fourteen years. She also taught math and language arts to adult students at Bidwell Training Center, Pittsburgh. She is very excited to be able to share her love of literature and technology with the community. She enjoys gardening and reading non-fiction books about law, criminology, and archival history. Some of her favorite fiction books include The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Hobbit written by J.R.R. Tolkien, Where the Crawdads Sing written by Delia Owens, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue written by V.E. Schwab.
Alicia Shireen Brathwaite, Youth & Family Services Coordinator
Alicia is a bilingual educator from Nassau, Bahamas, where she has taught Spanish from elementary to university level for thirty years. She possesses a BA in Spanish from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, and an MS in Early Childhood & Elementary Education from Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts. She loves reading and has authored a poetry-journal of her own entitled Unmasking the Pain. She has also presented Reading in the Content Area – Every Teacher is a Reading Teacher at the 2012 International Learning Styles Conference in New York. However, Alicia would say she is most proud of her four children, Andrew, Zoe, Destiny and Danielle. Destiny was awarded best essay in The Bahamas on her ninth-grade national English exam, and Danielle represented The Bahamas at the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. while in the eighth grade. Alicia is very excited to join the Coraopolis community where she can share her knowledge of Spanish and love for reading.
Jessie Baker, Library Assistant
Jessie Baker has been with the Coraopolis Memorial Library since September, 2021. Jessie recently moved to Coraopolis after spending many years teaching in many countries around the world; notably throughout Asia. Jessie possesses a BA in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an MA in European Renaissance Literature from the University of York, England. She enjoys reading classics as well as 20th century and contemporary literature by authors, such as Jack Kerouac, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Haruki Murakami, and Kazuo Ishiguro. She also has an interest in reading about art and history, as well as poetry of all periods from Beowulf to Seamus Heaney.
Julie Bobak, Circulation Clerk
Julie is a homeschooling mother of three. She has worked at the Coraopolis Memorial Library since 2014 and has lived in Coraopolis with her husband since 2004. Julie loves a wide variety of books, especially the classics, such as Jane Eyre, and The Elusive Pimpernel, mysteries, some YA, poetry by Atticus, and non-fiction. Some of her favorite authors are P.G Wodehouse, Melanie Dickerson, Mary Higgins Clark, Debbie Macomber, Elin Hilderbrand, Marie Benedict, and Elizabeth Adler. When she is not working or teaching her children, you can find her relaxing with a book or audiobook.
Charlene Cunzolo, Circulation Clerk
Hello! I am Charlene Cunzolo, and I’ve been a Coraopolis resident for 11 years. I am a mother to my wonderful daughter, Kristin, who is a 2020 graduate of Cornell High School. Not only do I work at the Coraopolis Memorial Library, I am also the salon coordinator for Mane Beauty Lounge in Robinson Twp., where I do EVERYTHING but hair. In my spare time, I enjoy naps, cloudy days, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. I am thoroughly enjoying my time here at the library. The staff is amazing, and I love meeting the patrons.
Patty Burrell, Circulation Clerk
Patty has been a library assistant since October 2021 and loves every minute of it! After retiring from corporate accounting, she spent a year training with the Penn State Master Gardener program. She received her Master Gardener certificate in November 2021 and volunteers at the Penn State demo gardens in and around Pittsburgh. Her two passions are gardening and reading, especially British mysteries. In her spare time, she likes walking, biking, and reading books by her favorite authors.