The Board of Trustees of the Blue Ridge Regional Library (BRRL) is pleased to announce that it has chosen Rick Ward to be the new Director of Library Services. Mr. Ward, who has served as Interim Director of the BRRL system since July 2012, has worked in the library system since 2001. He was Reference Supervisor at the Martinsville Library from 2003 to 2006, and was Patrick County Branch Librarian from 2006 to the present.

As Director, Mr. Ward will lead the regional library system comprising five libraries (the Main Branch in Martinsville, and branch libraries in Bassett, Collinsville, Ridgeway and Stuart) and a bookmobile, 35 employees and an annual budget of approximately $1.7 million. The Blue Ridge Regional Library strives to serve its diverse communities with a mixture of traditional library services, concentrating particularly on early literacy, children’s and youth services, and new initiatives in areas such as health and wellness and access to and training on computers and the Internet. “Rick Ward brings together relevant library experience and deep knowledge of and commitment to our local communities, “said BRRL Board Chair Janet Demiray. “He has done an excellent job as Interim Director and we feel sure that he is the best person to lead our library system forward. We can take pride in what the library system accomplishes each year, despite the budgetary constraints under which we operate. We are counting on Rick to supply the kind of leadership that will inspire our dedicated library staff and result in new initiatives for the library system.” In accepting the Director’s position, Mr. Ward stressed the importance of building and maintaining public support for this taxpayer- funded institution by demonstrating the value that the library system adds to our communities. And by using business-based management techniques, he will make sure that every dollar allocated to the library budget is used to maximum effect. “I want to increase the library system’s partnerships with our local educational institutions and non-profit organizations,” said Mr. Ward. “We already have a number of productive relationships, but we can do more in such areas as workforce development and providing enrichment opportunities for our children and youth. The library should be in the forefront of the information technology revolution and I will work hard to secure the resources we need to do this.” Mr. Ward, who lives in Stuart, earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He also holds a B.S. in Business Administration from High Point University and was a small business owner and manager in Patrick County for several years. He has served as a member of the board of directors of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce and was elected president of the Chamber in 2011. Since 1987, he has been an active member of the Blue Ridge Arts and Theater Society, performing in or directing more than two dozen local theatrical productions.