The Women Transforming Public Libraries
By: Anna Eileen White / In photo above from left to right: Jenny Novalis: Director of the Bedford Public Library, Beverly Blair:
Director of the Lynchburg Public Library and Jordan Welborn: Director of Citizen Engagement and Quality of Life in Campbell County
If an institution’s success depended on hustle and bustle, libraries might remain unnoticed. Step inside, and whatever your mood, you’ll be struck by the hush. Boring and irrelevant? Local library directors Beverly Blair, Jenny Novalis, and Jordan Welborn offer a resounding no. They describe themselves as “people who create connections” and libraries as “magical” places with something for everyone.
Each with a unique journey into the library system, Blair, Novalis, and Welborn shared early chapters of their stories. Through it all, they’ve remained open to change and created spaces that serve a greater purpose.
Novalis is the director of the Bedford Public Library, where she has worked since 2006. Her first job as a young adult was in a library, where she fell in love with the peers she calls “library people.”
“I just think they are some of the most special people out there,” she explained. Novalis worked in several libraries in the D.C. area before eventually moving to Bedford.
Currently crafting their next 5-year plan, Novalis said they’re seeking feedback from the community via focus groups and surveys, “Something that we’re all kind of striving toward is to make sure we’re relevant so that we do make a difference in people’s lives.” She remains productive despite challenges by keeping the bigger picture in mind, “I think, in general, the ability to let stuff just slide off your back or to pivot rather quickly is a strength in any leader.”
Jordan Welborn, Director of Citizen Engagement and Quality of Life in Campbell County, explained her unique job title: “I am the Library Director, but I also am ultimately responsible for Parks and Rec in Campbell County, as well. We’re a small locality, so it works.”
Welborn said that she snuck flashlights into bed for late-night reading as a child. She majored in English and creative writing in college and, after graduation, stumbled upon a library science program. Though it wasn’t the progression she’d planned, she pursued a career in the library system and eventually landed in Campbell County.
Now, she enjoys finding where her many hobbies and her profession intersect. Last year, she was influential in supplying a giant easel for a library community event so attendees could enjoy creating collaborative art. “It’s kind of cool to commemorate the space and the time that you’re in,” she shared.
Beverly Blair, Lynchburg Public Library Director, grew up in Lynchburg and fondly recalled visiting Lynchburg Public Library as a child. While at JMU majoring in English, Blair said she hadn’t considered the library a career option; instead, she considered careers in writing, law, or working with kids.
She discovered the career path “by accident” when she got to know the university librarian.
Blair finds that being a mother has strengthened her work as a library director. She said that occupying both roles has given her an empathetic angle on what other families are hoping for when they visit the library, prompting her to ask herself, “How can I grow with them?”
The recent opening of the new Downtown Branch Library was one example of the kind of growth Blair pursues. “Just knowing that we have a supportive community that will embrace this really fun, funky little library downtown really helped us get to know the community in a different way,” she said.
According to Welborn, Campbell County has been working hard the last several years to make their libraries destinations. “You come to the library, not just to get materials, or not just to come to a program,” she said. “You come to the library to have an experience and to spend time here.” The changes have included adding scavenger hunts, Lego areas, literacy areas, and an 8-foot-long interactive light wall at one location.
These upgrades wouldn’t have been possible without funds from the state and county, various grants, and the Friends of the Library. “We’re very, very fortunate to have such a wonderful community that just loves on us,” Welborn shared.
Blair finds that allocating resources in Lynchburg is most challenging when choosing whether to invest in digital or print resources. “I have to spend my money really wisely and make some tough choices,” she explained. “So I feel like watching trends is really important.” Still, she thinks that digital resources are not competing with print, they’re strengthening it.
Novalis agreed. “We will never see that myth of the bookless library. That will never happen. But I do see a lot of change.”
Though Bedford, Campbell, and Lynchburg libraries are independent of each other, they function on a joint catalog system that allows books to be borrowed and returned at locations within each county.
“We share resources in that way and try to make it really convenient for everybody in Bedford, Campbell, and Lynchburg,” said Welborn. “I feel so very fortunate to work with an amazing group of passionate, creative, service-minded people. It’s an absolute joy to come to work each day.”
The people they serve and work alongside are ongoing inspirations for Blair, Welborn, and Novalis. “I just love to see people—my people—succeed,” Novalis said of Bedford County Library staff and management.
Welborn recounted a period when the Campbell County Library began reaching out to the community and “inviting themselves” to every event they could.
Initially, not every contact was reciprocated, but eventually, the library’s phone started ringing with invitations. She cherishes these small moments
of progress.
Blair said she hopes that their work can be an example to others. “I feel very lucky to work with Jenny and Jordan—two other strong women as my partners,”
she shared. “The inspiration of female leaders is huge for me. So I think if I could bring that forward for other women it would be awesome.”
