Corinne Hill, Library Executive Director
Corinne Hill, Library Executive Director
The Public Library is taking new directions … er, make that new directors.
Corinne Hill has been named executive director of the Chattanooga Public Library. After serving as interim director of the Dallas Public Library since July 2010, Hill saw the opportunity for a permanent position and decided to relocate to the Scenic City. She replaces David Clapp, who retired as director on the last day of 2010.
Hill’s appointment is a sweet note for what has been an otherwise sour episode in recent library history, and both citizens and city officials have celebrated the decision.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield said Hill will help Chattanooga explore more e-book usage and Internet offerings with her vision of leading the library into the digital age. While in Texas, Hill managed an 11 percent operating budget reduction without reducing staff, maintaining hours at the branches, and increasing materials funding from the previous year.
This expertise at offering more services with less money may quiet some of the backlash in the wake the city’s move to let a long-standing tax agreement expire that left county residents paying to borrow books.
Hill’s move to Chattanooga prompted squalls from upset Dallasites, who accused Dallas leaders of dragging their heels in handing Hill the reigns. It was that “aggonizingly slow” decision process, as one commenter put it, that led her to our fair city.
Unfortunate for the Big D, but we couldn’t be happier about her two-steppin’ into town.