The Board of Trustees of First Regional Library has announced the appointment of Ed Hughes as the new Director.
Mr. Hughes has a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Library Science, both from the University of Wisconsin. In his 30-plus career as a librarian Ed has worked for both academic and public libraries in areas he calls “cowboy country” including Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota. He comes to Mississippi from Wisconsin, where he has been serving as director of the Rhinelander District Library since 2008.
His other positions during his career include Circulation-Technical Services Supervisor at the Rapid City Public Library where he assisted with the opening of a new branch and an expansion to the main library. He was also the library’s network contact with overall responsibility for migration to a new integrated library system. Ed’s other library experience includes stints in Acquisitions at the University of Wisconsin and as Head of Cataloging at the College of Southern Idaho Library.
The nationwide search for the Director of First Regional Library yielded applicants from all over the country. “Ed’s impressive experience and passion for public libraries served him well in our interview process,” said Evelyn Hubbard, Board of Trustees President. “We are confident that in Ed Hughes we have found the ideal librarian to or lead First Regional Library into the future.”
Ed follows Catherine Nathan, who retired as Director in October 2013, and Judy Card, who has been serving as Interim Director. He begins his FRL career on June 2nd.
