06/16/2026
What a wonderful morning we had celebrating the 2026 Blount County Friends of the Library Annual Membership Meeting!
Members unanimously approved the 2026 bylaws and elected a new slate of officers and at-large board members, including Board President Ann Nixon and Vice President Mike Park. We are grateful for the leadership and service of all who have stepped forward to serve.
The meeting also included a special time of remembrance for Laurie Smalley. In a moving tribute to Laurie, deputy director of the library Anjanae Brueland announced that the Friends’ Writer in Residence program will now bear Laurie’s name, ensuring her legacy will continue to inspire readers and writers for years to come.
We were honored to recognize Sally Gross for her generous $25,000 gift supporting Blount County Public Library history programming. Thanks to her support, exciting projects and events are already underway as part of the community’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
A heartfelt thank you goes to our Membership Team for creating such a welcoming reception, complete with beautiful decorations, membership gifts, delicious pastries from , and coffee service provided by Chelsea Mathenia and the Bookmark Café team.
Most of all, thank you to the many members and volunteers who helped make the day a success. Your dedication, generosity, and love for our library continue to strengthen our community.
Finally, we were pleased to present a gift of appreciation to outgoing President Vandy Kemp in recognition of her outstanding leadership and all she has done for the Friends organization. Her dedication, vision, and service have helped strengthen BCFOL and its support of the Blount County Public Library, and we are deeply grateful for her many contributions.
