Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 25, 2007 issue
Story by Celeste von Mangan
The Appalachian Regional Library that serves Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes counties turns 40 years old in 2007.
Its board of directors includes 12 appointed members, 4 four from each county, and Watauga’s representatives are Velma Burnley, George Holloway, Shelby Lane and Patty Wheeler.
The ARL board named Louise Spicer Humphrey as director last year, replacing Mary Sizemore who resigned in July to accept a library director position in Hickory. Humphrey has been with the ARL system since January 1987, holding the position of Traphill Branch librarian in Wilkes County for four years before moving to the county’s main library as reference and adult services librarian. In April 1999, she was named county librarian for the Wilkes County Public Library.
“I’m looking forward to meeting and working with the county and municipal governments, the Chambers of Commerce and other agencies in Ashe and Watauga, as well as continuing the excellent working relationships I’ve established in Wilkes County,” Humphrey said. “I am also looking forward to getting to know and working with all of the sixty plus staff members in the ARL system.”
Humphrey was born in Glade Valley, NC, but grew up in Baltimore, Md. She holds a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and a master of library and information studies from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She has lived in Wilkes County since 1980 and resides in North Wilkesboro.
New fine and renewal policies are effective at the library this month. Before patrons can renew their library privileges, they must pay the total amount they owe in fines. Library privileges will now renew every year instead of every two years. The goal is to improve the collection rate of outstanding fines and fees owed to the library.
An ongoing project of the Watauga County Public Library has been to improve the appearance of the collection—books, audio and video. In 2006, the date-due stickers on the backs of books were removed and patrons receive receipts showing the dates due of their materials instead.
For info about library policies and programs, call 828-264-8784.