Starting next week, the Johnson County Public Library will have a new person in charge while the board of directors looks for a permanent library director.
She should seem familiar. Ann Alexander, who will be the interim library director, has worked for the Johnson County Public Library since 2004.
Current library director Beverly Martin is retiring after working for the Johnson County Public Library since 1987. While no permanent director has been named, and the board is still interviewing applicants, Alexander was selected to continue the work that Martin began before her retirement. The board hopes to hire a permanent library director by the end of the year, Alexander said.
In the meantime, Alexander is trying to keep new events and programs on schedule for the fall. Three pilot programs, including a teen center and two children’s events called Play and Learn, will begin this fall. Also, the library is in the middle of updating the strategic plan.
Alexander joined the library as the Franklin branch manager and became associate director two years ago. When she joined the library, she felt appreciated by her co-workers and welcomed by the community, Alexander said.
“I felt valued, and that’s what you like to feel when you go to work every day. Without that, nothing else matters,” she said.
Alexander lives on the southside but said she considers Franklin her second home.
