Hewlett (People in the News)
Carol C. Hewlett has been appointed director of the Jackson-George Regional Library System.
D.L. “Chic” Anderson, chairman of the JGRLS Board of Directors, said the board at its Nov. 25 meeting unanimously appointed Hewlett, who was manager of the Ina Thompson Moss Point Library since 1999, to the top position.
Anderson said, “ Ms. Hewlett’s leadership skills bode well for the future of our library system. She brings a rare combination of talent, technology, and energy that together will help us serve our public.”
Hewlett, who has served as interim director since August, brings to the position a strong and diverse background of experience and proven leadership.
“My goal is and always has been to make a positive difference in the community,” she said. “Specifically, I welcome the opportunity to demonstrate to our local and state government officials, business owners, educators, senior citizens, the families and the children in our service area what it can mean to an individual and to a community to have quality library services.”
At Moss Point, Hewlett worked with city and library officials, the Friends of the Library and Advisory Board Members, and a private foundation board in a successful effort that resulted in a major expansion of the library in a new location in 2004. Her community involvements include: Rotary Club, Moss Point Active Citizens, River City Cultural Foundation, Moss Point Celebrations Committee, Moss Point Women’s Club, P.E.O., and advisory committees for the Moss Point School District. Under her leadership, the Friends of the Moss Point Library became one of the most effective Friends groups in the library system.
A graduate of the University of South Alabama, Hewlett earned a Master of Library Science degree at the University of Tennessee. Upon graduation, she became UT’s first librarian for its Career Planning and Placement Office, which led to a position with the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, providing information services to elected and appointed officials in each of the more than 300 cities in Tennessee.
In Tennessee, Hewlett honed her public speaking and networking skills to communicate and execute her agency’s mission statewide, and was active in library and local government professional organizations on the local to state levels. She was named as one of the University of Tennessee’s outstanding public services professionals and is a past president of the East Tennessee Library Association and the Tennessee Library Association.
Hewlett is of the second generation in her family to serve JGRLS. Her mother, Lou Hewlett was hired as bookmobile librarian in 1963 and was quickly promoted to assistant director on the recommendation of Lura Currier, director of the Mississippi Library Commission at that time.
“Lura Currier became my mother’s friend and mentor and trained her in all the details of librarianship. Their friendship lasted throughout Lura’s tenure at MLC and even until her death several years afterwards. The local library director at that time was Kathleen McIlwain and she and Lou became life-long friends as well until Ms. McIlwain’s death just a few years ago,” said Hewlett.
Lou Hewlett’s tenure at JGRLS stretched from 1963-1989. Carol Hewlett’s sister, Martha Hewlett Carrow, worked in the Technical Services department at the library from 1970 until 1985. She started out pasting pockets in books and worked her way up to head of the Technical Services department before she left in 1985.
Carol’s dad, Duell Hewlett, was a frequent library handyman that traveled from branch to branch fixing things and doing carpentry work at the branches during the summers when he wasn’t acting as principal of Orange Lake Elementary or Ed Mayo Junior High School, and her brother, Tom Hewlett, has conducted training sessions for JGRLS staff and has presented programs to the Friends of the Library on a few occasions.
A reception for the new director will be held in mid-January at the Ina Thompson Moss Point Library and will be open to the public. Information about the reception will soon be available at www.jgrls.org. Visit the library website for news, events and services of the Jackson George Regional Library System.
Entry Filed under: News
Posted on: December 3rd, 2008
