Katie Fountain Robeson Library

Last week marked the end of the 2014-2015 fiscal year for the Robeson County Public Library and there were several accomplishments to celebrate. I would like to share some of the highlights from the year with our community.

The Friends of the Robeson County Public Library hosted a wildly successful fundraiser, which brought in $103,000 for technology upgrades and special projects. The money allowed us to upgrade our patron and staff computers to Windows 7 and purchase children’s AWE Digital Literacy Stations for all of our libraries.

A new microfilm reader was placed in our genealogy room and the Lumberton library retired its old rusty book drop for an updated model. Modern book carts were purchased to replace old, unsafe wooden carts. Even the staff room received a makeover as thanks for the staff’s dedication. The Friends of the Robeson County Public Library hosted our annual book sale, as well. We have such a supportive Friends group.

The year brought new faces to our staff. We welcomed Cynthia Lester, Leah Tietje-Davis and Ruth Link to our library family. Margaret Richardson, our Technical Services assistant, officially joined our staff after her contract with a local work program expired. We were thrilled she wanted to continue working in our Technical Services Department.

Carmela Williams, the senior administrative associate, took on responsibilities as the deputy finance officer and has done an excellent job.

This is the first time in years that there are four librarians on our staff. I’ve already seen the momentum building from having new energy and ideas brought to our library by the librarian team.

Last fall, the library staff hosted a surplus sale and had a great time cleaning out our storage areas. Kelly Mecifi, our Technical Services librarian, has worked all year to improve the genealogy collection and services. She is even teaching genealogy workshops.

Taylor Smith, our IT specialist, offered technology classes and more are being planned. Programs for adults, teens, and children are expanding and gaining interest, thanks to our new librarians, Leah and Ruth.

In October, the board of trustees attended a workshop hosted by the North Carolina library. The board also funded a new-to-us library vehicle, which replaced the older car that was quickly becoming unsafe. Our staff who travel to provide library services has been so appreciative of the car and feel much safer.

The board conducted seven meetings last fiscal year and provided excellent guidance. The trustees also advocated for increased library funding to governments on the local and state levels. The board, staff, Friends group and communities across the county joined together in May to celebrate Horace Stacy Jr. for his dedication to the library.

Mr. Stacy’s term on the board of trustees ended Tuesday and he will be greatly missed. To honor his service, the City of Lumberton declared May 20 as “Horace Stacy Day.” I’m already looking forward to a celebration in 2016.

The library staff attended regular meetings, monthly webinars and received their first performance evaluation in April. I have received many positive comment cards from library patrons praising our staff for great customer service. The classification plan was updated in June and all staff members were given refreshed job descriptions.

This column doesn’t include all the great things that have happened in the last year, but it certainly reflects things that make me proud of the library and my staff. The library staff, Friends group, board and, of course, our supportive community make what we do possible. I am looking forward to a new fiscal year with new accomplishments.