FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 10, 2017

Rappahannock Community College
Eric Pesola
Director of Communications
(804) 758-6791
epesola@rappahannock.edu

Collins Steps Down from Richmond County Public Library Board

After eight years of service on the Richmond County Public Librarys Board of
Trustees, Dayle Collinss attended his last meeting as Board chair on June 30th,
finishing the maximum term permitted by the Boards bylaws. When Collins was
recruited to the Richmond County Public Library Board of Trustees by then-chair
Jane Kemper in 2009, he says his only previous experience with libraries was as a
library user in the days of card catalogs.

Coming on to the Board of Trustees, I was a complete greenhorn. At first, I

questioned the appropriateness of the children's program as a redundant function
of the school system. In the eight years since then, as a Board member and later
Board chair, Collins grew to be one of the Boards strongest advocates of early
literacy programs, such as the librarys current 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
campaign.

Collins has also been a strong advocate for the public librarys gaining greater
visibility in the community and was a major proponent of getting the Public
Library sign installed on Richmond Road at the entrance to the campus of
Rappahannock Community College, where the library resides as Virginias first
joint use college/public library.

My wife was an avid reader, and one of the first things she wanted to know when
we moved here from the city of Richmond was the location of the local library. She
had to ask several neighbors before getting general directions. I still remember our
first trip into the bowels of the college looking for the library. It was not an easy
experience. This convinced me that the Library was too well hidden from the
community. The road sign (hand-painted by local sign artist Jim Thomas and
installed in April 2016) should help turn the Library into a recognized Community
asset. I think the public library is also an asset for the College as it acts as a draw
and enables the College to show its wares to the young people of the community
before they make they advanced education choices.

Asked about the future of Richmond County Public Library, Collins offers, I became
more aware of the impact the Internet was having on the way information was
accessible and therefore on the role of the public library. It seemed to me that
electronic media (television and the Internet principally) was gravely undercutting
some of the traditional services provided by the Library. This seemed to require
that the Library re-allocate its resources to functions that only it could provide or
could provide the more efficiently than other media. This was when I reached the
conclusion that early childhood education is one of the best ways the library could
serve the community. I think the future prosperity of Richmond County depends on
having a well-educated population with an established culture of reading and self-
education.

This culture needs to be nurtured from the time of birth of each child. It should be
the role of the Library to reach every new family and get them involved with
teaching their children to read. The Library has been making good progress in this
effort, but should try to reach more of the disadvantaged families so as to improve
the chances of their children having a successful life.

Reflecting on his eight years on the Library Board, Collins says. As a retired person,
I found it rewarding just to be a contributing member of the community and to
become a more positive influence on the quality of life of the community. As a
"come here" I think I have brought new ideas and new ways of thinking about things
that were not part of the historical culture here.

As to the Board of Trustees, I would like to see more effort to achieve a greater
diversity of life experiences and community representation on the Board. It is
important that all segments of the community have a stake in the library and that
there is a diversity of opinions reflected in the Board's decision-making.

About Rappahannock Community College

Rappahannock Community College, established in 1971, is a part of the Virginia
Community College System and serves Virginias Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula,
and surrounding areas. Named the Best College to Work For in 2015 and 2016,
RCC is home to multiple associate degrees and certificate programs, as well as
robust and varied Workforce offerings.

About Richmond County Public Library

Richmond County Public Library was established in 1993 by agreement between
Richmond County and Rappahannock Community College as Virginias first joint-use
college and public library. Located on the campus of Rappahannock Community
College in Warsaw, Virginia, the Library promotes lifelong learning by providing
resources and services that meet the informational, educational, and cultural
interests of residents of all ages. All members of the general public are welcome.