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| Cooper retires, Belcher takes helm |
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| Written by Danetta Barker | |
| Wednesday, 28 July 2010 | |
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By Danetta Barker Editor It’s a dream job, being Fleming County Librarian. As one beloved and familiar face leaves a new one takes its place. Beverly Cooper, who worked at Fleming County Public Library for 33 years, has retired. “I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it,” Cooper said. Her replacement Dana Belcher has spent the last week under Cooper’s tutelage learning the ropes of the new job. “It’s my dream job,” Belcher said. Both women have turned their love of books and the library in general into successful careers. Cooper with her years of working in the library, was a bit hesitant to step into the position of director when Lyla Humphries retired. “I appreciate Lyla having so much faith in me,” Cooper said. Belcher has spent most of her career in education in libraries in several school districts, including Mason County and Augusta. She wanted to return to the library, where the smells, the books, the whole atmosphere spoke to her. “Kids are happy when they come to the library,” Belcher said. “When I used to take my classes to the library, they loved it.” Cooper has felt much the same over the past 33 years. She has enjoyed all the programs, all the people and all the things that come with a small county library. When she was able to bring a new building to the county, with the help of many staff and an understanding progressive board, it was the highlight of her career. “I was so blessed to be part of that," Cooper said. “During that time when were planning and opening the new building, I was at the top of my game.” Cooper worked at the new facility for three years before retiring. The last few months she has spent going through files and saying goodbyes. “It’s been a long goodbye,” she said. The ancient files revealed that the first library was built with a budget of $60,000, a large sum for the time. That building and technology served the community for decades. Then the computer age changed everything. “When it really took off was when we decided to automate," Cooper said. “ We thought that would be the end of us.” A grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation paid for most of the new computers in those early days of technology. From there, the board and Friends of the Library saw that updates were available to equipment and staff. It was quickly discovered that a new building would be a great need for the future of the library. Through it all Cooper and her staff worked hand in hand to make the dream of a new building a reality. Now Cooper has turned it over to the hands of some one who has the heart for the job. “This feels like home,” Belcher said. In fact she and her husband Kermit lived at Stonegate for several years. “I love this community. I can’t say enough about the ladies I work with here. They are so wonderful.” The dream job is still new enough for Belcher to sometimes think it might not be true. She enjoys the community, sees students from her education days and finds that Fleming County is much like her home county of Powell. She likes the small town feel of Flemingsburg. For the next few weeks she will be busy settling in, but Belcher wants everyone to feel free to stop by and say hello. As for Cooper, a reception Sunday gave the community that has supported her for so long an opportunity to say good-bye. It’s a dream job, but for Cooper it’s time to hand it off for somone else to dream. |
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