Leland Park

Leland M. Park, a Davidson resident and retired library director at Davidson College, has been appointed to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees, the library announced Wednesday.

He was appointed by Charlotte Mecklenburg school board, filling a vacancy that opened earlier this year.

Mr. Park was recognized last month with the town of Davidson’s annual Jack Burney Community Service Award, in part for his work on behalf of the library. As a member of the Davidson Library Task Force last year, he helped raise money to keep the Davidson branch open during the county budget crisis.

He has had a long career in libraries. In fact, he began his career in 1964 as a reference librarian at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. From 1967-1972 he returned to his alma mater, Davidson College, as a librarian. He left to get a Ph.D., graduating from Florida State University in 1974, then returned to Davidson as library director, a position he held until his retirement in 2006.

“We are so pleased that the Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education has appointed Leland,” Library Board Chair Robin Branstrom said in a press release. “Not only is he well regarded in this community, but he brings such vast experience in library management.”

As the library system struggled to cope with budget cuts in 2010, Mr. Park regularly attended meetings of the Future of the Library Task Force, a group of citizens charged with recommending how to ensure the future of the library system.

The library said that as a board member, he will be working with fellow board members and library staff, as well as with the school board.

RELATED COVERAGE

“With laughs and words, town honors Leland Park” – Coverage of the 2011 Jack Burney Award