State Library of North Carolina
UPDATE
December 2005
STATE LIBRARIAN APPOINTED
Secretary Lisbeth C. Evans of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources has announced the appointment
of Mary L. Boone as State Librarian of North Carolina, effective November 1 5, 2005.
At a recent State Library Commission meeting, Mary Boone stated, "I am honored to have been
selected for the position of State Librarian, and delighted that I will be returning home to North
Carolina. I am looking forward to working with everyone at the State Library and with libraries
and librarians throughout North Carolina.”
A native of North Carolina, Ms. Boone received her BA and MSLS degrees from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was director of the Chapel Hill Public Library from 1978 to
1985 and was a founding member of the North Carolina Public Library Directors’ Association. In
1985 she joined the United States Information Agency and the U.S. Department of State as a
Foreign Service Library/Information Resource Officer providing service in Asia, the Middle East,
Europe, and Washington, DC. As the director of the Department of State’s international library
program from 1999 to 2002, Boone provided oversight, policy and program support to 175
Information Resource Centers located at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. From
2002 to 2005 she oversaw the planning and establishment of the Jefferson Information Center, a
new Department of State initiative incorporating the existing library and a new research service. The UNC-CH School of
Information and Library Science presented Boone with the Distinguished Alumni Award in December 2003.
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Boone back to North Carolina.
CARING IS ALWAYS IN SEASON
The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) celebrated the work of 1 1 5 volunteers at the Clarion Hotel in
Raleigh the evening of November 15, 2005. “Caring is Always in Season” was the theme of this event, sponsored annually
by the Friends of NC LBPH. Bill Randall, Vice President of the NC Community College System, perfonned as a “one-man
band” entertaining volunteers after dinner.
Representatives from the Governor’s office, the Department of Cultural Resources, and the State Library presented award
certificates to volunteers who reached milestones of service hours, ranging from 25 hours to 2,500 hours. During State
Fiscal Year
2004/2005,
LBPH volunteers contributed 6,702 hours, which equates to three full-time positions.
Volunteers record and braille books and magazines of North Carolina interest, which are added to the National Library
Service collection available to 12,000 users in North Carolina and to eligible users in other states. In addition, volunteers
routinely assist with clerical and support tasks at the LBPH.
Friends members fund and volunteer to help provide public relations activities across the state. Friends also fund the LBPH
Descriptive Video service and other special projects or purchases as requested to improve LBPH services each year. Any¬
one is welcome to become a Friend of NC LBPH fora low membership fee of $10. Memberships may also be given as a
gift! If you are interested, please contact the library, toll-free at 1-888-388-2460 to receive a Friends brochure.
Caring is Always in Season
A publication of the State Library of North Carolina, Department of Cultural Resources
Mail: 4640 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4640 * Phone:
919/807-7400
* Location: 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
