By John Howell
Hanna Lee will come to Batesville Public Library August 17 as head librarian.

First Regional Library representative Barbara Evans announced at the city’s mayor and aldermen during their Tuesday meeting Lee’s selection. Lee was recognized by the American Library Association last year as one of its Emerging Leaders for her work at the Princeton Public Library in New Jersey.

She holds an M.A. degree from Johns Hopkins University and an MLIS from Rutgers University.
The new librarian has been a youth services librarian, classroom teacher and an instructor for English as a second language, according to the First Regional announcement.

With Evans during Tuesday’s meeting was First Regional Library Director David Hughes. The library representatives made a request for a 2.5 percent increase in the city’s contribution to the Batesville library’s operation, from $208,000 last year to $213,200 for fiscal 2016.