Mary Vaughan Carpenter, director of the Paul Meek Library at the University of Tennessee at Martin, has been appointed to a three-year term of the Tennessee Advisory Council on Libraries. Members of the advisory council are appointed by Tennessee’s Secretary of State in accordance with recommendations from the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
The Advisory Council on Libraries consists of 16 librarians, library trustees, library advocates and library users who are broadly representative of school, public, academic and special libraries across the state. The council’s mission is three-fold:
1. To advise the Tennessee State Library and Archives on the development of the long-range program for library services in Tennessee.
2. To advise the Tennessee State Library and Archives on policy matters in the administration of the long range program.
3. To assist the Tennessee State Library and Archives in evaluating library programs, services and activities.
Mrs. Carpenter previously served as the director of the Obion County Public Library in Union City (1999-2007) and the coordinator of the Learning Resource Center, also at UT Martin (1990-99). During her tenure at the Obion County Public Library more than $5.5 million was raised for the construction of a new 30,000 square-foot facility. From the time she became library director in 1999 through 2006, the library budget increased from $215,414 to $536,937; full-time equivalency staff increased from six to 13; attendance increased from 51,012 to 116,195; and programs increased from seven to 291 per year.
Mrs. Carpenter has an MLS from the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama and a bachelor of science degree in home economics education from UT Martin. She teaches Library Service 451 “Children’s Literature” as a correspondence instructor for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and is a member of the American Library Association and the Tennessee Library Association. She is involved in several professional organizations, and also serves as a board member of Tenn-Share — a statewide library resource sharing group — the Baptist Memorial Hospital, and Atmos Energy Customer Advisory.
She and her husband, Bob Carpenter, are the parents of 10 year-old twin daughters, Libby and Molly.
Published in The Messenger on 10.12.07