The Knox County Public Library Foundation is a nonprofit entity created to collect, invest, and distribute funds donated for the improvement of the Knox County Public Library. Established in 2006, the Library Foundation is committed to maintaining a strong public library — a necessity for a healthy and vital community.
Board of Directors
Jeff Johnson, President
Linda Gay Blanc, Vice President
Miranda Clark, Secretary
Marilyn Jake, Treasurer
Kristie Atwood
Ginna Mashburn
Jerome Miller
Angelia Nystrom
Claire Serrell
Rusha Sams
Ex Officio
Myretta Black, Library Director
Mary Pom Claiborne, Library Liaison
John Smartt, Jr., Friends of the Library Liaison
Nancy Peterson, Advisory Board Liaison
Diana Samples
Neill Albers Townsend
Library Foundation Projects
The Margaret Dickson Fund
The Margaret Dickson Fund was created through a bequest from Margaret Dickson, a beloved children’s librarian who served families at Lawson McGhee Library for more than 40 years. This fund makes possible the Library’s Saturday Stories & Songs program, a free storytime series that features special musical guests such as WDVX’s Sean McCollough, professional storyteller Faye Wooden, world traveler Georgi Schmitt, and many other performers. The Foundation has granted the program more than $30,000 over three years.
From Papers to Pixels
From Papers to Pixels, a project to digitize the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1922–1990, was completed in 2016. A fully searchable, digitized archive now brings the special past of Knoxville and the state of Tennessee to life for all subsequent generations. To access the database, visit knoxlib.org.