By Harold Brummett
Denmark Star Route

At a recent ‘speaking’ of political candidates I asked a question about the Library and who did the Board of Supervisors send to First Regional to represent Lafayette County on the regional executive board of the library system?

My supervisor, to his credit, said he did not know. I like that, it is honest. Not knowing and realizing it is the first step in filling the void.

Another district supervisor, when it was his turn to speak, wanted to play a round of “stump the chump” and proceeded to tell the assembled that the only thing the county Board of Supervisors did was maintain the library building.

The answer just didn’t feel right. I did what anyone would do in this situation; I called First Regional Library headquarters in Hernando.

A nice lady told me that our Board of Supervisors appoints a person to be on the executive committee. In fact, the Board of Supervisors of each county in the district appoints one person. This is what makes up the executive committee. Good to know, I thought.

A few hours later I received a phone call from the head honcho of the whole First Regional system. She wanted to know who I was and I obliged. Apparently few people ask questions about the Library System and she was curious to know who asked about policy.

The head honcho said that each library in the system has an advisory board approved by Lafayette County and the City of Oxford. Good to know.

Who are the people that advise our librarians and recommend policy? When do they meet, what are their qualifications? Do they reflect the tone and tenor of the people they serve? Does the advisory committee submit a resume and if so to whom is it submitted? Who interviews them? Are minutes kept of the meetings and are there actual meetings?

The library in Lafayette County is one of the most used in the First Regional system. Toddlers with moms to senior adults frequent our library. What is within those walls has both a direct and indirect influence on the community.

I know some of the answers. I know the names of the people I talked to and I kept their names out of the column on purpose. I’d like more people to call, find out how the library operates and who is our First Regional executive representative.

Perhaps someone is interested in serving and didn’t know about the opportunity. As always, the answers are at the library – would not bother the Board of Supervisors, though.

Write to Harold Brummett at denmarkmississippi@hotmail.com.