The Sara Hightower Regional Library board of trustees unanimously named Delana Hickman the library system director today.

See tomorrow's Rome News-Tribune for complete details.

Posted Oct. 9, 2012

Sara Hightower Regional Library Board to name library director

The Sara Hightower Regional Library Board is expected to name a new director at its Nov. 8 meeting.

A search committee has narrowed the field to three candidates, whose names were announced Thursday.

Delana Hickman, who has been serving as interim director since Susan Cooley retired in January, is one of the finalists. Also in

the running are Nancy Pack, a former director of the Tuscaloosa Public Library in Alabama, and Larry Frank, who was the director of library services for the Knox County Public Library System in Tennessee.

“We’ve been doing this about a year, and the cream rose to the top,” said Dana Tuck, vice chair of the library board and the Cedartown City Commission chairman.

The Sara Hightower system serves Floyd and Polk counties. In addition to its headquarters, the Rome-Floyd County Library, it has branches in Cave Spring, Cedartown and Rockmart.

Tuck said the search committee was looking for candidates “with more than just one set of skills,” and all three finalists met that target.

The advent of the Internet has thrown all libraries into transition, she said, but the facilities are a cornerstone of the community and must be able to serve a diverse population with different needs.

“Libraries are going to have to reinvent themselves,” Tuck said. “We were looking for somebody who was not held back by old-school ideas of what a library used to be.”

Hickman has been with the Sara Hightower system since 2004, when she was hired as the coordinator of the 21-county Northwest Georgia Talking Books Library for the blind. Among her other activities, she’s a member of the disABILITY Link board of directors.

Frank ran the 19-facility Knox County library system from 2003 – 2010. He oversaw construction of four branches, created new programs — including a jazz festival — and developed private support. He is currently working on a novel and painting.

Pack was director of the Tuscaloosa system from 1999–2010, where she tripled the circulation and program participation. Her research field focuses on serving the disabled and older adults. She’s currently teaching online graduate-level courses at the University of West Alabama.

“I think, out of those three, whatever choice the board makes we’re going to be fine,” Tuck said.

Under Georgia law, the board must announce up to three finalists at least 14 days before making a decision.