09/16/2026
Time Flies when you’re having fun. For the last 29 years, I have had the extreme pleasure of being your Library Director. Words cannot explain all the adventures that we have had in that time, but my greatest pleasure is seeing a young child run into the library to get books or discover the dinosaurs and other exhibits. My second greatest pleasure is hearing from a new resident, “I can’t believe you have these resources in this small county and this building is amazing.” Library Science has changed as technology changes and I have always believed just because we live in a small area, there is no reason not to have the same resources that larger areas have. Our budgets were not big enough for most of the technology so 1.5 million dollars in state and federal tax dollars as well as some corporate grants have come back to our county to allow us to have technology resources at our finger tips.
We have also had tremendous community support and they proved that when the Will Mayfield Heritage Foundation worked with us to be able to afford to get the Library out of the flood plain. Twenty nine local volunteers also showed up to help us move the library up the “Hill.” They worked for almost a month and a few of them kept coming back. Almost every organization and business has helped in monetary ways as we worked to keep the library moving forward. God Bless you all!.
Another group that has worked with us to bring business resources to the area is the Mayfield Entrepreneurial Center. Stan Crader and Ed Crowley asked if we would be interested in having an entrepreneurial center on our vacant and not restored third floor. Three years and a 2.1 million dollar grant from the state has produced a center for training, business development, networking, mentoring, etc. that will help our county compete in our crazy world.
I have also had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented staff and volunteer board members that I have ever met. Can’t name them all but thank you too!
Why am I rambling along? I have decided that 2026 will be my last full year as Director. It’s time to find that energetic, driven younger person who can take us up another notch in the Library world. The notice is going out in this week’s paper and here on our page. I have attached some of the qualifications and responsibilities that it takes to be director. We will take applications until the position is filled and I will stay on next year half- time to train the new director. If you have any questions just call the library at 573-238-2713 and we will try to answer them.
