Julia Burrow, who has served as the Director for the Macon County Public Library System for over eighteen years, recently announced her retirement.
Burrow, a Trousdale native, has overseen the building of a permanent location for the Red Boiling Springs branch of the library, as well as being heavily involved in the expansion project that is currently underway at the Lafayette branch.
“It’s been a dream of mine for a while, to do this multi-purpose room at the library. With the children’s programs, we were getting over 200 people in here. It goes to show that there’s an audience for free, quality entertainment. So this will enable us to do our children’s programing more comfortably. And something else I’ve always been interested in, but we haven’t had the room to accommodate it, is adult programming. Perhaps a lecture series… I just think it will be a huge service to the community.”
With a BS in Communications from the University of Tennessee and a TN library manager certification, Burrow has worked as a Communications Specialist with the Tennessee Valley Authority, Assistant Editor at a local newspaper, Director of Communications and PR at the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, City Communications/Media Relations Assistant to Mayor Stephen r. Reed in PA, and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association (South/Central PA chapter).
She lived in Pennsylvania for about ten of her working years, but came back to Tennessee in 1994. “When you get that call in the middle of the night that a loved one is hospitalized and they’re gathering the family and you’re that far away, there comes a time when you want to come on home. I wouldn’t take anything for my time rambling around, but there’s no place like home.”
Burrow said she had several reasons for taking her retirement at this particular time.
“First of all, it’s what’s best for my family, and for me,” said Burrow. “Secondly, I feel—and the board has disagreed with me on this—I feel it is best for our library system. I think new eyes, fresh attitudes, will be good for our system.
“We’ve all seen, somewhere along the line, that person that stays long past the point that they’re a help, into the point that they’re a hindrance. I don’t want to be that person.”
Burrow said she also looks forward to spending more time with retired husband Steve Burrow and other family.
“I’m confident that it’s certainly the best and the right decision, but it has been a labor of love for me. I can’t tell you how I will miss it. I’ve just loved it, and I’ve loved our patrons, I’ve loved the people I’ve worked with. This county is blessed with an excellent library board.”
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