Southwest Regional Library

BACKGROUND/HISTORY:  Southwest Regional Library is reopened after renovation three years ago.  It had been a very busy, very small location.  It is now triple the size and a very busy, larger location.

STAFF:  162   EMPLOYES:  135 FTEs.   BUDGET:  9.2 million

TYPES OF MATERIALS YOU BUY:  We buy eBooks through Overdrive, books, audiobooks, CDs, magazines, and DVDs.  We also subscribe to many databases, both through the library individually and through North Carolina’s resource, nclive.org.

USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY:  We do have eBooks through Overdrive for people to check out on their devices and use the Library Anywhere app.  It’s not exactly a mobile technology, but we have this fabulous Website, isthelibraryopen.com (this was an idea of our Board of Trustees, I think) that makes finding out hours so, so simple.  You should check that out.

WHERE I SEE THE LIBRARY IN FIVE YEARS:  System-wide, the Main Library will be under renovation or nearing renovation by then.  That will be a big improvement for the downtown area of Durham and for services to the population around Main.  I used to work at the downtown branch, and I can’t wait for that to happen.  Also, as a system, we will be exploring more mobile technologies and ways to reach our patrons where they are, not just in the buildings.  Durham County just finished their strategic plan and the library is working on ours based off of that one, so anything more specific should wait until the strategic plan is completed.

Additional Items of interest to ATG readers:  Durham is a wonderful place to be a librarian.  The local population is so supportive of their library system, and I have wonderful colleagues.  There are really great things happening in the Durham County Library system, including “First Library in Space”, the Durham Comics Project, and other inventive, innovative programs for our community.

Leah Hinds

Leah was appointed Executive Director of the Charleston Conference in 2017, and has served in various roles with the Charleston Information Group, LLC, since 2004. Prior to working for the conference, she was Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions for the College of Charleston for four years. She lives in a small town near Columbia, SC, with her husband and two kids where they raise a menagerie of farm animals.