Mary Rose Bendel
JULY 14, 2021
Mary Rose Bendel in the Carnegie Library of McKeesport attic.
Photograph by Jennifer McCalla
When Mary Rose Bendel was a student at Serra Catholic High School, the Carnegie Library of McKeesport needed someone to work part time and travel to their branches in Duquesne and White Oak. She was offered a position by former librarian Jo Ellen Kenney to work at the McKeesport Library.
She grew up in McKeesport and is the fifth child of a family of seven children. She played basketball, sang and performed as an actress in theatre. Her father Joe Bendel was mayor of McKeesport from 1995 to 1999.
Mary Rose also read a lot of books growing up and always enjoyed the Summer Reading Program at the library. She also read many plays. Her favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird, but she does not have a favorite author. Her most exciting childhood memory is when school was over for the day, she and her siblings ran ahead of the other children to take piano lessons. Mary Rose took piano lessons for eight years. All her siblings still live nearby.
Now after nine years of on the job at the McKeesport Library, Mary Rose is now the Adult Program and Outreach Coordinator. On any given day, she collects books, provide helpful contacts for community services to patrons, plans programs and nice meals such as the lunch she made for the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo, on May 5. She also coordinates computer classes for children and shares information about jobs at Career Link. The McKeesport Library also offers information on social programs, food banks, career services, LIHEAP, Rainbow Kitchen meals and computer classes.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children’s book written by Eric Karl. Recently our Mary Rose was the hungry caterpillar in the Salute to Santa Parade in McKeesport. She even made her own winged caterpillar costume. It was beautiful!
Mary Rose Bendel as The Hungry Caterpillar at the 2019 Salute to Santa Parade in McKeesport.
Photograph by Neal Sisseck
She said that she meets a variety of nice people, is around friendly staff, and that most people are even-tempered patrons.
Her birthday was last week on Friday – June 11, I asked if she was doing anything for her birthday, “no, just working”, she replied.
A few years ago, Mary Rose had an idea to host a fashion show. She asked people to bring in scarves, purses, and jewelry to wear. She described what the models wore, because the clothes were connected to an outside service. Eventually her idea became a permanent fashion shop at the library.
When I asked her what did she do when the libraries were closed because of COVID-19, she said “I just waited for the library to re-open.” It’s not as busy as it was, but people are starting to come back.
Did you know that there are many kinds of library careers? Research librarian, children’s librarian, reference librarian, medical and business librarians.If you ask her if she thinks that library work would be a good career for a student to go into – she said it is not necessarily a lucrative field, but it is a good field to go into later on. She says it involves community service and books, of course.
How does Mary Rose describe herself? She said, “I care about things and people and their needs, I can be goofy and always enjoys a good laugh.
What brings a smile to her face? Neil! A sweet guy! He is curious and helps out at the library where he hangs signs, shovels snow and gets along with everyone.
What does she dream of? She dreams of having a cabin in the woods, a garden in which to fight off little ants around the lake. When I asked Mary Rose what was the best thing about this city, she said, “The Library is the best thing about McKeesport.”
- Colette Funches
Editor’s Note: Mary Rose Bendel resigned from the library in July 2021.