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Commemorating its 130th anniversary, Lanier Library is celebrating members in monthly profiles to help

the community get a better idea of the neighbors who carry the Lanier card and preserve a cultural

tradition started in 1890.

 

“If I could choose a period in Lanier history to visit, I’d want to meet the LeDuc sisters when they were working to acquire the first books,” says younger sister Sally McPherson. Older sister Nancy Holmes speaks from a different perspective, “I want to see the Library over the next ten years.”

 

Nancy came to Tryon after careers in book publishing in NYC and psychotherapy in Connecticut, joining Lanier in 1992. She and her husband were attracted by the arts community culture. She recalls, “I first walked into Lanier because it was convenient and was immediately reminded of my childhood library in Kansas…deja vu, cool and calm, the comforting smell of books.”

 

Sally had been a buyer for Macy’s in Kansas City and then raised a family with her husband in Atlanta before moving to Tryon. She joined Lanier in 1995. “I was taken by the inviting nostalgia of the card catalog and the friendliness of the staff.” She is happy that the card catalogue is still kept up to date for members who prefer tradition to the speed and convenience of the Library’s computer system. She adds, “There is still the warmth of personal attention.”

 

Over the years, each sister found different ways to involve themselves in helping the Library sustain relevance in a changing community.

 

Nancy found a sense of purpose in fund-raising, investing herself in such events as the Poetry and Mystery Festivals. Sally served as Board President for two terms, fondly remembering book sales and decorating the Library for Christmas.

 

“One of my fondest memories is working with Sally on the first Mystery Festival,” recalls Nancy. “While I was hunting for clues, she was timekeeper with her alarm clock as back-up.”