Halls Branch Library will have some big shoes to fill this summer as 40-year librarian Becky Carpenter retires.
Carpenter hails from Luttrell, and she started working at Lawson-McGhee Library downtown in 1972. After a stint as an operating room tech, she rejoined the library in 1975, where she worked in the audio-visual department for almost 20 years.
When the new Halls Branch Library opened in 2005, Carpenter took the opportunity to work closer to family and transferred to the branch.
Carpenter said she has enjoyed working in the library.
“I think libraries are a wonderful place to work, and I’ve enjoyed it,” she said. “It’s interesting. It’s not the same every day, and it keeps your mind going.”
Halls branch manager Jamie Osborn said Carpenter will be missed.
“She has served our community for so long,” said Osborn. “It’s been a joy to work with her, and I know the rest of the staff feels that way, too.”