Dianne McLaurin joined the Forest Public Library as a circulation clerk three years ago, she later became Assistant Branch Manager, and was namedBranch Manager at the beginning of March.
In February, she was awarded title of Central Mississippi Regional Library System Employee of the Year. It is the second time that she has been named Employee of the Year. “Each year, one employee is chosen from the 20 branches as Employee of the Year. It’s an honor to be selected because you are nominated by your peers,” McLaurin said.
McLaurin has a passion for her job. “Libraries are so much more than items on shelves,” she said. “People come to the Forest Public Library for all sorts of reasons. Many spend their lunch in a quiet space. Some attend free programs, while others make copies, send faxes, and use the public computers. Last year, the Forest library recorded 49,000 visits with the door counter positioned at the main entrance. Almost 50,000 patron visits — every race, every socio-economic background, and every age from babies to senior adults.”
About eight years ago McLaurin and her husband of 33 years this week, David, moved from Biloxi to Forest. “We moved from Biloxi to be closer to my aging parents and our children who were attending Mississippi State University,” she said.
The McLaurins have three children. Aimee is a nurse in Fort Collins, Colorado; Katie is a media executive with Trustmark, and Matt is a team lead with Lyft in Nashville.
The move to central Mississippi was a return home of sorts for McLaurin who grew up in Smith County and graduated from Raleigh High School. McLaurin attended Mississippi College and graduated with a BA in communication and minors in journalism and English, and she entered journalism. “I started as a sports reporter at Jasper County News, then became the news editor at the Smith County Reformer. The Taylorsville Signal and the Smith County Reformer combined while I was news editor, and I was promoted to managing editor of both.”
McLaurin left journalism after the births of her children. “Two back-to-back babies and a six-year-old…with three small children under age six, I just couldn't keep up the pace. I miss it, but I know the sacrifice good reporting requires. I could never meet deadlines like I did right out of college.”
Before coming to Forest, McLaurin was at the Morton Public Library as a children’s librarian. When she accepted the position of circulation clerk, she anticipated retiring in the position. “Things changed within the branch and I was promoted twice.
“I was first hired in the CMRLS system in 1998, and so much has changed since that time...automation, increased technology, free WiFi, social media, etc. Since I first began at Forest, we have seen successes across the board with multi-cultural programming, teen programming, Library Labs, community involvement and ambitious goals. This library has truly become a hub in the community.”
For 2019, McLaurin said Forest has set three goals: to increase traffic by 10 percent, increase community partnerships and outreach and to diversify programming for all demographics. “These are lofty goals because we had significant increases last year that will be difficult to match, much less improve. It's a challenge that the staff at Forest embraces. We also want to be team-oriented when it comes to other libraries in the county — to collaborate and to support.”
Upcoming, the Forest Public Library will host an event, Scott County Reads, with Mississippi author Michael Farris Smith on April 9 at 6 p.m. “We are so excited to have him for a book talk and signing,” McLaurin said, “his books have received amazing reviews. The program is hosted by the Forest Public Library, but all four county libraries are participating in the event. All of the CMRLS libraries have events planned for National Library Week in April, and this event is a highlight for the entire system.”
“What we do is so vital to the overall cultural climate of the community,” McLaurin added. “Albert Einstein once said, ‘The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.’”
You can find the Forest Public Library on Raleigh Street, walking distance from anywhere downtown.
