Brunette, a native of Jackson county, has worked in the library system for years.

“I think she cares deeply for the success of the Jackson County library,” said Karen Wallace, director of the Fontana Regional Library System. “I know she really wants to see a new library built for the main library of Jackson County.”

Brunette will manage the library in Sylva. She will have an important role in bringing the dream of a new library to fruition, hopefully generating community consensus on what has been a divisive issue in the past, stalling a new library from getting off the ground.

“Currently we have outgrown our home, so we need to build a new home to meet the needs of all the people,” Brunette said.

Brunette also will be a breath of fresh air to library patrons who were dissatisfied with the old director, Michael Cartwright.

Brunette brings extensive experience to this new position. She has worked at the Hunter Library at Western Carolina University and has worked within the Fontana Regional Library System for 11 years – seven at the Macon County Library and three years at the Cashiers Library.

Of course, now a head librarian will have to be hired for the Cashiers library.

“We are going to be searching for a new librarian for the Cashiers library. We have a couple of potential candidates who had submitted applications for the Jackson library position. We will see if they are interested,” Wallace said.

Don Williamson, a Cashiers resident and member of the Jackson County Library Board, said Brunette will be missed in Cashiers.

“We are, of course, happy for her that she got this promotion and she should do an excellent job as the librarian over in Sylva,” Williamson said. “We just hope we can get somebody as good. She did an excellent job and was well liked.”

— By Becky Johnson