Council Begins Interviews of Potential Library Board Members

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson County Council interviewed five candidates for the Anderson County Library Board of Trustees on Tuesday in an executive session during a special called meeting in the historic courthouse downtown. Six council members took part in the interviews, with Councilwoman Cindy Wilson absent from the meeting.

These five are the first of 15 finalists which will be considered for two, newly created at-large board seats for the library system.

“I think we have some good choices in this group,” said Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn.

Forty-three applications were received for the two positions, 27 applicants were women and 16 men. The current seven-member library board is made up entirely of women, and consists of one representative chosen by the council person in each district. Board members serve four-year terms, which raised concerns from some on council members who are elected to two-year terms.

Three men and two women were among those interviewed on Thursday:

Addison Barton of Anderson, a humanities teacher at New Covenant School, who has a B.A. in History from Mississippi College, said his passion for reading led to his seeking to join the board. In his application, Barton cited experience discussing age-appropriate books with parents as part of what he would bring to the board.

Andrew Cannon of Anderson, an adjunct professor at Clemson University, who has earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Mechanical Engineering, is the father of three children who regularly check out books from the library. Cannon said he has attended business meetings at the library and his wife has used the Maker’s Space. A Cub Scout leader, Cannon said he is seeking to join the board because “it’s time for me to contribute back to the library.”

Krista Gray of Iva, a librarian for Anderson School Dist. 3, earned a Master’s of Library Science from the University of South Carolina, and stated her experience as an elementary school librarian, coupled with a passion for books and reading led to her decision to apply for a board seat. An “avid reader” of children’s literature, Gray wrote that her experience in library management, including budgeting and collection development, make her a good candidate for one of the new board seats.

Jimmy Johnson of Anderson, who earned and Associate Degree in Electronics Engineering and is retired from Michelin, wrote in his application he is “disturbed by what is going on in libraries across the country” and wants to assure books in the Anderson library are “age appropriate.” Johnson is a member of the Anderson County Museum Advisory Board and a former scoutmaster.

Jenny Presgraves of Anderson, who has an earned Ph.D. in Public Policy from Clemson University, is Director of Professional Development and Wellbeing at Clemson University. Presgraves grew up a regular patron of the Anderson library, which led to a lifelong love of reading. She now uses the library study rooms as part of her child’s homeschool education. She said her “extensive research on the role that public libraries play in communities” make her a good candidate for the library board.

The final ten candidates are expected to be interviewed in groups of five in the near future.