How Do I
Dr. Barbara K. Mistick
President and Director, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
As President and Director of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Dr. Barbara K. Mistick shapes the strategic operation of the system's 19 neighborhood library locations, including Main Library and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. In 2006 she led the organization through an unprecedented economic impact study to measure the value the Library has on Allegheny County's economy and identify strategies and partnerships to maximize the benefits of the Library.
The Economic Impact Study revealed that the 110-year-old Carnegie Library system is the region's most visited asset, welcoming more than 2.2 million visitors annually. The study reaffirmed the Library's role as a catalyst in literacy and learning in the community. The results have also impacted how other library systems view their role in the community and was the catalyst for a state-wide and national study on the economic impact of libraries.
Under Dr. Mistick's leadership, the Library engaged in a $55 million dollar campaign, Libraries for LIFE, to renovate neighborhood libraries. Working with government officials she was integral in securing state funding to kick off the public phase of the campaign. She also recruited many of the region's top leaders to serve on the Capital Campaign Cabinet.
Prior to joining Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Dr. Mistick served as the Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and Director of the Girls, Math & Science Initiative, a public-private collaboration between Fred Rogers' Family Communications, Inc. and Carnegie Mellon University. A successful entrepreneur, she first emerged as one of the region's leaders as Director of Seton Hill University's National Education Center for Women in Business. It was during her tenure at Seton Hill that she facilitated the first statewide research in Pennsylvania documenting women's current and potential economic contributions.
Dr. Mistick is a member of the City of Pittsburgh Planning Commission and serves on the Strategic Planning & Highsmith Awards Committee of the Urban Libraries Council, where she was instrumental in commissioning Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development, a national study on the value of libraries. Regionally, she serves on the Advisory Council, Women in Leadership, the Coro Center for Civic Leadership and St. Vincent College Humanities and Arts Advisory Council. She is the recipient of numerous recognitions for her advocacy work including the US Small Business Administration's Women's Business Advocate Award, the Ernst & Young Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award, ATHENA Award and Pittsburgh Vector's Award in Education.
As a nationally recognized business leader she has consulted with several Fortune 1000 companies in the development of women's networks and with many United States and International Universities to establish women's business centers. An active practitioner with over 30 field-relevant publications and presentations at international practitioner and academic conferences, Dr. Mistick is also the co-author of The Adventure to Entrepreneurship, A Journey to Self Discovery for Young Women. She earned a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University, a master's in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Carlow College.
