Friends of the UNCG Libraries Elect Officers at Annual Meeting

The Friends of the UNCG Libraries elected new officers at their recent annual meeting, a celebration of blues featuring scholar and author Bill Ferris and blues artist Logie Meachum and friends. Outgoing chair Tom Kirby-Smith served as master of ceremonies at the event, attended by 250 members and other attendees.

The new Chair of the Friends is Howard Covington of Greensboro. A native of Concord and a graduate of the University of Florida, Covington is a much-respected journalist and author. While with the Charlotte Observer, Covington was the creator and lead reporter on a multi-part series on occupational health hazards in the textile industry. This series won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as well as more than a dozen other national reporting awards, including the Grand Prize of the Robert F. Kennedy journalism awards. He was executive city editor of the Greensboro News & Record before leaving the newspaper business to write and to manage his own publishing company. He and his wife Gloria now write and grow hops for Natty Greene’s Brewing Co on their farm in the North Carolina mountains.

Covington is the author, editor, or co-author of two dozen histories and biographies, including The Story of NationsBank, Changing the Face of American Banking; The North Carolina Century, Tar Heels Who Made A Difference, 1900-2000; Terry Sanford: Politics, Progress and Outrageous Ambition; Favored By Fortune, a three-generation biography of the Hill family of Durham; Lady On The Hill, about the preservation of the Biltmore Estate; and The Good Government Man, Albert Coates and the Early Days of the Institute of Government. His, Once Upon A City: Greensboro, N.C.’s Second Century, was released in February 2008 by the Greensboro Historical Museum.

The Vice-Chair/ Chair-elect is Billie Durham of Troy, NC. She recently retired from UNCG’s Library and Information Studies Program, which she joined in 2004 as an adjunct instructor, becoming an Assistant Professor and School library Media Program Coordinator in 2008. She holds the MLS degree from UNCG. Durham’s background includes 17 years as a school library media specialist in Randolph County and five years as a public services librarian at Montgomery Community College. In addition, she served six years as English as a Second language Coordinator for Montgomery County Board of Education. She presently serves as a member of the State Library's Library Services and Technology Act {LSTA) Advisory Committee.

Newly elected to the Board for three year terms were Jennifer Koenig, Catherine Magid, Karl Schleunes, Rosemary Wander, and Jackie Wilson, all of Greensboro. Evans Garber and Jeri Rowe of Greensboro, and Rebekah Megerian of Asheboro were re-elected to the Board.