Following the retirement of Jennifer Durham, Statesboro Regional Public Libraries recently named a new director of the six-branch system that is spread across five contiguous counties.

Caroline Johnson, a native of Savannah and raised in Rincon, assumed her new role as director in August, taking over for Durham, who served in the position for 12 years. Johnson began her career in the Statesboro Library System 11 years ago and she said she is looking forward to her newest professional challenge.

“I know this will be a difficult job because I know what it entails, but it’s one of those things where if an opportunity is presented to you, or if you have the opportunity to apply for a job, I’ve always felt like I should,” Johnson said.

In talking with Johnson, her passion for the library system and literature is plainly evident.

Johnson began working with Statesboro Regional Public Libraries in January 2013 after marrying her husband, who was in Statesboro and wanting a job closer to home. With a Bachelors of English from Armstrong Atlantic University, which is now part of Georgia Southern University, Johnson saw the opportunity and took it. 

Johnson started out serving as one of the first faces customers would see in the library in providing customer service in the circulation department. She said she immediately fell in love with the job and people, and saw her future laid out in front of her. 

After working in the circulation department, she then went on to work in the business office as an administrative assistant. Knowing she wanted something more, Johnson went back to school to earn her Masters of Library Sciences from Valdosta State University.

She said she knew she needed the training and an MLS degree in order to advance further than serving as an administrative assistant. Her degree allowed her to advance to regional services librarian, Bulloch library manager, and now into her current role as director of all libraries in the Statesboro Regional System.

Love of reading

From childhood, Johnson said she has always loved reading. She believes that her mother’s love for reading rubbed off on her at an early age. As a child, she remembers always having a book in her hands. 

Johnson recalled visiting the local library in Rincon frequently with her mom and how happy it made her. 

“They have the kids’ side and then the adult books,” she said. “When I finally was able to read longer books, a whole other world opened up!”

Although Johnson didn’t know what she wanted to be growing up, she knew she had a passion for literature, which ultimately led her to a career working in libraries.

Prior to starting in the Statesboro library system, she worked for Live Oak Public Libraries during college for a year and a half reshelving books, which Johnson said she thoroughly enjoyed.

Now as the new director for Statesboro Regional Public Libraries, she said she has exciting plans for the future.

The system consists of six library branches: Claxton-Evans County Library, Metter-Candler County Library, Pembroke-Bryan County Library, Richmond Hill-Bryan County Library, Swainsboro-Emanuel Couty Library and the Statesboro Library.

One of Johnson's top goals is to increase community engagement and inform the public about all the library system has to offer. She said they want to spread the word about the book collections and technology they have, as well as free programs available to the community. 

Making technology available

The Statesboro Regional Public Libraries provide technology such as chromebooks and launchpads for children for checkout, and public computers in the library that anyone may use.

Currently, the libraries are working on updating technology throughout the system Also, more technology is being added the system’s mobile vehicle, so it may be taken out into the community to attract more users and library visitors.

Johnson said she also plans to evaluate current programs in place at the libraries to make sure that there are not any discrepancies, and to see how the programs may be improved for the community. She said that the libraries value community feedback to help understand what the community needs and wants. 

“We really love working with the public and seeing how we can help,” Johnson said. “We provide books, but we do programs to promote literacy and we give out books. We just really enjoy providing for the community.”

Over the years of working with Statesboro Library system, she said she has learned that one of the system's core values is being able to help the community wherever they can. 

So far as her role as director, Johnson said her biggest challenge is facing things she's never faced before in previous roles and learning to adapt with them. Despite challenges, she said she is excited to oversee all libraries and to be able to interact and help the diverse communities who use them.