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Hernando Public Library renamed in honor of James F. Anderson
The former Hernando Public Library on West
on the map. First Regional Library is really considered one of
Commerce Street now bears the name of former library
the best public library systems in the state and that reputation
director James F. Anderson, a man who oversaw some of the
is largely due to the work of James Anderson.”
establishment’s most significant developments over the years.
The newly dubbed James F. Anderson Public Library
Anderson, who served as the director of the library
system for nearly three decades in a position that is now
shares a building with the headquarters of First Regional
occupied by Meredith Wickham, started working with the
Library, an organization that oversees libraries across five
library system in 1972 and retired in 2004. He is widely known
counties and 14 branches. Under Anderson’s supervision, the
within FRL circles for changing the library’s record system
First Regional library system grew to 13 distinct branches, with
to an electronic public catalog system, allowing for fully
a single one being added after his retirement.
automated circulation in a time when very few libraries across
the state were doing so.
“James Anderson is a very well respected individual
around the state and nationally in the library word,” said
David Brown, brand and marketing strategist with First
with a renaming ceremony featuring the likes of Mayor Tom
The name change was made official this past May
Regional Library. “He was responsible for getting us up to date
Ferguson and several longtime FRL Regional Board of Trustees
with a new automated circulation system and really putting us
members.
Hernando
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