About Friends of the Library
Directors and Officers
Janet Anderson- Board Position/Term: Director. 1st term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: Long-time, year-round volunteer, working with the collectible books & Virginiana. Served previous terms as a director during the past 20 years.
- Life/Work Experience: For forty-plus years she worked in both trade & scholarly publishing as a book/ jacket designer. Retired from the University of Virginia Press, where she was the design & production director for 20 years. As a book collector, she focused on the works of 20th century American book & type designers, W. A. Dwiggins & Warren Chappell.
Elizabeth (Libby) S. Carpenter- Board Position/Term: Director. 2nd term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: Fourth year on the Board. For several years I have helped stock shelves for the Book Sale.
- Life/Work Experience: Former ethics professor. Served on several boards including Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Friends of the Greene County Library, and Friends of Virginia Libraries.
Melissa Dickens- Board Position/Term: 1st Vice-President. 2nd term expires June 2012.
- Experience with FOL: At least ten years volunteering with the sale. Volunteering at J-MRL for over 20 years, including nine years as a Library Board member representing Charlottesville.
- Life/Work Experience: Circulation Desk Clerk, Firestone Library, Princeton University; medical secretary, Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City; part-time and substitute Library Assistant, J-MRL. Housewife and mother – husband, Michael Dickens; two daughters, one of whom is Branch Manager at Gordon Avenue Library.
Fran Feigert- Board Position/Term: President. 2nd term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: Three years on the Board. Worked on pricing and boxing books for the last 3 years and also volunteers during the sale.
- Life/Work Experience: Retired Librarian.
Anne Hemenway- Board Position/Term: Director. 1st term expires June 2012.
- Experience with FOL: No previous experience except for being a patron of the book sale and the library system since moving here twenty years ago. “The libraries-mostly downtown and Gordon Avenue-were such an important community focus for us as a young family, and the downtown library continues to be an important resource and meeting place for each of us.”
- Life/Work Experience: In addition to legal research and writing on a professional level, I have been actively involved in numerous community projects in the downtown area, schools, and most recently with the development of the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center.
Sharon Heyka- Board Position/Term: Secretary. 2nd term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: Have been assisting with the sale for 18 years. Previously served as a director and also as treasurer.
- Life/Work Experience: Business and Grants Manager for the Department of Neuroscience Basic Research at UVA.
Judy Lesiak- Board Position/Term: Director. 1st term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: Pricing volunteer since 1997. Prior service on the Board.
- Life/Work Experience: Retired registered nurse.
Barbara Lesser- Board Position/Term: Membership Secretary. 1st term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: I volunteer throughout the year sorting and pricing books and I also work at the book sale. I served as a Director in 2007-2009
- Life/Work Experience: I have worked as a librarian in elementary and high schools and several federal libraries. After moving to Charlottesville, I worked as a reference librarian at PVCC for 2 1/2 years.
Peter McIntosh- Board Position/Term: Treasurer. no term limit
- Experience with FOL: Member since 1992, 1st Vice President from 1996-2000, President from 2000-2006, Treasurer since June 2006.
- Life/Work Experience: U.S. Naval Supply Officer 1965-1970; Lawyer from 1973 through 2006.Avocations: gardening, home remodeling and cabinet building, crossword puzzles and napping.
Liza Millet- Board Position/Term: Director. 1st term expires June 2012.
- Experience with FOL: I have been working with the book sale for over nine years, having been recruited by Jane Hess when we first moved here in 2000. I price the English, Writing, and Small Books sections.
- Life/Work Experience: We moved here from New Jersey where I taught school for many years.
Margaret O’Brien- Board Position/Term: Director. 1st term expires June 2012.
- Experience with FOL: I have been an all-year-round volunteer for seven or eight years.
- Life/Work Experience: I love reading and my favorite form of exercise is turning the pages of a book.
Thomas Allan Whitlock- Board Position/Term: Director. 1st term expires June 2011.
- Experience with FOL: Previously Board member 1998-2001, and 2007-2008.
- Life/Work Experience: Retired, now a farmer in Louisa county. J-MRL Board of Trustees, 1999-2007, and as J-MRL Board President in 2007.
Regional Library Director
John Halliday- halliday@jmrl.org
- Board Position/Term: Regional Library Director. Ex officio member of the Friends’ Board
- Experience with FOL: Book sale volunteer, expert checker and cashier, for 12 years.
- Life/Work Experience: Director of JMRL since 1997, father of four lovely children, author of several novels for children and young adults.
Staff
Bill Davis- info@jmrlfriends.org
- Board Position/Term: Book Sale Manager
- Experience with FOL: Staff member 1991 – 2003, and 2005. Staff member again June 2007 to date.
- Life/Work Experience: Staff at JMRL: Bookmobile driver, Library Assistant, Courier/Outreach. Father of three. Amateur actor, playwright, and Morris dancer.
Andrew Hniat- info@jmrlfriends.org
- Board Position/Term: Book Sale Assistant
- Experience with FOL: Since summer 2009.
- Life/Work Experience: Paper Deliverer, Map Drawer, Tax Collector, Rat Perfusor, Overseas Traveler, Reagent Producer, Tree Measurer, Student Tormentor, Sports Merchandiser, Blood Processor, Book Sorter