Cumberland’s Thrasher, Buffalo’s Mahaney To Retire

Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 8/1/2007

Jerry Thrasher, director of the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center, Fayetteville, NC, will retire in January after 28 years in the position. During his tenure, a new headquarters library opened and six branches were replaced over 14 years. He has been widely acknowledged for his support of intellectual freedom in the face of several community challenges and was named Library Journal’s 1999 Librarian of the Year. LJ’s John Berry in 2003 wrote about a forum at the library on the USA PATRIOT Act.

Michael Mahaney, director of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (B&ECPL), has also announced he will retire at the end of the year. Mahaney has spent 33 years at B&ECPL. His five years as director have been highlighted by shrinking budgets leading to layoffs and branch downsizing but he also accomplished the first new branch opening in 20 years and the first central library overhaul since 1964. Last year he contributed to the successful passage of the Library Protection Act, a local law that safeguards library funds after the county budget is adopted, a 14-year effort.