Get to Know Your Librarians!

Anna Newborg- Director

Anna Newborg has been the Director of the Baldwin Library since 2021 and has worked in libraries for over 10-years. In her role as Director, Anna oversees a multitude of library operations, ranging from staffing and budgeting to facilities management, board relations, collection development, and grant writing. Engaged in various countywide committees such as Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Circulation Advisory, Librarians’ Advisory Council, Technical Services Advisory, and Fund Development, Anna is deeply committed to enhancing library services for the entire county.

What captivates Anna about her work at the library is the constant variety it offers; no two days are ever the same, ensuring that monotony is never part of her routine. She relishes the opportunity to engage with the vibrant Baldwin community, valuing the diverse interactions that each day brings.

Outside of her professional life, Anna indulges in her passion for reading, video games, and crafts. Her literary interests span history and mystery genres, with a particular fondness for the works of Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens. An avid animal lover, she shares her home with a cat, two parakeets, a bearded dragon, and a 75-gallon fish tank.

Favorite Books: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, Bleak House by Charles Dickens, and The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman

Favorite Show: Parks & Recreation

Favorite Movie: Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Favorite Quote: “But I ask no favors for my sex…All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks.”  –Sarah Moore Grimke

Tracy Bakowski- Outreach Librarian

I have been working at the Baldwin Library since 2007. I have worked as a Public Services Assistant, a Youth Services Assistant, and now I am the Outreach Librarian. Soon I will be transitioning to become the Adult Services Librarian. Needless to say, I have worn many hats. In my spare time, I like to read, camp, go fishing and spend lots of time working in my garden. I like to collect very old books, I find them fascinating and my oldest book is from 1895.

In 1985 I was an early graduate from Baldwin High School, and had a full-time job at the age of 18. I have lived in Baldwin Borough for most of my life. I love to travel and explore whenever I can. Through Collett Tours with the Baldwin Library I have had the privilege of traveling to both Ireland and London. The experience was truly amazing!

I enjoy working at the library because I am a helper. I love to help others, especially those in my community! When I was a little girl, I encountered Mrs. Joan Schubert, a librarian at Oakleaf Elementary School who inspired me to read and encouraged me to want to learn everything I could about books. As a result I became a librarian.

Favorite Books: Night by Elie Wiesel, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, NEWYORKSEPTEMBERELEVENTHTWOTHOUSANDONE by a collaboration of authors, ghost stories of any kind, and biographies especially Spare by Prince Harry Duke of Sussex

Favorite Show: Downton Abbey

Favorite Movies: Emma, and Pride & Prejudice

Favorite Quote: “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams”  –Willy Wonka

Sarah Meyer- Youth Services Librarian

Hi! I started working at the Baldwin Library in September 2023, right after graduating from Pitt with my MLIS. I manage the juvenile and young adult sections, as well as doing programming for kids and teens. I’m originally from the Metro Detroit area and relocated to Pittsburgh in 2019. I enjoy painting, playing guitar, singing, and playing PS5, as well as curling up on the couch with my two cats Lulu and Lila and reading a good book (I also have a pet frog named Froakie, but he doesn’t like cuddling as much). I love a book with an adventure or a twist – especially fantasy and sci-fi. I love working in the library because I get to help people, as well as share my love of learning with kids of all ages.

Favorite Books: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins,
and A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Favorite Show: Orphan Black, What We Do in The Shadows, and 30 Rock

Favorite Movies: Interstellar, and Moana

Favorite Quote: “There’s a possibility that one day things will get better.”   –Brooklyn, The Midnight

Nancy Musser- Adult Services Librarian

I have worked at Baldwin Library since 1995. I do programming for adults, as well as assisting patrons who need help. My passion is working with social service agencies in order to get patrons food, diapers, mental health, and housing, etc. My number one hobby is reading, followed closely by travel and watching Pittsburgh sports teams. Some of my favorite books are cookbooks, because I enjoy learning about food origins. I love working for the library because I get to promote all that the library can do for the public. Families can enjoy so much for no cost. There is always something for everyone!

Favorite Books: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Favorite Show: Diners, Drive-ins & Dives

Favorite Movies: Out of Africa, and White Nights

Favorite Quote: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”   -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Ann Kennedy- Marketing Librarian

Hello! I have been working at the Baldwin Library since 2021. I am the creator and designer of all the graphics, promo materials, emails and other media. My job is to use my designs to help promote the library’s programing, events and resources. My favorite hobbies are cooking, singing, playing board games, knitting and of course reading! However, my favorite thing to do is cater to the needs of my fluffy orange cat Archie. When it comes to reading I pretty much enjoy any type of book, but my favorite genres are Fantasy and Science Fiction; especially books written by Marissa Meyer. I also love to collect children’s literature.

In December 2016, I graduated Summa Cum Laude from California University of PA with my Bachelor’s of Science in Education (Pre-K to 4th Grade). I had taught in and out of schools for 8 years before I decided to make a career switch. While I still have a passion for teaching children, I love creating and designing things for the library. I have always had an artistic side to me, and it is joy to come to work each day and get to do just that. Working at the library is very rewarding. I love that I can reach out and help the community in a variety of ways. It truly brings me joy when I can help and bring a smile to someone’s face!

Favorite Books: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Maus by Art Spiegelman, and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Favorite Shows: Psych, Murder She Wrote, and The Big Bang Theory

Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride

Favorite Quote: “Someday, well find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me.”  -Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson)

Emily Porter- Technology Librarian

Hi! I’m Emily, and I have worked at the Baldwin Library since 2022. I run all of the social media, offer Tech Help appointments to patrons, and catalog and process books. I also make book displays and do chalkboard signs! I love to read, write, and listen to music. I can usually be found hanging out with my friends while we watch a movie or TV show. I’m originally from Ohio. I moved to Pittsburgh permanently about two years ago. I have a black cat named Miso — like the soup! My favorite color is pink. I’m left-handed. I love working at the library because helping people brings me a lot of joy and fulfillment. Also, being surrounded by books all day is a huge bonus!

Favorite Books: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin, A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4) by Sarah J. Maas, Little Weirds by Jenny Slate, and 100 Selected Poems by E.E. Cummings

Favorite Show: Inuyasha

Favorite Movie: Howl’s Moving Castle

Favorite Quote: “Her heart was big and as red as her teeth. There was good in people — deep down, there was always a shred of good. There had to be.”  -Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

Echo Frnka- Public Services Assistant

Hi! I have worked at the Baldwin Library since August 2023 and I work in public services. I help our patrons find things in our library, check books in and out, and help with our printer and computers when they need it. In my free time, I like reading, playing video games, gardening and most of all making arts and crafts. My favorite book changes every week but my current favorite is Fight Club. I am originally from Austin, Texas and I have a cat, a dog and 6 houseplants. I love working at the library because my passion is helping people out, meeting new people and making new friends.

Favorite Books: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, and Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

Favorite Show: Avatar the Last Airbender

Favorite Movie: Do the Right Thing, and Sorry to Bother You

Favorite Quote: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”  -Helen Keller