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An Interview with RCLS Board Chair Tim Bowling
 Linebaugh Branch Manager Carol Ghattas recently sat down with Tim Bowling, our current Rutherford County Library System Board Chair, to talk about his perspective of the work of our libraries. Some of you may not realize that our library system, though funded by Rutherford County and local city governments, has its own board.
Welcome, Tim. How long have you served on the RCLS Board, and how long have you been the Chair? I have been with the Board over five years and the last two as Chair.
Why does the library system have a separate Board, who makes up our Board, and what do you see as their primary function? We go back in history and when Murfreesboro saw the need for a library. It was primarily funded by the City. When the need grew, the Rutherford County Commission became one of the financial funding bodies, and then, eventually a library was added in Smyrna, so the town of Smyrna became a funding body, and the most recent edition was in Eagleville, so the city of Eagleville helps fund that branch.
Since we have all these funding bodies, we want to make sure each has representation on the Board, so each city has representation, plus we have some at-large members from the county. Along with that, we look to have a diverse background for the people serving on the Board, so that everyone brings something different to the Board, and that collective vision helps as we guide the future of the library system itself.
You’re a long-time Murfreesboro resident. Has serving on the Board changed your perspective of the public library in our community? It's greatly enhanced it, actually. In particular, I have fond memories on these hot summer days as a child being able to go to the old library and go down into the basement. It was very cool, and we were able to check out books, and that was a great time. Even today, children are able to come to any of our facilities are able to check out books, but it's more than just children. We have people who do tutoring sessions in the library, adults that use it for a wide variety of things -- everything from just general pleasure reading to researching for jobs or doing job applications online. We have lots of different clubs that meet in some of our meeting rooms at our different facilities, and so there is just a wide range of the general public that get to use the library system.
What has been the greatest achievement of the Board during your tenure as Chair? Building on the dream of Gary Green and Christie Lee, the creation of the Technology Engagement Center. This is a five thousand square foot stand-alone building situated on the campus of Hobgood School. It's what some people would call a "shelf-less" library, meaning we don't have books to be checked out at this facility, but we have all kinds of digital media and resources, including a recording studio, that we are sitting in right now. We have many computers, 3D printers, but it's not just the physical technology that the building has, but it's the resources that we have here of teaching to use these things, and so we've been able to offer a lot of different kinds of classes, that range from children to adults, to learn different aspects of how we use technology in our lives today. And, of course, moving forward, we look to add additional branches in the future.
As Board Chair, what would you like those in our community to know about the Rutherford County Library System? Public libraries are one of the few, if not the only places left, where all individuals are welcomed and encouraged to attend and to visit. It's truly an open environment for all people, regardless of their life situation. It's for the poorest to the richest, youngest to the oldest, noncitizens or citizens -- we are here to serve you. It's our goal to make everyone's visit to the library the best part of their day.
I do want to share, as a staff member, that we are very appreciative of our Board members and of your leadership as well. We know you all serve as volunteers, so we are grateful for the sacrifice of your time on behalf of the Rutherford County Library System. Thank you for your time today, Tim. Thanks, Carol. Well, it's all about the staff, and we have a wonderful staff here, and they're here to help you. When you come in or if you have questions, they truly are motivated to assist our public, and it's our most valuable resource that we have with the Rutherford County Library System.
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To listen to this interview along with other news from RCLS, check out this month's radio spot visit our website at rclstn.org.
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