A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE AUGUSTA COUNTY LIBRARY

     Under the direction of the first Library Board, the Augusta County Library, located at the Woodrow Wilson Education Center in Fishersville, Virginia, opened its doors on March 20, 1977. Members of the first Library Board were Robert H. Horn, William H. Carter, James R. McEckron, Mrs. Willis L. Clemmer, Robert C. Boulware, Mrs. Guy Strickler, and Mrs. Milton B. Schooley. The first library director, Barbara A. Rice, was hired in October 1976.

     The library moved to its present location in the renovated elementary school in Fishersville in December, 1983. Ms. Rice resigned as director in 1986, and the library board appointed Barbara Burdette to replace her. Barbara Burdette retired on June 29, 2007, after 21 years of outstanding leadership. The library board appointed Diantha McCauley as Augusta County Library's third director.

     The library expanded its outreach to a second library station in Deerfield to accompany the existing station in Craigsville. In January, 2002, a fully functional branch library in Churchville opened its doors. New technology led to an automated catalog and circulation, the benefits of which are available at the branch library and the book stations. More recently, the library took an important role in the combining of its resources with those of the Staunton and Waynesboro libraries. In April, 2003, the "Valley Libraries Connection" made the books of all three libraries readily available to the people of our central valley communities.

     The Augusta County Library is a department of the County of Augusta and is funded by local tax money. Budgets, approved by the library board, are submitted to the county administrator for recommendations and then to the Supervisors of Augusta County for final approval.

     State aid funds may be used for the purchase of books, materials, equipment, supplies and book binding.

     Job classifications for library positions are incorporated into the county job classification and grade categories of all county employees.